Korean animation ‘Catch! Teenieping’ gaining global popularity

Joining the ranks of Korean dramas and K-pop in gaining popularity worldwide is Korean animation series “Catch! Teenieping,” which has caught on with kids around the globe.

“Catch! Teenieping” topped Netflix Korea’s trending kids category four days after the launch of its first season. YouTube channel Teenieping TV, meanwhile, has over 208,000 followers.

The series has been widely watched in Australia and North America, where it has ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively, on Netflix’s trending kids’ content list.

According to “Catch! Teenieping” creator SAMG Entertainment, it also ranked among the top three on Chinese streaming platform Youku after its release in China in July. Over 1.2 billion people viewed the Korean cartoon animation through diverse Chinese online platforms, including Tencent and Aichi, the entertainment company said.

“‘Catch! Teenieping’ was created from the beginning as a global IP (intellectual property) that can expand online and offline and go beyond being a typical girls’ animation,” SAMG Entertainment CEO Kim Su-hoon said in a statement. “We will grow it as Korea’s representative global IP through not only applying the best graphic designs but also by introducing fresh stories and attractive characters.”

The Korean animation revolves around Princess Romi of the Emotion Kingdom and her friends’ adventures. It also features mischievous creatures called Teenieping, which can enter people’s minds.

“Catch! Teenieping” first aired on public broadcaster KBS2 in March last year. In September, the second season of the animation moved to local cable channel JEI TV as “Sparkling Catch! Teenieping.”

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)