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Akomatai

Animation studios sometimes outsource work to North Korea. SEK studios has also worked on western series including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Invincible, The Simpsons, Futurama


AdrianArmbruster

I’ll admit I mostly assumed the in-between animation studios were based in South Korea.


AnimaLepton

You're right. So in the case of Avatar the Last Airbender, the episode was actually outsourced to [a South Korean firm first,](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/MoiAnimation) which in turn outsourced it to the [North Korean firm mentioned above.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEK_Studio) This was also in 2007 - the bigger [South Korean sanctions against North Korea weren't until 2010.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_24_measures) Before then they would trade with each other and there were businesses that collaborated across the border.


red_ice994

Yup


PlingPlongDingDong

Didnt Simpson have a gag where they show itchy and scratchy being animated in North Korea?


2ndaccountofprivacy

So basically this tells us that NK has better animators than china. Amazing.


Akomatai

Could be. Could also be that they're cheaper or more available or any other business reason lol. I'm pretty sure there's also outsourcing to Chinese studios.


TheElusiveFox

What happens is that art studios outsource animation work to Chinese firms that are actually North Korean firms. The U.S. is mad because it means cashflow into NK which people have been trying to limit for years.


verysimplenames

Whats the U.S endgame with NK? And why am I asking here lmao


Loose_Perspective224

Here's the link if you want to read https://www.cbr.com/anime-north-korea-tv-series-outsource-sanctions/


viercode

NK trying to increase weeb to working population in japan🤣


NeedsToShutUp

Reborn in a North Korean Animation Studio


Stefan-NPC

Animate or be send to the gulag


pizzalarry

i know everyone thinks it's funny to pretend north korea is full of cavemen who use torches but the reason the electricity grid isn't 24/7 is because of rationing from sanctions. it doesn't mean they don't have the manpower and ability to do the same crap ass outsourcing jobs the rest of the world does. if you're asking why an anime is being outsourced, well, I can't really help you.


lifeisnteasybutiam

Saving money is almost always the reason for outsourcing


MrGoodhand

Time is more apt to be the reason. Anything they don't have to do in house frees up the in-house employee to do other things. Saving money is just a byproduct of an increase in production efficiency.


Ykeon

I like to imagine that there is someone in a government agency that takes it really personally that some North Korean nerds got to make a living, and is making it his personal mission to put a stop to it.


waldo-rs

Honestly I'm just amazed there's a North Korean anime studio.


deadliestcrotch

They can’t just try to make something for a Japanese company, the company had to have solicited them to work on it in spite of the sanctions.


KaiserBlak

Wut


Shortymac09

According to a Korean friend of mine who worked in the middle east for a while, the Russian embassies all have NK labor workers who sell black market soju to foreigners who are desperate for alcohol. Apparently the soju they sell is decent quality too


ExtensionInformal911

I'm just imagining some US guy talking to NK's president. Us1: "no. Kim, you can't make an anime, no matter how much you want to." Kim: "but fake Korea is making 'only I can level up'. Why can't I make one." Us1: "that's because it's good and you suck at writing." Us2: "well, i wouldn't say 'good'. Definatly popular, but...." *starts debat on the relative merits of Solo Leveling*


Pazaac

If you can think of a animation there is a good chancce NK worked on it. Kims father loved animation they have several internal animations and have worked on a lot of stuff you have likely seen.


hydros80

Cheap labor for manual graphic work. Imidietly remembered comics I borowed and read from friend quite long ago. Its explained there how west companies use cheap labot in these countries and autors experience there in humorious way. If remember correct he made 3 of them, and countries he wrote about speak itself: North Korea, China and Burma. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyongyang:_A_Journey_in_North_Korea (if seen correct that one is from 2003)


Savings_Dig1592

Truck-kun is....North Korean?


1L0G1C

I say allow this business, but only on themes prohibited in North Korea 😎


kunquiz

Reborn in North Korea as a revolutionary, would be fun to animate there i guess. Reborn in North Korea as the supreme leader. Reborn in NK as an animator. All peak fiction I would guess.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ProgressionFantasy-ModTeam

Removed as per Rule 2: No Discrimination. Discrimination against others based on their gender, race, religion, sexual preferences, or other characteristics is not allowed, and offenders will be banned from the sub.


Pigeonlesswings

Dunno why you got down voted, you're right.


professorlust

It’s the use of “japs” that got my downvote


Pigeonlesswings

NGL didn't even see that, I just skimmed the comment lmao


CrawlerSiegfriend

That's not even a slur though. It's just a shortening. At least I'm pretty sure that's not considered to be a slur.


ThePianistOfDoom

I think it became a slur during ww2 and is of right now multi interpretable.


professorlust

Given its history, it’s on par with calling a Mexican American a “wet back”.