Seong Ryul of the School of Film, TV & Multimedia Attains the Gold Prize in the 16^th Japan International Manga Award

Animation Artist Seong Ryul (Woo Seong-ryul), who studied at the School of Film, TV & Multimedia, garnered the Gold Prize in the 16^th Japan International Manga Award with “In the Summer.” Celebrating the 16^th anniversary, the Japan International Manga Award annually takes place ever since organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 2007. This year, 503 entries from 77 countries and regions competed in the contest, marking the highest competition rate in the contest’s history. 

Woo is the first Korean ever to win the contest. “In the Summer” (Munhak Dongne Publishing) is a short comic book published in 2020 composed of 2 short cartoons, “In the Summer,” and “A Panorama.” Seong Ryul worked on them while he was enrolled in the Department of Animation. They were the artist’s graduation work produced in a workshop.

In the first story, “In the Summer,” Ju Chan, an introverted main character, embarks on a journey in search of the soul of his only friend, Chi Chi the cat, after Chi Chi’s death. In the second story, “A Panorama,” Haeri, the main character, goes on a trip to Okinawa to grant a wish of his friend who died of bullying in school, where Haeri meets a lonely girl, Chie, who looks alike his dead friend. The work portrays the two stories like water-painted scenery.

Seong Ryul has actively engaged in creative work as an illustrator since acquiring a BA in Animation from the School of Film, TV & Multimedia in 2020. So far, he has collaborated with many artists in across the fields, including cartoon network, wolftyla, dj yaeji, and Baek Yerin. He showcases the outcomes of his solo work through social media through Twitter (@seong_ryul) and Instagram (@sseongryul, linktr.ee/sseongryul).