Rakuten Viki announced the premiere of The Painted Soul, a new original Korean animated series that blends fantasy and romance with Eastern inspiration. Directed by Choi Junbae (Mouse, Stealer: The Treasure Keeper), the 10-episode series will be available exclusively on Viki from October 21 in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Oceania, India, and Southeast Asia. The Painted Soul is a co-production between South Korean production company Imaginus and Viki.
The Painted Soul follows apprentice spirit painter Yun Hwa, who accidentally frees Seol Jin, a mysterious man sealed inside a painting for decades. Legend says anyone who meets his gaze is doomed. As Yun Hwa is drawn closer to the stranger, she must decide whether what she feels is fear or something more.
Creative approach
Under Junbae’s direction, the creative team working on The Painted Soul is leveraging new filmmaking techniques. The concept and storytelling were developed by a team of creatives at Imaginus, who used AI and other technologies to bring the story to life.
Jaehee Hong, chief content officer at Viki, said, “Our fans have told us they want more animated content, and they’re going to love The Painted Soul, a fantasy romance with a visual style unlike anything else on Viki. We’re always looking for new stories from Korea and beyond to share with our audience. We plan to bring more animation to our platform, and this is just the start.”
Hyunjung Lee, chief creative officer at Imaginus, said, “At their core, our team of artists always wants to tell the most compelling stories. We worked hard to make The Painted Soul an intriguing watch for viewers, and with the use of exciting new technologies, we were able to enhance our storytelling in meaningful ways. We are looking forward to the debut of The Painted Soul on the Viki platform.”
About Imaginus
Imaginus was established in December 2021 by Jinnie Choi, the former CEO of Studio Dragon, a subsidiary of CJ ENM. The company previously worked on series including Cinderella at 2AM, which is also available on Viki.
Viki is available to watch for free with advertisements, or without advertisements through the Viki Pass Standard and Viki Pass Plus tiered subscriptions. It is available on web and on several platforms via desktop, mobile, streaming devices, and connected TVs. For more information, visit www.viki.com.
