From Prince Liam to Kite, 'Hachuping's' next protagonist

'A Hit with Moms': The Record Left by Prince Liam

A slightly different scene unfolded in theaters during the summer of 2024. Among mothers who visited the theater with their young children, a character emerged that was talked about just as much as the protagonist Princess Romi or the cute Teeniepings. It is Prince Liam from the animation 'Heartsping'.

Immediately after its release, online communities and social media were flooded with reactions such as "I went following my child but fell for Prince Liam," "A character that moms like even more," and "Why did they make him so handsome?" It is rare for a male character in a children's animation to become the center of attention outside of the work itself.

Prince Liam's visuals are a result intended from the production stage. General Director Kim Su-hoon revealed in an interview that they referred to the images of several idols for Prince Liam. However, they did not model him after a specific person. He explained that they wanted to create an ideal image that anyone would naturally associate with a prince and aimed for a visual that anyone could find appealing.

With golden hair, distinct features, and a soft impression, Prince Liam is further enhanced by his kind and trustworthy personality. The production team also made a unique choice in setting the relationship between Prince Liam and Princess Romi. Instead of forming a natural love line between the two as in typical animations, they ultimately did not pair them up. This was because they judged that leaving Prince Liam not as Romi's partner, but as an ideal prince character that anyone could admire, would leave a greater lasting impression. Online, this drew reactions such as, "A character that truly understands mothers' fantasies."

The Appearance of Sea Boy Kite and New Teeniepings

The potential shown by Prince Liam now leads to the sequel. The fantasy animation 'Heartsping: Legend of the Whale Jewel', releasing on August 5, recently released a video introducing new characters. This work depicts the adventure of Romi and Heartsping as they search for the Whale Jewel to save Romi's mother, who disappeared into the sea.

In the video, Kite, the Sea Boy who will accompany Romi on her journey, made his first appearance. Kite is a character with a story of losing his hometown and wandering the sea. In the video, Kite shows his firm determination, introducing himself by saying, "I want to defeat Levius and reclaim our village."

Kite's visuals are differentiated from the previous Prince Liam. Wearing blue clothing and exuding a refreshing atmosphere, Kite captures the fresh and youthful charm of a newly debuted rookie idol. While Prince Liam embodied the 'classic prince' from fairy tales, Kite is a character who emphasizes a free and refreshing charm.

The joining of the new 'Sea-pings' was also confirmed. Soraping, who loves playing the trumpet; Chulrangping, who creates waves; and Bangulping, who enjoys playing with bells, each showcased their unique personalities. In the video, Heartsping reacted to the new friends by saying, "Wow, everyone is so cool, Chu!"

'Heartsping: Legend of the Whale Jewel' will be released in theaters nationwide on August 5.

Background and Context

The animation 'Heartsping' series is expanding its universe, using the success of Prince Liam as a stepping stone. Since before the release, the production team has been broadening its touchpoints with the audience by sequentially releasing trailers and character content.

Recently, they announced the specific flow of the sequel through a character introduction video featuring Sea Boy Kite and the new Teeniepings. This video contains the story of Kite, who wanders the sea after losing his home, along with the individual personalities of the 'Sea-pings' such as Soraping, Chulrangping, and Bangulping.