MN_ISSFCS

From YouTube to Box Office: Korean Kids Animation Wins Families Back to Theaters

PDF Download

Summary

From YouTube to Box Office: Korean Kids Animation Wins Families Back to Theaters
Type	Other	Genre	Animation

From YouTube to Box Office :

Korean Kids Animation Wins Families Back to Theaters

This article shows how Korean kids IPs like Heartsping and Bebefinn are breaking the perception of

being limited to preschool audiences. They're proving that family-oriented theatrical releases can

succeed both domestically and globally, signaling the scalability of Korean kids IP across formats and

territories for overseas buyers.

♦ Heartsping's 2023 Breakthrough

• “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love” drew 1.24M viewers, the first Korean animation since “Leafie, A Hen

into the Wild” (2011) to surpass 1M admissions

• Attracted parents and young adults beyond preschoolers through universal themes like first love,

friendship, and pets, later expanding into China

♦ Bebefinn's Global Stage Success

• Bebefinn achieved 37B YouTube views and Netflix Kids #1 in 11 countries including the U.S.

• The theatrical version premiered at Muju Film Festival and created the “Pinkfong Universe” featuring

Baby Shark and other characters

♦ Strong Box Office Performance

• “Bebefinn Sing-Along Movie: Into the Pinkfong World” reached 100K viewers in 7days, ranking Top 3 in

weekly box office despite Hollywood competition

• Employed “Family Music Adventure” genre with 2D/3D, pixel art, special effects, and 15 Broadway-style

OSTs to maximize theatrical immersion

♦ Global Market Expansion

• Scheduled for release in 11 markets including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Taiwan, and Vietnam

• Theater chains highlight high per-family revenue and cross-age appeal, with kids IP shifting from

DVD/YouTube-only to theaters as a growth engine

Source
Dailian. (2025. 8. 14)

(Korean version only)

Source

Dailia