A scene from the movie “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love” / Courtesy of SAMG Entertainment By Baek Byung-yeul "Heartsping: Teenieping of Love" is emerging as a strong competitor in the summer box office. The Korean animation has secured second place, despite the influx of big-budget films from major studios. The animation, which hit local theaters on Wednesday, is a movie version of the popular TV animation series "Teenieping.
" The film is currently running second, garnering over 140,000 viewers on Wednesday and Thursday, following the comedy film, "Pilot," starring Jo Jung-suk. Notably, the animation flick is leading the box office, outperforming the action noir, "Revolver," starring Cannes award-winner Jeon Do-yeon and "The Glory" actor Lim Ji-yeon, which was released on the same day. "Teenieping," a popular adventure animation, is enjoyed not only in Korea but also in China and other countries.
The series follows Princess Romi of a kingdom on a quest to find scattered fairies known as Teeniepings. The TV series based on this movie has already been labeled a potential money pit for parents, due to its extensive range of merchandise that has become highly popular among children. Fans of the series cite trendy characters as a major factor in its popularity, including an active and competitive protagonist and charming characters, based on themes like magic, kingdoms and fairies that stimulate children's imagination.
The 86-minute movie version features a variety of songs, dances, and action sequences, offering captivating entertainment for young audiences. A scene from the movie “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love” / Courtesy of SAMG Entertainment Demonstrating its soaring popularity, kindergarteners and their accompanying teachers could be seen in front of theaters on Friday morning. The kindergarten teachers said they came to the theater because the children wanted to see "Heartsping" the most.
"Children have been looking forward to this movie a lot. Many kids have already enjoyed not only the TV animation but also the musical. They have high expectations for this movie version too," the kindergarten teacher said at the theater in Seoul.
This work appeals not only to children but also to "kidults," or adults who enjoy cute characters with fantasy backgrounds. Showbox, the film's distributor, reported that at the preview screening held before the film’s release, adult viewers remarked, "This film can be called Korea's Frozen without hesitation," and "As a 29-year-old man, this movie truly touched my heartstrings.".
