• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.31
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• pp.117-152
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• 2013

is a comics that the original Yoshokawa Eiji's novel . Since the series started in 1998, it's epic that records the 54 million or more copies of the cumulative sales volume to 1.7 million unit volume average in the book, 34 are currently up to volume has been published. proceeds with narratives in a way of following naturally the personality of a character based on the rule of an author, which is 'people should be described as what they are'. Accordingly it features very unique characterizing. This study focused on the fact that numerous characters in maintain a structural balance through the establishment of a character composition in an antipodal relationship although those characters have strong personalities. In order to analyze the relationship of such characters, the study utilized as an analytic frame MBTI personality types theory which is a psychology test tool. First, the study inferred personality patterns as the temperamental characteristics of MBTI, and tried to analyze the antipodal character composition based on the combination of cognition and judgment which are assumably the most important functions. From this, the study was able to discover the following three structures applied to those characters. (1) The antipodism between Musasi, the main character and Kojiro, a mirror character becomes central to the work, (2) The antipodal relationship between their fosterers and the character playing the mentor's role extends the character attribute of Musasi and Kojiro. (3) The Yoshioka family was also established in the antipodal composition as a role of exchanging influences with Musasi and Kojiro. Through this, the study reached a conclusion that in the pairs of characters in contrast were established as if to reach a dialectic synthesis. As such, the antipodal structuralization of the character composition shown in is deemed to differentiate the inner sides of numerous unique characters; thereby make it possible to describe their inner sides in-depth. Finally, the following common context is found: works in the field of successful comics and animation in terms of criticism and performance are focused on characters. It is probably because their consumers are relatively very interested in those characters as the characters in comics or animation become differentiated from those of novels or movies. Subsequently, it is expected that the analyzed results of characterizing can be referred to during the production of contents by preparing the results as database.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.47
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• pp.193-215
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• 2017

This study has researched that tempo is an element influencing the fun of narrative webtoon. In spite of many elements that could create fun in narrative webtoon, the theory this study pays attention to is the accumulation and solution of tension. Lee Hyun-bee said in his book that the accumulation and solution of tension would be the element creating fun. Tensions of a story create the immersion by bringing readers into the story. However, if such tensions are maintained throughout the whole story, readers get insensitive to tensions, so that the accumulation and solution of tension should be used in turn to maintain the immersion. One of the directions creating the accumulation and solution of tension in narrative webtoon is the direction of tempo. When creating a narrative webtoon with the full-length structure, it is not easy to describe the whole incident from beginning to the end of it in order of time. Therefore, it is inevitable to have differences between story time and narrative time, and the difference of this time is called 'tempo'. This tempo creates fun when readers are immersed in the work, by adjusting breaths of the story in the direction of narrative webtoon. Such a role of tempo direction is based on the relation between the occurrence of tempo direction and information of the story. The information actually leading the story creates the accumulation and relief of tension which is the essential element of fun formation while tempo also maximizes the effects of accumulation and relief of tension. Tempo direction in narrative webtoons uses panels and gaps between them. The scene direction using panels and gaps between them considers tempo and dynamics because of the temporality of panels and gaps between them. This paper analyzes the use of tempo direction for narrative webtoon through the analysis on the 1st episode of . The significance of this study is to reveal that tempo direction is one of the factors creating fun in narrative webtoons, and also to suggest the theoretical grounds for researches on direction creating fun in the future.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.28
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• pp.27-53
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• 2012

American superhero comics are being produced in numerous different forms for multiple, and cross-platform media. In cinema, films based on superhero comics top the list of all time box office records. The same phenomenon of the 'Invasion of Superhero' is duplicated in Korean box office 2012, however, the korean fans are not familiar with the superheroes from the publication which provides the original source of characters and stories for other superhero related media products. Based on observing the multiple and vastness of world building characteristics of superhero comic, this paper attempts to associate the continuous creative nature and the infinite repetition of superheroes and comic texts with the identity of superhero on ontological level. First, chapter 2 examines how one superhero exists in multiple and different worlds individually by utilizing the concept of 'multi-universe' or 'multiverse' in comic texts. Initially, duplicating a superhero on multiple settings and series destroyed continuity and allowed contradiction and paradox confused narrative as a whole, but it also gave chances for comics to be more vibrant and experimental with their stories and characters. Chapter 3 analyzes the superhero comic texts in the light of repetition, concept developed by french philosopher Gilles Deleuze, and make the argument that the superheroes and texts are not repeated to generate surplus of source for economic utilitarian purposes, but it is, first and foremost, a repetition of creativeness and capability. Many concepts introduced by Deleuze in his early masterpiece, $\acute{e}$rence et R$\acute{e}$p$\acute{e}$tition> are taken to support this argument. Mainly, his critical views on generality of the identity and his effort to replace the Plato's system of representation with vibrant creative, and renewal energy of r$\acute{e}$p$\acute{e}$tition. According to Deleuze, repetition is similar concept, if not identical, to what Nietzsche called the 'eternal return' which allows the return of the Overhuman or the Superhuman, and he extends his idea that the returning Overhuman is the singular simulacre which opposes the generalization of identity, in the likes of Plato's Idea. Thus, the superhero's identity is ever changing, ever returning, and ever renewing Overhuman. The superhero must be repeated to fully actualize his/her existence. Also, based on Deleuze's reading of Bergson's texts on the Virtual, the superhero, for example Superman, is actualization of his/her multiplisit$\acute{e}$, the internally multiple, and differentiated variations from itself. These every Supermans' multiplisit$\acute{e}$ shares common memory, past, and duration, thus the Virtual of Superman. Superman becomes himself only by actualizing the movement and differentiation from these multiplisit$\acute{e}$ in his virtual on the surface of reality. On chapter 4, a popular Korean comic book character Oh, Hae-Sung's r$\acute{e}$p$\acute{e}$tition and multiplist$\acute{e}$ are analyzed, and makes comparison to that of Superman to distinguish the repetition from r$\acute{e}$p$\acute{e}$tition, and multiplicit$\acute{e}$ from diversity.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.46
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• pp.85-106
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• 2017

With the media's shift into the digital era in the 2000s, comic book publishers attempted a transition into the new medium by establishing a distribution structure using internet networks. But that effort shied from escaping the parallel-page reading structure of traditional comics. On the other hand, webtoons are showing divers changes by redesigning the structure of traditional sequential art media; they tend to separate and allot spaces according to the vertical scroll reading method of the internet browser and include animations, sound effects and background music. This trend is also in accordance with the preferences of modern readers. Modern society has complicated social structures with the development of various media; the public is therefore exposed to different stimuli and shows characteristics of differentiated perceptions. In other words, webtoons display more relevant and entertaining characteristics by inserting sounds and using moving texts and characters in specific frames, while traditional comics require an appreciation of withdrawal and immersion like other published media. Motions in webtoons are partially applied for dramatic tension or to create an effective expression of action. For example, hand-drawn animation is adopted to express motions by dividing motion images into many layers. Sounds are also utilized, such as background music with episode-related lyrics, melodies, ambient sounds and motion-related sound effects. In addition, webtoons provide readers with new amusement by giving tactile stimuli via the vibration of a smart phone. As stated above, the vertical direction, time-based nature of animation motions and tactile stimuli used in webtoons are differentiated from published comics. However, webtoons' utilization of innovative techniques hasn't yet reached its full potential. In addition to the fact that the software used for webtoon effects is operationally complex, this is a transitional phenomenon since there is still a lack of technical understanding of animation and sound application amongst the general public. For example, a sound might be programmed to play when a specific frame scrolls into view on the monitor, but the frame may be scrolled faster or slower than the author intended; in this case, sound can end before or after a reader sees the whole image. The motion of each frame is also programmed to start in a similar fashion. Therefore, a reader's scroll speed is related to the motion's speed. For this reason, motions might miss the intended timing and be unnatural because they are played out of context. Also, finished sound effects can disturb the concentration of readers. These problems come from a shortage of continuity; to solve these, naturally activated consecutive sounds or animations, like the simple rotation of joints when a character moves, is required.