Japan has long been a source of children’s properties that have made their mark on the global licensing business, with examples ranging from Hello Kitty to Yo-Kai Watch to Pokémon, the last currently surging thanks to the hit mobile game Pokémon GO. More recently, kids’ entertainment properties from other countries in East and Southeast Asia are trying to make the jump from being hits in their home territories to establishing themselves as global brands.
Some of the most successful in terms of broadcast exposure and, to a degree, licensing have hailed from South Korea. CJ E&M’s Super Wings is on Sprout in the U.S. and has newly minted toy deals in the U.S. and Canada, where it is represented for licensing by Nelvana. Molang, which started in instant messaging, is on the air around the world, including on Disney Junior in the U.S. Millimages is the global production company and the licensor outside of Korea, with LicensingWorks handling merchandise duties in the U.S. and Licensing Link in the U.K. Tuba Entertainment’s Larva, Iconix Entertainment’s Pororo the Little Penguin, and ROI Visual’s Robocar Poli are on television in a variety of Asian and European countries, and streaming elsewhere.
Mainland Chinese producers and licensors are newer entrants to the global marketplace. Some of the properties that have been pitched for international distribution and licensing in recent years include Beijing Dream Castle Culture Co.’s Ali the Fox, Fantawild Animation’s Boonie Bears, UYoung Entertainment’s P. King Duck (repped by Dekel Brands in the U.S.), Creative Power Entertainment’s Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf, and Winsing Animation’s GG Bond.
Just emerging on the global scene is Malaysia. Properties such as Upin & Ipin, Bola Kampung, BoBoiBoy, and Mustang Mama have seen some international broadcast exposure, while other Malaysian properties are being pitched to global markets for licensing and entertainment distribution.
In general, properties hailing from South Korea, China, and Malaysia, like those from Japan, gain a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region first. Some are then able to move into Europe and other global territories, mainly via broadcast exposure but sometimes with licensed products as well. So far, the U.S. market has proven to be a challenge for licensing, outside of the Japanese success stories, although a number of the Korean properties have had some sort of television or streaming exposure in the States.
It will be interesting to see how long it will take for a Korean, Chinese, or Malaysian property to break into the U.S. in a big way, opening the door for other studios from the region. Will they ultimately be able to emulate Japanese licensors’ track record in this market?
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