Rakuten Viki and Imaginus frame this as a bold innovation, claiming fans demanded more animated content and that AI tools simply enhanced storytelling for a unique visual style.
While PR talks 'enhanced storytelling,' the use of AI in a K-drama is raising eyebrows about creative integrity. Is this genuine artistic evolution or a cost-cutting move disguised as tech-forward innovation?
Launch date: Oct. 21, 2026. Director: Choi Junbae ('Mouse'). Producer: Imaginus (founded Dec. 2021 by Choi Jinnie). Platform: Rakuten Viki (127M+ users).
Choi Junbae’s pivot to AI-assisted animation is either a brilliant genre-bending move or a slippery slope for K-drama purists. The receipts are in, but the verdict is still out.
Hold onto your hanbok, K-drama fans. Choi Junbae, the director who had us screaming at our screens during the psychological thriller "Mouse," is not resting on his laurels. Instead, he is diving headfirst into the controversial world of AI-assisted animation with "The Painted Soul," a fantasy romance set to launch exclusively on Rakuten Viki on October 21, 2026.
This isn't just a side project; it’s a strategic expansion for the director, leveraging his thriller pedigree to sell a genre that typically relies on different storytelling mechanics. The series centers on Yun Hwa, a trainee painter who accidentally unleashes a stranger trapped inside a painting for half a century. The premise is classic K-drama fare with a twist: anyone who looks the stranger in the eye faces a grim fate.
As the pair grow closer, Yun Hwa must navigate whether her feelings are rooted in fear or something deeper. But here is the real drama: the series is co-produced by Viki and Imaginus, a South Korean outfit that explicitly utilized AI and other technologies in its development. Imaginus was founded in December 2021 by Choi Jinnie, the former CEO of Studio Dragon, signaling that this is a heavyweight collaboration, not some low-budget experiment.
Rakuten Viki’s Chief Content Officer, Hong Jaehee, is pushing the narrative that this is a direct response to audience demand. "Our fans have told us they want more animated content, and they’re going to love ‘The Painted Soul,’ a fantasy romance with a visual style unlike anything else on Viki," Jaehee stated. He further emphasized that this is just the start of Viki’s animation push.
Meanwhile, Imaginus’ Chief Creative Officer, Lee Hyunjung, defended the tech usage, claiming they worked hard to make it an "intriguing watch" and that new technologies allowed them to "enhance storytelling in meaningful ways." The timing of the announcement, ahead of the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market, suggests this is a major industry play. With Viki boasting over 127 million registered users across 190 countries, the reach is massive.
The platform offers both free ad-supported tiers and paid subscriptions, making this AI-driven experiment accessible to a global audience. Whether this marks a new era for K-drama animation or a cautionary tale about over-reliance on AI remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Choi Junbae is betting big, and the industry is watching closely.
