Webtoonist Interview

vol. 15

[Perfect Harp]

Lovepe | Lezhin

▲ Working Picture of Lovpe Writer

[Warming up & Talk on Recent State]

Q. Let's start lightly. What were you doing before this interview?

 I was ready to go home after work in the studio.

Q. Lovpe (Park Min-seo) is a middle-aged writer who has been working in the published comics industry for more than 10 years. However, many young webtoon readers may not know much about his previous works or his history. Could you introduce yourself?

Hello. I debuted as a 'Western Shotgun' at Daewon Boys Champ in January 2000 and has 18 years of experience. Currently, I'm serializing the adult webtoon 'Perfect Harp' at Lezhin Comics. I am a very normal, shy, 40s man with a wife and a son who is the third grade of elementary school.

Q. I saw on your own blog that your Lovpe pseudonym is a combination of your existing Lovely Park nickname and Love & Peace. Is there any reason why you got a new pseudonym with the opening of the Perfect Half series?

I wanted to distinguish between analog and digital days. I wanted to use it as a pseudonym because it is the name my fans gave it. In addition, Love & Peace is also my motto.

Q. You have had a short rest period of 20 days after completing part one. Did you have a satisfying break during that time?

In fact, I have a lot of rest due to various problems. Because of the hard work I've done so far, I feel like my energy is running out. I think my hard work will continue until the Perfect Half is complete.

Q. You've been working on Perfect Half for two years and six months, from June 2016 to November 2018. I think a lot has happened during that series. Can I hear your thought about what has happened during that period?

I have had a lot of worries since I have working with one publishing company for 15 years. Besides, my choice was works for adults, which was purely the choice for my survival. But I wanted to do my work with my own personality, not according to industry practice. What impresses me right now is that people have accepted my works that included my own unique personality. It gives me strength During my time as a writer, I think it is the happiest time.

 [Story on the Works]

Q. You have done your work mainly through publishing markets such as comic magazines and books. But Perfect Half is an internet serial and it's a paid serial. Your platform seems to have changed completely. What difficulties or effects do you have?

In fact, even when I was working with a publisher before, the work was already digitized, so I had no difficulty adapting to the current situation. The change in rendering from page view to scroll view was not too hard for me. However, what most directly affected me was the ranking system by work every day. I felt a lot of pressure because it is a system that shows the results of my work every day. The feedback is clear. This was the biggest difference. So I seemed to pay more attention to the quality of the work. That's why my stress doubled.

Q. Most people appreciate the quality of the stories in your work. Is it a high level from your long experience?

 It is true that I have a long experience. However It may be an optical illusion for people to think the quality is good. When I hear people feel that the quality is good, it seems that I'm an experienced writer. Ha ha ha.

Q. Perfect Harp is the work for adults you are trying for the first time. You previously worked mostly for non-adults. Now, this choice would not be easy. Why did you challenge like this?

This work was difficult to express unless the material itself was an adult domain. Since the theme of this work is to question the preservation of races, I thought that the more the expression of the work was suitable for adults, the better. In addition, I had no reason to be reluctant that the area of expression was wider. So I had courage.

Q. Do you think Perfect Harp's main genre is fantasy or adult work?

 It's not easy to choose. I think Fantasy seems to be right.

Q. There seems to be a reaction from the readers to make the story progress faster, rather than to make more X-rated scenes. What do you think about this reaction?

Well, This is the most different thing from the period of publication. At that time, I was able to plan a long series and make episodes. However, in webtoon, there are many readers who want to speed up the story. I'm trying to find the halfway point between what I think and what readers want. Because the readers are precious. (In fact, the frequent suspension will be more dissatisfied.)

Q. How did you first conceive of a conflict where men and women were divided nationally?

It was something I wanted to explore from my school days. As a man, I felt a lot of absurdity in reality. I felt that in many ways. I had never thought before that I would make this cartoon work. By the time Dark Air was completed, this was the material that came to my mind. I had the question “Do women need men undoubtedly?” 

Q. Perfect Half's worldview is very precise. Simply national conflict between men and women is not all. This work convincingly describes the social and cultural changes and phenomena that occur when such things happen in reality. Do you have any special concerns and secrets to creating a well-organized worldview?

Thank you for your good evaluation of my work. 

I'm so glad you said that you felt like that about my work. As mentioned earlier, I expressed various contents in conversations and received complaints from the people that the progress of the contents was loose. However, I have not yet reflected half of what I am trying to convey in my work.

What I care about most is whether the content is convincing. If the level of situation acceptable for (both myself and the reader), then there will be no objection to the content. But if people think that content is unacceptable, it becomes an explanation, so I try to make the content as acceptable to people as possible.

Q. The spatial background of Perfect Half is similar to a typical western fantasy, but the way the name is made is quite unusual. You seem to use pure Korean frequently and often use fresh names. Do you have a special way of naming only you?

In previous works, most of the names were English names. This could be said to be my own resistance to such things. In fact it was easier for me to name someone or something in English. You may have felt it, but I had a lot more difficulty in naming because it doesn't contain any foreign or English expressions in my work. I am trying to make a good name based on the names I have heard around as much as possible.

Q. From the images depicted in the works of Red Fox and Black Wolf, I thought they were more like a force organization than a state. Will you describe in more detail the areas like population size, land size, administrative organization, and political system in the future?

I have tried some descriptions of the state system and political situation. But it was not easy. I express it only as fragmentarily as possible in the work. Since this is adult content, I feel pressured to continue to produce erotic scenes. It is like a challenge for me in many ways because I have to make up some stories along the way. I will try to express it as best as possible.

Q. Will combat continues in a way that relies on the martial arts of the individual using cold weapons? Or will new weapons and strategies emerge as it scales up to full-fledged warfare?

It will be covered in the future. If the war scene is missing from the work, it is not a good choice.

Q. The conflicts between men and women seem to be relieved to some extent over time when we see the situation such as the excitement of the people of the two countries during the 'Gomaje' and the strange relationship between the soldiers of Garimbi and Jeumeungeoreum. In addition to the two main characters looking for the king's seat, are there any specific movements to overcome the existing boring situation?

Since the relationships between men and women are so powerful desires, I have put most my efforts into this psychological portrayal. As for the solution to that boring situation, I will care as much as I can. I think who will be the king is very important.

Q. Please explain briefly why and how the two main characters, Haerangai and Arayunseul, were born.

 Haerang is the most beloved human image I have ever dreamed of. I'm so envious of him. He has something in common with the main characters in my other works so far. Yunseul is also close to my ideal image. He is a human image that I like and wants to be like. Since fantasy works are a crystal of romance, these characters fit really well into them. Looking at these characters, I feel very good. ^^

Q. Haerangai and Arayunseul are young people who are trying to change their rigid system in two hostile countries. A little strange part is that there is no specific description of why Arayunseul has a dangerous idea as a soldier of the Red Fox.

I've already said a bit in the conversation, but the situation has certain limitations. They are young people with some sense of crisis that they can no longer coexist with the least amount of devices that can maintain each other. However, there is a need for some kind of action to put that idea into action and Haerangai can provide some kind of opportunity. Haerang can also be synergistic, attracted by Yunseul's appeal. Oh… That is a tough one. Why am I making work for adults so difficult?

Q. I felt that you intended to make people feel as if Ryu Garim was a typical fake hero. How important will this character play in Part Two?

Ryu Garim's role is also very important. This will be revealed in recent progress. I will make it faithful to its role as a lone wolf. If RyuGarim isn't there, Haerang can't move forward either. He is so lonely that he looks like a really sad friend.

Q. With the beginning of the second part, the real conflict between the two countries, the black wolf and the red fox, seems to begin. How big is this conflict compared to the history of war and conflict on the island so far?

It is more likely to be a form of local war that begins in some places rather than in a full war. Since the purpose of this war is to amplify a sense of crisis, too wide-ranging warfare goes against content development. It is likely to be expressed only to serve to reinforce the motivations of Haerang and Yunseul.

  [Story on the Job]

Q. Plese introduce briefly the studio where writers do their webtoon work (the scale, location, members, etc.)

The studio is located in the building of KOMACON in Bucheon. It is a public office currently in use with four writers. I work with four writers in the same studio: Son Hee *who is the author of 'Eureka' and 'Master in Dreams', Kim Tae * who is the author of ‘Vivanine’, Choi Mi * who is the writer of ‘Kang Ho Pagdogi’, and Jang Jin* who is serializing ‘Change’ in the Naver Line overseas edition.

Q. What equipment and graphics tools do you use most?

I use a good PC and Cintiq Qhd27. Clip Studio Paint EX is utilized as a program.

Q. Your blog post said you changed your work from analog to digital around 2006. You may have had a hard time adjusting to ways you weren't familiar with at the time. What's your recent situation?

I had a lot of trouble because I changed my work style during doing my weekly series work. But now I'm completely free from the inconvenience of the tool. It's a blessing of technology. The disadvantage is that it requires a lot of money. ㅠㅠ

Q. Which do you prefer compared to the analog of the past?

 I choose 100% digital !!! Thanks to it I can work alone.

 [Yes or No Interview]

Q. Over time, it's easier to draw cartoons.

No, it may be easier to draw a cartoon, but the cartoon itself becomes more and more difficult.

Q. My cartoon is really fun.

Yes!

Q. I will continue to draw cartoons after 10 years.

Yes ㅜㅜ

Q. I often find reactions to my work on the Internet.

 No, in order to control my mind...

Q. Adult content is harder to draw than non-adult.

 No, they are equally difficult.

Q. Women are easier to draw than men.

 No, they are equally difficult.

Q. I have a character that I especially value.

It’s Byeoljji.

It is a grateful child who makes my work come to life.

- Arayunseul.

I like all about him.

 [Concluding Story]

Q. Can you tell me what you have impressively watched recently among the webtoons and media respectively?

 Sorry, I haven't had any contact with the comics recently. Instead, I get a lot of inspiration from other places.

 (Sports, especially women's volleyball, parkour, military, musicians, etc.)

Q. Do you plan to serialize your work on a paid internet platform continuously in the future?

I haven't decided yet about it. I also want to experience more platforms.

Q. When is the Perfect Harp going to be completed?

I would like to finish it within 150 episodes.

Q. Could you give me a simple hint about your next work?

I don't have enough material yet to give you a hint. It’s true. ㅇㅅㅇ;