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When Devil May Cry<\/u>, an animated TV series set in the world of the Capcom video game of the same name, launched on Netflix in April 2025, it debuted fourth on the streamer\u2019s global TV chart. The story of demon hunter-for-hire Dante (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) was fun, funny, and action-packed. With a story driven by Indian-American showrunner Adi Shankar\u2019s passion for the project, Devil May Cry was quickly renewed for a second season<\/u> that dropped on Netflix this month. The secret sauce that helped Shankar execute his Devil May Cry vision? An animation studio on the other side of the world called Studio Mir.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey’re the best of the best,\u201d Shankar tells IGN. When he started development of the project, Netflix gave him four choices of studios to work alongside. \u201cI had a conversation with my executives, and they were like, \u2018Look, this is gonna be a winning combo, you and [Studio Mir]. Because they will execute.\u2019\u201d And that is exactly what happened, with the individual directors who work at the South Korean studio able to bring to animated life \u201cwhatever I throw at them,\u201d says Shankar, noting the scope in scene-type across Devil May Cry\u2019s two seasons so far.<\/p>\n
While Korean animation has yet to break through as a recognized cultural export in the same way as K-drama or K-pop, Studio Mir\u2019s reputation as a consummate collaborator for international productions has been steadily and consistently proven over the past decade and a half. The South Korean studio was built in part from the massive success of Avatar: The Last Airbender<\/u>, which was mostly animated in Korea. Industry veteran Yoo Jae-myung was an animation director on the Nickelodeon project at JM Animation, and decided to start his own studio alongside Han Kwang-il and Lee Seung-wook in 2010. <\/p>\n
They decided to call the company Studio Mir after the Soviet space station, which gets its name from a Russian word that translates to English as \u201cpeace,\u201d \u201cworld,\u201d or \u201cvillage.\u201d \u201cStudio Mir was made based on the lesson of space station \u2018Mir,\u2019 which is \u2018advance through collaboration,\u2019\u201d states the company\u2019s YouTube page<\/u>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nStudio Mir’s EVP Lee Seung-wook and CEO Yoo Jae-myung.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
South Korea\u2019s History of Animating Iconic American Series<\/h2>\n Studio Mir\u2019s first project was Avatar spinoff The Legend of Korra, and Yoo tells IGN that the title was a \u201cfounding project and a landmark title that played a crucial role in introducing us as the brand to the North American animation industry.\u201d This brand-centric introduction was notable because, in 2010, South Korean animators were often still seen solely as contractors perfect for \u201cbelow the line\u201d work rather than creatives in their own right. <\/p>\n
America has a long history of outsourcing animation work<\/u> to foreign studios with lower labor costs. While U.S. animation outsourcing has included Mexico, Czechoslovakia, Japan, Canada, India, and the Phillipines, South Korea has been a major outsourcing location for the U.S. animation industry over the last 50 years. In the 1990s, Animation World Magazine estimated that 30% of the world\u2019s animation<\/u> was being done in South Korea. Iconic American series like The Simpsons, Arthur, Ren and Stimpy, SpongeBob Squarepants, The Animaniacs, My Little Pony, Batman: The Animated Series, Family Guy, and Bob\u2019s Burgers have been partially animated in Korea.<\/p>\nBuilding off of the trust Yoo developed with Nickelodeon while making Avatar: The Last Airbender, he launched Studio Mir.
\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nAvatar: The Last Airbender, which was originally broadcast from 2005 to 2008, represented the beginning of a shift in U.S. studios\u2019 mindset towards and work process with Korean animators (a shift increasingly buoyed by the uptick in outsourcing<\/u> across American industry<\/u>, but that\u2019s another article). Show creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino fought with Nickelodeon executives to get their Korean collaborators more creative leeway. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn the animation industry, we have what\u2019s called \u2018an indication,\u2019\u201d Yoo explained in a 2013 interview with Arirang TV<\/u>. \u201cAn indication contains information on each scene, giving instructions on every fine detail, including the movement of the characters as well as how and when they should move. This actually makes the animated characters\u2019 movements appear robotic. So, when we were asked to work on the pilot film of Avatar: The Last Airbender, we asked the producers to scrap the indicator because it prevents us from making the movements appear natural.\u201d They got approval, and the rest is animation history.<\/p>\n
Building off of the trust Yoo developed with Nickelodeon while making Avatar: The Last Airbender, he launched Studio Mir. \u201c[Legend of Korra] served as the foundation for Studio Mir\u2019s distinctive production methodology, which integrates the entire pipeline from pre-production through animation production while drawing from the strengths of the American, Korean, and Japanese animation industries,\u201d Yoo tells IGN. \u201cSince then, we have continued to refine and evolve our workflows with every new project, but the core philosophy of our pipeline still traces back to our experience on The Legend of Korra.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe Legend of Korra served as the foundation for Studio Mir\u2019s distinctive production methodology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
From Devil May Cry to X-Men and Beyond: The Scope of Studio Mir<\/h2>\n Subsequent projects Studio Mir has taken on include The Boondocks, Voltron: Legendary Defender, The Death of Superman, Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts, Harley Quinn, Dota: Dragon\u2019s Blood, My Adventures with Superman, X-Men \u201897, Star Wars: Visions\u2019 \u201cJourney to the Dark Head,\u201d and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. In the process, they have collaborated with many of the world\u2019s major entertainment companies, including Sony, Dreamworks, Netflix, The Lego Group, Warner Bros., DC, HBO Max, Marvel, Disney, Toho Animation, Crunchyroll, Paramount, and Nickelodeon. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe creative landscape has changed tremendously for us over the past 15 years, and the kind of detailed \u2018indications\u2019 has become a thing of the past,\u201d says Yoo, when asked to reflect on that 2013 interview. \u201cToday, we are given much greater creative trust and freedom to contribute ideas throughout the production process.\u201d Studio Mir signed a five-year production line deal with Netflix in 2019 that Yoo calls \u201cone of the biggest turning points\u201d for the company, allowing \u201ca strong foundation of mutual creative respect\u201d to build. \u201cOur artists\u2019 voices are genuinely valued throughout the creative process in an environment where they feel a real sense of creative agency,\u201d says Yoo of Studio Mir\u2019s role as a collaborator. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\nStudio Mir EVP Lee Seung-wook says that the company typically works on four to five \u201clong-term projects\u201d\u2014e.g. feature films and animated series\u2014at once, overlapping across different stages of production. \u201cOn average, there are usually two to three projects in development, around two projects in animation production, and one to two projects in post-production simultaneously,\u201d Lee tells IGN. Studio Mir also works on shorter-form projects \u201cif the ideas are something we believe in or are interested in.\u201d Past shorter-form projects have included a promotional short <\/u>for the League of Legends World Championship Finals and a short featuring Tottenham Spurs striker Dominic Solanke<\/u>. <\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Studio Mir launched a virtual K-pop group called B:DAWN<\/u>. The project combines K-pop and animation and is part of the company\u2019s efforts to explore \u201cnew forms of confluence with other creative fields and [to] continue investing in R&D.\u201d The focus on research and development is vital in an industry that is becoming \u201cincreasingly complex and demanding as audience expectations continue to rise,\u201d according to Lee. \u201cAs a result, every new project requires a new creative and technical benchmark, and in order to meet those expectations, we often find ourselves rethinking or even rebuilding the way we traditionally work and taking on entirely new challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nIt Takes an Animators Village<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn order to handle the work load, Studio Mir employs between 200 and 220 in-hour staff and crew members\u2014about six to seven times the staff as the company\u2019s first year. \u201cOf these [employees], about 60 are in the pre-production department, which is divided into two teams of storyboard and design,\u201d details Lee. \u201cIn the 2D animation department, we have about 60 crew members, divided into four animation teams and a compositing team. We have about 50 CGI staffers for asset build, animation, FX, and compositing. To facilitate and support the artists\u2019 work, we have about 30 production management staff members, including producers and coordinators dedicated to each stage of pre-production, 2D, and CG production.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n
Yoo says Studio Mir has developed \u201ca flexible work flow\u201d to handle the time difference between Seoul and Los Angeles. (Seoul is currently 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, and will be 17 hours ahead when Daylight Savings Time ends.) Studio Mir holds video meetings with U.S.-based teams during Korea\u2019s morning and at the end of Los Angeles\u2019 work day. The teams keep in touch via email the rest of the time. \u201cInterestingly, the time difference can also work to our advantage,\u201d says Yoo. \u201cBy sharing work at the end of our business day, our partners in the U.S. are often able to review it first thing the next morning [when they start their day] and provide feedback by the time we begin work again in Korea the next day. In many ways, this creates an almost continuous production and communication cycle.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\nX-Men ’97 is one of the many projects Studio Mir has taken on over the years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
A dedicated team of in-house translators and interpreters is integral to Studio Mir\u2019s work, facilitating communication between Korean and English, Japanese, Chinese, and other languages when needed. \u201cBecause so much of our communication revolves around creative materials such as scripts, storyboards, and designs, we believe translation must go far beyond simply converting from one language to another,\u201d says Yoo. \u201cIt is integral to our workflow that our translators have a deep understanding of each project.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Devil May Cry, Studio Mir \u201ctook charge of the entire production process, from visual development through pre-production (including storyboards and design), animation, and post-production,\u201d explains Lee, noting that at least 150 in-house staff and crew members were assigned to the project. (With freelancers and partners, Lee estimates the total around 200.) \u201cWe started by establishing the visual language for the characters and the world, and handled the designs, storyboards (animatic) and animation across both seasons, including both traditional 2D and CG animation.\u201d Australia\u2019s Powerglove helped create the series\u2019 score, but all sound mixing and post-production was done in Korea. <\/p>\n
‘We believe translation must go far beyond simply converting from one language to another. It is integral to our workflow that our translators have a deep understanding of each project.’
\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nWhen asked about the biggest animation challenges in Devil May Cry Season 2, Lee points to the large-scale action sequences featuring Argosax in the finale episodes. \u201cWe have a series of massive battles to tackle, including Dante and Vergil facing off against Argosax, as well as the climactic confrontation between Argosax and Mundus, all while the brothers navigate the chaos created by these towering forces,\u201d says Lee. \u201cIt was a challenge we took on, as it gave us an opportunity to really push and refine our action choreography and technical capabilities, bringing those moments to life in the most dynamic and visually compelling way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Future of Korean Animation<\/h2>\n While Korean dramas, film, and pop music have found global recognition in recent years, Korean animation has yet to reach the same pinnacle\u2014perhaps, in part, because of the industry\u2019s history and present as a location for outsourcing rather than domestic production. While KPop Demon Hunters<\/u> has found unprecedented success, the animated film is an American production \u2013 rather than a Korean one \u2013 that draws deeply on Korean culture. In 2022, Studio Mir created a Korean-language animated drama for Netflix called Lookism<\/u>; based on a popular webtoon of the same name, the series didn\u2019t break out globally in the way many K-dramas do. Last year, Korean animator Han Ji-wan\u2019s sci-fi romance Lost in Starlight<\/u> was released on Netflix to little fanfare.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/output><\/div>\n
Yoo and Lee identify Studio Mir\u2019s work on the Star Wars: Visions<\/u> episode \u201cJourney to the Dark Head\u201d as a project in which \u201cwe consciously explored Korean culture and aesthetic sensibilities.\u201d Directed by Park Hyeong-geun<\/u>, the episode centers on the unlikely partnership between an optimistic mechanic named Ara and a disillusioned young Jedi named Toul as they try to turn the tide of a galactic war. Yoo and Lee agree that, since Star Wars itself was originally inspired by Eastern culture and philosophy, they wanted to reinterpret that universe through a Korean lens:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to incorporate Korean aesthetic and artistic sensibilities throughout the overall visual language of the project, not only through the artwork itself, but also through the music, emotional tone, and storytelling. That said, after completing the project, we still felt there was room for us to push those ideas even further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yoo says the lack of global recognition for Korean animation is \u201csomething I find unfortunate,\u201d but he has hope this will change. \u201cWhile Korea has not yet produced an animated title with the kind of global impact as KPop Demon Hunters or other K-content has, I do believe there\u2019s plenty of opportunity ahead and we\u2019re actively working toward that future,\u201d he says. \u201cAs for Studio Mir, if our journey over the past decade has been about building our creative strength, production expertise, and global experience, I feel that now is the time for us to create and present our own original works based on the experience and capabilities we have accumulated over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Studio Mir currently has several animated adaptations based on major Korean IPs in development, including one based on wuxia action webtoon Gosu and one based on Children of the Rune, one of Korea\u2019s most iconic fantasy novel series. \u201cIt is true that the Korean animation industry is currently facing a period of stagnation,\u201d says Yoo, \u201cbut I believe that once we have something that truly connects with audiences around the world, the industry as a whole will naturally regain momentum. We hope Studio Mir can serve as the starting point for that change.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\nAs for whether or not Studio Mir projects should count as Korean animation, Yoo says that is something for the audience and critics to decide. \u201cJust as \u2018anime\u2019 can no longer be defined or claimed by any particular group of creators, I believe that genres and creative identities are not determined by those who make them,\u201d he says. \u201cThey are shaped over time as audiences come to recognize and embrace them.\u201d Yoo says that working on American or other foreign productions rather than domestic projects \u201cis not something that weighs heavily on our artists,\u201d adding: \u201cWhether a project is in Korean or another language, we believe that creative work carries its own meaning and value beyond language or nationality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps it helps that Yoo has seen so much change since Studio Mir launched more than 15 years ago, and in the time before that. \u201cPerceptions around Korean animation and the role of Korean studios have gradually evolved, but I think our mindset has evolved as well,\u201d says Yoo. \u201cRather than being discouraged by those negative perceptions, we have stayed focused on the work itself and on raising the quality of what we make as creators. And we believe that the audience will naturally come to recognize and appreciate the artistry and creative contribution behind the work.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the meantime, Lee says the people at Studio Mir have been excited about the release of Devil May Cry Season 2, and are looking forward to the release of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender<\/u>, which Studio Mir also worked on. The animated sequel film to Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently slated to be released on Paramount+ in October.<\/p>\n
As Shankar reflects on the release of Devil May Cry Season 2, he hopes that he has played a role in bringing more respect and popularity to animation as something more than children\u2019s entertainment in the West. \u201cI think the work I’ve done or been a part of over the last decade has helped create the ecosystem, which has created more of the opportunities [for animation],\u201d he says, referring to previous projects like The Guardians of Justice and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. \u201cBut, you know, in a lot of ways, Studio Mir predated it. It was like they were ready when the world caught up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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