Webtoon artist Kian84 recently had the opportunity to meet renowned horror manga artist Junji Ito in Japan. This meeting was featured in the latest episode of MBC's 'I Live Alone,' which aired on October 13th.
According to Nielsen Korea, the episode achieved a household rating of 5.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area, making it the top-rated Friday variety show. The 2054 viewership rating, a key indicator of channel competitiveness reflecting changes in media consumption, was 3.3%, also ranking first among all Friday programs.
The 'best moment' of the episode was when Kian84 and Junji Ito met for the first time. Accompanied by Kangnam, Kian84 arrived at the meeting place, visibly nervous as the moment approached. As Junji Ito appeared, Kian84's excitement was palpable, and the scene captured the attention of viewers, pushing the ratings to a peak of 6.4%.
Kian84 traveled to Japan to meet Junji Ito, the artist who inspired his dream of becoming a cartoonist. Last summer, Kangnam, who had visited Kian84's home, promised to arrange a meeting after witnessing Kian84's admiration for Ito.
Kian84 expressed his excitement, saying, "It feels like a dream," as he prepared to meet his 'idol.' He dedicated himself to learning Japanese, creating a list of questions, and prepared a portrait and a lunchbox as tokens of respect and admiration for Ito.
The portrait, which Kian84 meticulously crafted, impressed the 'Rainbow Club' members with its striking resemblance. Kian84 explained, "I think of Junji Ito as a universe-like presence, so I used cosmic colors for the background and added a swirling vortex to symbolize his influence."
Dressed in a suit and tie, Kian84 set out with Kangnam to meet Junji Ito. Kian84 revealed that Kangnam had gone to great lengths to arrange the meeting, even visiting the company unannounced. Code Kunst added, "Kangnam worked tirelessly, contacting people until dawn to make this happen." When Junji Ito finally entered the room, Kian84 stood up in awe, unable to contain his excitement.
Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr