Clocking in at over 5 minutes, There She Is!! Step 4 is slower-paced and darker than the previous 3 episodes. This 5-part series of Flash-animated shorts is produced by the Korean team SamBakZa, and directed by an artist who goes by amalloc. The storyline has consistently maintained an undercurrent of inter-racial tension, but in this fourth installment brings this thread to a boil. Episode 4 is titled Paradise.

The series is also available at Newgrounds, where this current episode is ranked #1.

It’s been over 3 years since the last episode of There She Is!!, which have been viewed over 2 million times at Newgrounds.com. The latest episode in this romantic series, which is set for a total of 5, is titled Doki & Nabi, a female rabbit and a male cat, respectively. The series was created by SamBakZa, an animation trio in Korea. Thanks to Sean McKenzie for the story tip.

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Cocaban, the Seoul-based content developer, has launched a new Flash-animated series about a weight-minded young girl named JaJa. The series, titled JaJa, is currently an online project, but TV series plans are in the works.

I’m currently in Seoul, South Korea, to take a seat as a juror for an event hosted by the Korea Culture & Content Agency (KOCCA). The Star Project 2005 is aiming to identify Korean projects that have a chance at global success. As a member of the selecting committee, I will be reviewing various Korean animation projects that are competing for a significant grant from KOCCA.

The Korean animation industry has gone through a unique period lately. According to an article in Kidscreen Magazine, service supply work once accounted for 70% of Korean production; whereas now only 55% of the animation output comes from service work, or OEMs.

This has led to efforts, like the Star Project, that encourage more original work and co-productions with the West. And many production companies are turning to Flash animation to realize these projects.

One is ‘The Sweet Story Sugartown,’ a project created by Studio Sonaki. According to Studio Sonaki, “‘Sugar Town’ is made of sweet things: cake, syrup, candy and surrounded chocolate valley, milk river and unknown mystery places.” Click here to see a clip (Windows Media).

A second is ‘Zuka-Zuka and Cherry Sweet,’ created by Heewon Entertainment, Inc. The project follows the adventures of an Australian kangaroo and an unripened cherry. Click here to see a clip (AVI).