Webtoon-artist-turned TV personality Kian84 finally realized his dream by meeting horror manga giant Junji Ito, whom he has admired for years.
On the March 13 broadcast of MBC’s variety show I Live Alone, cameras followed Kian84 as he headed to Tokyo, Japan, to meet Ito. “Kangnam said he would help me meet a creator I personally respect — and it actually happened,” he said, brimming with excitement. In the three months leading up to the meeting, Kian84 started studying Japanese and even prepared his own list of questions.
His preparation didn’t stop there. He focused on creating a hand-drawn portrait for Junji Ito. About the finished piece, he explained, “To me, the artist is like the universe, so I captured a swirling motif.” He even packed a kimchi fried rice lunchbox to convey his sincerity.
The meeting was made possible thanks to TV personality Kangnam’s persistence. Kangnam personally contacted Junji Ito’s company to arrange the meeting, keeping his promise. Regarding this, Code Kunst said, “He kept reaching out until dawn to make it happen.”
Finally, when Kian84 came face to face with Junji Ito at the company, he grew visibly nervous and said, “It feels like a dream to meet you like this,” overcome with emotion.
The pair’s first in-person encounter hit a minute-by-minute peak rating of 6.4% (Nielsen Korea), generating massive buzz.