Winter Sonata: Reassessing a moving love story

The charm and emotion of the animated version of "Winter Sonata" revisited

It's still fresh in our memory that the Korean drama "Winter Sonata" took Japan by storm in the early 2000s. The beautiful love story between Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo moved many viewers to tears and sparked the Korean wave boom. This moving story has been reborn as animation in the form of the anime version of "Winter Sonata." Broadcast from 2009 to 2010, this work provided new emotions, including episodes that were not depicted in the original drama, and once again captivated many fans. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the appeal and emotion of the anime version of "Winter Sonata," as well as introduce the background, behind-the-scenes stories from the production, and reactions from viewers.

■Overview of the work

The anime version of "Winter Sonata" was broadcast on DATV channel 750, SKY PerfecTV! Channel HD 190, and SKY PerfecTV! Channel HD 800 from October 17, 2009 to May 1, 2010, and was rebroadcast on TBS in 2013. It consists of 26 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and was supervised by Yoon Seok-ho, the author of the original drama, and animation was handled by REALTHING and STUDIO COMET. The copyright is held by the "Winter Sonata" Anime Production Committee and Digital Adventure.

■ Story

The story of Chun-sang and Yu-jin begins in far-flung places, New York and Paris. Chun-sang smiles at fond memories, while Yu-jin writes a letter in a cafe. The two go about their lives, but Chun-sang's illness steadily eats away at his body. The love and suffering of the two is depicted, including episodes not depicted in the original drama. A new wedding scene between Chun-sang and Yu-jin was added to the anime version, bringing even more emotion to viewers.

■Cast and crew

In the anime version, Bae Yong-jun and Masato Hagiwara played Chun-san, Choi Ji-woo and Misato Tanaka played Yu-jin, and other voice actors included Ryu Seung-soo and Shiho Komatsu as Yong-guk, Kang Yo-hwan and Kazuma Horie as Sang-hyuk, Lee Sae-na and Sayaka Kinoshita as Chae-rin, and Song Jeong-hee and Makoto Tsumura as Jin-suk.

The production staff included Yoon's Color Co., Ltd., which planned, produced, and cooperated with the series, and Yoon Seok-ho participated as the drama's original author and director. The script was written by Kim Eun-hee and Yoon Eun-kyung, and Oh Soo-yeon acted as the storyteller. Executive producer was Bae Sung-woong, executive producer was Kato Eiyo, and producers were Kitakoshi Motoki and Kado Takeshi. Animation was produced by REALTHING and STUDIO COMET, with Ahn Jae-hoon and Han Hye-jin as general directors. Character design was done by Nakayama Daisuke and Nakayama Masae, and music director was Yoo Hae-jun.

■Episodes and subtitles

The subtitles for each episode convey the excitement of the original drama while developing a unique story for the anime version. Below are the subtitles for all 26 episodes.

• Episode 1: Black and White Photography (2009/10/17)
• Episode 2: The Land of Shadows (2009/10/24)
• Episode 3: First Time (2009/10/31)
• Episode 4: A Promise That Can't Be Kept (2009/11/07)
• Episode 5: Was it a dream that I saw you? (2009/11/14)
• Episode 6: I Want to See You (2009/11/21)
• Episode 7: The man who can't remember her (2009/11/28)
• Episode 8: Lies (2009/12/05)
• Episode 9: Me in Lost Time (2009/12/12)
• Episode 10: Me in Lost Time Ⅱ (2009/12/19)
• Episode 11: If My First Love Calls Me Again (2009/12/26)
• Episode 12: The Love I've Waited for Ten Years (2010/01/09)
• Episode 13: Empty Name (2010/01/16)
• Episode 14: Polaris (2010/01/23)
• Episode 15: The Last Fragment of Memory (2010/01/30)
• Episode 16: The Last Fragment of Memory II (2010/02/13)
• Episode 17: Their first and last trip to the beach (2010/02/20)
• Episode 18: When Winter Ends, Everything Disappears (2010/02/27)
• Episode 19: As Tears Go By (2010/03/06)
• Episode 20: The Impossible House (2010/03/13)
• Episode 21: A New Journey (2010/03/20)
• Episode 22: First love (2010/03/27)
• Episode 23: First Love II (2010/04/10)
• Episode 24: A Winter Shade of Pale (2010/04/17)
• Episode 25: From the Beginning to Now (2010/04/24)
• Episode 26: Hidden Track ~Eternal Love~ (2010/05/01)

■ Related works

A related work to the anime version of "Winter Sonata" is "Winter Sonata: Prologue - Wish of the First Snow." This work begins with the meeting of Chun-sang and Yu-jin, and can be considered a prequel to the anime version.

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song and insert songs of the anime version of "Winter Sonata" play a role in further deepening the emotion of the work. The main songs are introduced below.

• OP1: From the beginning to now (sung by RYU)
• ED1: Always Just You (sung by Lee Sejun)
• IN1: Believe you (sung by Yoonji)
• IN2: Sonata (Love Song) (Sung by Kang Yo-hwan)
• IN3: Unrequited Love (sung by Kang Yo Hwan)
• IN4: I Want to See You (Sung by Yoo Hae-jun)
• IN5: Forever With You (Sung by Shin Min Chul (From T-MAX))

■ Behind the scenes and background

The production of the anime version of "Winter Sonata" was planned following the success of the original drama. The original author Yoon Seok-ho was deeply involved in the scriptwriting and direction in order to recreate the emotional impact of the original work in the anime version. REALTHING and STUDIO COMET, who were in charge of animation, paid close attention to every detail in order to recreate the visual beauty of the original drama. Daisuke Nakayama and Masae Nakayama were in charge of character design, faithfully recreating the characters from the original work while incorporating expressions unique to anime.

In terms of music, the anime version also produced its own original music while retaining the moving background music from the original drama. Yoo Hae-jun participated as the music director, and artists such as RYU, Lee Se-jun, Kang Yo-hwan, Yoonji, and Shin Min-chul, who worked on the theme song and insert songs, further deepened the emotion of the work.

■ Responses from viewers

The anime version of "Winter Sonata" was widely accepted not only by fans of the original drama but also by new audiences. In particular, the original story of the anime version, such as episodes not depicted in the original drama and the wedding scene of Chun-sang and Yu-jin, was well received. The performances of the voice actors, including Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo, were also highly praised, and many viewers expressed their gratitude.

Even after the anime series ended, sales of the DVD and Blu-ray have been brisk, and fan events and screenings have been held, showing that the popularity of the series has not waned. Furthermore, many viewers have posted their impressions and reviews on social media and the Internet, sharing their impressions of the series.

■ Recommendations and ratings

The animated version of "Winter Sonata" has been highly praised for its ability to recreate the moving story of the original drama while incorporating new storylines and expressions. In particular, the story of the love and suffering between Chun-sang and Yu-jin touches viewers' hearts deeply and brings them to tears. The beautiful drawings and moving music also add to the appeal of the work.

This work is recommended not only for fans of the original drama, but also for viewers experiencing "Winter Sonata" for the first time. It is a must-see for those who like romantic dramas and moving stories. Another big attraction is that the anime version has unique episodes and wedding scenes that you can't see in the original drama.

The anime version of "Winter Sonata" is highly recommended for those who want to relive the excitement of the original drama or for those who are looking for new excitement. After watching it, you can gain a deeper understanding of the story of Chun-sang and Yu-jin by watching the original drama and related works.

■ Summary

The animated version of "Winter Sonata" has captivated many viewers by recreating the moving story of the original drama while incorporating new storylines and expressions. The appeal of the work is wide-ranging, including a story depicting the love and suffering of Chun-sang and Yu-jin, beautiful artwork, and moving music. It has been widely accepted not only by fans of the original drama but also by new audiences, and its popularity continues to this day. This work is highly recommended for those who like romantic dramas and moving stories. After watching it, you can gain a deeper understanding of the story of Chun-sang and Yu-jin by enjoying the original drama and related works.