Taiwanese Character IP on the World Stage

The field of character IP—intellectual property based on images of fictional characters—has been flourishing in recent years. Almost unnoticed, it has penetrated into all corners of our lives, while the economic potential and cultural contagiousness of fictional characters are not to be overlooked. It is the dream of many character IP brand managers to stand on the world stage and tell their own stories.

In recent years the Taiwan Creative Content Agency has been working with the Taiwan Character Brand Licensing Association to lead industry groups to licensing conventions in Japan and Korea. The results have been excellent, and participants have gained experience in this field. (courtesyof TAICCA and TCBLA)

Exciting character IP in Taiwan

Over the past several years character IP from Taiwan has made some meaningful inroads in the international community. Cheng Wen-fu, chairman of the Taiwan Character Brand Licensing Association (TCBLA), cites the example of “DNAxCAT,” which first appeared in 1998. Featuring adorable little cats with white eyes, it was developed into online games and anime (animated cartoons). In 2020 Japan’s Chiba Television Broadcasting Corporation began to air the cartoons, making them the first Taiwanese anime to be shown by a local TV station in Japan.

Another example is “Kuroro,” a special envoy to earth from the distant planet NGC6543 in the Cat’s Eye Nebula. The character’s amusing worldview caught the eye of Japan’s Poplar Publishing Company, which specializes in children’s books, and the company began to work with the creators of Kuroro. Their strategic ­licensing partner in Japan is the TX Network, whose flagship station is TV Tokyo.

Then there is “Tea Girls,” which has gotten 200 million views online. Built around the shared global culture of tea, it transforms varieties of Taiwanese tea into young female characters. An agreement has been signed for Tea Girls with a Japanese licensing agency.

“Majimeow,” a mascot for the Taipei Metro, is active in the family-friendly market, and has become a co-branding partner or spokescat for many products and services in Japan, Hong Kong, and China.

Over the past two or three years, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) has been working with the TCBLA to lead delegations to exhibit at IP licensing conventions in Japan and Korea, and there is intense competition for places in these groups. TCBLA secretary general Sara Peng explains that under TAICCA’s selection mechanism, an international jury reviews applications, evaluating aspects such as acceptability in the target market, stylistic preferences, and the uniqueness of the IP. In this way TAICCA identifies the most suitable character IP for the markets concerned. And these evaluations are indeed effective, says Peng: “In the past several years we have used this evaluation mechanism in order to present the most appropriate characters to overseas markets, and those with the highest scores have had great success at local conventions.”

The Taiwanimals characters are inspired by iconic Taiwanese animals. They appeal to enterprises that share the ideals of environmental protection and sustainability. This summer Taiwanimals are working with an Alishan tea farmer to launch licensed co-branded products. These characters are representative of Taiwan and they promote Taiwanese values. (courtesy of Teascent Valley and Taiwanimals)

TCBLA secretary general Sara Peng says that Taiwan’s character IP market is still in the growth stage, with limitless potential. She is shown here with Majimeow, a mascot for the Taipei Metro.

Tea Girls, which has amassed 200 million online views, has successfully cultivated fans with long online manga stories.

Authentic Taiwanese character

Taiwan’s domestic market is not large, so character IP must be aimed at international markets. Some say that in terms of intellectual property, local culture is an important element in the distinctiveness of such fictional characters. However, others argue that it is necessary to remove the specific cultural features of the country of origin to enable character IP to be accepted and localized in different locations around the globe.

Both sides make valid points, but as Peng notes: “To promote character IP with Taiwanese elements to a wider audience requires strategy and skill.” She cites the Aoyi Brand Design Company’s “Taiwanimal” characters as a case in point. At first the team used iconic Taiwanese animals such as the Formosan sika deer, the Taiwan black bear, the Formosan mountain dog, the farmland green treefrog, and the leopard cat as the inspiration for their fictional character designs. However, after many overseas experiences, they decided to focus on plush toys and aimed to make their characters into “Sumikko Gurashi” (“corner creatures”), a type of therapeutic toy originally created in Japan. They also identified their characters with the ideals of environmental protection and eco-friendly sustainability, which attracted many like-minded corporations to work with Aoyi, enabling them to forge their own path for the future.

Meanwhile Lee Yusan, general manager of Jimmy S.P.A. Company, the agent for Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao, defines the Jimmy Liao Brand as including “reading, travel, and daily life.” Of these, the “daily life” angle is especially suited to making a connection with the spirit of Taiwan. “Taiwanese society has been through so many challenges and changes, so we under­stand clearly that what Taiwan really wants is to be ‘ordinary but not simple.’”

Another representative Taiwanese character is the fashionable chubby girl “Mei Mei,” who personifies “confidence to be oneself.” Her creator, Mr. H.H., says: “I endowed Mei Mei with the nature of Taiwan—she’s passionate, dares to express herself, and has an indomitable spirit.”

Perhaps it is the personas, rather than the outward appearance of the characters, that should be the main focus. In fact, everyone is working hand in hand to show off the best aspects of Taiwan, because there is a little bit of Taiwan in all of these characters!

Mei Mei, as drawn by Mr. H.H., is direct, mocking, and snarky. Her life with her boyfriend Yanjingnan (“Glasses Guy”) is realistic and natural, and they are a hit with netizens.(courtesy of IN2 Creation)

Available as a set of Line stickers that can be used to express one’s feelings, Mei Mei, with her humor and straightforward style, has become very popular. (courtesy of IN2 Creation)

Mei Mei’s “counterattack”

The pudgy girl “Mei Mei” first appeared online in 2013. She always gets straight to the point as she punctures the facades of the Internet world and says just what she thinks. She does not have the waif-like appearance that is so much in vogue today, but she is sexy and fashionable in her own way.

Mei Mei is a character created by the self-media figure Mr. H.H., an observer of the surreal in society. “Half of the inspiration for Mei Mei came from myself. I used to be a chubby kid just like her. The only thing I liked to do was draw. Every day I just stayed in the classroom, and all the kids I got along with were girls. Also, my personality is somewhat feminine, as a result of which some very nasty things were said to me,” recounts Mr. H.H. Having been through all that, today Mr. H.H. is courageous and strong. “I have constantly tried to use Mei Mei to express how unfair today’s society is about external appearance and I hope that through her I can offer some solace to people who have experienced similar treatment.”

Mr. H.H. offers the following analysis of Mei Mei, who is now in her 11th year: Early on Mei Mei was more confrontational, whereas the current Mei Mei, while remaining frank and direct, deals with things in a more mature manner. “For example, she uses self-­deprecation not only to amuse people but also to make people think and reflect on things.”

Mei Mei collaborated with Japanese Instagram queen Naomi Watanabe. The partnership between these two pudgy girls is a successful example of cultural exchange between Taiwan and Japan. (courtesy of IN2 Creation)

The product line for which Mei Mei was paired with the Japanese virtual pop star Miku Hatsune demonstrated her ability to change her look. (courtesy of IN2 Creation)

Young people use accessories like cell phones to express their personal style. Mei Mei appears on products by phone case maker RhinoShield. (courtesy of IN2 Creation)

Behind the scenes: Character IP agents

Within the first year after Mr. H.H. created Mei Mei, his Facebook page had more than a million followers, and to date it has received 1.67 million likes. “Moreover, these are all people that have found us by their own volition—we haven’t done any advertising!” says Ann Liao, director at IN2 Creation, which has been the agency for Mei Mei since its inception.

For the commercial management of character IP, Liao emphasizes that besides protecting copyright, it is essential to also show uniqueness, diversity, and continuity. In terms of uniqueness, the most important thing is to establish the core values of the brand’s characters. For example, she says with a laugh, Mei Mei definitely cannot serve as a spokesperson for cosmetic surgery providers or weight loss programs.

The life cycle of an IP character is about five years, meaning that one must continually come up with new ways to get the characters talked about and show on­going innovation to keep the attention of fans. Liao says: “Over these 11 years, we have designed new themes for marketing the character in time blocks of two years.” In the initial stage, the theme was “counterattacking,” featuring a hot-tempered, straight-talking Mei Mei who was a law unto herself. The theme for the second phase was “falling in love.” The third theme was “friends,” emphasizing depictions of friendship among women and secrets among best friends. The fourth was “human nature,” in which Mei Mei talked about various ploys that people use in their social inter­actions, and told readers that such strategies are a normal part of being streetwise. The current phase is “to thine own self be true.” “No matter what your gender, so long as you remain true to yourself and try to be your most authentic and self-confident self, you needn’t worry about what others might think or the labels that society might impose.”

With the continual introduction of new themes, Mei Mei’s spirit of “girl power” has won her brand many offers for her to serve as a spokesperson. For example, she has crossed over into the world of fashion, appearing at New York Fashion Week in collaboration with the Just In XX brand designed by Justin Chou to tell the public “there is more than one standard of beauty.”

In 2021 Mei Mei put her hair up into two long pony­tails for a co-branding gig with Japanese virtual pop star Miku Hatsune. In 2017, Mei Mei was invited by the Japanese celebrity and Instagram queen Naomi Watanabe to collaborate in a project whereby “Naomi’s Party” was relocated to Taipei and Mei Mei and Watanabe became housemates by renting an apartment together in Taiwan; the two full-figured stars became a transnational sensation. “Watanabe and Mei Mei have similar brand values, and this collaboration can rightly be called a successful example of Taiwan‡Japan cultural exchange,” Liao states.

Jimmy S.P.A. Company has experimented with adaptations of Jimmy’s works into many other media, including films, musicals, and theater, which increases the exposure of his stories. Shown here are posters for the movie Starry Starry Night and the short animation A Fish with a Smile. (courtesy of Jimmy S.P.A.)

Solace and strength from illustrated books

Jimmy Liao is one of the most widely known creators of illustrated books in the Chinese-speaking world. His works have been licensed to over 20 countries and territories, with more than 200 unique licenses granted, including for spin-offs into musicals, performance art, films, cartoons, public art, VR interactive technology, and works that have appeared at various art exhibitions including the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Northern Alps Art Festival (both in Japan). These glittering successes have been due in large part to the behind-the-scenes promotional work of Lee Yusan, founder of Jimmy S.P.A. Company.

Lee says that while there are other illustrated characters out there, Jimmy’s character IP creations are different from the rest. The illustrated books that Jimmy creates are stories in and of themselves with settings and numerous characters. Being his agent also differs from being an agent for most artists, because the Jimmy Liao Brand is based on the exposure of his works, not on Jimmy personally. Moreover, the target audience for his illustrated books is adults aged 18 to 35, defining ­Jimmy’s work as “fairy tales for the adult world.”

“Our competitive advantage lies in the stories and in the spirit behind them, and our job is to do whatever we can to raise their visibility,” says Lee. Through branding, Jimmy’s work has led to derivative screen entertainments, including the film Starry Starry Night, which was nominated in the New Currents category at the Busan International Film Festival, and the animated short film A Fish with a Smile, which won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee reassessed what the direction should be for the next stage of the brand, and decided it needed to be more aggressive and to rapidly develop digital content. She also sought out agents in various countries. For two straight years, Jimmy S.P.A. has been selected to take part in the Licensing Japan convention, and out of Jimmy’s many works Lee chose When the Moon Forgot as the flagship for Jimmy-related IP and to serve as the calling card for a renewed push into international markets.

Lee Yusan says that the collaboration that paired Jimmy’s When the Moon Forgot with Sanrio’s Hello Kitty marked the first time that the Jimmy Liao Brand used co-branding between characters. “This is an example of derivative work. The Jimmy Liao Brand has been around for more than 20 years, and it was time to give his characters new life.”

Jimmy’s 2024 works for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale are based on the theme “Kiss & Goodbye—Precious Old Memories.” Miniature train station interiors display long-forgotten memories, reminding us to cherish wonderful moments from the past. (courtesy of Jimmy S.P.A.)

Jimmy’s works have inspired everything from wall decorations in the Taipei Metro to installation art on the Danhai Light Rail’s Lushan Line. The use of his stories, characters, and scenes in public art is a special feature of the Jimmy Liao Brand. (courtesy of Jimmy S.P.A.)

Scenes from daily life

On entering the offices of Jimmy S.P.A., one sees a dazzling array of everyday products licensed to use IP from Jimmy. Indeed, we are never without the solace of Jimmy’s illustrations in daily life. Last year there was a co-branding project that paired the book When the Moon Forgot with the Sanrio Company’s Hello Kitty figure. “This project is fascinating, as it’s the first time we ever did co-branding between characters, which was a big breakthrough for us,” says Lee Yusan.

For many years now, a special feature and competitive advantage of the Jimmy Liao Brand has been participation in public art projects. Lee remarks: “Jimmy has stories, scenes, and also a philosophical subtext, which are things that most character IP doesn’t have.” Jimmy was born in Yilan County, and collaborative projects with the county government, including Jimmy Park and the sky train from Starry, Starry Night, have created must-visit spots for travelers to check in at. The Jimmy S.P.A. team has also been invited to design public art and a themed train for the Lushan Line of the Danhai Light Rail.

Jimmy’s works have become part of the scenery not only in Taiwan, but in Japan as well. In 2015 Lee wrote to Fram Kitagawa, director-general of the Echigo-­Tsumari Art Trienniale in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, thus initiating Jimmy’s participation in that event. Two works based on Jimmy’s new illustrated book Kiss & Goodbye were erected at stations on the East Japan Railway Company’s Iiyama Line: Echigo-Mizusawa and Doichi. In addition, Kiss & Goodbye was published as an original work in Japanese, peripheral merchandise was sold locally, and Jimmy S.P.A. worked with a travel business in Taiwan to organize mini-tours to the exhibition. “We really demonstrated the power of our brand there.”

After a positive response to the first exhibits, Jimmy’s works were again on display in 2018. In 2024 Jimmy and the S.P.A. team have once again headed to Niigata, and Lee excitedly describes the inspiration for this year’s pieces, which are titled “Kiss & Goodbye—Precious Old Memories.” Jimmy designed a series of miniature train stations, modeled on the Doichi and Echigo-Mizusawa stations, setting them up next to the real stations like mailboxes, and the team sought out precious local artifacts which are displayed in the mini-stations. The goal is to remind people not to forget wonderful moments and things from the past, which is a recurring theme in Jimmy’s work.

In 2025 the Jimmy Liao Brand will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Through illustrations it has provided solace to our hearts and minds, and through branding it has built connections with the world. Jimmy’s work is an enduring part of the scenery of our daily lives. l

(Cathy Teng/photos by Kent Chuang/
tr. by Phil Newell)

In 2015 artworks inspired by Jimmy’s book Kiss & Goodbye were part of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Japan, where art acts as bridge linking people and nature. For Jimmy and the team to attend in person and meet with visitors and local residents was important, says Lee Yusan, because seeing people up close is helpful to managing the brand. (courtesy of Jimmy S.P.A.)