Yoo Jae Suk reimagined as romance manga lead by 85-year-old artist

85-year-old romance manga artist Min Ani has elicited both laughter and admiration by reinterpreting Yoo Jae Suk in her unique artistic style. Having experienced the golden age of published comics decades ago, the artist is once again gaining public attention through K-pop idols, and this time, she has created a unique cultural landscape that spans generations by transforming the national MC, Yoo Jae Suk, into a protagonist of a romance manga.

On the episode of the tvN variety program 'You Quiz on the Block' aired on the 9th, first-generation romance manga artist Min Ani appeared. At 85 years old, she is experiencing a new heyday by releasing works online that depict domestic idols such as BTS, Blackpink, Ive, and RESCENE in her characteristic romance manga style.

Even her name, Min Ani, was unique. Her real name is Min Shin-sik. She explained that her father gave her the name with the intention of 'accepting new culture,' and later, a publishing company president gave her the name 'Ani,' leading to the birth of her current pen name. It is also unusual that the name was chosen during an era when the term 'Ani' itself was not common.

Her life trajectory is closely linked to the ups and downs of the Korean comic industry. Although she drew comics for a long time, she naturally took a break from her work as the published comic market shrank rapidly. In the past, a cartoonist's work met readers through magazines and books, but at some point, that channel itself faded away.

That was when her daughter suggested a new path. Her suggestion was, "Instead of just playing, try drawing pictures and uploading them to a channel." To Min Ani, who was contemplating what to draw, her daughter suggested drawing the K-pop stars who were enjoying global popularity at the time. After a long hiatus, the subject the artist chose upon picking up the pen again was surprisingly idols of a generation completely different from the romance manga she was familiar with.

The turning point was BTS Jimin. Min Ani recalled that she drew Jimin as her third work and released it online, receiving an unexpected response with about 150 comments from overseas. She stated that with the thought, "It would be fun if I kept drawing," she became so immersed in her drawing work that she even postponed outings and shopping.

Since then, stars transcending generations and nationalities have begun to appear on her canvas. Including BTS's RM, V, and Jung Kook, as well as Blackpink, Ive, RESCENE, and Stray Kids' Felix, they were reborn as romance manga protagonists with Min Ani's signature large eyes, delicate lines, and idealized facial features.

Yoo Jae Suk also could not hide his admiration after seeing these works. Looking at the figures in the drawings, he marveled, saying, "It looks like they are alive," and expressed a reaction suggesting he wanted to be drawn in such a way as well. It was an interesting point that the style of an artist who has been drawing for over 60 years captures the characteristics of real people while creating idealized images different from reality.

At that, Min Ani praised Yoo Jae Suk, saying, "You are even more handsome."
Yoo Jae Suk, as if he had been waiting, made a disappointed face, asking, "Artist, but why didn't you draw me?"
He was playfully protesting the fact that while idol stars' drawings were being released one after another, he was the one left out.

Min Ani then brought out a drawing of Yoo Jae Suk that she had already prepared. Upon seeing the drawing, Yoo Jae Suk asked back, "Is this me?" and then compared it to the drawings of other idols, saying, "The atmosphere is a bit different. Even in the drawing, the atmosphere is different."

That difference was no coincidence. Min Ani also drew Yoo Jae Suk with the image of the cross-dressing character 'Yoo Je-ni' that he had previously presented on MBC's 'Hangout with Yoo,' and in another drawing, she reinterpreted Yoo Jae Suk entirely like a male protagonist in the romance fantasy genre. Yoo Jae Suk was greatly satisfied with this drawing, which emphasized sharp facial lines and distinct eyes.

In particular, the second drawing was a work that Min Ani explained she drew specifically with the feeling of a 'romance fantasy male lead.' Rather than simply replicating the real Yoo Jae Suk, she essentially repositioned the figure of Yoo Jae Suk within the grammar of ideal male characters established by romance manga and romance fantasy.

Yoo Jae Suk's reaction was also honest. He said, "It's so good," and added, "If I used KakaoTalk, I would want to set this as my KakaoTalk profile."
Yoo Jae Suk, who has created numerous characters in the broadcasting industry over many years, experienced being transformed into a single manga character at the fingertips of a cartoonist.

What is even more interesting is Min Ani's own attitude. On the broadcast, she expressed humility, describing her own drawings as "slave's drawings." Despite her long career and recent explosive online response, her humble attitude toward her work left a strong impression on viewers.

Min Ani's case carries significance beyond just an "85-year-old artist's YouTube challenge." An artist who once lost her workspace due to the decline of print comics found new readers through digital platforms, and that channel functioned by combining the romance manga grammar she built in her youth with the images of today's K-pop stars.

While romance manga once met readers through physical media like magazines and books, Min Ani now meets fans across borders through YouTube and social media. The fact that work starting from a single drawing of Jimin drew responses from overseas fans, moved through BTS and Blackpink, and eventually pulled Yoo Jae Suk into that world, symbolically shows how dramatically content distribution structures have changed.

The most notable aspect is the "generational reversal." An 85-year-old artist does not just draw young idols in her past style; she is actually renewing her own artistic language through the medium of today's pop culture stars. Rather than following the culture of the younger generation, she projects her own aesthetic assets onto the stars of a new generation, thereby securing a new fanbase in return.

And Yoo Jae Suk was at that destination. Yoo Jae Suk, who has interviewed countless celebrities and drawn out their stories, became the one being drawn rather than the one asking questions on this day. The scene where the national MC was reborn as a protagonist of romance manga and romance fantasy at the tip of Min Ani's pen was also a moment where an artist of one era encountered the pop culture of a new era.