Myung-Jin Lee ~ The Man Behind The World of Ragnarok

Cosplay Lab met with Mike Lansing, Game Master of Gravity Interactive and Ragnarok's creator Myung-Jin Lee at Anime Expo 2004 to discuss the success of this manga turned video game turned anime. Many of the questions were submitted by Cosplay Lab members before the event, so we're happy to have been able to get answers. Myung-Jin Lee is a Korean manwha (manga artist) who's been developing the Ragnarok storyline for over three years. In the last two years, Ragnarok has enjoyed tremendous success in all of its iterations.

I love playing the game. How did you come up with all the characters, what they do, and what they wear?

First we decide on what the job class is going to be and then we develop a personality that goes with that job class. From there we develop the clothing style that is appropriate to that environment.

How did you decide to use Norse mythology as an inspiration for the manga?

I've always been interested in mythology and, of all the stories, Norse appealed the most. Likewise, it had not been explored yet by other developers. [smiles]

Do you have different feelings about Ragnarok the manga, Ragnarok Online and Ragnarok the anime?

[ponders] I like the manga because I can make it pretty much however I want. I like working on the online game because I can get user feedback very quickly and the development process is more team-oriented. I like the voice aspect of the animation hearing the characters brought to life.

Which one of your character designs is your favorite?

I think the Priest is my favorite.

a Ragnarok fan poses with Myung-Jin

Where did your inspiration of character designs come from? It is so beautiful!

I tend to get inspiration from many different sources such as the music I listen to. When I am designing a costume, I consider how it would look in real life and try to make it look very nice.

Have you ever sewn any of your own costume designs?

I haven't sewn these costumes myself, but I do have friends that cosplay as Ragnarok characters. I try to keep them in mind when I am designing new outfits.

Will you create new Ragnarok characters?

Yes, we are developing new characters right now that will debut soon.

What is your favorite aspect of your career?

I enjoy all aspects of my career, but I particularly enjoy development because there is so much support from others.

How do you get a story or a comic turned into a video game or anime?

While working on the Ragnarok manga, I always had the idea for the game in the back of my mind. So I started contacting other companies to see if they would be interested in developing it. Gravity Interactive was quick to accept my idea for an online, immersive video game. Then, as the online game became more popular, a Japanese animation company contacted us about making it into a TV series. I feel I've been very lucky with how it's turned out.

Who taught you to draw? It's amazing!

I didn't have a formal teacher. Ever since I was young, I always practice drawing on my own

Your artwork has a distinct style; a mix of anime and realistic art. How did you come up with it?

It tends to be based on whatever I'm feeling at the moment, so every situation is different. Because Ragnarok is based on the manga, the style needed to be something that could make the transition between the printed page, to video game, and television. At the same time, I didn't want it to look like everything else already out there.

Will you eventually show us Chaos and Fenris in their past incarnations, how they met and how they died?

[smiles] Yes, eventually their past will be revealed.

If you were to live in Rune Mid-gard, what job will you take up and why?

[ponders again] I would like to be a wizard or a blacksmith. A wizard because it's a fantasy world and it would be nice to have special powers. A blacksmith because I can make all the weapons for the other characters and you get to put your name on each weapon.

Will there be any new types of Porings? Like Poporings or Drops? I do have some planned, I'm just not sure when they will appear.

How has the game Ragnarok overcome social barriers between Japan and Korea since wars in the early 20th century?

I don't think the game alone has done much toward that end, but the online aspect of it tends to level the playing field for everyone. Because it has an international following, the present generation of gamers are pretty far removed from the days when the Japanese occupied Korea. The game is designed to be played such that you work together to advance more quickly. If this idea carries through into people's daily lives, then I will be happy.

How do you feel about people making "free servers"?

Unfortunately, it does affect our ability to provide the highest quality service. Individuals running illegal servers are asked to take it down. We also actively lock accounts of anyone who doesn't abide by our usage policy. We also block updates to illegitimate servers.

What's your opinion of the cosplayers wearing the game costumes?

I think it's neat. It's people taking the virtual aspect of the game and making it a part of their real life. In other games, players take their life and try to fit it into the virtual world.