Origami Warriors is a Taiwanese comic book created by Jhou Sian Zong and published by the Ching Win Company. The comic was published in a series of 22 books and followed in 2003 by Origami Fighter Generation, Origami Fighter W, and Origami Fighter X. An animated adaptation, with significant differences, was created by a Korean studio.
Plot
Origami Fighters opens when Xiao Zhe and two other children come across several pieces of paper and a book showing ways to fold them into different shapes. The material turns out to be an ancient hi-tech gadget that, when folded properly, turns into a Genie. By further contract with the Genies, the folders could transform themselves into superhumans known as "Origami Fighters."
Characters
Main Characters
Wang, Jhih-Jie (王志哲, ワン・ジージェ)
Nickname is Xiao-Jie 小哲. Xiao is a former particle word, Jie means philosophy.
Bi, Jhih , nickname is Pi-Zih 痞子. it means ruffian, but it also means having a joke in Chinese.
Toongi. Rather mysterious character. He likes Jeong, Yeo Lin and sometimes interferes. He has a mercenary spirit and tends to value money than friendship. But he is known as the professional among Origami warriors since he is skillful in machine manufacturing and construction. He can make many vehicles with Origami papers. In the manga, he initially had no ability to call the spirits, but in the later chapters, he obtained a golden dragon Genie.
Da-Kr , transliteration of dark.
Hyeon, Dal-Kook. A student of professor Wang and make the children get to know the Origami civilization. He has special ability to transform himself into very a handsome man or a tough guy, and is a mysterious figure who lives in a luxurious apartment. He contracts with Paoran, the spirit of the Wolf by himself, and controls the Origami beasts.
Kuang, Long , means wild dragon.
Kwang, Yong. A mysterious boy who appears suddenly when the heroes are in trouble and disappears. He seems to be related to the gang of evil that tries to uncover Origami secret and seems to have special relation with Ji Cheol. He controls the Origami beasts under contract with Huolong, a black dragon.
Adaptation
An animated television series based on the comic book was produced by Dong Woo Animation and debuted in Taiwan in 2004. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo in 2005; and in 2006, it became the first Taiwanese cartoon shown on South Korean television when it premiered on SBS. The staff include animators from Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. Beside borrowing the idea of origami from the comic series, the story and characters of the animation series are greatly altered. Instead of combine with their Genies to become Origami Warriors, the characters simply summon their Genies. Also, instead of the adventures and the results of world war in the original series, the characters are all competitors of the "Origami Combat Competition". The character designs are also more contemporary of 2000s anime rather than the manhua's more 1980s manga design. The series is also less violent than the original source material. The first episode was dubbed into English in 2008 by Vitello Productions as a sales pilot which featured the voices of Rob Paulsen, Kath Soucie and Cam Clarke. This English dubbed episode was available on Toon Goggles until mid-2017.
Staff
Original work: "Origami Warriors" Jhou Sian-Zong 周顯宗
Origami Warriors won the 2002 award for most popular children's comic from the Chinese Publishers' Foundation and the Comic Artist Labor Union in Taipei.
