HiHi Studio is kicking things off their first work called Bad Influence.
Contrary to its title, Bad Influence is anything but. This sci-fi thriller marks the first collaboration between HiHi Studio, the manga and anime-focused company founded by Valkyrae and Kai Gayoso, and the start-up studio Otherly Productions. The story was written by Orson James and Roman Calais, and illustrated by Jor Ros.
Below are some early concept art of some of the key characters, who are “a real mix of outsiders, f-ups, and ne’er do wells, all of whom, in their own way, have come to terms with their place in the world.”:
Set in a surveillance city called Weisshorn, people are being distracted by grinning mascots and parades, not realizing that they’re being watched by the charismatic leader who claims he loves you. The leader of Weisshorn, Oswald, has a fondness for the theatrics as well as a hunger to control people. The story follows a woman named Nel who is haunted by her past and joins a rebel gang to take down the system. But as she digs deeper, things start unraveling and nothing makes sense. And soon, if Nel isn’t careful, she’ll lose her grip on reality and herself as well.
As both writers place a lot of import in building fully realized worlds, it’s no surprise that Bad Influence‘s setting of Weisshorn has been created with an extremely high level of attention and care. James describes it as a “broad-smiling dystopia where control is asserted through entertainment.” He added, “The system doesn’t just rule with fear — it distracts, dazzles, and scripts your life through spectacle. If everyone’s smiling, how bad can it be? It’s the surveillance state dressed up as a theme park.”
The rebellion isn’t merely just about overthrowing the system; it also, narratively, acts as Nel’s self-discovery. “She’s trying to figure out who she is beneath the roles she’s been forced into. Life in Weisshorn is a mess of lies and trauma, and Nel’s ready to break out. But she’s not the chosen one,” Calais, James’s co-writer, said. “She feels lost, confused. Nel carries herself like a fighter, but behind that is a young woman patching over the cracks of doubt and insecurity with stubbornness and sheer will. And, in this world, holding it together might be the most radical act of all.”
Ros similarly described Nel as a someone who’s trying to find her place in her world–a world that she has no connection to. “I think everyone will be able to see part of themselves in them,” he said. “After all, their story boils down to people trying to figure things out in a relentless world that won’t stop yelling at you so that it can capture your full attention, all of the time.”
Valkyrae praised Bad Influence, calling it “weird, wild, and full of heart.” She encouraged people to read it, saying, “Even if you’ve never read a comic in your life, trust me– once you start scrolling [through Bad Influence], you’ll be hooked.”
The first three episodes of Bad Influence are now out on WEBTOON where subsequent episodes will update every Thursday.
Source: WEBTOON
English (US) · 