Q. Was there a special moment when you decided to become a webtoon author?

Lee kkeut A  I was just drawing fan comics as a hobby until the PD offered me a position as a writer, which led to this serialization.
        They say three big opportunities come in life, and I think this might have been my first one.😄

Daengmeong A  I've occasionally drawn pictures with speech bubbles since I was young, but
        the moment I decided to actually try making a webtoon was when I was contacted by our PD.

Q. Your excellent teamwork really shines through in the work. Is there a behind-the-scenes story of how you two met?

Lee kkeut A  When I was first doing storyboard work and feeling lost, our PD introduced me to Author Daengmeong.
        We didn't meet in person; I first saw the character sheets Daengmeong worked on.
        As soon as I saw them, I thought, 'How is there an art style that fits Regas so perfectly? This is awesome!'
        Author Daengmeong also mentioned that <Regas> was their first work, so I felt an instant sense of inner closeness.

Daengmeong A  I connected with Author Lee kkeut through the publisher and we started working together.
        I think the reason our teamwork looks so harmonious is thanks to the hard work of many people behind the scenes.
        Also, Author Lee kkeut directs the story so engagingly that I feel like I'm being pulled along just like the readers.
        However, I feel apologetic lately because the extended hiatus seems to have broken that flow...

△ (Left) Novel Cover (Right) Webtoon Season 1 Cover_From Ridi Home

Q. We're curious if you have a role model or a 'work of a lifetime' that gave you the biggest inspiration in building your style as an author.

Lee kkeut A  As expected, the Studio Ghibli series and shonen manga I've loved since childhood
        probably had the biggest influence in building my style for dialogue and story development. 
        If I were to pick a few works that fit my desired aesthetic, they would be Interstellar, 3 Idiots, Crayon Shin-chan, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,
        Extreme Job, and The Grand Budapest Hotel! 

Daengmeong A  I tend to watch a lot of video content, mainly animated films.
        Among them, I think I was influenced by early animated movies.
        I don't usually rewatch things, but out of the Disney series I watched repeatedly for rote English education,
        The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are my favorites.

Q. We're curious about your workspace! Please introduce it to us~!

Lee kkeut A  I don't have a fixed space; everywhere I take my laptop becomes my workspace.
        I carry a combination of my laptop, wireless mouse, charger, AirPods, laptop stand, and laptop pouch (which doubles as a mouse pad).
        I prefer working in open cafes rather than at home.

Daengmeong A  I couldn't find 3D models that matched my workspace items, so I had to substitute them with other models...

△ I've come on a pilgrimage...🖐️

[About <Lee kkeut>]

Q. You are very skilled at pacing the narrative.
   We wonder if there were any precious practice periods or special experiences that became the foundation for your creation to build such solid inner strength.

A. Thank youಥ_ಥ I'm so glad to hear you say that…
   As I mentioned, since I was very young, I loved arbitrarily giving stories or personalities to characters and drawing comics.
   Because of that, even when reading novels, the thought 'What would this look like if it were expressed as a comic?' naturally comes to mind first.
   Furthermore, I believe that buildup is incredibly important to persuade the readers in order for a narrative to be complete,
   so even if I have to slice the panels smaller, I tend to pay more attention to the emotional flow of the characters or the contextual directing.

Q. When reconstructing the novel's sentences into webtoon panels and cuts,
   do you have your own criteria for dividing 'information to be left as text' and 'information to be passed on as drawings'?

A. When a character in the story is conflicted or seems to be feeling an emotion whose cause even they don't know,
   I try to express it only through facial expressions or directing without dialogue, if possible.
   On the other hand, when showing clear emotions or resolutions that they are aware of, I include dialogue.

   Also, while it may be obvious, elements that play an important role in the flow of the story
   are not just passed off as text, but I allocate panels to leave them as drawings.
   In addition, if there is information I want to detonate later as the story progresses, to make it seem not too important right now,
   I sometimes use directing where I lightly mention it only through text or small panels and move on.

Q. The directing that maintains readability despite handling a vast amount of dialogue is impressive.
   We are curious about your unique know-how for adjusting the rhythm and breathing of sentences in scenes with lots of dialogue.

A. Actually, I think I always tend to fail at reducing the amount of dialogue…! (Our PD is always giving me a lot of help with this)
   Personally, I think that even if there is a lot of dialogue, it reads lightly as long as the rhythm is not broken.
   So when the dialogue increases, I try to pay attention to overlapping words and rhythm. 

Q. In the process of visually manifesting the novel's abstract descriptions, where was your imagination utilized the most,
   or is there a setting you put more effort into expanding than the original work?

A. The original novel keeps Karas's emotional descriptions to a minimum, so I pay a lot of attention when directing parts related to this.
   In particular, the only person Karas shows a 'human' side to is Abel,
   and when Karas, who has lived half his life emotionless and dryly, meets Abel, who distracts people with his unpredictable actions,
   it's fun to work while pondering what kind of tension will arise.

   Author Daengmeong really brings these aspects to life beautifully, resulting in quite a few cute scenes! 

△ Captain Commander(?) who is subtly going crazy(?) for Abel

[About <Daengmeong>]

Q. Even though it's your debut work, the perfection of the anatomy drawing and coloring is very high.
   We wonder if there was a practice period or special training experience that served as the foundation for your creation to build such solid skills.

A. Thank you for looking upon it favorably!
   I've been drawing all along, but the catalyst for me to start digital drawing in earnest was fangirling/fanboying.
   Even without anyone telling me to, I found myself drawing all night. Through that, I think I gradually became accustomed to drawing.

Q. It seems you finely adjust the highlights of the pupils or the curves of the eyes according to the characters' emotions.
   What detail do you pay the most attention to when conveying emotions through the characters' 'eyes'?

A. Honestly, because I'm rushing to meet deadlines and rendering simply, the characters' pupil expressions generally become monotonous or
   rough. However, I try to cover that part with highlights, while also, as you mentioned,
   paying attention to expressing the moistness of the eyes in various ways to clearly reveal emotions.
   For characters who are always glaring wildly, I reduce or remove the highlights to match their pupils,
   and for teary-eyed, cute supporting characters, I try to add highlights in various shapes corresponding to the ambient light.
   I remember once adding a huge highlight to a pupil, but it looked strange, and upon closer inspection, it looked like Ursula, so I quickly erased it.

△ ???: A huge highlight... for me...

Q. We're curious about the visual references or sources of inspiration you use when
   personally designing detailed settings like character costumes and accessories.

A. In the past, I mainly referred to medieval-related books, blog posts, and
   movies or dramas based on a medieval worldview via OTT platforms.
   But after tasting the 'bitterness of the Middle Ages', these days I browse overseas websites that sell medieval-style clothing for reference.

Q. Every single panel is so beautiful that it feels like a carefully crafted illustration.
   Could you tell us your 'favorite panel' that made you the proudest after finishing, and
   conversely, the 'high-difficulty panel' that required the most energy while working on it?

A. Thank you so much for your kind words. :///3

   Since Author Lee kkeut directs many parts of the screen in detail,
   I always strive to implement those intentions as well as possible.

   Personally, the part I was most proud of was the scene where Abel tears up while reminiscing about his master.
   It was the very first of the huge panels where I felt 'I really need to draw this well' upon receiving the storyboard,
   and seeing the huge reaction from the readers, I was relieved and convinced that it had been expressed well.
   Thank you to the readers who always leave wonderful reviews!

   Conversely, the high-difficulty panel that required the most energy was the entirety of the single-room scene with Karas and Abel in episode 53...
   Because it was such an important scene, I think I was restless the whole time I was drawing it due to the pressure of having to do it well.
   'What if it ruins the mood because they are wearing shoes on the bed... but bare feet would be a bit weird too...' I remember drawing it while thinking this.

△ My heart aches when our sunshine cries...⛅

[About <Regas>]

Q. What charm did you feel in the work when you first encountered the original novel <Regas>?

Lee kkeut A  I felt a huge charm in the tight structure and the foreshadowing retrieval, where not a single description could be overlooked.

        I stayed up for three days and nights to read it all, and after finishing it,
        I think the feelings of "This would be so fun to direct as a comic!" and "Wait, how am I supposed to direct this as a comic?" coexisted in my mind.
        (Actually, just organizing the original story and foreshadowing during the work process took up 3 fully packed A4 pages)

        Even now, it's the most fun to direct scenes where the scattered foreshadowing comes together and results in a single outcome.

Daengmeong A  At first, just like many of the characters in Regas, I think I completely fell for Abel's charm.
        I wondered how Abel and the young prince would overcome the dark and disadvantageously designed situations and environments,
        but the part where they started that process by filling it with new knowledge of nature felt very charming to me.

△ You're not going to read it? You're not going to read THIS? How could you NOT??!!!🔥

Q. When adapting the original novel's unique temperature difference of being 'fairytale-like yet cruel' into a webtoon,
   what was the 'first impression of the work' or the 'representative color' that you two aligned on most importantly? 

Lee kkeut A  The first impression I felt reading <Regas> is similar to the content of episode 1.

        Mural paintings from the very distant past, faceless legendary heroes,
        followed by the sprint of a bear-like man (Abel)…
        While it feels like a cruel fairytale story is unfolding, the quirky yet upright protagonist named Abel
        seems to bring everyone back to reality. So, the blue of the calm before the storm and the green representing Abel,
        and despite the plot increasingly rushing toward ruin, the yellow that somehow gives the feeling that everything will be alright
        I think these are the representative colors of this work. 
        Actually, I've never directly mentioned these points to Author Daengmeong,
        but our PD recruited an illustrator with an elegant yet rough, dreamlike art style,
        so I think it was able to be expressed well…!

Daengmeong A  From my position in charge of the art, there was a concern about how to harmoniously blend the overall image setting initially provided by the original author with
        the parts implemented by Author Lee kkeut.
        Since it was my first time working on a webtoon, I was contemplating how to proceed with the color correction in the beginning,
        and the advice I received from our PD became a huge benchmark.

        The keyword I still remember right now is “Brown”.
        I also thought the heavy yet warm and soft feeling suited Regas very well.
        So even now, I always keep that impression in mind while working.

Q. The extreme personality difference is charming, with Abel being a sweet chatterbox and Karas being a cold-blooded, obsessive top.
   When these two characters are in the same frame, is there a directing device you set up
   to maximize their 'chemistry' for the readers?

Lee kkeut A  To depict Abel… evading the Prince's single-minded obsession with his unique cluelessness,
        I try to express their chemistry through Karas, whose art style becomes rounder~ the moment he meets Abel.
        Karas, who listens to Abel's (non)sense with a mild expression without a single objection,
        seems to give a comfortable feeling that you can't see when he is with the rest of the party.😉

        No matter how dark the atmosphere is, if the two of them are just together, I pay attention to the directing so that the readers can also feel the vibe that even the slowly approaching, unavoidable disaster
        will somehow be resolved!

Daengmeong A  I focus on Abel's adorable cluelessness and try to draw him as cluelessly as possible to bring out that clueless vibe.

△ Stayed up all night picking from overflowing candidate images...🌙

        Other than that, their personality difference is huge, but they also have a significant physical height difference of over 30cm,
        so I pay a lot of attention to things like hand sizes while working.

△ Even looking while running past, they're a match made in heaven 💕

Q. <Regas> embraces the heavy keywords of 'salvation' and 'growth' beyond a simple romance.
   In order not to lose this warm and affectionate message that pierces through the entire work until the end,
   we are curious what core points you two are putting the most effort into during the scenario adaptation and drawing process. 

Lee kkeut A  I'm focusing on capturing the conflicts and agonies of the characters in the work so that each of them can achieve their own growth.
        What the reasons and backgrounds are for the characters having no choice but to act this way,
        what triggers their growth, etc.—I try to fully understand these within my own head.
        For this, even if it wasn't depicted in the original work, to increase the understanding and dimensionality of the characters,
        I tend to add background settings and such little by little.

        Especially to capture Abel and Karas saving each other, no matter how much conflict and misunderstanding has piled up,
        I wanted to depict that they have a relationship where they have no choice but to embrace the moment they face each other.
        The existence that can make each other suffer the most, and the existence that can comfort each other,
        are these two people—I hope this is expressed well.

Daengmeong A  I tend to think that salvation has its scenes and growth has its backgrounds.
        As much as Author Lee kkeut does a wonderful job with the adaptation and directing,
        in important scenes, I try to carefully decorate the mise-en-scène like costumes and backgrounds
        so that they can become memorable points.

        Also, since I think Regas is a work where the supporting characters each have a clear position,
        I pay a lot of attention to designing the characters who serve as the background for growth just as carefully as each of the main characters.

        Because of this, the supporting characters ended up with a more complex color palette than Karas and Abel, but
        I am always grateful to our precious coloring artist who always colors them wonderfully.

△ Abel's thanks to the 'precious' coloring artist💕

Q. Karas becomes infinitely weak in front of Abel, but he is fundamentally a 'cruel prince.'
   To express this duality, what kind of "subtle difference" did you try to place in his dialogue or expressions?

Lee kkeut A  Ah hahaha

        First of all, to everyone except Abel, Karas
        is depicted as only making expressionless faces or a killer smile (literally killing),
        and conversely, when he's with Abel, although his expressions aren't extremely varied, I make him put on relatively gentle and honest expressions. 
        Karas's cruelty doesn't change just because he's in front of Abel, but
        unlike with others, he acts as if he has the room to accept his words.
        For example, in front of 'Lylai', he kills people and acts completely indifferent about it, but
        in front of 'Abel', he shows a sharper and more guarded attitude before and after killing.
        I think this is not being hostile, but showing a willingness to communicate…!

        Like this, Karas is a cruel and emotionless prince, but
        in front of Abel, I aim to show him becoming a single human being.
        Besides that, even though his hands are killing soldiers, in his head he is imagining Abel,
        so like a scene directed with a bright feeling, showing the images of a pure-hearted prince and a massacre king simultaneously…
        I am trying to make a 'han-kkeut' (subtle) difference, rather than a 'Lee-kkeut' one.

Q. <Regas> boasts the superb affection characteristic of reunion stories.
   Are there any parts you put special effort into in the directing or dialogue to bring alive that electrifying feeling when the two protagonists meet again? 

Lee kkeut A  In the original work as well, the buildup for Karas and Abel's reunion scene was very meticulously crafted,
        so to bring this to life… before reuniting with Karas, in Abel's dialogue as much as possible
        I think I tried to pile up karma of the 'our kid isn't like that' variety.

        On the other hand, for Karas, I tried to inject a lot of emotions like anger, attraction, and expectation that he feels toward 'Lylai'.

        The scene where he hugs Abel as if he might burst upon gaining certainty, and then suddenly bites his nape,
        was meant to represent the longing he had endured for a very long time suddenly turning into possessiveness,
        and Author Daengmeong completed it so coolly that I also enjoyed watching it immensely!

△ Seriously, I couldn't sleep after watching this that day

Q. As Abel is one of the biggest chatterbox characters, his amount of dialogue is substantial.
   We're curious what criteria you set when deciding panel divisions or speech bubble placements
   to ensure you don't lose readability while arranging all this text.
   Furthermore, among all those lines, is there a sentence you personally cherish the most because it felt like "this is so very Abel"?

Lee kkeut A  I try to arrange panels and speech bubbles considering the direction the readers' eyes will move.
        Sometimes, when I think 'I hope the readers can also feel this endless chatter of Abel's just like the characters do…'
        I purposely don't allocate panels and fill it only with dialogue.
        Otherwise, I think I divide the panels by describing the surrounding situation of listening to each line of dialogue.

        Among them, my favorite line is definitely the one from episode 52 where his true feelings toward the Captain Commander suddenly slipped out
        in Abel's inner monologue.
        Author Daengmeong depicted Abel's expression looking genuinely flustered so well, making it a scene I particularly love.

△ Captain Commander, close your eyes...😌

Q. The physical difference between the 'muscular bottom' Abel in the beginning and the 'beautiful bottom' Abel later is significant,
   We are curious what you pondered to make readers naturally accept this change without feeling any disparity.

Daengmeong A  I think the above part is entirely the power of directing.

        Author Lee kkeut directed it so that Abel before and after reincarnation visually overlap, or
        inserted many flashback scenes in between, so thanks to that I'm working without much difficulty.
        Other than that, like the habit of rolling up his sleeves before starting work,
        I am meticulously setting up little habits that Abel would likely have had.

        Above all, I think this expression was possible because the readers focused on and immersed themselves in the story.

Q. The pressure given by the entity called 'The King's Heart' is substantial.
   When establishing the atmosphere of this villain character or their faction, what concept did you set visually or narratively?

Daengmeong A  In the original work I encountered while preparing for the webtoon adaptation, the names of the characters on the King's Heart side were not set at the time.
        So I imagined the images felt from the newly given names and set the concepts of the characters according to the given settings.
        I set them to feel slightly in opposition to the Prince's close aides.

        It's a feeling like the ascetic character Kin vs. Nohox who is crazy about lust.

Q. Among the original panels unique to the webtoon, is there a bonus-like scene
   that you included with the certainty of "Original novel fans will really love this too!"? 

Daengmeong A  Thinking it might be okay to depict the Prince's childhood, which will never return, a little more colorfully,
        the scenes I drew of the Prince timidly wriggling come to mind.

△ A baby sunbeam next to the sun ☀️

Q. If there are scenes or episodes where you two admired each other's work, what would they be?

Lee kkeut A  For me, it was episode 10 of season 1, which was the episode where Abel's past first appeared and Karas started feeling curious about Abel.
        I think episode 10 of season 1 was the most memorable.

        Abel's emotions, which had seemed fine until then,
        bursting out in front of the emotionless prince called a monster, Author Daengmeong… ha… 
        And afterwards, even the sight of Karas staying by his side as if comforting him (though he was probably just observing out of fascination)
        It was truly an episode where the art was beyond words. 

△ We call this love...

Daengmeong A  In the original, the section where the reincarnated Abel and Karas travel together without knowing each other's identities
        had a somewhat tense and dizzying feeling, but in the webtoon, it was adapted to highlight the cheerful and comedic parts, so
        for the section where the two spend time together after reincarnation, I think I burst out laughing every time I received the storyboard for each episode.

        Just reading the storyboard was incredibly fun.

△ We call this(?) love too(?)

Q. If you had to pick exactly three 'heart-striking points' in <Regas>'s romance narrative, what would they be?

Lee kkeut A  I think it's Patience and Salvation… and Chemistry.

        Abel endlessly waited for the young Karas who wouldn't open his heart,
        and Karas just stays by his side until the reincarnated Abel recognizes him.
        And at the end of their patience, they save each other.
        I think the way they accept each other as they are and wait for each other is a huge charm!

        And… in terms of the plot, the scenes where the two are together aren't long, but
        every time they are together, the chemistry that comes out between two people who are completely unalike is also…
        I think it's a part where readers can find enjoyment. 

Daengmeong A  It's First love, Longing, and Pure love.

△ An inescapable fate will only grow deeper in the end.🔥

Q. Karas shows deepening obsession and possessiveness toward Abel,
   while Abel shows the only warmth that calms Karas's cruelty.
   If you had to define the two protagonists' feelings for each other as you interpret them with a 'single keyword' each, what would they be?

Lee kkeut A  I think for Karas it's 'Reason for Living', and for Abel it's 'Reason for Existence'! 

        There is still more story to unfold, but Karas's actions after losing Abel
        are all things planned because his reason for living had disappeared.
        When Abel lost his family and hometown to the war,
        he received a second life as a 'Regas' from his master, and lost his life to fulfill that responsibility.
        And even when reincarnated, Abel believes this life was given to him to save Karas.

        Beyond romantic love, I tend to interpret that the two consider each other as their driving force to live.  

Daengmeong A  Their values seem too firm to just seep into each other, and they already possess too much to say they merely complement each other.
        I think that's how the two are.
        Nevertheless, looking at each other and heading towards that feeling above, I think it might be Pure Love.

        Sometimes it also seems like How to Train Your Dragon... I'm sorry.

[Outro]

Q. We are already approaching the grand climax of the story.
   In the storm-like developments we are about to face, what is the 'best viewing point'
   that you two authors are preparing with the most effort?

Lee kkeut A  It's a season where the story that started from a very long time ago unravels, but
        I want to highlight the reveal of Karas's true feelings, which none of the characters could have fathomed, as the viewing point.
        And Abel's role as a 'Regas' too!

Daengmeong A  I think we've been running busily up to now, but as you said, I feel like a storm-like time lies ahead.
        If we've been showing Abel up until now, I think from here on out it will be Karas's turn.
        I will stock up on many brushes and do my best to show it wonderfully!

△ Something big is coming, ta-da!😎

Q. In the distant future when the serialization of <Regas> ends, what kind of temperature or color do you hope this work
   will leave in the memories of the readers?

Lee kkeut A  If it remains as 'a work where I don't remember the foreshadowing or settings but I felt some lingering emotion',
        I couldn't ask for more.
        A story filled with blood and love, yet somehow leaving a corner of your heart warm after reading,
        I hope it becomes a work that brings to mind the green of the Dragon's Forest.

Daengmeong A  Although there were dark and cruel parts in the beginning and middle,
        I hope it's ultimately remembered as a story where they reunited and grew.
        I hope it becomes an affectionate work that leaves you wondering, "They're probably living well even after the series ended, right?"

Q. Finally, if there's anything you'd like to say to the readers who have loved <Regas>, please feel free to say it.

Lee kkeut A  Thank you so much for joining us on this long journey!!!(´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)
        Please look forward to the remaining story, and I ask for your continued love and support.

Daengmeong A  To the many people who trusted me with the art for this excellent and wonderful work,
        and to the readers who always visit, watch over us, and stay with us with creative, warm words and patience,
        I am always working with a grateful heart as I look at you.

        Please take good care of the remaining story as well! Thank you.