Origami Warriors

Origami Warriors (Taiwanese translation: Origami Fighters, Chinese: 摺紙戰士) 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.

Origami Warriors
摺紙戰士
Genre	Superhero
Author	Jhou Sian Zong
Publisher	Ching Win (Taiwan)
Volumes	22

An animated adaptation, with significant differences, was created by a Korean studio. Reminiscent of 2000's "monster collecting" anime, including a cast akin to the archetypes that would appear in said shows. An English dub for the adaptation was later made by Vitello Productions, and featured voice actors notable for roles in American cartoons. The dub, however, was scarcely distributed.

Plot

Origami Fighters opens when Xiao-Jie 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 Zhi-Zher / Wang Jhih-Jher (王志哲)

The main protagonist. His nickname is Jher (小哲 Xiao-Zher). He as a fifth-grade elementary school student at the beginning.

His name 志哲 meaning "ambition" and "philosophy", while is also the inverted homonym of 摺紙 (zher-zhi, origami), and combined with his surname 王 (Wang, king), it's homonym of "origami king".

• Origami Fighter species: Legendary animals
• Elemental power (Magic type): Fire
• Fighter's special ability: Instant acceleration
• Spirit: Sky Dragon (天龍) (Dragon spirit)
• Transformation: Red Sky Dragon (紅色天龍) → Violet Sky Dragon (紫色天龍) → Black Sky Dragon (黑色天龍) → Stunning Sky Dragon (絕色天龍, 絕色 also refers to colorless / transparent here)

Zeng Li-Lian (曾麗蓮)

Jher's childhood friend. Her nickname is Lian (小蓮 Xiao-Lian), meaning "lotus".

• Origami Fighter species: Plants
• Elemental power (Magic type): Wood
• Fighter's special ability: Cures physical wounds
• Spirit: Lily (莉莉) (Flower spirit)
• Transformation: Yellow Flower Fairy (黃色花仙) → White Flower Fairy (白色花仙) → Stunning Flower Fairy (絕色花仙) (armor forme)

Su Dai-Zhi (蘇代止)

Jher and Lian's childhood friend. His nickname is Shudaizi (書呆子, meaning "bookworm", a homonym of Su Dai-Zhi)

• Origami Fighter species: Birds
• Elemental power (Magic type): Wind
• Fighter's special ability: Flight and enables others to fly
• Spirit: Bert (伯特) (Crane spirit)
• Transformation: Violet Crane (紫色靈鶴) → Orange Crane (橙色靈鶴) → Black Crane (黑色靈鶴) → Stunning Crane (絕色靈鶴) (armor forme)

Bi Zhi (畢直)

Jher and the others's classmate. His nickname is Pizi (痞子, meaning "ruffian", while it has a bit of a humorous meaning in Taiwanese here)

Dakr Wolf (達克·沃夫)

His name is a transcription of the word "dark".

Lyu Mei-Si (呂美斯) / Miss Lyu (呂老師, meaning "Teacher Lyu")

Kuang Long (狂龍)

His name 狂龍 meaning "wild dragon".

Animated 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 combining with their Genies to become Origami Warriors, the characters simply summon their Genies. Also, instead of the various 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 2000's anime rather than the manhua's style, reminiscient of 1980's manga. 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 localized character names, had new music and featured the voices of Rob Paulsen, Kath Soucie and Cam Clarke. This English dubbed episode was available on Toon Goggles, until 2017.

Characters

Wang Zhi-Zher / Wang Jhih-Jher (王志哲, ワン・ジージェ Wan Jīje) / Rico

Voiced by: Wang Ji-Cheol (Korean), Rob Paulsen (English)

Zeng Li-Lian (曾麗蓮, ゼン・リーリャン Zen Rīrian) / Jasmine

Voiced by: Jeong Yeo-Rin (Korean), Kath Soucie (English)

Su Dai-Zhi (蘇代止, スー・タイジ Sū Daiji) / Atticus

Voiced by: Seo Dae-Jin (Korean), Cam Clarke (English)

Bi Zhi (畢直, ブルタンク Burutanku) / Korean: Toongi (퉁이)

DaKr / Dark (達克, ダーキー Dākī) / Hyeon, Dal-Kook (현달국, 玄達國)

Kuang Long (狂龍, マシュー・クァン Mashū Kuan) / Kwang Yong (광룡, 狂龍)

Staff

• Original work: "Origami Warriors" by Jhou Sian-Zong (周顯宗)
• Production: Origami Warriors Committee
• Setting: Jo Jang Hee/Junki Takegami
• Brochure: Kim Eon Jeong/Yasuo Shizuya, Sakachi Ohashi, Takashi Yamada, Tadashi Hayakawa
• Character design: Wi Hyeon Soo/Hiroyuki Taiga, Matsushita Hiromi/Kazuko Tadano
• Artwork: Jang Yoon cheol/Katsuhiro Hashi
• Color design: Lee Seon ho/Rumiko Nagai
• Technical director: Nam Goong jin
• Marketing: Han Jeong Hoon, Kim Eun Joo, Bak Chung Seok, Kook Yeong Ja
• Advertising: Bae Seon Yeong
• Web-based creators: Yoon Joon yeong/Jeong In Soo
• Design: Song Cheong Hwa/Moon Se Rim
• Creative producers: Lee Kyeong Sook/Kim Jae Young/Kwon Yeong Sook
• Producers: Kwon Ho Jin/Seong Ha Mook/No Jeong Hyeon
• Animation production: Hong Jemina/Kang Seok Woo, Kim Jeong Kyoo/An Yoo Seop
• Directors: Park Woo Hyun/Ami Tomobuki

Music

The opening and ending themes are performed by TVXQ.

"Free your mind"

• Song composer: Kim Yeong Hoo
• Music composer: Kim Yeong Hoo/William Pyeon
• Lab creation: Brian Joo
• Vocals: TVXQ

"Your LOVE is all I need"

• Song composer: Steven "SJ" Lee
• Music composer: JoJo Bee
• Vocals: DBSK

Reception

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.