At Anime Expo, Animate presented an Alien Stage panel featuring the creators, VIVINOS and KANG PD. During the event, the artist VIVINOS shared her thoughts about the characters and their stories, as well as what Alien Stage means to her.
Alien Stage is an animated web series that takes place in a world run by aliens, and enslaved humans compete in a singing contest for their survival. The panel was essentially a Q&A and live drawing, and fans jumped in to immediately ask their burning questions.
When it came to Ivan and Till, the meteor shower scene was quite important in helping Ivan realize his feelings. “As Ivan was watching Till’s back, he must have felt very sad,” VIVINOS began. “But, that was the very first moment he decided to love even that pain. He realized that, because he came to love that pain itself, his inner world became even more twisted.” Another emotional thought for fans was wondering if HyunA and Ivan could have been close if Ivan had joined the rebellion. “I was regretful that I couldn’t incorporate this into my work, but Ivan would learn for the first time how to rely on someone else if they had crossed paths at the right time. HyunA is very mature and does not hide who she is, and she has the power to change someone as guarded as Ivan. In front of her, he may have instantly turned into a cute little brother, so it’s heartbreaking that the two never got to meet.”
As fans cheered VIVINOS on, they also felt the sadness of the characters. Seeming to be a bright person herself, fans were left wondering how VIVINOS created such heartbreaking stories with so much pain and loss. “I poured all the confusion of my twenties into Alien Stage,” she revealed. “I was struggling with maintaining relationships in our society and struggling with self confidence, and seeing positive stories actually made me feel worse and more alien and alone. I thought there must be something wrong with me that I was so twisted.” Knowing that, the story and characters felt all the more meaningful for fans. “With the Alien Stage characters, they express themselves very dramatically through hurt and pain, but I hope they can reflect on the pain and slowly heal, like the people who are watching. It’s a work I created for people who are hurt and have experienced similar pain.”
Wrapping up her time, VIVINOS also shared her sincere gratitude to have so many people supporting this personal piece of hers. “I was very touched to receive so much love from the fans here, especially because of the meaningful story. Experiencing that as a creator has been so special, and I’m so thankful.”
