MapleStory 'Finger Video'... Storyboard Created by a Man in His 40s

Controversy Over Nexon’s Popular Game Promotional Video
Outsourcing Company Employee Personal Information Also Leaked

The promotional animation storyboard for Nexon's game "MapleStory," which became embroiled in the so-called "namhyeom (misandry) controversy," was reportedly created by a man in his 40s. An employee of the outsourcing company "Studio Ppuri," which produced the video, stated that they were not involved in creating the controversial scene.

According to the Kyunghyang Newspaper on the 30th, the original storyboard for the problematic "index finger scene" was handled by a male animator in his 40s, Mr. A, from a different company, not Studio Ppuri.

Controversial video scene [Image source=MapleStory YouTube capture]

Mr. A was reportedly an additional staff member urgently hired as the deadline set by Nexon became tight. The problematic scene originally depicted a female character making an "index finger" pose, which Mr. A directed. Additionally, the person responsible for reviewing the storyboard and overall directing at Studio Ppuri is a man in his 50s.

Previously, Mr. B, who was identified online as the video's creator and received criticism from various male-dominated communities, was not involved in the controversial scene. Mr. B was responsible for the scene where the female character sings. After the controversy, some of Mr. B's personal information was leaked.

Meanwhile, the controversy first arose on some online communities on the 26th. The reason was the discovery of an index finger pose symbolizing misandry in the MapleStory promotional video created by the animation studio Studio Ppuri.

This pose, which uses the index finger and thumb to measure length, is said to have been used in the past by communities with strong misandry tendencies, such as "Megalia."

As the controversy grew, Nexon announced a strong response. Kim Chang-seop, the general director of Nexon's MapleStory, said on a YouTube broadcast, "We firmly oppose those who feel no shame in blindly hating others and secretly take pleasure in revealing it," adding, "Based on the investigation results related to Ppuri, appropriate measures will be taken not only for MapleStory but also at the company level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.