'Rivals' Kang Baek-ho and Seo Tae-woong Embrace?
'Flame Man' Jung Dae-man Transforms into a Sensitive Character
Slam Dunk Drawn as 'Seulchinjas' Wish
'Plbak' Leads to Open Run and Proxy Purchases
"This is Jeong Dae-man's printing box code! Please print it within the deadline! And be sure to leave a review!"
These words were recently posted on the social networking service (SNS) Twitter. This tweet message was retweeted dozens of times among Slam Dunk fans, sparking reactions like "Let's quickly find a printing box near home." 'Printing box' is an abbreviation for Printing Box, an unmanned machine that can print documents or photos from a PC or smartphone. It is installed in convenience stores or large supermarkets. It can be used not only for basic office tasks such as copying but also for government agency civil service. Also, after drawing a picture, it can be printed through the printing box.
However, as images of Slam Dunk characters drawn by amateur artists have been uploaded to these printing boxes, they have gained great popularity among fans. 'Seulchinjas' (those obsessed with Slam Dunk) rush to the printing box machines to print the new images of the players when they appear. Because of this, some printing boxes have become crowded with fans, even causing open runs. However, there is no profit returned to the artists. Copyright belongs to the original author, Takehiko Inoue.
Open runs to find the friendly Kang Baek-ho and Seo Tae-woong... Printing paper runs out
On the morning of the 25th, at 10 a.m., dozens of fans gathered at CU convenience stores in Gangbuk-gu and Nowon-gu, Seoul, trying to print Slam Dunk images. One customer visiting the convenience store expressed surprise, saying, "What is that machine that people are lining up like this?" Meanwhile, outside the convenience store, groups of three or four people gathered to watch the scene. Eventually, the printing paper in this printing box ran out at 12 o'clock. Fans who printed their desired Slam Dunk images wore proud smiles, while those who came empty-handed due to the lack of paper sighed, showing mixed emotions.
A printing box installed at a large supermarket in Nowon-gu, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Han Seunggon
According to Seulchinjas, the most popular character image recently is Jeong Dae-man. Jeong Dae-man is a character with bold lines, so much so that he is nicknamed the 'Flame Man.' However, Jeong Dae-man in the printing box is portrayed as a sensitive personality who vents various complaints. This image is rarely found in the official Slam Dunk serialized version or the theatrical release 'The First Slam Dunk.' It is a character created by artists responding to fans' requests or imagining and exaggerating Jeong Dae-man's personality.
Another popular image is the friendly scene of the rivals Kang Baek-ho and Seo Tae-woong together. This scene is also completely absent from the official Slam Dunk serialized version. This is because Kang Baek-ho's love interest, Chae So-yeon (the younger sister of captain Chae Chi-soo), likes Seo Tae-woong. In summary, the sensitive Jeong Dae-man and the 'bromance' between Kang Baek-ho and Seo Tae-woong are characters that can only be seen through the printing box. This is also why Seulchinjas seek out the printing box.
New term 'Prse-gwon'... 'Printing box' increased more than 10 times
Given this situation, Seulchinjas sometimes ask those with 'Prse-gwon' for proxy purchases. 'Prse-gwon' is a play on 'station area' (yeoksegwon), referring to people living near a station, and means people living near convenience stores equipped with printing boxes.
With the popularity of Slam Dunk, the printing box has gained popularity, and the number of printing box users is steadily increasing. According to BGF Retail, which operates CU convenience stores, the printing box, first introduced at CU in January last year, started with about 30 units and has now increased to about 350 units, more than 10 times. Accordingly, the average monthly usage per store has also increased nearly fourfold, from 100 to about 400 uses. This is the second-highest usage rate (based on operating stores) among the 20 or so lifestyle services operated by CU, following parcel delivery.
The main users of the printing box service are Generation Z. Teens (27.7%) and people in their twenties (43.1%) account for more than 70% of all users. It is suitable for reflecting personalized tastes because users can create their own unique goods at an affordable price. Relatedly, the store with the highest sales nationwide last year was 'CU AK & Hongdae Branch.' This store is located on the first floor of AK Plaza Hongdae, known as a representative otaku sanctuary in Korea, with an average monthly usage of 1,600 times, achieving more than four times the performance of regular stores. Park Hee-jin, head of the BGF Retail Service Platform Team, said, "CU will continue to pursue various forms of service partnerships and development to support otakus' cultural life."
Experts analyze that the situation where open runs occur at printing boxes due to printing Slam Dunk images can be seen as an attractive platform for people in their teens and twenties. Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "The printing box functions similarly to a self-photo studio," adding, "Not only pictures but also various images uploaded on Instagram and others can be printed, so it can be interpreted as a form of play for the MZ generation."
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