“The Magic of Kuma” by Eystreem

The Magic of Kuma is a Minecraft roleplay series that launched today! The creator describes it as an “anime in Minecraft,” set in a fantasy world inspired by a variety of Chinese, Japanese, and South-East Asian cultures. There are 20 episodes and a handful of complementary music videos, following Jordan and his friends from the village of Hikari. The entire show was animated within Minecraft, with no other animation programs used!

If that wasn’t exciting enough to learn, we also got an opportunity to chat with Eystreem about the project! Watch the trailer below and read on to learn more about what went into the creation of this exciting project.

How long did it take to put together?

Eystreem: The Magic of Kuma has been in production for almost three years. We began brainstorming ideas immediately after my first roleplay project "Fame High" ended in January 2019. After a few months, we decided that the show was going to be based in a small town inspired by Medieval Asia, so we started planning and building the Minecraft world in which the show would be set. Using traditional Minecraft blocks, building the village and landscape took almost two months, and then we began adding in custom models such as lanterns, dumplings, and ornate decorations, which were each designed pixel-by-pixel to really make the world come alive, which took an additional four months. In January 2020, I began scripting each episode for the Magic of Kuma, and we started auditioning voice actors. Over 2020, I scripted every episode and had each one voiced over by our actors. We even began filming some of the scenes in Minecraft! In 2021, we filmed and polished all 20 episodes and scripted and filmed the nine music videos so they would be ready for release this month.

What are your goals and hopes for the series?

Eystreem: I really hope that the Magic of Kuma will redefine what Minecraft entertainment can look like! I hope that even people who don’t play Minecraft can still enjoy the show because of how well Minecraft provides a platform to tell stories and create characters. Ultimately, I hope that the support and excitement for this show is enough for our team to be able to produce a Season Two for the Magic of Kuma, which we are already planning!
 

Anything surprising that happened along the way?

Eystreem: As we were producing the Magic of Kuma, many new doors and opportunities began opening up to us. For me personally, the most exciting was an offer from Courtyard Studios to compose a unique orchestral score for the entire show. Originally, we had planned to just use royalty free background music, but having music created specifically for the show just takes it to a whole new level of immersion.

What was the most difficult part of this project?

Eystreem: Without a doubt, 2020 was incredibly difficult for the project. The COVID-19 pandemic moved our operations online, which created many delays and many technical challenges for our team! Not to mention, I was also completing my final year of school during a year-long lockdown. Unfortunately, it was this difficulty that delayed the release of Magic of Kuma from October 2020 to October 2021.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about the series?

Eystreem: Yes! Go watch it! Please! Many people’s hard work has been poured into this show, and we would appreciate every bit of support to help make Minecraft content on the internet better for everyone!