HiHi Studios, the manga and anime studio co-founded by gaming YouTuber Valkyrae and Kai Gayoso of Range Media Partners, and startup studio Otherly Productions have formed a strategic partnership, and their first project is the webtoon Bad Influence, which just launched on the Webtoon platform. Co-written by Orson James and Roman Calais, with art by Jor Ros, Bad Influence is a sci-fi thriller about a young woman living in the city of Weisshorn, where everyone is watched and no one can escape the constant propaganda.

“Bad Influence is about a reluctant rebel fighting back against the system,” James said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Weisshorn is a broad-smiling dystopia where control is asserted through entertainment. The system doesn't just rule with fear — it distracts, dazzles, and scripts your life through spectacle. If everyone’s smiling, how bad can it be? It’s the surveillance state dressed up as a theme park.”

The producers expect to expand the world of the webtoon across other media, including videos, interactive experiences, and merch. “This partnership lets us launch and grow worlds fans will truly care about,” said Valkyrae, whose YouTube channel over 13 million subscribers.

“With a pipeline of similar projects launching in the coming year, the partnership with HiHi Studios reimagines how IP can be launched, scaled, and sustained — built for fandom from the ground up, and designed to meet audiences where they already are,” added Otherly’s Bryan St. John.

ICv2 has an exclusive first look at the character designs for the webtoon as well as this commentary from the creators: “Here we have early concept art for Weisshorn’s dear leader, Oswald, and his protege, Ozzie. Ozzie is a mystery; we never actually see him speak. However, Oswald, on the other hand, is deeply charismatic and intelligent. Think a mix between Walt Disney, Robert Evans, and Andy Warhol, with a dose of Griffith from the Berserk Manga series.”

Click Gallery below for character designs!