Turtle Hero (not to be confused with the other Turtle Heroes) is a 2001 animated film by Hahn Shin Corporation. It's based on Sugungga, a story from the Korean pansori storytelling tradition; the Dragon King's illness can be cured only with the liver of a rabbit, and so the young turtle Hero goes out of water to find it. The concept was developed over 4 years prior its release, and with a budget of 2.5 billion won, it was touted for having the highest amount of funding for a Korean film project in the international pre-sale film markets
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It was released on 11 August 2001, by Disney under Buena Vista International Korea. A spin-off animated series called Hero & Amy premiered on 18 January 2002, on SBS.
The film contains examples of:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: Instead of the rabbit tricking the king and turtle and escaping like in the original, the film ends with the Dragon King being cured with the miracle fruit.
- Adjective Noun Fred: Example of Protagonist Title. Hero is the name of the film's protagonist.
- Canon Foreigner: The film adds a villain called Imogen, who plans to overthrow the king by taking advantage of the royal chef and poisoning him, to the original story.
- Covers Always Lie: The Greek DVD cover claims that the film has won two Academy Awards (specifically those for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score)!
- Foreign Re-Score: The opening theme and the rap songs that play while Imogen's minions street dance in the original Korean version are replaced in the English one.
- Funny Animal: The anthropomorphic animals in the film.
- Happily Ever After: The story ends with Hero and Amy finding the miracle fruit and the Dragon King being cured. Imogen is also imprisoned.
- Humans Are Cthulhu: Church is a poacher who roams the forest, and the only human character in the film.
- Talking Animal: All of the animals and sea creatures.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Scenes that play during the beginning of the end credits depict a cured Dragon King, Imogen and company imprisoned, Hero and Princess Gouna spending time together, and Amy, along with the other animals in the forest.
The animated series contains examples of:
- Cats Are Mean: Hui.
- Compilation Movie: Hero's Destiny and The Amazing Adventure.
- Dirty Coward: Twitsy is that in the show's first episodes, but later goes through Character Development.
- Fat Idiot: Tyson.
- Full-Boar Action: Tyson, though the trope is subverted at times.
- Hong Kong Dub: There are even times, when words come out of the characters' mouths with no Mouth Flaps at all.
- The Leader: Hui is the leader of the trio tasked by Imogen to eliminate Hero.
- Love Triangle: In episode 9, Amy and Hui are in love with Prince River; the latter attempts to eliminate Amy in particular because of that.
- Manipulative Bastard: In order to clean all rabbits out, Hui goes to the Rabbit Village and warns the inhabitants that a monster is about to invade it. She also suggests that they build a boat so they can float away with safety, unaware that she has made a hole inside the ship.
- Medium Blending: 3D models are mixed with 2D backgrounds.
- Name and Name: The English title of the show in its native country is "Hero and Amy".
- Recycled Title: The show is distributed overseas by Mondo TV, under the title of the film it's based on. note
- Short-Runners: The show lasted 26 episodes, over a span of 8 months.
- Spoiler Title: The title of episode 3 is "If You Run After Two Rabbits You Will Catch Neither".
- Stout Strength: Tyson.
- You No Take Candle: During the opening credits; "Orlando Corradi present."
