Characters Accused of Plagiarizing from Foreign Platforms, Here's the Explanation from the Director of 'MERAH PUTIH: ONE FOR ALL'

Kapanlagi.com - Besides issues of quality and budget, the animated film 'MERAH PUTIH: ONE FOR ALL' is also facing unpleasant rumors regarding its character design. There are reports that the characters in the film were purchased or plagiarized from foreign platforms, rather than being created originally.

In response to these accusations, director Endiarto provided a technical explanation regarding the character creation process. He stated that in today's digital era, the animation production process is no longer done manually.

"So, here's the thing, technically speaking, sir. Technically, nowadays with digital technology, there is no animation done with manual drawings. Everything is done digitally, regardless of the platform," said Endiarto when met in the Kuningan area on Monday (11/8/2025).

1. Not Denying the Use of Templates

He emphasized that the concept and final form of each character are still created and determined by his team through a lengthy discussion process. According to him, the use of IT technology and templates is a common practice to ease the workload.

"We have discussed it, the character of the main player is like this, the character of the second player is like that, that's what we create. Well, it’s not drawn, eh it’s already clear. In the past, animation was drawn one by one. Now it's done using IT," he explained.

Endiarto does not deny the existence of pre-existing templates, but he emphasizes that those templates are not used blindly. His team makes many modifications to fit the characters they have conceptualized.

"There are definitely some templates that have evolved, but templates are not always suitable. We modify this and that. What’s certain is that it’s not done manually with sketches, it’s done with IT, that's it, no more," he asserted.

2. Character Build Process

The character build process is still carried out by the local animation team. They provide examples of how they determine the posture and characteristics of each character according to their regional background, such as Aji from Betawi or Nara from Papua.

"This means that in terms of character, it’s not just taken or built with friends? It’s still built with the kids in animation. Well, the way to build can be various because it uses IT," he said.

"Oh, Aji’s character is like this, because he’s from Betawi, he’s more energetic. So his posture is thin. While Nara is chubby because he’s from Papua. Well, that just needs to be found, right? That’s a combination," he added.

He also added that the character design process does not happen immediately, but goes through several revisions. The team will discuss if a design is considered to not represent the desired character well.

"The character also doesn’t fit right away. 'Eh, this doesn’t represent enough'. It’s changed, right? We all discuss, 'Oh, it should be like this, like that'," he concluded.

Read other MERAH PUTIH ONE FOR ALL news at Liputan6.com.

(kpl/far/phi)