Exploratory worldbuilding: bottom-up strategy and continuity in <i>Ejen Ali</i> transmedia narrative development

This study investigates the Ejen Ali franchise, a popular Malaysian animation brand that began with a TV series first broadcast in 2016 and has since garnered a significant following. The franchise expanded into a feature film, which premiered in 2019. In addition to the TV series and film, Ejen Ali exists across various media forms, including comic novels, mobile games, and trading card games. By leveraging transmedia storytelling, Wau Animation (the producer) has built a complex and immersive narrative world for Ejen Ali, attracting diverse audiences and fostering engagement in television, films, comics, and games. Through in-depth interviews with 15 key members of the production team, including directors and writers, this research explores the strategic process behind worldbuilding directly from its primary creators. This research uncovers that Wau Animation approaches worldbuilding through exploratory method, using a bottom-up strategy and ensuring continuity in storytelling across media.