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Time of India
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
BLACKPINK's Jennie's flashing moment in LA sparks comparisons to Kwon Eunbi's Waterbomb performance, ignite K-Pop double standard discussion
During BLACKPINK's recent performance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Jennie briefly flashed what appeared to be a bikini-style top while unzipping her jacket — a moment that lasted only seconds but instantly went viral. Fans flooded social media with gifs and clips, praising her confidence and playful energy. The moment was part of her solo set, which included 'Like Jennie,' and matched the tour's fierce, free-spirited vibe. Comparisons to Kwon Eunbi's waterbomb performance So, Jennie and Eunbi's shows got everyone chatting about unfair double standards, owning your body, and how things are changing in K-pop. Some fans are cheering them on for being brave, but others are asking if they're getting too much heat from the public eye. As K-pop spreads all over the globe, moments like these prove that times are changing, and idols are starting to take charge of their image and what they say. Jennie's moment made people think of Kwon Eunbi's popular Waterbomb Festival 2025 show, where Eunbi wore a bikini top with an open shirt and danced on her knees in a sexy way. Both shows were daring, but online folks noticed a big difference in how people reacted: Kwon Eunbi gets slammed, but Jennie's called cute. lol — Comment on theqoo via KBIZoom Can we just leave Kwon Eunbi and Jennie alone? It's not like she was swinging her chest around or twerking — at that level, it's just cute.' — Comment on theqoo via KBIZoom Some fans stuck up for both stars, saying that no one should judge artistic expression differently based on who's more famous or what guys and girls are supposed to do. Eunbi's viral surge and chart impact Despite controversy, Kwon Eunbi's Waterbomb performance led to a surge in popularity, Her Instagram gained 117,000+ followers in three days, Her YouTube channel added 4,000 subscribers and songs like 'Hello Stranger,' 'Underwater,' and 'Door' saw chart boosts in Taiwan and Hong Kong The Know Your Meme entry on Eunbi's performance highlights how her sensual choreography became a meme and fan art inspiration, with posts. Jennie and Eunbi's performances have gotten folks talking about double standards, personal freedom, and how K-pop's changing. Some fans are cheering them on for being so confident, but others are wondering if they're getting too much heat from the public eye. As K-pop spreads worldwide, these moments show that things are shifting. Idols are grabbing the reins of their images and voices.
Pink Villa
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kpop Demon Hunters: Why Were Ahn Hyo Seop and Lee Byung Hun Chosen as Voice Actors in Animated Film? Director Reveals
A K-pop girl group made up of demon hunters versus a rival boy group of demons, who'll win? The exciting storyline unfolding in Kpop Demon Hunters has taken over the world with its animated charm, and now the director, Maggie Kang, has revealed how she chose actors Lee Byung Hun and Ahn Hyo Seop for the voice acting roles, emphasizing their existing acting skills. Speaking about making the story more related to Koreans than Korean-Americans, the creator shared with KBI Zoom, 'Working with active Korean actors was a key mission. This isn't a story about Korean-Americans but about Koreans living in Korea today.' Thus stemmed the idea of having Ahn Hyo Seop and Lee Byung Hun in the film. With the latter's success via the Squid Game series and his foray into the western world, he became the right pick for the role of the villain Gwi Ma. 'As the first Korean artist to break into Hollywood, I deeply respect and appreciate him.' On the other hand, Ahn Hyo Seop, as a K-pop trainee turned actor, became the male lead, Jinu, whose husky presence in the film has melted many hearts around the world. Maggie Kang revealed, 'Working with an actor who embodies the quintessential K-drama male lead was our dream. Ahn Hyo Seop brought authenticity to the story and characters.' About Kpop Demon Hunters With the story of Huntrix, comprising Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, fighting against the Saja Boys, and a quintessential romance breaking through, Kpop Demon Hunters is peak fantasy-action, blended into an animated marvel that is already breaking charts. A sequel for the film seems unlikely at this point; however, fans of the story have hopes for some update. Other voice actors for the film include Arden Cho as Rumi, May Hong as Mira, Yoo Ji Young as Zoey, Yunjin Kim as Celine, Daniel Dae Kim as Healer Han, Ken Jeong as Bobby, Joel Kim Booster as Romance Saja, Alan Lee as Mystery Saja, and SungWon Cho as Abs Saja.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters sparks culture war, accused of stealing Chinese traditions despite breaking global streaming records
Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters is riding high on global success, but its rise hasn't come without controversy. The animated film, which combines the glimmer of Korean pop stardom with fantasy worldbuilding, has claimed the top spot on Netflix in 26 countries and landed in the Top 10 across 93 nations. Yet even as it captures hearts around the world, the movie is drawing criticism from Chinese viewers who accuse it of appropriating Chinese culture. Chinese netizens accuse K-Pop Demon Hunters of 'cultrual appropriation' According to KBIZoom (via Sohu News), the backlash stems from claims that the film's aesthetic borrows too heavily from Chinese tradition. According to the report, Chinese netizens believe the movie "stole from Chinese heritage", citing specific details like traditional garments, palace-style architecture, herbal medicine references, and symbolic design motifs. One online comment read, 'Is Korea not even trying to hide their cultural plagiarism anymore? This is clearly Chinese.' Another accused Sony, one of the film's co-producers, of aiding what they called 'cultural theft'. The comments quickly multiplied on Chinese-language platforms, with statements like 'All the traditional knots are clearly Chinese' and 'Too many cultural thieves' flooding posts about the film. Some went further, mocking the animation quality and the character design, calling it 'cheap, boring trash' and taking aim at the male lead's visual styling. However, a number of Chinese viewers were also impressed by the movie, praising it as 'a rare animated gem' and appreciating the dynamic female leads and energetic soundtrack. One viewer wrote, 'The sisters are cool, and the music is great,' while another added, 'Sure, the story is simple, but it's still fun and engaging.' Netflix is not available in China Notably, Netflix is not officially available in China. Many of the loudest critics of the movie likely accessed K-Pop Demon Hunters through unofficial or pirated channels, leading to a wave of irony as those who watched it without authorisation accused the creators of theft. This paradox wasn't lost on other social media users, who questioned the basis of outrage from people watching on illegal streams. K-pop Demon Hunters breaks streaming records Despite the criticism, the film is undeniably thriving. Streaming analytics platform FlixPatrol reported that as of June 22, it was the most-watched title on Netflix globally, with a viewership score of 771. That's a solid lead over the runner-up, Straw, which scored 609. The film's widespread popularity speaks to its ability to connect with viewers beyond the K-pop fandom, offering a colourful mix of music, action, and mythology. K-pop Demon Hunters Soundtrack soars on US iTunes According to the Chat Data X account, the film's soundtrack shot up to No. 1 on the US iTunes Album Chart. The lead single, Takedown, is a standout, featuring powerhouse vocals from TWICE's Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung. Fans are loving its bold energy and slick production, with other tracks like How It's Done and Golden also earning plenty of replay value. The soundtrack feels like a legit K-pop album—and that's exactly the point. 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' soundtrack has reached #1 on US iTunes. K-pop Idols inspirations behind the heroes and villains The animated girl group Huntrix didn't come out of thin air. Director Maggie Kang shared that the team took major cues from real-life K-pop queens—especially BLACKPINK—when shaping the group's fierce energy and confident stage vibes. You can feel it in their styling, their moves, and the way they command every scene, just like how BLACKPINK owns a stage in real life. On the other side, their on-screen rivals, the Saja Boys, bring that sleek, polished look fans often associate with K-pop idols, particularly ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo and BTS' Jimin. For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kim So Hyun admits there was ‘no escaping' from Park Bo Gum after he didn't let her ‘enjoy a meal alone'
Kim So Hyun, Park Bo Gum, and Lee Sang Yi are poised for one of the biggest hits of the season with their upcoming K-drama Good Boy. The promotion for the same is ongoing, and one thing the cast cannot stop talking about is the funny behind-the-scenes moments that always steal the show. This time, So Hyun arrived at a YouTube talk show to put in good words for Good Boy and revealed how being the only female actor on set resulted in her receiving queen treatment from co-stars, to the point her MBTI personality type changed from F to T. The JTBC show follows a group of athletes who once brought national glory to the country. After life-changing incidents force them to give up their sports careers, they join the police force. Sharing a funny story on the show Just an Excuse, Kim So Hyun revealed how, after a year of filming, her bond with the cast has grown. She said they always ate together, no matter the meal. But being an introvert, she sometimes wanted alone time while eating. One time, she rushed to the food truck early, thinking, 'This is my chance to eat alone,' she said, according to KBIZoom. 'It looked empty, and I was ready to enjoy a quiet meal. But just then, I got a text: 'We saved your seat.' I looked around and saw their trays already placed—there was no escape.' Also read: Good Boy Teaser: Park Bo Gum, Kim So Hyun, Lee Sang Yi trade gold for grit in law and order leap The actor, who plays the role of Ji Han Na, a shooting gold medalist whose fall from fame due to a misunderstanding forces her to join the rookie cop program, revealed that her MBTI personality type changed a bit during filming. She usually has an 'F' (meaning she's emotional and makes decisions based on feelings). But while working with Park Bo Gum and Lee Sang Yi, who were both very emotional and thoughtful, she started acting more like a 'T.' 'They were so considerate and emotional that I found myself naturally balancing it out.' Park Bo Gum, on the other hand, also praised So Hyun, saying, 'She was the only woman in our team, but she matched with everyone so well. She never complained and just went along with everything.' The K-drama, mostly action and thriller, will also feature a romantic side between Park Bo Gum's Yoon Dong Ho, a former boxing legend, and Ji Han Na. Also read: 'Park Bo Gum took the blame for me': Staff reveals how Tangerines star saved the day, IU calls him a real-life Gwan Sik Park Bo Gum's gentlemanly behaviour is not hidden from anyone. Earlier, his When Life Gives You Tangerines co-star IU couldn't stop gushing about how Bo Gum was her comfort zone during the entire filming schedule, even calling him a walking green flag and comparing him to his on-screen character, Gwan Sik. 'From our very first scene, I didn't feel a single bit of awkwardness or discomfort. And that was a first for me,' she said while speaking on Piaakia with Lee Dong Jin. Though IU and Bo Gum share a long-standing friendship, she revealed that their bond grew stronger with this show. 'It was like Ae Sun realising she had someone she could lean on. I always felt so relaxed when I looked into his eyes.' Apart from Bo Gum and So Hyun, Good Boy stars Lee Sang Yi as Kim Jong Hyun, a fencing silver medalist, Heo Sung Tae as Go Man Sik, a wrestling bronze medalist and Tae Won Suk plays Shin Jae Hong, a discus throw bronze medalist. The K-drama premieres on May 31st on Amazon Prime Video.
