7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Don't miss Netflix's chart-topping love letter to K-pop
Netflix recently released the animated musical fantasy film KPop Demon Hunters, which was met by an overwhelmingly positive response by viewers worldwide.
KPop Demon Hunters follows Huntr/x, a K-pop girl group composed of three talented performers -- Rumi, Zoey and Mira -- hiding a secret (when they're not performing onstage for fans, they're ruthlessly hunting soul-stealing demons). However, the girls meet a roadblock when demon ruler Gwi-ma grows frustrated at his subjects' failures. With the help of one of his most tortured demons, Jinu, they create Saja Boys: a K-pop boy group to rival Huntr/x, consisting of Jinu and four other demons, in an attempt to steal Huntr/x's fans and their souls.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the studio that animated Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Wish Dragon, KPop Demon Hunters is a love letter to the world of K-pop and draws inspiration from the Korean entertainment industry and idol groups.
For example, Huntr/x is modelled after girl groups such as Itzy, Blackpink and Twice. Meanwhile, Saja Boys are modelled after boy groups like Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, Ateez, Big Bang and Monsta X. The series also pays homage to South Korean culture, featuring traditional clothing and objects as well as loveable animals, illustrated in the style of Korean folk art.
The film has been well-received, not only for of its stunning animation and characters, but also because of its soundtrack, which debuted at No.8 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, making it a hit with both K-pop fans as well as locals.
