‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ that colored the world, It’s K-Pop of the world
The global popularity of Netflix animation ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ continues.
The soundtrack swept the music charts and led to various ‘challenges’, and even the traditional products that inspired the work are sold out.
I thought it was a poor imitation of the K-pop craze, but it was completely different. This is the story of the Netflix animation film ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’, an online video service (OTT) service.
My first impression was ‘What on earth is this about?’ It’s a ‘K-pop’ film made by Sony Pictures Animation, a major Hollywood studio in the United States. What’s more, the three-member K-pop girl group ‘Huntricks’ are actually demon hunters who fight evil spirits, and the evil spirits even form a five-member male idol group to fight against them. It was laughable. Since the production announcement in 2021, there has been no other information, so it has lost its presence.
However, the reversal began when it was released on Netflix on June 20. It ranked first in 41 countries around the world, including the United States, and the original soundtrack (OST) caused a sensation on major music services such as iTunes and Spotify. In particular, “Your Idol” ranked first on the Spotify US Daily Top Songs chart on July 4 (local time), a record that only BTS’ Jungkook and Jimin’s solo songs and Blackpink’s Rosé’s “Apartment” had. Finally, on July 8 (local time), seven OST songs entered Billboard’s main single chart “Hot 100,” making their presence known. On the same day, they ranked third on Billboard 200, which compiles album sales.
In particular, the debut song “Soda Pop” by the evil idol “Lion Boyz” gained popularity by generating challenges with millions of views on TikTok and YouTube. BTS, who returned as a full group, also became a hot topic when they hummed the song during a live broadcast and asked, “Have you seen that movie?”
It was recognized not only for its box office success but also for its artistic quality. On Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles movie reviews, it received positive reviews from 95% of critics and 94% of audiences. The reason why it received such favorable reviews despite its unfamiliar subject matter of a superstar idol hunting demons is because it contains a universal story. The message that only when you face and overcome your wounds and deficiencies can you grow into your ‘true self’ resonated with many people regardless of nationality.
In addition, while it sought to differentiate itself with Korean subjects such as goblins, grim reapers, shamans, and rituals, it became a story that resonates anywhere in the world thanks to the universality of the occult genre.
The success of ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ is an important milestone in terms of the global influence of Korean culture. First of all, Korean culture has become a ‘genre’ that is accepted worldwide regardless of nationality. Director Maggie Kang, who created the film, emphasized, “The fact that a film that is culturally completely Korean is being produced by an American company is evidence of the powerful power of Korean culture.” He added, “These days in America, people go crazy over anything with the letter K in front. I felt that our country has a culture that can have a global impact.”
[Editor Lee]
