Latest news with #K-PopDemonHunters'
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Kpop Demon Hunter' star Arden Cho gets candid about her characters; reveals she originally auditioned for Celine and not Rumi
, mainly known for her roles in the hit series 'Teen Wolf' and 'Partner Track', has taken on a new 'identity' with ' Rumi ' in 'Kpop Demon Hunters'. The popular actress recently opened up about her experience on the animated movie as well as what she thought of the love it has been receiving ever since the official release. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Arden Cho on 'Kpop Demon Hunters' In an interview with Naver, the 40-year-old actress who voices the lead of 'Kpop Demon Hunters' talked about how the project was a way to her 'self-discovery'. She shared that she felt related to the main character as she herself is Korean American. While talking about her role, Cho revealed, 'I was overjoyed beyond words. Even after 20 years of acting, I wondered, 'Is it okay for me to want this role so badly?' Director Maggie Kang , I, and all the HUNTR/X members share Korean heritage. 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is about more than K-pop: it showcases Korean warmth, unity, and how that helps overcome crises. I really wanted to help spread that message of 'us''. She even shared that initially, Rumi was not the one she was aiming to be. She shared that her original audition was for the role of Celine, who plays the girl group's mentor in the film. As per Cho , it was director Kang who encouraged her to try out for the lead instead. Becoming Rumi was 'destiny' for Arden Cho While talking about the role, the actress even shared how happy and great she is to be a part of such a project. She praised 'Kpop Demon Hunters' for representing Korean sentiments accurately. Emphasising that, she even shared that now, like Chinese and Japanese traditions have animations for representation, even Korean culture has finally got something similar now. She also added, 'It's the charm of Koreans to acknowledge others and take responsibility for the work given to them. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And there's affection at the foundation of that. Also, Korean honorifics contain respect and consideration that are difficult to express in English-speaking countries. 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' captures those elements well'. She also talked about how the role felt like destiny, as it was a way to boost representation on a global level. The actress also recalled facing discrimination as she was the child of immigrants growing up in Texas. Cho on K-pop music Other than being a successful actress, Cho has also made her debut in the music industry! The star previously released her song titled 'Electrify' in 2019, and even has close ties with artists like Tiger JK and Yoon Mi Rae. While talking about her favourite artist, the actress does not hold back, saying, 'I love many groups, but BTS is the best. I even flew to Las Vegas during filming to catch their concert. If you want to understand what K-pop truly is, you have to see them live'.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Virtual K-Pop Groups Beat Real Idols - The Miracle Created by a Streaming Animation
Zoey, Rumi and Mira "KPop Demon Hunters / Netflix Groups That Never Performed Live Are Topping Charts? Imagine this: K-pop groups that have never performed on a real stage are beating BTS and BLACKPINK on music charts. This is exactly what's happening right now. The virtual groups from the streaming animation movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' are surprising the world by surpassing real K-pop stars. US broadcaster NBC reported that "two rookie K-pop groups that have never actually taken the stage are dominating music charts," highlighting this amazing phenomenon. It feels like our favorite animated characters suddenly jumped into reality to compete with real celebrities. The virtual boy group Saja Boys from the movie achieved number 1 on the US Daily Top Songs chart with 'Your Idol', while girl group Huntr/x's 'Golden' reached number 2. This means they became the highest-charting male and female K-pop groups respectively in US streaming history. A 9-Year-Old Idea That Created a Cultural Storm All of this started from a 9-year-old idea by Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang. In an NBC interview, she explained, "It started as just a 'demon hunter' story, but while looking for a project that could showcase Korean culture, it flowed into demonology, and the demon concept naturally led to K-pop." At that time, BTS was gaining huge popularity, and many production companies were wondering how to create content based on K-pop. When no one could find a clear answer, Director Kang came up with the unique idea of combining 'demon hunting' with K-pop. The most challenging part of the production process was advancing the story while not losing the 'pop' elements. Director Kang recalled, "When songs became too traditional musical-like, I would send them back to composers saying 'the cool and pop feeling is gone.'" Quality Recognized Even by Real K-Pop Stars The success of these virtual groups isn't coincidental when you look at the production team. Top-tier producers who have worked with BLACKPINK like Teddy and collaborated with BTS like Lindgren participated in the production. BBC analyzed, "The album's success isn't surprising since top producers like Teddy, who has worked with BLACKPINK, and Lindgren, who collaborated with BTS, participated in the production." The result of putting as much effort as creating a real K-pop idol's album led to this achievement. The movie reached number 1 globally in the film category after its release on June 20th, recording 33 million views in two weeks. The soundtrack album also entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 8, recording the highest debut position for a soundtrack this year. Perfect K-Pop Experience That Recreated Fan Culture What's really interesting is that these virtual groups aren't just achieving musical success but are creating real K-pop fan culture. Fans are posting fan art on Tumblr and having heated discussions on Reddit about potential sequels. On TikTok, videos of fans dancing to choreography from the movie or sharing reactions to key scenes are gaining hundreds of millions of views. This is exactly like how we support real K-pop idols. We can see similar phenomena in our country too, where virtual characters from Bollywood movies are loved as much as real celebrities. US business magazine Forbes said, "If you love Saja Boys, add them to your playlist and expand your K-pop knowledge," recommending 17 K-pop songs similar to 'Your Idol'. The recommended songs included ENHYPEN's 'Bite Me', ATEEZ's 'Deja Vu', Jimin's 'Set Me Free Pt.2', Taemin's 'Guilty', and BTS's 'Black Swan'. Forbes evaluated, "For new fans who are falling into the movie's twist-filled storyline and exploring various styles throughout the soundtrack, now is the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into the K-pop world." This phenomenon goes beyond the success of a simple animated movie, showing how powerful content can be in an era where the boundaries between virtual and reality are blurring. The emergence of virtual idols who are more beloved than real idols makes us anticipate what changes this will bring to the entertainment industry.
Hype Malaysia
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
(Video) Soloist WONHO Covers The Saja Boys' 'Soda Pop' & 'Your Idol' As Abby Saja
Since the premiere of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' on Netflix, the demon idol group, The Saja Boys, has taken the world by storm. With their good looks and devilish charm, fans of K-pop idols have begun to imagine their biases as the Saja members, and this idol literally took the fan service to life. Former MONSTA X member, WONHO (원호), posted a cover of 'Soda Pop' and 'Your Idol' by The Saja Boys from the hit Netflix film, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters', on YouTube yesterday (9th July 2025). In a true act of proper fan service, the 32-year-old idol also sports pink hair and a black Hanbok, covering the songs as Abby Saja. The video showcased WONHO in two different outfits, one sporting a Hawaiian shirt, yellow beanie and jeans and the other in a black Hanbok, seemingly creating an accurate depiction of Abby Saja from the film. The main highlights of the cover featured WONHO's sweet vocals in the backdrop of his energetic choreography as well as his recreation of Abby's famous shirt button pop scene. Netizens were in a frenzy over the cover, with many labelling WONHO as the real reference for Abby Saja. Twitter user @/moonlightjkooki comments, 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I prefer the real live deal. He looks so sexy omg'. Other netizens also comment on how WONHO never skips out on giving fans what they want, despite being busy preparing for his tour. Twitter user @/Bunniebebe_ comments, 'He's busy preparing for a tour, yet he still manages to hear the fans and did what we asked'. Recently, the director of 'K-pop Demon Hunters', Maggie Kang, reposted his cover to her Instagram with googly eyes. What do you think about WONHO's cover of The Saja Boys? Watch the full cover here: Sources: Twitter, Youtube Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
K-Pop Isn't Dead - 'Demon Hunters' Just Proved Everyone Wrong
The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming Just when music critics were writing K-Pop's obituary, an animated bombshell was dropped that's got everyone eating their words. 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' isn't just another streaming show - it's single-handedly dragging K-Pop back from the dead and into the global spotlight like never before. Music industry experts were constantly debating whether the Korean Wave had peaked, whether the global fascination was just a temporary trend, and if K-Pop could sustain its momentum without the massive push from groups like BTS during their military enlistment period. Well, this animated series just served the biggest reality check to all those doubters. The show's OST is absolutely demolishing international charts, proving that K-Pop still has that magic touch when it comes to capturing hearts worldwide. What makes this even more incredible is that it's not coming from a traditional K-Pop group or solo artist - it's from an animated series that nobody expected to become a musical phenomenon. The timing couldn't be more perfect either. Just when the industry was facing questions about its future direction, along comes this unexpected collaboration between Korean music production and American animation to remind everyone why K-Pop became a global sensation in the first place. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo It's like watching your favorite underdog cricket team suddenly start hitting sixes when everyone thought they were down and out. Chart Domination That'll Make Your Head Spin The numbers don't lie, and they're absolutely insane. The 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' OST album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 - that's the main US album chart where only the biggest names usually play. To put this in perspective, this is higher than many established Western artists manage to achieve with their highly anticipated releases. But here's where it gets really wild - the tracks 'Your Idol' and 'Golden' landed at 77th and 81st positions respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. For context, this is completely unprecedented for a K-Pop animation soundtrack. We're talking about breaking barriers that nobody even knew existed. The last time an animated soundtrack made such waves was probably during the Disney Renaissance, but even then, those were backed by massive marketing budgets and established franchises. What's even more impressive is how these numbers translate globally. The soundtrack isn't just performing well in traditional K-Pop strongholds like Southeast Asia or even Korea itself - it's making serious waves in markets where K-Pop has historically struggled to gain mainstream traction. Countries across Europe, Latin America, and even parts of Africa are showing unprecedented streaming numbers for these tracks. The streaming data reveals something fascinating too. Unlike typical K-Pop releases that see massive initial spikes followed by gradual declines, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' tracks are showing sustained growth patterns. This suggests that the audience isn't just the usual K-Pop fanbase doing their streaming duty - it's genuinely attracting new listeners who are discovering these songs organically through the show. The Secret Sauce Behind This Massive Win What makes this success even more impressive is how authentically K-Pop it sounds. This wasn't some watered-down version trying to appeal to Western audiences - it was pure, unadulterated K-Pop magic. Star producer Teddy, who's basically a legend in the industry and has worked with everyone from BLACKPINK to 2NE1, worked alongside Korean production teams and even got TWICE involved in the project. Director Maggie Kang knew exactly what she was doing when she approached Teddy with this crazy idea. She wanted the album to be a legitimate hit within the K-Pop world itself, not just some novelty soundtrack that would be forgotten after the show's hype died down. And when Teddy's reaction was basically "this is awesome," they knew they were onto something special. The collaboration process itself was fascinating. Instead of trying to create "K-Pop for Americans," they focused on creating authentic K-Pop that would work within the context of an American animated series. This meant maintaining all the signature elements that make K-Pop so addictive while ensuring the songs served the narrative and emotional beats of the show. The music structure stayed true to K-Pop's DNA too - we're talking about that signature blend of multiple genres within a single track, the classic build-up structure that takes listeners on an emotional journey, those incredibly addictive melodies and choruses that get stuck in your head for days, and the perfect mix of Korean and English lyrics that K-Pop fans absolutely live for. What's particularly clever is how they handled the language barrier. Instead of going full English to appeal to American audiences, they maintained the Korean-English mix that's become K-Pop's signature. This decision shows incredible confidence in the global appeal of Korean music and culture, and the results prove they were absolutely right. The production quality is also worth noting. Every track sounds like it could be a title track from a major K-Pop release. The investment in high-quality production, combined with Teddy's expertise and the involvement of established K-Pop artists, created a soundtrack that doesn't feel like a side project or cash grab - it feels like a legitimate K-Pop album that happens to be tied to an animated series. Cultural Bridge Building at Its Finest The success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' represents something much bigger than just good music or smart marketing. It's a perfect example of how cultural exchange can create something entirely new and exciting. The show manages to be authentically Korean in its musical DNA while being completely accessible to global audiences through its animated format. This collaboration has opened doors that many thought were permanently closed. For years, there's been this assumption that K-Pop could only succeed through traditional channels - idol groups, music shows, fan culture, and social media campaigns. But 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' proves that Korean music can find success through completely different mediums and reach audiences that might never have discovered K-Pop otherwise. The show's approach to storytelling also deserves recognition. Instead of just using K-Pop as background music or a gimmick, the series integrates the music into its narrative structure. The songs aren't just catchy tunes - they're integral to character development, plot progression, and emotional storytelling. This creates a much deeper connection between the audience and the music. What's particularly interesting is how the show handles K-Pop culture itself. Rather than exoticizing or oversimplifying Korean music culture for Western audiences, it presents K-Pop as a natural part of its fictional world. This normalization of Korean cultural elements in mainstream American entertainment represents a significant shift in how Asian cultures are portrayed in Western media. The animation style also plays a crucial role in the show's success. The visual aesthetics perfectly complement the K-Pop sound, creating a cohesive artistic vision that feels both familiar and fresh. The character designs, color palettes, and animation techniques all work together to create a world where K-Pop doesn't feel out of place - it feels essential. The Ripple Effect Across Industries The success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is already creating ripple effects across multiple industries. Animation studios are suddenly very interested in Korean music collaborations, streaming platforms are looking for similar cross-cultural projects, and music producers are exploring new ways to integrate K-Pop into non-traditional formats. Record labels are also taking notice. The fact that a soundtrack can achieve this level of commercial success without traditional promotion methods - no music show appearances, no fan meetings, no elaborate marketing campaigns - is forcing the industry to reconsider how music can be promoted and distributed in the digital age. The gaming industry is particularly excited about these developments. With K-Pop's proven ability to enhance animated content, game developers are exploring how Korean music might enhance their products. We're already seeing increased interest in K-Pop collaborations for mobile games, console games, and even virtual reality experiences. Educational institutions are also paying attention. The success of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is being studied in media programs, cultural studies courses, and business schools as an example of successful cross-cultural collaboration. This academic interest could lead to more structured programs for facilitating similar collaborations in the future.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Did BLACKPINK's Jennie inspire HUNTR/X's Rumi? 'K-pop Demon Hunters' creators set the record straight
Netflix's animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters has made a strong impression of fans across the globe since its release on June 20. It has captivated audiences with its bold mix of K-pop glamour, supernatural action, and high-energy songs. With its stunning visuals and thrilling storyline, the film has left fans entertained - and already craving more. While excitement continues to build, with many asking for a sequel, at the same time, fans have been busy drawing comparisons between the film's characters and real-life K-pop idols. While directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have explained that the characters were inspired by a blend of various idol groups and artists, some viewers remain convinced they've spotted specific resemblances. some boards i worked on for plane fight #KPOPDEMONHUNTERS BLACKPINK's Jennie inspired Huntrix's Rumi? The story follows HUNTR/X, a rising K-pop girl group composed of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey - idols by day, secret demon hunters by night. Beneath the spotlight and infectious pop hooks, the trio is charged with defending the human world from dangerous spirits that slip between realms. Their greatest challenge comes in the form of the Saja Boys, a mysterious group with deep connections to the spirit world. The story unfolds as a high-stakes battle that pushes far beyond choreography and press conferences, blending action, pop culture, and heartfelt emotion into a vibrant fusion of fantasy and fame. Among the buzz, fans of BLACKPINK have pointed out strong similarities between Rumi and Jennie, sparking a wave of comparisons on social media. Even major music charts joined in, amplifying the chatter with retweets on X (formerly Twitter). HUNTR/X's Rumi isn't just Jennie Clearing the air, Maggie Kang posted on X: "Rumi was inspired by many leading ladies, some not even K-Pop. Names are going around (individual idols + groups) bc we only said "yes" as they were mentioned by interviewer to us but list of inspo for both Huntr/x & Saja Boys is endless. This has been clarified by us to press." Rumi was inspired by many leading ladies, some not even K-Pop. Names are going around (individual idols + groups) bc we only said 'yes' as they were mentioned by interviewer to us but list of inspo for both Huntr/x & Saja Boys is endless. This has been clarified by us to press. Origin of 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' Chris Appelhans had shared that the idea for the film was born during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Maggie and I began planning this film during the pandemic - a time when people all over the world were struggling to feel connected. Then BTS held an online concert, and suddenly millions of people, including us, were singing and dancing to 'Dynamite' from our homes. For a moment, the world felt a little brighter." Appelhans closed with a heartfelt wish: "Through the characters' journeys and the songs they sing, I hope viewers can feel even a fraction of the joy and light BTS gave us during that time." For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
