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Korea Herald

Restrained romance of 'KPop Demon Hunters' ignites fan imagination

Netflix's record-breaking hit "KPop Demon Hunters" is making major waves worldwide and has online communities buzzing with fan-made content. Many such fans longing for a deeper romance between main characters Rumi and Jinu have been creating and sharing photoshopped images of the two kissing, holding hands, or going on dates. Co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, "KPop Demon Hunters" is an animated movie centered on the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix. Its members, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, moonlight as demon hunters, secretly protecting the world from evil spirits through music and dance. The movie quickly became a global sensation with its powerful soundtrack, vivid portrayal of K-pop fandom culture and fresh twist on the exorcism genre. At the heart of its popularity is the emotional bond between Rumi and Jinu, the leader of the rival boy group, Saja Boys, made up of demons. The tension between Rumi and Jinu is evident in the way they look at each other and exchange soft, comforting words, but the two never kiss or show any gestures that confirm a romantic relationship. Though a kiss scene was initially proposed, it was ultimately omitted from the final cut of the film, according to news reports. This only further fueled people's imaginations, giving rise to the online fandom 'RuJinu,' where fan fiction and fan edits continue the love story merely hinted at in the film. One fan asked in a Reddit post why the kiss scene between the two characters was cut, to which director Kang replied, 'The restraint is sexier.' K-drama romance: No rush to kiss In many K-dramas, a kiss rarely comes easy. The enemies-to-lovers trope is a particular favorite in romance series. 'I can't stand you' slowly becomes 'I can't stop thinking about you.' As the couple overcomes their misunderstandings, they admit their feelings for each other, sealing the scene — and often the end of the episode — with a kiss. Everything changes after the long-awaited first kiss, and the relationship develops quickly, often leading straight to marriage. In "KPop Demon Hunters," a kiss between Rumi and Jinu would have felt out of place. 'They only met twice in secret. Does it make sense for them to suddenly kiss? The beauty of K-romance lies in the push and pull,' one fan commented on Facebook. Why do kisses typically take place later in Korean TV shows? Some Koreans point to the country's 'confession culture.' 'In Korea, there's a tradition of formally confessing love before physical affection follows, although with generational shifts, that order is less strictly followed these days. I think this cultural norm has influenced media portrayals, where kisses after a confession are often depicted as a way of confirming love,' said Shin Yu-eun, 32, a student at the Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.