According to FlixPatrol, a global OTT platform viewing ranking website, on the 23rd, the film, which was released on the 20th, ranked first in the global movie category. Immediately after its release, it has continued to be popular, ranking first in 26 countries, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, and Mexico.
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” is an action fantasy animation about K-pop superstars “Rumi,” “Mummy” and “Joy” acting as hidden heroes behind the scenes, directed by Korean-Americans Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans along with Sony Pictures Animation, the producer of “Spider-Man: New Universe.”
Aden Cho, May Hong, Ahn Hyo-seop, Yoo Ji-young, Kim Yoon-jin, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun, and Daniel Dae-Kim, also known as “Kkwa Chi-ju,” participated in the dubbing. TWICE’s Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung also participated in the OST “Takedown.”
In particular, Korean elements such as Namsan Seoul Tower, tile-roofed house, Grim Reaper, and tiger naturally blend into colorful K-pop music, dynamic action and sensational animation, drawing keen attention not only from Korea but also from overseas. With the emergence of the unexpected narrative of Rumi, the main character at the end of the film, requests for the production of the sequel are already continuing.
As “K-pop Demon Hunters” has gained worldwide popularity, China is again nitpicking. Online in China claims that traditional knots, herbal medicines, tigers, and architectural styles are unique to China.
As of the 23rd, more than 600 reviews have been posted on China’s largest review platform, “The Uban,” among them, “Korea no longer hides cultural theft and plagiarism,” “Sony is helping Korea steal culture,” and “Why are you putting Chinese elements in Korean elements?”
Until now, China has consistently maintained that it has stolen its own culture. Late last year, Fendi, a luxury brand, unveiled a handbag in collaboration with Kim Eun-young, the 13th intangible cultural asset of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and deleted the handbag from its website and social media in the face of strong protests from Chinese netizens. Korean netizens also remained silent. Korean netizens pointed out to China, saying, “Are you so confident while watching Netflix illegally?” and “It’s time to look back on who is stealing.”
Currently, Netflix is not officially available in China, so you cannot watch “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” Therefore, most of the reviews were uploaded after watching them through unofficial channels such as illegal downloading or streaming.
Copyright infringement issues have been raised in China after it was revealed that content such as ‘Squid Game’, ‘I was completely deceived’ and ‘The Glory’ were illegally watched prior to ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
