The popularity of the Netflix animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' (hereafter 'K-Demon') seems to resonate greatly with the local American parent generation.
On the 22nd (local time), the New York Times published an article titled "K-Pop Demon Hunters is Making Everyone's Heads Shake, Especially Parents," showcasing several cases of parents who have become enamored with the film.
The New York Times reported, "Some parents are reliving the golden age of boy bands and girl groups, but instead of waving glow sticks and dancing wildly, they are handing out juice boxes."
According to the newspaper, Sylvia Cruz (41), a mother of five children aged 2 to 13 living in North Carolina, initially had a negative reaction when her children expressed a desire to watch the film, but after watching it, she became so captivated that she has seen it at least 12 times.
Cruz recalled that when she first heard the title of the movie, she thought, "A movie with 'Demon' in it is a no-go. And what is K-Pop?"
She mentioned that her children have watched the film about 30 times and that when they are not watching it, they usually listen to the soundtrack (OST) together.
Cruz stated that she continues to watch the film especially because of the music, saying, "The melody is really rich and delicate. My body naturally can't help but move to the rhythm and sing along."
Additionally, local comedian Andy Samberg recently appeared on the TV talk show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and expressed that he is currently "completely hooked on K-Pop Demon Hunters," highlighting the film's popularity.
The New York Times noted that while cartoons or movies that gain universal popularity tend to see a decline over time, K-Demon is experiencing a phenomenon of increasing viewership, referred to as "reverse driving."
It explained that 'K-Demon' has become an important means of attracting audiences who have never been exposed to K-Pop.
Furthermore, it praised 'K-Demon' for reaching a level of cultural impact similar to that achieved by past Disney works like 'Encanto' and 'Frozen.'
According to Nielsen data, the film's streaming time was about 250 million minutes in its first week of release in June, which increased more than fourfold the following month, surpassing 1 billion minutes in the fourth week of July.
Meanwhile, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is a story about the K-Pop girl group HuntRix defeating a boy group made up of evil spirits called Lion Boys to protect the world with their music. After its release in June, it set the record for the highest-grossing animated film in Netflix history.
Along with this, the main theme song "Golden" and other major OSTs featured in 'K-Demon' have also entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, showcasing significant musical influence.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
