The Incomplete Guide to KPop Demon Hunters and KPop Bops
In which Vanessa feels Golden, before failing to sing along with any of the Korean lyrics
It’s no secret that I’ve ridden the Korean wave, so you had to know this was bound to happen: I’m reviewing KPop Demon Hunters. Released on 20 June, I’ve been sitting on this for a while, and enjoying the memes, the video essays, and the soundtrack floating around my internet.
Forgoing a review of the plot to avoid spoilers - as I cannot emphasise how highly I recommend you to watch it - I think the theme that resonates with me the most about this film is its explanation of maintaining/saving face. It’s not a concept foreign to non-Asian cultures, but the extension of professionalism into the self-perception and belief in self-worth is harder to understand.
Other films have brought it to the fore, though perhaps not with the same cultural cut-through - Crazy Rich Asians and Turning Red come close, though apparently nobody besides myself was enamoured with either film, as that CRA sequel/spin-off centred on Astrid will likely never take off. Both are about the clash of Western and Eastern culture, where CRA’s Rachel’s achievements mean nothing to Nick’s family, simply because Rachel grew up a bastard. Turning Red sees Mei not wanting to hide her red panda nature despite family instructions.
In KPop Demon Hunters, similarly, we have Rumi’s faltering voice due to her insecurity about her identity. She hides the personal cause from her friends - but they are also colleagues. Rumi puts their mutual success first, rather than trusting their personal connection, in line with what their mentor Celine taught them, but short-term fixes like tonics don’t address the underlying cause.
Our Huntr/x benefit from their third culture perspective similarly to the aforementioned films, and notably, Zoey is officially raised in the United States, with the story conceived by co-Director and co-Writer Maggie Kang. Western values slowly filter in: of embracing flaws; that not winning is not weakness; to trust friends, but also trust potential rivals. You can thank the Millennial penchant for mental health and wellbeing awareness for those!
And while there’s an undercurrent of romance for Rujinu shippers, KPDH also borrows from the other successful trope in recent Western animation: the sisterly love of Elsa and Anna in Frozen, Disney’s cultural juggernaut, being the most important thing. By making the understanding between Mira, Zoey, and Rumi the key to their success (admittedly, alongside Jinu’s selflessness, akin to a Kristoff if we continue the Frozen parable), it offers a girl power storyline that feels applicable to the small real life problems as much as global safety.
Hallyu’s influence on Western culture, from the embrace of K-pop musicians (see below), to TV and film, to the surge in interest to learn Korean, has enriched our lives, but it hopefully flows the other way too. Korean culture is not beyond reproach, though it’s not fun to face the truth. They even depict it (brutally or otherwise) in their own media. KPDH leaves many opportunities to tell more stories: I hope for further opportunities to meld the best of both worlds.
The Incomplete List of K-Pop Bangers
By Vanessa Burke
When I first heard 2NE1 or Psy, I didn’t consciously think that I was listening to K-pop as a distinct genre - I was just listening to catchy good music. I didn’t realise this was the first wave in the rising tide I would find myself in a decade later! Below I’ll share some of my favourites from recent years, and for some of them, I’m also plugging my friends from DGC Dance, whose covers you can watch below. If you find yourself in London on Saturday 15 November, you can get tickets to their showcase if you liked what you saw (tickets available soon)!
1. Red Velvet - Psycho (2019)
This feels like it could be directly out of the songbook of Huntr/x (Rumi’s singing voice is provided by Ejae, who co-wrote Psycho, so there is a connection). While I don’t see this being Rumi’s reaction to Jinu’s final actions, Psycho taps into that Huntr/x honesty about self which makes it so relatable, though I personally wouldn’t be interested in a relationship being so full of ups and downs between partners.
3. FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid (2022)
It’s more bubblegum pop, and yes, I have a type. This might be familiar to anyone who is chronically online, as it was used in a sped-up form as the backing track to a dance challenge the group issued. What I like about it is that it subverts its sickly sweet sound to reflect on the passing nature of crushing feelings, and how they might make you feel silly afterwards, but I feel that the tone implies not to give up hope for future feelings.
4. Jung Kook & Latto - Seven (2023)
Paying a significant debt to Craig David’s “7 Days”, this sensuous song covers the same ground, even borrowing the UK garage backing. Already dropping the shackles of K-pop with fully English lyrics, it embraces Jung Kook’s global appeal by pairing him with Latto for the rap - she adds an edginess that even Jung Kook swearing doesn’t quite evoke.
5. V - Love Me Again (2023)
The year of BTS soft boy breakouts (Jimin similarly issued “Like Crazy”), I realise we have another love song on our hands. What can I say? The chill vibes are simply impeccable. Pulling from R&B and electronica circa 1998 Air, V channels a seduction akin to Jung Kook, without getting raunchy - unless those Korean lyrics are nasty (I choose to believe they aren’t).
2. ILLIT - Magnetic (2024)
“You’re my crush”. The simple bubblegum pop is polished with an electronica choppiness that elevates the robotic repetitive theme that permeates the song. ILLIT chose smartly in debuting with this song, living up to their authentic teen-girl concept, creating positive vibes with a song that demands to be danced to (their name is a different matter though).
What’s your favourite K-Pop band and bias? Is there a film that fits into the saving face genre you want to recommend? Chime in in the comments!