Latest news with #KPop
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Review: Singing, Slinging and Slashing
Lest you roll your eyes and think of it as a four-quadrant-friendlier version of 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,' 'KPop Demon Hunters' immediately establishes its premise, getting any prospective scoffing out of the way. For generations, a voice-over intro explains, girl groups have used their popular songs to secretly trap hordes of demons underground and keep the world safe. The latest group on their trail? Huntrix, a K-pop girl band that, in its fight against the sinister Gwi-ma (Lee Byung-hun) and his demons, is close to completing the Golden Honmoon, a protective barrier that will permanently keep evil forces at bay. But the girl group soon faces its toughest challenge yet: a demon boy band. With that somewhat silly logline behind us, what we'll find in this Netflix animated film, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, is an original universe that is charming, funny and artfully punchy. It's a Sony Pictures Animation film that shares a kind of lineage with the studio's recent hit 'Spider-Verse' franchise that is most apparent in the similar visual style. But otherwise what it borrows mostly is a more holistic and technical sense of the cinematic, a philosophy of approach that is rare in big-budget animation films. The action sequences are fluid and immersive, the art is frequently striking and the music (catchy, if formulaic earworms) is a properly wielded and dynamic storytelling tool. And as for the cheesy girl group vs. boy band story, Kang and Appelhans have a sly sense of humor about it all, too; the movie is funniest when it pokes at pop culture that is highly manufactured, from K-pop to K-dramas to mass-produced singing competitions — the very things the film itself would never stoop to. Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘KPop Demon Hunters' Director Reveals Who Inspired The Characters
When Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters teaser trailer and images were first released, many K-pop fans began speculating who the K-pop idols in the film looked like. There have been several side-by-side comparisons, with fandoms claiming that these characters were based on their idols. Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, out this Friday, revolves around a K-pop girl group named Huntrix, who are also demon hunters sworn to protect their fans from supernatural threats. Things become complicated when a popular rival boy band, The Saja Boys, are revealed to be demons. Director Maggie Kang, who grew up loving the first generation of K-pop, with groups like H.O.T. and Seo Taiji and the Boys, has seen all the comparisons on social media. Though she never named exactly who the characters were inspired by, she could see how the fans' suggestions matched perfectly with the characters. 'I think what I like to talk about is that there are so many certain archetypes that every group has,' says Kang. 'It's fun to see this conversation happening because everyone's picking the right member who fills that archetype and that kind of role and looks for each group.' Kang and her directing partner, Chris Appelhans, pulled their favorites onto the digital bulletin board. Many in the art department added their favorites to the board. She says once she gave the department access to the bulletin board, everybody was on it. She saw so many different actors, idols, and groups on there. The Saja Boys, comprising members Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), Abby, Mystery, Romance, and Baby, were inspired by Korean groups such as Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, and Monsta X. There's always a muscular one who shows off their abs; one who was the romantic type ('I purposely gave him these bangs that were meant to be heart-shaped'); and, the baby of the group. 'Baby Saja is, obviously, the maknae (youngest),' Kang explains. '[They] have this look and they're usually the rapper of the group.' The only member whom Kang couldn't recall comparing to an artist was Mystery, whose face is mostly obscured by his long, purple hair. He was inspired by anime. When Kang asked her team why he doesn't have a face, they told her to 'trust us.' 'That's just a question mark,' Kang laughs. 'It was also just a challenge to animate five faces versus four. So that also helped with the animation as well.' Kang and her animation team created boards for each character, alongside images of idols, models, and well-known actors. Though the Saja boys were given their own individual, distinct looks, they all have one thing in common. 'Fun fact: they all share the same CG body, except for Abby Saja, because he's a little bit bigger,' Kang explains. 'We bulked him up like 20%.' Kang did admit that the character of Jinu was inspired mainly by K-drama actors. She names Cha Eun-woo and Nam Joo-hyuk as the leading men on the inspiration boards. They wanted him to have a very classic Korean look, which is why he had dark hair. Though Ahn was cast as the voice of Jinu, the character was created before he signed on for the part, but Kang does see the similarities with his Business Proposal character. As for the three members of Huntrix – Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, Kang says they referenced K-pop idols and models. Kang has worked on Rumi for many years, but her appearance has changed slightly to reflect the animation and Korean lighting. '[We looked at] ITZY, BLACKPINK, and [TWICE],' says Kang. 'Who else? I think it was a lot of mixing.' Kang reveals that Korean model Ahn So Yeon inspired the fashion-forward character, Mira. Kang, who is a fan of the model, says it 'might be kind of obvious [when you look at Mira]'. For Zoey, Kang wanted a cutesy vibe for the character. Many K–pop idols were referenced for her look. Kang's main goal for Huntrx was that they all looked very different from each other. She focused on each of them having their distinct look, aside from their hair color. 'Even with the way we animated them, [they were different and distinct],' says Kang. 'With their smile, you'll notice Zoey has more of a heart-shaped mouth when she expresses herself. We wanted Mira to be long and lean because I love that look on a woman. I think that's so beautiful. With Rumi, we leaned into a very classic, beautiful Korean look.' Kang does enjoy the conversations surrounding the animated looks of her characters. She jokes, 'Yeah, we knew we [wanted them to be] hot.' KPop Demon Hunters premieres this Friday on Netflix.
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Stars of ‘KPop Demon Hunters' on Spotlighting Korean Representation in Animation
Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo star as the girl group Huntrix in Sony Pictures Animation's new feature, coming to Netflix June 20. After the massive box-office triumph of the Spider-Verse films, Sony Pictures Animation is back with a brand-new hero team-up animated adventure called KPop Demon Hunters. The feature film, which drops on Netflix June 20, follows a girl group named Huntrix who must balance their skyrocketing superstardom with moonlighting as demon hunters, saving the world using the power of music and magical girl action to protect their fans from an impending demonic invasion. Ahead of its streaming release, io9 spoke to Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo—the voices behind the Huntrix's trio Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—to reflect on the thrill of staring in the film, the importance of meaningful Asian representation in animation, and the unique challenge of bringing its titular down-to-earth, demon-hunting pop stars to life. Isaiah Colbert, io9: What drew you to starring in KPop Demon Hunters? Were there any elements about the movie's story or characters that immediately gripped you as actors? Arden Cho: Initially, I just loved the idea. I love K-pop and I'm all about three cool, awesome, badass leads who are Asian American—Korean American to be specific. I loved the story and I was so excited just to be a part of it. May Hong: I like how tough Mira is, but how vulnerable she actually really is. How sensitive she is. How loyal she is, and I very much relate to that. That really drew me in. Ji-young Yoo: I'm a big fan of K-pop, and I love doing voice over work so this was the best of both worlds. The more I found out about it, the more I thought it would be so much fun. I mean, from the title alone, anytime I tell my friends the name of the movie, they always start smiling, and I think that's indicative of how fun the film is. io9: As advertised on the tin. Yoo: Yes! io9: Did you draw inspiration from different K-Pop groups or supernatural shows while preparing for your roles in KPop Demon Hunters? Were there any specific performances or series that helped you bring your characters to life? Cho: For Rumi, I was focusing more on just her experience. She just goes through so much through the movie. She's going through a lot of things. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a big journey for her. I was focusing a lot on who she was not only as a friend, a sister to the girls, but a leader, and also a slayer. I grew up loving so many shows that are sort of in that world of strong females—Buffy the Vampire Slayer was literally my favorite, always—and so I feel in a sense [that] I wanted Rumi to be very strong and grounded. But also sweet and cute. We can't take credit for the music stuff because we're not in that part of the girls, but I definitely wanted her to be as cool as Blackpink, Aespa, Le Sserafim, and everybody. It exceeded my expectations. But I feel like I didn't do much for that. I can't really take credit for that. I feel like that was the world that was created for us. Hong: I thought a lot about Sailor Moon. I grew up watching it and I was so excited to see it and doing the comps of who everyone is, too. Whenever we would play Sailor Moon, I always wanted to be Sailor Jupiter. Cho: Wait, that's so fitting. Hong: I know, and I feel like Mira is a different version of Sailor Jupiter. I think the inspiration—they're hidden identities—I think it's funny that they transform and they look exactly the same but just [have] different outfits. I feel like Cowboy Bebop was a huge inspiration for me. I think about it a lot, and how much that music is so fully integrated into the story, and how crucial it is to sound and look like that. It feels like a perfect merger of those two things. Yoo: I don't know if I had specific things that I did research into because I think this is such an original tone. You didn't really need to pull references. But as I began to talk about it with my friends more, I realized that there were things in the back of my head that were floating around and definitely influencing it. I grew up on Totally Spies and Kim Possible. I would say that Zoey has got a little bit of Starfire from Teen Titans—the original show, not Teen Titans Go. I'm a big fan of BTS, so that's always in the back of my head. Actually, I had a really funny conversation with a friend where he asked me if [KPop Demon Hunters] was anything like Jujutsu Kaisen. Which it kind of is. We're exorcising demons, but tonally not nearly as dark. I'm such a fan of the show that I wondered if it affected my performance at all. I don't think I'll ever know consciously. Maybe people can watch the movie and let me know. io9: KPop Demon Hunters brilliantly captures both the stunning beauty of the idol scene and the gremlin nature of the three girls, where they get chibi and very animated at each other. Was this distinct animation style where you had to do the voiceover afterwards, or did you do the voiceover and Sony Pictures animated their expressions to match yours during production? Cho: I remember my first few sessions, we just did the voice, and they'd film us. So I did feel a little shy. Hong: (Laughs)The internal video, like, where is that? Cho: (Laughs) Yeah, I'm like showing up to work in my pajamas, no makeup on. All these cameras are set up and I'm like, 'Oh no, wait what's happening!' They're like, 'Oh no no, it's just for art!' and I'm like, 'Yes… art.' Yoo: (Laughs) I'm guessing that the chibi style was always a part of the plan, but there were definitely moments where I'd finish a line reading and they'd be like, 'We should note that take. Whatever face she was doing was perfect' and I was like 'I don't know if I like that.' Cho: I feel like the animation, the weirder, the uglier, it was so perfect. That's what makes it fun. We don't have to feel shy about it even though I felt shy in the beginning and then I got used to it. Yoo: I guess the answer is we don't know. Probably. Kind of. Maybe. Yes? Hong: (Laughs) We didn't see anything. We just scream, and they would take videos that were used. Cho: We don't know. We just show up and they make it awesome. I know the eating stuff I'd always feel so silly too. The funny eating noises I'd struggle with those. Some of those are hard. I ate a lot and they wanted more funnier (mouth noises), but when you're actually eating, you don't make those sounds to make it more fun. Hong: (Laughs) Speak for yourself. Yoo: (Laughs) Yeah, I was gonna say that sounds exactly like how I eat. io9: Were there any funny, memorable bloopers that happened during your recording sessions? Yoo: Too many to count, man. Hong: A lot of running to be out of breath. I think I felt the most goofy probably doing laps or I'd need to genuinely do three more laps to sound out of breath. But then everyone is watching me run in circles for a while. Cho: All the action stuff was pretty silly and fun. Rumi has some romantic things that are cute. In the voiceover world, you're doing it all alone, so you feel super awkward. But it's awesome and it comes together so beautifully. Hong: Oh, also the bar. There's a little guardrail that's in front of the mic. I'd hold it and run in place. It's almost like an exercise. Cho: Oh yeah. I was jumping on that and holding on for dear life the whole time. Yoo: It almost looks like a mini ballet bar and they'd put it in front of the mic and you can use it to lean on. I climbed on top of it. Hong: Who would have thought of that. Genius. Yoo: Voiceover is kind of one big blooper. Cho: It really is. The days where you're eating a ton and doing all the fun sounds and then after you're doing a lot of jumping around action and you're like, 'Oh no, that was too soon. That's why they say don't go swimming right after eating.' It was all fun. io9: How meaningful is it for you to be part of a Sony Pictures Animated film that aimed to go beyond the surface-level appeal of K-pop and action to authentically highlight Korean roots in its storytelling? Cho: It's so special that they are so respectful to the Korean culture in the food, the city, and the world. It's so magical to see how big and beautiful it's been created in the world of KPop Demon Hunters. It's also really cool to see these young women who, yes, they're Korean, but they're also just girls struggling with things that are very, well, normal, but not normal. Normal if demons were—well maybe they are here? Hong: (Laughs) Are they in the room with us? Cho: (Laughs) You know how people have their demons? The metaphor. Hong: (Laughs) Yes. I love the universal pain and suffering of it all. At first I was, 'Is this Korean?' It felt like it hit some chords for me, but then it was 'This is just everyone.' Cho: It definitely hit those identity battles and the whole, 'Who am I really? Am I hiding something?' The struggles that Rumi goes through, in an odd way, I related to so much being Korean American. I feel like that in itself is so relatable, but also so special because it's something that involves so much of our culture, history, story, and where we come from. Hong: And it also makes Seoul look so glorious, and it is glorious. Though fictionalized, hopefully, it makes people more interested in actually going. io9: If KPop Demon Hunters were to receive a sequel, what would you love to explore about your characters in the future? Yoo: When the movie comes out, I do actually have a very specific pitch that I've already told [directors] Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans about. For Zoey, some of the stuff she's going through being the only Asian American in the group [where] she feels out of place some of the time, which I think is very resonate with anyone. I would love to see her find a place where she doesn't feel like she needs to please as much. She spends a lot of her energy trying to make sure everyone else is okay, and I want Zoey to check in on whether Zoey is okay. Maybe that's the sequel. KPop Demon Hunters premieres on Netflix June 20.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sack The DJ: Apple launches its new feature that can mix tracks using AI
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Apple has introduced a new feature to its iOS26 operating system that blends and mixes tracks together using AI. It's called AutoMix and allows users to create 'unique transitions' between tracks, in the same manner of the DJ. Of course, Spotify users have been able to crossfade between songs for some time. What's different with this new Apple feature is that it takes it a step further to allow "time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience." There are other upgrades too. Also added is Lyrics Translation, which lets users understand the meaning of their favourite songs, and Lyrics Pronunciation, which enables users to sing along when lyrics are in another language. So if you end up – for some reason - at a K Pop karaoke session, you'll no longer be scratching your head at how you're supposed to render the songs. According to Apple, the AI machine learning apparently ensures 'the emotion, cultural context, and lyrical intent are fully preserved.' Meanwhile there's Sing, which allows users to convert the iPhone into a handheld microphone. Used in tandem with for Apple TV, it amplifies your voice you could can belt out your favourite songs with friends. With real-time lyrics and visual effects that light up the screen, Sing reaches a 'new level of fun' according to the people at Apple.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
From Shanghai to New York, stars show off Lebanese looks
DUBAI: International stars including Hollywood actress Emily Blunt and Chinese K-Pop singer Victoria Song showed off glittering looks by Lebanese designers at global events. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Blunt attended the American Institute for Stuttering's Annual Gala in New York late last week in a gown from Lebanese label Elie Saab's pre-fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection. The pleated gown came in a simmering shade of burnt sienna and incorporated a bouquet of ruffles on one shoulder. The Oscar-nominated actress chose to keep things relatively simple when it came to her accessories, opting for minimal earrings, bracelets and a few shimmering rings. Blunt's look was put together by celebrity stylist Jessica Paster, who also works with singer Paris Jackson and actress and comedian Quinta Brunson. Launched in 1998, the American Institute for Stuttering is a non-profit organization offering speech therapy and community support for people of who stutter. Blunt previously wore an Elie Saab design for the 2024 BAFTAs in London and proved she's a fan of Lebanese creations by attending the Clooney Foundation for Justice's Albie Awards in a hot red dress by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad in September 2023. Meanwhile, Chinese songstress Song showed off a full beaded lilac number by Elie Saab at the 2025 2025 Sina Weibo Movie Night Awards on Friday. A post shared by Victoria Song宋茜 (@victoria02_02) The red carpet in Shanghai, China, played host to a number of decadent Lebanese designs, with the likes of Elaine Zhong showing off a Zuhair Murad gown as Tong Li Ya opted for Georges Hobeika and Chen Du Ling stunned in Georges Chakra. A post shared by ZUHAIR MURAD (@zuhairmuradofficial) The actresses all opted for floor-length shimmering gowns in various shades of gold, with Zuhair Murad's social media team describing the fashion house's creation as 'an embroidered corset with leaf petal detailing in champagne and silver paired with a draped silk chiffon skirt from the Zuhair Murad Couture Spring 2025 collection.'
