Major news media in the U.S. and the U.K. are taking a closer look at the hit Netflix animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters" given its popularity worldwide. Shown is a CNN article on the film posted on Aug. 21. (Screenshot from CNN website)

By Yoon Sojung

The global popularity of the Netflix animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters" based on Korean culture has prompted leading news media in the U.S. and the U.K. to take closer notice.

Time magazine of the U.S. on Aug. 22 in the article headlined "How KPop Demon Hunters Conquered the World" presented an in-depth analysis on how the film became the summer's biggest hit. The story also included interviews with production staff including co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and EJAE, the main songwriter and vocalist of the soundtrack.

"Like the best idol groups, KPop Demon Hunters isn't good at just one thing," Time said. "The animated children's film about a K-pop girl group that moonlights as a team of demon hunters blends comedy, action, music, and a dash of supernatural horror for a film that is as emotionally rewarding as it is rewatchable."

"It's been more than two months since KPop Demon Hunters' unassuming debut on Netflix, and the movie's success is showing no signs of slowing."

The story added that the soundtrack is seeing massive popularity including the song "Golden," which topped the Billboard main singles chart Hot 100.

It said, "Though the success of KPop Demon Hunters has been led by children, the animated film stands out as a rare cross-demographic hit in a streaming era when audiences have become increasingly fractured across devices."

With elements of traditional Korean culture embedded in the film and perfection of the music that forms the core of the story, the article said the movie involves "trusting the universal in the culturally specific."

The CNN article said, "It blends two powerful genres. Supernatural-themed content also has a strong fan base, so combining the two in an animated musical is an extremely algorithm-friendly combination."

"'KPop Demon Hunters' has helped reignite the love for movie soundtracks. Three of its songs, 'Golden,' 'Your Idol' and 'Soda Pop,' have hit the Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart, according to Billboard."

In addition, the Gold Derby Awards of the U.S. in the article headlined "Yes, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is a legitimate Oscar contender" shared buzz that the film will win an Academy Award.

"If the likelihood of an Oscar nomination was measured solely by cultural impact, KPop Demon Hunters would be the biggest shoo-in at this early stage in the Academy Awards conversation," it said, predicting its nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

The BBC on Aug. 21 ran an article headlined "KPop Demon Hunters: How the Netflix film became a global sensation," while USA Today posted one on the film's global popularity and artistic value.

The Gold Derby Awards of the U.S. on Aug. 21 posted an article headlined "Yes, 'KPop Demon Hunters' is a legitimate Oscar contender." (Screen capture from Gold Derby's website)

arete@korea.kr