K-Pop Demon Hunters: Netflixs New Hit Surpasses All-Time Viewership Records
The Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters (Kedehun) has finally claimed the top spot in Netflixs all-time viewership, surpassing 291.5 million views as of the 10th, outpacing the first season of Squid Game which garnered 265.2 million views.
While the global enthusiasm for K-content is not new, the worldwide success of Kedehun feels uniquely surprising. This is largely because the production company is a Japanese-American animation studio. Despite this, what is astonishing is how Kedehun embodies the essence of Korean culture more than any other K-content.
The sense of unfamiliarity and wonder surrounding Kedehun is alleviated upon learning about the life story of its director, Maggie Kang. As a first-and-a-half generation immigrant, Kang moved to Canada with her family at the age of five. During her elementary school years, she was shocked to discover that many Canadians did not even know where Korea was, which led her to resolve to properly introduce Korea to the world.
Growing up, she enjoyed first-generation K-pop idols like H.O.T and Korean TV shows, while also watching Western animations such as The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. This background naturally endowed her with a sense of cultural hybridity. Her identity formed in a space that is neither entirely Korean nor completely Western.
Perhaps due to this unique upbringing, Kedehun features a remarkable fusion of Korean and Western cultures. Kang is aware that elements of K-pops worldview, fandom culture, and traditional Korean figures like the Grim Reaper may feel unfamiliar to international audiences. Thus, she skillfully reinterprets these concepts through the accessible and engaging lens of the superhero genre, which is well-known in Western cultures.
Kedehun has been praised for elevating the often-overlooked aspects of modern Korean history to a globally recognized level of artistry. It demonstrates how diverse cultural influences can create something truly unique and appealing to a broad audience, bridging gaps between different cultural backgrounds.
While the global enthusiasm for K-content is not new, the worldwide success of Kedehun feels uniquely surprising. This is largely because the production company is a Japanese-American animation studio. Despite this, what is astonishing is how Kedehun embodies the essence of Korean culture more than any other K-content.
The sense of unfamiliarity and wonder surrounding Kedehun is alleviated upon learning about the life story of its director, Maggie Kang. As a first-and-a-half generation immigrant, Kang moved to Canada with her family at the age of five. During her elementary school years, she was shocked to discover that many Canadians did not even know where Korea was, which led her to resolve to properly introduce Korea to the world.
Growing up, she enjoyed first-generation K-pop idols like H.O.T and Korean TV shows, while also watching Western animations such as The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. This background naturally endowed her with a sense of cultural hybridity. Her identity formed in a space that is neither entirely Korean nor completely Western.
Perhaps due to this unique upbringing, Kedehun features a remarkable fusion of Korean and Western cultures. Kang is aware that elements of K-pops worldview, fandom culture, and traditional Korean figures like the Grim Reaper may feel unfamiliar to international audiences. Thus, she skillfully reinterprets these concepts through the accessible and engaging lens of the superhero genre, which is well-known in Western cultures.
Kedehun has been praised for elevating the often-overlooked aspects of modern Korean history to a globally recognized level of artistry. It demonstrates how diverse cultural influences can create something truly unique and appealing to a broad audience, bridging gaps between different cultural backgrounds.
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