Why KPop Demon Hunters director is so keen to promote Korean culture
When Maggie Kang immigrated to Canada as a child she was shocked at how little people knew about Korea. Now she’s putting that right
Director Maggie Kang of Netflix’s hit animated feature KPop Demon Hunters said the future of K-content will be even brighter if the industry makes a greater effort to showcase Korean culture – like her globally successful animation.
“We have to just be confident with our culture and our point of view. I think, as a filmmaker, I know that any time you think about what other people are going to think, and you kind of cater to an audience’s opinions and not your own, it doesn’t feel authentic,” the Korean-Canadian director said during a press conference in Seoul last week.
“And the audience knows that; they can smell it. They know exactly. They know that you’re doing it, and it’s not something that they want to see. They want authenticity.”
Released on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters has become the most-watched animated feature on the streaming platform and is on track to soon become its most-watched film overall.
The film reimagines K-pop stars as demon slayers, with the members of the trio Huntrix – Rumi, Mira and Zoey – using the power of music to fight evil spirits. It is the first internationally produced animated feature to focus on K-pop.
Kang made an effort to show untouched authenticity in her film. She believes this is what resonated with fans and contributed to the movie’s success.