The new Netflix animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters" featuring K-pop idols has sparked a global box office sensation upon its release, while China has once again raised claims of cultural appropriation.
According to FlixPatrol, an online video service (OTT) ranking site, this work, released on the 20th, has ranked first in the global film category. It has continued its success by hitting the top spot in 26 countries, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan.
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" is an action fantasy animation depicting K-pop stars Lumi, Mira, and Joy as heroes battling evil spirits off stage. It is directed by Sony Pictures Animation, the production company behind "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse", with Chris Appelhans as the director and Korean-American director Maggie Kang.
The voice cast includes Aden Jo, Mei Hong, Kim Yoon-jin, Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Byung-hun, Ken Jeong, and Daniel Dae Kim, while TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung lent their voices to the OST "Takedown." The work features a variety of Korean elements such as Namsan Tower, traditional roofed houses, tigers, and guides to the afterlife, and there is a growing request for a sequel as the story of the protagonist Lumi takes an unexpected turn in the ending.
With the success of the work, claims of "Chinese cultural appropriation" have been raised in China regarding elements like traditional knots, herbal medicine, architectural styles, and tigers depicted in some scenes. On the Chinese review site Douban, comments such as "Korea does not hide its theft," "Sony is helping Korea," and "Why are you mixing Chinese elements into Korean elements?" have followed.
In response, Korean internet users reacted by saying, "Does Netflix also consider that illegal while saying such things?" and "Take a look at who is actually stealing."
Currently, Netflix is not officially available in China, so related reviews appear to have mostly been posted after viewing through illegal channels. Previously, it had been revealed that Korean content such as "Squid Game," "The Glory," and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" had been illegally distributed in China, raising concerns over copyright infringement.