There’s no denying the impact of HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys.
‘Demon Hunters’ Undeniable Effect on the World
We chatted with Emmy-nominated actor and producer Rich Ting (“Tulsa King,” “Warrior”) about the impact “KPop Demon Hunters” has had on pop culture everywhere. Ting manages K-pop artists Andrew Choi (the singing voice for Jinu, the leader of the Saja Boys) and Neckwave ( the singing voice of Abby in the Saja Boys).
We asked Ting about navigating the aftermath of putting your culture on display for the world, having to account for any potential negative blowback, and recognizing that everyone will interpret your culture in their own way. He had a really thoughtful response, putting an emphasis on being authentic and true to yourself. He talks about how hard it can be to immerse yourself in a project when seeing a “Chinese actor playing a Japanese character with a Chinese accent.” Not only is it dishonest storytelling, it also prevents the audience from picking up what you’re putting down.
Ting also talked about the increase in subtitled movies on Netflix, showing the interest for foreign language films and shows have gone up. People are a lot more open to watching things they’re not familiar with or outside their comfort zone.
K-Pop Taking Over the Globe
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed how much K-pop has taken over airwaves, Billboard charts, TikTok trends, the Grammys, the Academy Awards, streaming shows, movies, and your kid’s playlists. This slow Korean takeover of the United States prepped us properly for the massive influence “KPop Demon Hunters” had on us collectively.
For the last year, we’ve bore witness to young kids to teenagers to adults singing “Golden” off-key at the top of their lungs, wearing Rumi wigs, Zoey outfits, and Mira backpacks. The film won a slew of awards, including, but not limited to, the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, the Grammys, the Oscars, and the American Music Awards. It was (and still is) a culturural phenomenon. And it’s not over.
Earlier this year, Netflix and Sony confirmed “KPop Demon Hunters 2” will be arriving in 2029. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are coming back to direct and write the sequel.
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