Director Maggie Kang revealed the behind-the-scenes story of the global hit "K-Pop Demon Hunters."
On the afternoon of the 22nd, a press conference with Netflix's "K-Pop Demon Hunters" director Maggie Kang (Kang Min-ji) took place at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul.
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" is an action fantasy animation that tells the story of K-Pop superstars 'Lumi', 'Mira', and 'Joy' who act as hidden heroes protecting the world behind glamorous stages. Since its premiere on Netflix on June 20, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has recorded 210.5 million views, ranking second in Netflix movie streaming history. The OST has also taken the top spots on global charts, achieving a syndrome-level popularity. Amidst this, Maggie Kang expressed her gratitude, saying, "I can't believe it. It doesn't feel real. I'm so thankful to the fans."
She stated, "From the day the movie was released, both my husband and I endlessly checked Twitter and Instagram for 10 days. I was looking at them all day and receiving messages. I will forever call it 'Twitter' and not 'X'." She joked, "I had to sleep while looking at Twitter, but I couldn't put my phone down until 2 or 3 a.m. As a result, my time changed, and Twitter started to transform into Korean little by little. I felt, 'This is a truly global movie' as I saw Korean people posting."
Maggie Kang, who was born in Korea and immigrated to Canada at the age of 5, revealed why she made a work set in Korea as her directorial debut, saying, "When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, my teacher asked, 'Which country are you from?' I replied, 'South Korea.' The teacher couldn't locate Korea on the map. I realized that I was positioned between China and Japan, but still, she couldn't find it. I pointed it out, but the color was different. It shocked me to see our country portrayed as a less developed place. I felt that since then, that's how the world views our country, and I had the desire to showcase our country."
Consequently, the work features detailed Korean culture, which has created buzz. Director Maggie Kang explained, "When I see Korean content made overseas, there are often many inaccuracies. Even in 'Mulan', which is a fantasy and a Chinese story, the characters are wearing kimono styles. As Asians, it doesn't feel great. I wanted to create a real Korean movie with accurate representations of Korean culture and details. I didn't do this alone; many team members were Koreans. It was a teamwork project, and whenever something was incorrect, they'd say, 'We don't understand your sign,' and we corrected it together."
When asked if he expected these Korean elements to be loved worldwide, he replied, "The story and characters are the most important in a movie. Therefore, if we create a universal team story, I believe everyone can understand it, and I wanted to showcase various aspects of our culture. I wanted to show it as it is, without hiding anything. Even if they don't understand now, I believe they will understand eventually."
Regarding the combination of K-Pop and exorcism, he said, "From the beginning, I wanted to make a movie about our culture. The image of the grim reaper seems different in the U.S. I thought about how figures like goblins represent a unique image of our culture, and while considering that, the idea of 'demon hunters' emerged naturally. K-Pop came in at the end. I wanted to make a K-Pop movie in Hollywood about 7 or 8 years ago, but I couldn't realize it anywhere. I thought, 'Should I give it a try myself?' and when I combined the demon hunter idea with K-Pop, the concept came out interestingly."
In the work, the predecessors of K-Pop are represented by shamans. When asked if this was intentional to capture the comprehensive artistic aspect of shaman rituals, Director Maggie Kang replied, "Of course. I thought of a shaman ritual as a first concert. I wanted to showcase the shaman culture inherent in our traditions. It seems perfectly connected to our Huntresses. The idea of overcoming evil spirits through music and dance is part of our culture, and it cannot be overlooked. I'm proud that the short opening scene can show how the attire and music of the hunters transformed." She added, "It's interesting that most shamans are women. Wearing male clothing during rituals gives them strength. Given that it has been traditionally so, I thought it symbolized progressiveness and feminism. I felt that connecting with the women's narrative in the film was appropriate."
The unpretentious and confident portrayal of female characters among the Huntresses is a hallmark. Director Maggie Kang shared, "The main reason I wanted to create such female characters was that it was the most important part of wanting to make this film. In animation, many female characters are often made to look unattractive. When making other films, I experienced that it shouldn't be too funny and not to be seen as foolish. When creating my work, I wanted to show real comical women who make funny faces and eat strangely. I wanted to see women like me. Therefore, I wanted to present a truly comical woman without hiding that aspect."
She also explained the significance of 'Golden,' which is the main theme. Director Maggie Kang remarked, "'Golden' was a song that was particularly challenging to work on. I realized late in the process how important this song is to the movie's narrative. There were various objectives this song needed to achieve, the first being that it should embody the protagonist Lumi's wishes and aspirations. To convey such emotions, it was important to present the backstories of all the characters. I needed to reveal Lumi's origins and the fact that she is the daughter of a famous idol, while also presenting Mira's struggles as a problem child in her family. By showing that other characters also have complex and uncomfortable identities, I thought that would help convey the characters' growth stories when people listen to the song."
Furthermore, she noted, "The song had to be difficult to sing from a musical perspective. The theme of the movie is the power of music. When we hear singers hit high notes, doesn't our heart race and flutter? I believe the higher the notes are, the more emotional and moving it feels. 'Golden' went through 7 or 8 versions before reaching its final version. I listened to the final demo on my way to the airport in Vancouver, and I teared up at that moment. I thought, 'This is it' when I heard the final version."
When asked about her perspective on the essence of Korean culture from an outsider's view, Maggie Kang said, "Many Korean expatriates easily suffer from identity confusion. Fortunately, I didn't grow up struggling with that and always held onto my identity as a Korean. Even now, I introduce myself as Korean and deeply feel like a Korean to the point that I sometimes forget I'm Canadian. I think that's possible because I have retained the Korean language. By maintaining the language, I could stay connected to Korean culture."
He mentioned, "Anyone growing up between diverse cultures can struggle. There are many individuals within multicultural environments. When discussing the global aspect of our culture today, if we truly want to globalize through our culture, couldn't we enlist the power of global creators? Those who, like me, deeply understand Korean culture while also having an understanding of other cultural realms could be examples of that. In that regard, I think the essence of true Koreanness and what belongs to Korea is slowly changing. There are many people within that cultural framework, including myself, so I think we should listen to those creators."
When asked if the dual identity of Lumi as both a hunter and a demon is linked to her growth background, Maggie Kang replied, "It's not intentional," but added, "In many cases, one can see a connection to their ethnic and racial integrity, which is a beautiful phenomenon. Not only culturally but also children like my daughter, who have Korean and Caucasian parents, can relate to and find solace in that, and I believe that is true globalism."
Regarding the future of K-content, he expressed, "I think confidence is important. We need to have confidence in our culture and in the perspectives that Korea holds. The moment we start to be conscious of others' gazes, trying to cater to what the audience wants and their opinions, I believe authenticity is lost. That becomes apparent to the audience. They can sense when you are trying to give them what they want, but that's not what they truly desire. They genuinely seek the real you. Therefore, I tried to show the real thing through this work. I aimed to reveal the culture and Korean sentiment as it is. While taking on such a challenge can evoke fear due to the potential for it to go wrong, thinking differently, it could also result in great success. Hence, I believe "K-Pop Demon Hunters" did well because, in the production process, the touch of the creators was authentic and real. I think that in order for Korean culture to spread globally and be loved more, we should show it just as it is, with confidence."
When asked about the reason why "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is loved globally, Maggie Kang replied, "Ultimately, the charm lies in the story. The beauty of the film lies in the ability to empathize sincerely with every character. Movies are the best form of art in breaking down barriers. No matter where you go, everyone ultimately shares similar desires: to be loved, recognized, and to have stability. Each person has things hidden away, areas where they feel shame. Everyone can relate to that. I learned that even young children can empathize with those aspects. During an early screening, there was a 6-year-old girl who understood Lumi's fears, saying she was afraid her friends wouldn't accept her, thus wanting to hide parts of herself. I think it is this point of empathy that allows diverse people across age, gender, and race to love the film."
In fact, it took exactly "7 years" for "K-Pop Demon Hunters" to come to life, and he revealed that the part that took the longest was the story. Director Maggie Kang emphasized that, "When people watch a movie, if the visuals are stunning but the story or character narratives are lacking, they won't watch it. That's because there's no connection."
Addressing the anticipated sequel that many fans are looking forward to, she mentioned, "There's no official story yet. In my view, I couldn't show 100% of the backstories to the fans. There are many stories. I have ideas," she added. "I want to showcase more of Korea's music styles, like trot. Trot is becoming trendy these days. I also want to show different genres of K-Pop. I would like to include heavy metal as well." Regarding Jin-woo's fate in the film, she jested, "You might think he's dead, but we don't know. And I believe Korean content has a penchant for tragedy."
When asked about the potential for "K-Pop Demon Hunters" to receive nominations for prestigious film awards like the American Academy Awards, Maggie Kang cautiously stated, "No one participates in creative activities for that reason. Of course, there may be those who do, but if could receive recognition in any form, I think it would have a tremendous significance and it's a great honor." She added, "I never imagined I would be so loved. I am grateful for the love shown to our movie, and I want to express my gratitude on behalf of my team as well."
[Photo] Netflix
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