"Herbal Medicine, Tigers, and Architecture Are All Chinese Culture," Claims Emerge
Netflix Not Officially Available in China
Korean Netizens Say, "They're Just Jealous"
Netflix's new release "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which centers on K-pop idols, has gained significant popularity after its release on June 20, reaching the number one spot in the global series category within just three days. Amid this success, some Chinese netizens have claimed that the show was created by stealing elements of Chinese culture.
As of June 23, the largest Chinese review platform, Douban, has accumulated more than 600 reviews for "K-Pop Demon Hunters." While many users left positive feedback such as "well-made," some users pointed out the appearance of traditional knots, herbal medicine, tigers, and architectural styles in the show, insisting that these elements are unique to Chinese culture.
Chinese netizens commented, "It's well-made, but many aspects of Chinese culture are subtly borrowed," "Is Korea no longer going to hide its cultural appropriation and plagiarism?" "I was furious after watching it. Almost everything is plagiarized from China," and "Why are Chinese elements being included in something that's supposed to be Korean? It's absurd."
However, the ironic point is that Netflix is not officially available in China. As a result, Chinese netizens must use private download and streaming sites to access the content, all of which are considered illegal.
In response, Korean netizens commented, "How can they accuse others of stealing culture while illegally watching the video themselves?" "It's absurd that they keep insisting everything is Chinese culture," and "While East Asian culture may have originated from China in the past, now that most of the popular content is uniquely Korean, they're just jealous."
Meanwhile, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is an action-fantasy animation that tells the story of K-pop superstars Lumi, Mira, and Joy, who serve as hidden heroes protecting the world behind their glamorous stage personas. The film was directed by Korean-American directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation, the studio behind "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Voice actors include Arden Cho, Mei Hong, Ahn Hyo-seop, Yoo Ji-young, Kim Yunjin, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun, and Daniel Dae Kim, known as "Kkwajijju." TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung also participated in the OST "Takedown."
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