[The Editors' Verdict] What the Global Success of Two K-Animations Has Left Behind

Recently, two K-animations have become the talk of the town. The main characters are none other than "K-Pop Demon Hunters" and "King of Kings."

'K-Pop Demon Hunters' Still Cut

"K-Pop Demon Hunters," also known as "Kedeheon," tells the story of a three-member K-pop girl group called Huntrix, who take on the role of demon hunters. Honestly, expectations were not high. Idols who sing K-pop hunting demons? The title alone seemed to suggest a predictable storyline.

However, the signs are anything but ordinary. Kedeheon was released on Netflix on June 20, and as of July 16, nearly a month later, it still holds the number two spot in global Netflix film viewership.

Moreover, all eight songs from the animation's original soundtrack entered the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart simultaneously. Among them, the song "Golden" even climbed to the impressive sixth position. This track also topped both the Billboard Global (excluding the US) and Global 200 charts.

Notably, the animation features not only songs performed by the main characters (mostly in English), but also background music from legendary K-pop acts such as Seo Taiji and Boys, Deux, EXO, TWICE, and Melomance, adding a sense of familiarity for viewers. The animation also showcases various Seoul landmarks like Bukchon Hanok Village and N Seoul Tower, as well as Korean foods such as gimbap, ramen, seolleongtang, and hotteok, which catch the eye. Characters inspired by traditional folk paintings, such as magpies and tigers, are also gaining huge popularity.

'King of Kings' still cut

The other animation, "King of Kings," depicts the life of Jesus Christ. It also tells the story of the renowned British author Charles Dickens, famous for "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol," recounting the life of Jesus to his youngest son Walter, which leads to reconciliation between father and son.

This film was released in Korea on July 16, after premiering in North America, including the United States and Canada, in April. As a result, it grossed 60 million dollars (approximately 82.2 billion won) at the North American box office. It surpassed director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (53.84 million dollars), setting a new record as the highest-grossing Korean film ever in North America. Receiving critical acclaim locally, it is now set for a re-release at the end of this year.

The two works are strikingly different in content. The former is centered on occult themes involving exorcism, while the latter is based on a Christian worldview. Additionally, while the former uses K-pop as its subject, it was produced by Sony Pictures, a Japanese-American company. In contrast, the latter, although focused on a religious rather than K-culture theme, is a homegrown animation made by a Korean production company, which is also intriguing.

Some express regret that Kedeheon was produced by a Japanese-affiliated company. Although a Korean-Canadian co-directed the project and K-pop artists and producers participated in the music production, the fact remains that it was not domestically produced. There are concerns that this could lead to a loss of production leadership in K-content.

But let's consider the opposite case. King of Kings, in terms of content, is not K-content at all. Yet, this work is a K-animation created entirely with domestic technology and capital. Still, no one abroad has complained or worried about foreign content being made in Korea.

The globalization of culture fosters understanding and communication among people around the world. It also creates new economic opportunities. When cultural content gains global popularity, its influence can be industrialized and converted into economic value. Does it really matter who makes it or which country it comes from? Ultimately, the global market cares less about "where" content is made and more about "how well" it is made. Now, the key is not nationality, but whether the content authentically and effectively represents culture.