Netflix invited me to interview several members of the KPop Demon Hunters cast. This movie has made its way to my top ten of all time. I’ve watched it 20 times – with or without my kids! LOL! No shame here.
If you are a fan of this Netflix megahit… and HELLO HOW CAN YOU NOT BE… then scroll down below to read some of my favorite quotes.
When they aren’t selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.
Interview Attendees:
- EJAE (Vocalist – Rumi / Songwriter, “Golden,” “How It’s Done,” “Your Idol” & “Hunter’s Mantra”)
- AUDREY NUNA (Vocalist – Mira)
- REI AMI (Vocalist – Zoey)
- Maggie Kang (Director/Writer)
- Chris Appelhans (Director/Writer)
On The Track Golden:
Maggie Kang spoke a bit about how she kept pushing Ejae for more… and Ejae did NOT disappoint.
MAGGIE: Like, when we were writing Golden, which is very hard to write, we wrote many, many different drafts that were very different from what we have now. And I constantly asked Ejae, like, “Ejae, can you sing higher?” She’s like, “Okay.” And then be like, “No, can we go higher?”
On The Success Of KPop Demon Hunters
Audrey Nuna – the voice behind Mira – opened up about how the reality of success was a slow boil. It was hard for them to accept how incredible the movie was coming together.
AUDREY: I had like an emotional existential crisis during rehearsal ’cause I’m emotionally constipated, so I process things very slowly. Like probably four to six business weeks delayed. And there was a moment I was breaking down in front of you guys. I was like, “Oh my god, what’s going on? Is this real?” [laugh]
Because I think we were working on the song, and it’s one song, you know. So we’re doing the song over and over and over again for the first time. And I think the moment that we felt, we really felt it, was when the three of us connected.
We just felt like one unit. That was like a really big breakthrough.
On The Greatest Takeaway
EJAE says that she experienced many incredible moments and emotions while making Kpop Demon Hunters. But her favorite takeaway was the personal interactions with the fans.
EJAE: The number-one pride I feel with the whole movie? Oh, I said this the other day so it’ll make me cry again. I got a lot of DMs from fans. And, like, they’re telling me that the movie saved them. Like, one fan, her, you know, parent passed away.
And then the next day, you know, her man was like, “You should watch Kpop Demon Hunters. It’s really good.” And she’s like, “Ah, okay.” And then she just turned it on. It grabbed her attention because the airplay seemed pretty fire. [laugh] And then she watched the whole thing and just started crying.
And she’s like, “Again,” and then again. She told me. No, she didn’t tell me, actually. Her man told me. And he was like, “It really saved her. I didn’t see her smile in so long, and she got to smile.”
On Watching Fans’ Reactions Online
Have you ever wondered if celebrities watch the personal reactions you post online? THEY DO! Here’s what Ejae had to say about fans singing and reacting to the movie.
EJAE: Yes. Well, I don’t watch all of them. My dad and my mom, my fiance sends me a bunch of videos of that. And it’s interesting to watch. ‘Cause they’re like, “She’s doing this technical skill which makes her voice up here.” And I respect that too. But I don’t think I was. Like, [laugh] I’m trying to think. I’m like, “No,” ’cause I know what a mixed voice sounds like in my voice.
I was definitely not doing a mixed voice. It was a chest mixed into the mix. That was like an interesting experience to watch.
On The Double Meaning Of Saja Boys
Maggie Kang – the director of Kpop Demon Hunters – says that Saja Boys actually has a double meaning. There is more to that boy band than just some sick moves. Messenger and Lion.
MAGGIE: So yeah, the Saja Boys, the idea of the Saja Boys came very early. It was probably within the first month of coming up with the concept. Always wanted the Jeoseung Saja, which is the Grim Reaper of Korean Demonology. And they are like the black cat demons that we see at the end that the Saja Boys turn into.
The meaning behind messenger. It’s Jeoseung Saja, which is like the Grim Reaper. So it has ties to that. The kind of the demon. But it’s also lion. And so because these guys are two-faced, it just felt like a fun way to just lean into the wordplay of that. And I was like, well, also, nobody’s gonna name any group Saja Boys because of that.
What an amazing movie and what an incredible cast! If you haven’t watch KPop Demon Hunters yet, be sure to check out Netflix TODAY.