From Boring Beginnings to a Hit Phenomenon

Alright, folks! Let’s talk about the absurd blockbuster that is KPop Demon Hunters. Ever since this bad boy dropped on Netflix June 20 of last year, it’s been smashing streaming records, flying off theater shelves, selling gobs of toys, and racking up trophies left and right. Not to mention, it’s spreading some seriously wholesome vibes about acceptance. Who would’ve thought?

Voice Actors and Their Yawn-Worthy Intro

But hold onto your hats because the story of how the voice actors got into this ride is, well, a snooze fest! Singer and rapper Rei Ami, who brings the dazzling Zoey to life, remembers the casting call was about as thrilling as watching paint dry. “The only info I got was super generic,” she said, reminiscing about her start. The casting notice barely scratched the surface, saying something like, “KPop girl group, also demon slayers by night, powerful music, and they’re badass and cute.” Pretty vague, right?

As far as Zoey goes, all she had was that she needed to be a bilingual singing machine who could rap like a lightning bolt. But even that bland setup turned out to be the perfect recipe for a wild adventure.

The Trio: More Than Just Demon Slayers

Picture this: a trio of fierce women who not only light up the stage, but also tackle demons when the spotlight fades. You’ve got Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo for speaking and Rei Ami for the singing), dancer Mira (with May Hong chitchatting and Audrey Nuna belting out tunes), and Rumi (who’s got Arden Cho’s voice for speaking and Ejae for singing). These gals have got it all!

But here’s the kicker: Rumi’s got a secret—she’s part demon herself! Keeping that under wraps gets tricky when Jinu enters the scene, a human-turned-demon leading a rival boy band called the Saja Boys. Drama alert!

Music with a Message

Now, let’s chat about the music. Those catchy tunes, especially the gem “Golden,” might seem like your standard pumped-up anthem telling you to believe in yourself. You know the drill of kids’ movies preaching the same thing over the years. But wait! Rei and her crew dug deeper and found something way more profound.

“I have no clue what this movie is gonna do, but it’s got everything I love. It’s animation, it’s a Netflix flick, it’s music, and it’s all about Korean culture. It’s basically me in movie form!” Rei declared enthusiastically. And let’s be real, she did draw the line at one high note in “Golden”—she was like, “Manager, tell them I can’t hit this note. I do NOT want to hit this note.” But she still poured her heart into the role, which is just downright admirable.

Validation and Sweet Success

And now look at her! The performers are finally getting the recognition they deserve. “It’s about darn time!” she exclaimed. “We’ve put in the work. We’ve faced a ton of rejection. We were told we were too small or too much!” All that from a casting description that was just blah, yet so full of potential.

So, folks, if you haven’t checked out KPop Demon Hunters yet, do yourself a favor and hit play on Netflix. You won’t regret joining this wild melody of music and monster-slaying!