Verbal Diorama is a podcast all about How It's Done. It being movies, and to be honest, this one is as Golden as they come. I'm Free to Takedown the history and legacy of KPop Demon Hunters, with the outcome of me becoming Your Idol. This is What It Sounds Like... my little Soda Pop.When director Maggie Kang set out to create an animated musical combining K-pop, Korean mythology, and a demon-slaying girl group, she had a clear vision: to make a film authentically rooted in Korean culture. After more than a decade working...
Verbal Diorama is a podcast all about How It's Done. It being movies, and to be honest, this one is as Golden as they come. I'm Free to Takedown the history and legacy of KPop Demon Hunters, with the outcome of me becoming Your Idol. This is What It Sounds Like... my little Soda Pop.
When director Maggie Kang set out to create an animated musical combining K-pop, Korean mythology, and a demon-slaying girl group, she had a clear vision: to make a film authentically rooted in Korean culture. After more than a decade working on major animated projects, Kang pitched what she called her "love letter to K-pop" and her Korean heritage to Sony Pictures Animation. The result was KPop Demon Hunters, a film that would go on to become a global phenomenon that no-one saw coming.
The film's success exceeded all expectations. KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most-watched film ever with over 500 million views, surpassing even Squid Game. The soundtrack made history as the first film soundtrack to place four songs in the Billboard Hot 100's top ten simultaneously, with lead single "Golden" holding the number one spot for eight weeks. The song earned five Grammy nominations, and songwriter EJAE became the first Korean American woman nominated for Song of the Year.
KPop Demon Hunters represents a significant evolution in the Korean Wave. Created by a largely non-Korean production team in America, the film nonetheless maintained deep cultural authenticity, from its references to Korean girl groups of the past, and to Korean shamanism, to the small details like how characters use their chopsticks. It combines vibrant animation with KPop culture, creating a unique visual and audible feast. The soundtrack is not just catchy; it's Golden.
Play me on repeat 끝없이 in your head.
Support Verbal Diorama
Loved this episode? Here's how you can help:
⭐ Leave a 5-star review on your podcast app
💰 Join the Patreon for bonus content and early access
☕ Send a tip to support the show
📱 Share this episode with fellow film lovers
Get In Touch
I would love to hear your thoughts on KPop Demon Hunters
- Twitter: @verbaldiorama
- Instagram: @verbaldiorama
- Facebook: @verbaldiorama
- Letterboxd: @verbaldiorama
- Email: verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com
- Website: verbaldiorama.com
About Verbal Diorama
Ear Worthy 2024 Best Movie Podcast Winner | Golden Lobes 2025 Earworm Award Nominee | Ear Worthy 2025 Best Movie Podcast Nominee
Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em.
Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song
Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe
Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)
Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
Thank You to Our Patreon Supporters
Current Patrons: Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Ian, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Heather, Danny, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle, Aaron and Sebastian
Thank you for supporting Verbal Diorama.
Mentioned in this episode:
Patreon
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
