The Kpop animated film Demon Hunters has been a hot topic since its release. Not only is the storyline exciting, the songs from this film also managed to boom and attract many fans. One of them comes from the fictional group Saja Boys, who are now popular thanks to their soundtrack.
Behind the success, director Maggie Kang finally revealed the inspiration behind the birth of Saja Boys. In an interview with the YouTube channel Q with Tom Power, he said that the group was inspired by the legendary South Korean boy group.
"Yes, actually at that time I remembered a group called HOT," said Maggie Kang, reminiscing about the past when she was still a fangirl in Canada. Maggie recounts growing up with the early wave of K-pop in the 1990s.
She even admitted to having HOT posters plastered on her bedroom walls. For Maggie, those memories were one of the biggest influences in shaping the Saja Boys' character. HOT itself is known as the first generation Kpop boy group which debuted in 1996 under SM Entertainment.
The group consisting of Moon Hee-jun, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta, and Lee Jae-won is considered a pioneer who paved the way for the modern Kpop industry. Their songs like Candy, We Are The Future, and Happiness became big hits and are still remembered today.
HOT's popularity at the time even made them dubbed as "Korea's first idol" who succeeded in creating a huge fandom wave. Not only about music, clothing style, energetic choreography, and the white fandom concept that HOT carries has had a big influence on the development of Kpop.
That's why Maggie felt emotionally connected to the group, to the point where she eventually made HOT her inspiration when creating Saja Boys. If you pay attention, the similarities between Saja Boys and HOT are quite obvious.
The Saja Boys character is depicted with an energetic stage style, eccentric clothing, and a strong aura of friendship between the members. It reflects how HOT used to perform on stage with powerful choreography, unique 90s fashion, and an image as an icon of Korean youth.
In fact, the concept of the Saja Boys' loyal fandom in the film also seems to be a tribute to the "White Angels", the name of HOT's official fandom which always fills the stadium with a sea of white balloons.
Furthermore, Maggie emphasized that Kpop Demon Hunters is not just an animated film filled with action and music. Maggie said that her work was also a love letter to K-pop fandoms around the world, especially for the generation that grew up with legendary boy groups like HOT.
With this recognition, it is no surprise that audiences now increasingly see Saja Boys not only as fictional characters, but also as a representation of the legendary spirit of the first generation of K-pop until now.
Post a Comment