How ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Became One of Netflix’s Biggest — and Most Unexpected — Hits, ‘Fandom isn’t slowing down’
Fan Voices: FandomIQ blog -kpop-demon-hunters-success-netflix-Fandom
Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and Netflix film boss Dan Lin weigh in on how a unique concept and authenticity propelled the animated feature into long-term success.
The animated feature has officially shot to the No. 4 spot on Netflix’s most popular English-language films list with 158.8 million views, according to data released Tuesday. The project — which chronicles the adventures of Huntrix, a girl group comprised of three members who just happen to also fight monsters from the underworld — has been a surprise hit for the streamer, and its soundtrack has spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Demon Hunters has done surprisingly well considering the fact it is original IP, something of a rarity in successful animation in recent years. Going into the film, Netflix execs say they knew they had an audience who would tune in, but the scope of Demon Hunter’s reach has grown far past that initial target demographic.
“We knew younger female audiences and K-pop [and] anime fans would love this film, but it’s been incredibly gratifying to see it embraced by an even broader audience and become a favorite film for both adults and kids,” Dan Lin, chairman of Netflix, film tells THR. “Adults are watching the movie with their friends or other family members, kids are watching with their friends and siblings.”
The Hollywood Reporter
How do fandom types differ? A taxonomy of K-pop fandom with network embedding
Since fandom as a distinctive customer group known for their exceptional loyalty and profitability has increasingly gained influence, fandom marketing has become crucial for the success of businesses. However, there is a lack of quantitative methods to identify and classify different types of fandoms. This study proposes a network embedding-based approach to identifying different types of fandoms. The proposed approach is applied to the K-pop industry, which has experienced remarkable growth due to its fandom. A fandom of a K-pop artist is captured as a network of Twitter users based on their mention relationships
Science Direct / Entertainment Computing
The Business of Belonging: Tapping Into the Power of Fandom (video)
Cultivating a loyal fan base is every brand’s dream. So why not take a page out of the book of companies that have made fandom the foundation of their business? Hear from execs at Weverse, Crunchyroll, and Wattpad to gain an understanding of how these companies cultivate and serve their diehard fandoms.
Fast Company
