#twice

#twice

The Korean wave or hallyu that brought the country's culture to the world has now well and truly engulfed Latin America.

Netflix's smash-hit, Oscar-nominated animated film KPop Demon Hunters is returning for a sequel, with the fictional Korean girl group HUNTR/X coming back to lay down pop hits and smash evil boybands (and/or other demons). Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans will once again direct their first project in an exclusive multiyear writing and directing partnership with Netflix.

Netflix is currently negotiating with concert promoters to stage an arena concert tour in venues that hold 10,000 to 20,0000 fans. At the moment, plans have not been solidified and the entire thing could fall through if Netflix decides to scrap the plan to save cash or some of the creative ideas don't work out.

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that the issue is safety and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country's global cultural standing.

Korean culture has become a familiar presence in American life. K-pop dominates global charts, K-dramas have become staples on streaming platforms, Korean food has moved from specialty shops to neighborhood grocery stores, and K-beauty brands line retail shelves nationwide. As Korean culture reaches new audiences, Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared traces the artistic traditions that have shaped today's cultural momentum.

The announcement doesn't show any of the sets in full, but it does have a brief tease of what looks like a model of Derpy, the demon tiger and pseudo-mascot of the movie, knocking down a potted plant made up of Legos. Fans will know that one of Derpy's quirks is that he knocks down plants like a regular cat, but becomes fixated on trying (and, without thumbs, failing) to set them back up.

ILLIT's Not Cute Anymore came out a couple of months ago. It's an incredibly impressive pop song. It has this kind of, like, light, lithe, rocksteady vibe to it. I also hear it as a little bit of a pointed rebuke to how a lot of girl groups are framed in K-pop. Innocent. Sweet. And maybe it's a bit of a broadside in the ongoing K-pop war between NewJeans and their parent label, Hybe.

Over the last several years, Netflix has positioned itself as one of the few video streaming services focused on making an impact in the music industry. From the surprise revival of older songs like Bush's "Running Up That Hill" and Metallica's "Master of Puppets" in shows like "Stranger Things," to streaming the most originally produced music documentaries, there's no doubt Netflix's audience is musically in tune.