Culture & Code

Episode: What We Can Learn about Relatability from Kpop Demon Hunters and Labubu

Hosts: Rei Inamoto & Tara Tan
Date: September 2, 2025

Episode Theme:

Exploring Relatability in Modern Pop Culture and Technology

Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan delve into why fictional characters (like those in "K-Pop Demon Hunters" and the toy figure Labubu) resonate powerfully with modern audiences. The conversation spans themes of escapism, multidimensionality in character design, tension as a source of authenticity, and implications for branding and media industries.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Phenomenon of K-Pop Demon Hunters

• Overview:

  • "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has rapidly become a breakout animated hit, blending K-pop, action, and supernatural themes.
  • Despite Sony producing the film for ~$100M, they sold all rights to Netflix for only $20M.
  • The film is now Netflix’s #1 box office performer and a major pop culture hit.

• Notable Data:

  • 20 million in box office sales, over 1,000 sold-out sing-along screenings, songs hitting #1 on Billboard (02:45-04:47).

• Behind the Scenes:

  • Writer/director Maggie K. worked on the project for seven years before teaming with Chris Applehans.
  • Targeted at the “tween” 8-12 demographic but resonates beyond that due to mature themes (04:47-07:48].
  • Rei’s teen daughter described it as enjoyable but "not that deep," while Tara found its themes quite mature:

    “The parts of yourself that you don’t like or you have to keep hidden... there’s a lot of pretty—not adult, but they didn’t infantilize a lot of themes.” – Tara (06:45)

2. Labubu: The ‘Ugly Cute’ Toy Phenomenon

• Background:

  • Designed in 2015 by Hong Kong artist Kassing Lang; picked up by Pop Mart in 2019.
  • Grew into a cultural craze once celebrities like Lisa featured Labubu toys.
  • The thrill of “blind box” purchases (not knowing which color/variant you’ll get) fuels collectibility and happiness (09:21-11:51].

• Design Note:

  • Labubu’s appeal owes much to its "edgy" and "mischievous" look, straying from the 'purity' of traditional cute mascots (12:17-14:35).

    “Labubus are kind of, like you said, ugly cute. They’re not adorable... a little bit ugly. Not that cute.” – Tara (12:19)

3. Escapism, Relatability, and Contradiction in Modern Characters

• Increasing Desire for Escapism:

  • Rei suggests fatigue with ‘reality’ drives engagement with alternate realities or fantastical characters.
  • Tara argues it’s not escapism per se, but multidimensionality that resonates: characters are edgy, cute, mischievous, and imperfect.

• Tension and Contradiction:

  • Characters like those in "K-Pop Demon Hunters" and Labubu possess inherent contradictions—good and bad, fun and dark, innocent and mischievous.

    “Having tension or even contradiction makes it interesting... not having to be so perfect to be a demon hunter or a hero.” – Rei (17:44-18:41)

• Authenticity Re-Defined:

  • Both hosts argue that authenticity and relatability now stem from showing complexity, not just ‘realism’ or traditional authenticity marketing.
  • Quoting/referencing a Vogue Business article:

    “Relatability or authenticity is relatability. But actually, whether it’s escapism or not, it’s the contradiction that exists in the real world, even within that individual, makes that character or that person more interesting and potentially relatable.” – Rei (19:00, paraphrasing)

4. Branding and IP in the Age of Multidimensionality

• From Flatness to Multi-layered Identities:

  • Tara rejects the idea that brands should only cultivate escapist fantasies; instead, brands and IPs should be comfortable showing ‘creative tension’ and multidimensionality.

    “I think that what Labuu Boo and K Pop Demon Hunters... showcase is that people want multi-dimensionality. They want this sort of brand tension. Creative tension.” – Tara (16:10)

• Implications for the Business of Media:

  • The success (and miscalculation) around "K-Pop Demon Hunters" signals a need for the industry to recognize unconventional, multidimensional IPs.
  • Netflix’s experimental, rapid iteration approach to content development is contrasted with traditional studios’ big-bet strategies (22:16-23:33).
  • The role of AI: Studios will test larger batches of concepts at lower initial spend, shifting industry economics and creativity (23:33-24:12).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Multidimensionality:

  “It’s ugly, but it’s cute. It’s innocent, but it’s mischievous. It’s fun, but it’s kind of dark. Like, I feel like this sort of multi-dimensionality people want... lifts it up from flatness.”
  – Tara (16:35)

• On Contradiction and Relatability:

  “Whether it’s in the form of these animated characters in Demon Hunters or Labubu, this ugly cute character who’s got a cutesy side, as well as mischievous side, makes it more real and perhaps more relatable.”
  – Rei (18:41)

• On Marketing’s Next Wave:

  “The question becomes how can a brand or a person or a company express that multidimensionality? I think that becomes... the brand strategy going forward for a lot of companies.”
  – Tara (19:13)

• On the Movie Studio Model:

  “The Netflix model, which is like constant experiments... you’re running hundreds of experiments at a time to see which hits. If it hits, then you go big... That’s going to change real fast, right?”
  – Tara (22:16-23:33)

• On What Resonates:

  “Escapism may be a thing, but behind it, it’s this notion of relatability that goes beyond escapism.”
  – Rei (24:12)

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:38–03:12: Introduction of the K-Pop Demon Hunters phenomenon
• 03:12–04:47: Sony’s $100M production, Netflix’s $20M acquisition, box office sensation
• 04:47–07:48: Thematic depth and audience analysis
• 09:21–11:51: Origins and rise of Labubu; celebrity influence and blind-box collectibility
• 12:17–14:35: “Edgy” design and evolution of what’s considered ‘cute’
• 14:35–19:13: Debate: Escapism vs. Relatability, article discussion, multidimensionality in characters/brands
• 19:13–21:02: Multidimensionality as a new branding paradigm; blockbuster unpredictability
• 22:16–24:12: How the Netflix model and AI are reshaping content creation and the IP business
• 24:12–25:18: Final thoughts on IP, relatability, and the future of authenticity

Takeaways

• Modern audiences, especially young people, gravitate towards characters and brands that display tension, contradiction, and multidimensionality rather than flat ideals or manufactured authenticity.
• The rise of properties like K-Pop Demon Hunters and Labubu are emblematic of broader cultural shifts in how connection, aspiration, and reality are negotiated through pop culture.
• Successful brands and media will need to embrace complexity and imperfections to foster relatability in future audiences.
• The traditional entertainment industry may be forced to rethink its approach to development and risk, especially as AI and experimental models like Netflix’s gain traction.

(Timestamps are provided as reference for key moments and quotes. Episode intro, ads, and outros have been omitted for clarity and focus.)