A short 40 -second teaser for the animated film K-pop hunters He turned on a storm of criticism in South Korea, with spectators who accused the production team of shamelessly exploit Blackpink for promotional gain. The teaser, which highlights a scene with an imaginary group of girls named Huntr/X who performs on a large stage, explicitly states that the scene was inspired by the iconic performance of Blackpink Coachella.
“Blackpink and Jennie are not a charity. Stop this absurdity.”
“Before it was Jennie, now they are dragging the entire group. Look at it to deny it next week.”
“It is embarrassing as they continue to use Blackpink for weight, then backtrack.”
These are just some of the countless flood platforms such as X (previously Twitter), in which the hashtags relating to the dispute are tending globally.
This is not the first time that the film is in hot water. The director had previously suggested, without confirmation, that the main female character was freely based on Jennie (Blackpink). Although there has never been an official involvement by Jennie or his agency, the insinuation alone was sufficient to arouse a repercussions spread by K-pop fans who considered him as a calculated stratagem.
In a separate revelation, the fans have also noticed disturbing similarities between the main male character and CHA Eun Woo, further fueling the suspicions that the production team has “borrowed” similarities and vibrations from various popular idols. Names like BIG BANG, BTS, Txt, Stray children, Monsta XAND Brings According to reports, they were all mentioned as inspirations in vague promotional interviews.
What feeds anger even more is the fact that K-pop hunters It does not need extra hum. In August, it is the most watched animated function on Netflix in 93 countries, ranking n. 1 in the United States, in the United Kingdom, France, Japan and South Korea. Its original soundtrack, GoldenHe reached the number 3 on Billboard 200 and set up a new record for the most stream Ost animated in his first week on Spotify Us, exceeding the previous K-Pop records set by BTS and Blackpink themselves.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts an extraordinary 96% soundtrack and is already considered a captrunner for the 2026 Oscar in the categories of Better animated function AND Best original song.
Despite the awards, many argue that the continuous dependence on the creators on the Blackpink brand, without permission or direct collaboration, undermines their success and establishes a previous problem for future k-pop themed media.
As a Netizen said in no uncertain terms: “Are you already at the top. Why continue to bleed the idols that have nothing to do with your project?”
Sources: Kenh14
