When KPOP Demon Hunters started streaming on Netflix, the audience received exactly what the title promised: dazzling animation, pop-infused energy, and a story that balanced warm friendships with demon-slaying spectacle. However, according to songwriter and performer Ejae, who voiced Rumi, one of the most personal and emotional songs in the film never made it into the final cut.<\/p>\n
Ejae wrote dozens of songs during the film’s long development cycle, but only a handful made it into the final film. Some were ultimately cut, including a centerpiece of the soundtrack – a ballad closely connected to Rumi’s emotional journey. Ejae described the cut track as a “dark but hopeful” ballad that focused on Rumi, which could have moved the tone of the film in a powerful way, spotlighting a more susceptible side of the character and showcasing Ejae’s vocal range.<\/p>\n
\n“I think there was one that was very personal, and it’s as if she was collapsing. It was a very dark ballad, but still hopeful, but was a bit of grief. It was powerful. It was something I loved singing, but it’s not there. But who knows? Maybe the next one.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Could the Ballad Return in a Sequel?<\/h2>\n
Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have already expressed interest in a sequel, which is currently in conversations between Netflix and Sony. For Kang, the priority is to ensure that a follow-up feels targeted. Appelhans added that a continuation would require the filmmakers to break away from the structure of the first film, making it a fun and creative challenge.<\/p>\n
\n“I believe the second is also driven by this.” – Maggie Kang<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This creative approach leaves room for new types of storytelling, and a character-driven ballad like the one Ejae described could be exactly the kind of fresh element that would enhance a second film. If and when KPOP Demon Hunters gets another chapter, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ejae’s unused ballad finally gets its moment in the spotlight.<\/p>\n
The Future of KPOP Demon Hunters<\/h2>\n
KPOP Demon Hunters is currently streaming on Netflix. The film’s success has sparked interest in a potential sequel, and with the directors’ openness to new ideas and storytelling approaches, the future of the franchise looks promising. Fans can stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the film.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KPOP Demon Hunters: The Emotional Ballad That Never Made It When KPOP Demon Hunters started streaming on Netflix, the audience received exactly what the title promised: dazzling animation, pop-infused energy, and a story that balanced warm friendships with demon-slaying spectacle. However, according to songwriter and performer Ejae, who voiced Rumi, one of the most personal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[6498,4177,6078,5889,1930,489,6077,6076,3061,1285,1089],"class_list":{"0":"post-24115","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-film-tv","8":"tag-ballad","9":"tag-behind-the-scenes","10":"tag-chris-appelhans","11":"tag-demon","12":"tag-k-pop","13":"tag-netflix","14":"tag-rumi","15":"tag-rumis","16":"tag-sequel","17":"tag-sony-pictures","18":"tag-storytelling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24117,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24115\/revisions\/24117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nanamedia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}