Cookie Capers (Ep. 106): K-PopPop

I wasn’t ready. That’s the only way I can put it.

It was a typical weekday of quality time with my favorite cookies, Gianna (my warm Peanut Butter cookie) and her baby cousin Kamari (my Oatmeal Raisin cookie).  They really should be siblings because they look so much alike and love each other immensely.

I was told that she loves the new Netflix movie, K-Pop Demon Hunters. K-Pop: a very popular South Korean music genre, but not really my thing. I’m old school, but y’all know that. 80s R&B/Funk. But hey, Gianna loves the movie, and yes, it’s always for my babies, my grandbeauty and grandbuddy.

The Lineup

So who are the demon hunters? A world-renowned trio of singers who also guard over the world as demon hunters: Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ahn Hyo-seop), this generation’s roster of pop performing protectors.

It also stars some folks I do know: Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun (the Front Man from Squid Game), Daniel Dae Kim (from Angel and Lost), and Liza Koshy.

Again, not my thing, but a far cry from the “Thriller” video that had popped up on my Youtube suggestion list. It would have scared them half to death.

Well, honestly, not Gianna. 4 months shy of 3 years old, and she loves that stuff. She was heavy into Halloween music, and the monsters never bothered her one bit. And baby Kamari? At 8 months of age, he’s too young to even know what’s going on. I think.

Anyway, back to the movie…

Showtime

So we started the movie. No surprises. History of demon hunters, introduction of our girls and their role in all of this, opening number, and fight to demonstrate their prowess.

Ok, let’s be honest. Dude, these girls came in hard, KILLING it.

Next, the introduction of demons and the hunters’ new nemeses, five male demons known as the Saja boys.

Yeah, these bruthas came in just as cold.

Before I knew it, I was fully invested. If I wasn’t wondering what would happen next, I was jamming to the songs, and every single one was straight fire! Gianna knew all of the songs, but Kamari and I were following along in stride, learning the catchy choruses for ourselves.

And the story? Solid. I mean a really good plot and tale with awesome action, vibrant colors and plenty of laughs.

I was especially impressed with the demons’ main groove, “Your Idol.” Dark, creepy, sinister, scary. And when they crept towards the camera one minute into the song, I went “whoooooahh.” It was only for a second, but smooth as hell. The music was fierce, and the video was the perfect complement, making the statement all the more definitive (Gotta give it to these family movies, the villain songs are usually the best entries in the soundtrack. To me, this was no exception).

And the girls’ follow-up song, “This Is What It Sounds Like,” was no slouch either. My second favorite, a majestic proclamation of self-awareness. The energetic buildup, fueled by that heavy bass beat, made me (k-)Bop furiously. And once again, the animation only elevated it.

I enjoyed it even more during my second viewing of the film, which was immediately after the credits stopped rolling with the extra footage of the real-life actors recording the songs in the studio. Chef’s kiss…

The Verdict

As I mentioned in the opening, I wasn’t ready and I didn’t expect it, but before I knew it, I had become a “grandpa groupie.”

So how many times have I seen it? Four, not including all the times I was into something else with it playing in the background. And yeah, it plays a lot here. When Gianna likes something, she truly likes it:

• Nastya
• The new Wonka movie
• Barbie
• Miss Rachel
• The Wiggles

The Wiggles… Ooh, don’t get me started on The Wiggles. That’s another Cookie Capers tale in itself.

All I know is that when she gets picked up in the afternoons, and she’s talking about K-Pop Demon Hunters and asking me if I liked it, the answer is obvious.

Call me K-POPPop. Demon Granddaddy.

But don’t take my word for it. Check them out on Netflix and see “How It’s Done (Done, Done)” for yourself…

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We’ll come to you…

That being said, hit it, girls. I’m ready for the Takedown, one more time.