Have you ever watched KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix or performed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Chances are high the reply is ‘sure,’ and if not, you’ve definitely heard of them: each had been launched earlier this 12 months to pretty glowing evaluations (if not outright vital acclaim) and carried out very nicely commercially. The latter, a turn-based RPG from newcomer Sandfall Interactive, will seemingly decide up some awards at 12 months’s finish, whereas Netflix is planning to go all in on KPop. Together with talks of sequels and an ever-growing wave of merchandise, the streamer submitted the mid-movie track “Golden” for Academy Award consideration. Each may wind up leaping to live-action; Expedition had a film introduced months earlier than the sport’s launch, whereas Netflix is reportedly mulling over a remake with human actors. There’s at the very least one film, recreation, or present that turns into the discuss of the city annually, however the way in which KPop and Expedition have been transferring feels extra vital than most. Each of them definitely construct on the inspiration set by their predecessors; musically, Ok-pop has been a preferred style for years, nevertheless it’s attainable basic audiences didn’t totally know simply how a lot till now. Even when people didn’t watch KPop Demon Hunters, they’ve positive heard the music, which has risen within the charts within the weeks after launch and beat actual teams like BTS and Blackpink. (In a enjoyable nod to the movie, the 2 bands, Huntrix and the Saja Boys, grew to become the highest-charting feminine and male Ok-pop teams for U.S. Spotify whereas competing in opposition to one another.) A number of distinguished artists within the style have reacted to or coated the movie’s music, which has additionally turn into a viral sensation in Korea. Even earlier than that time, viewers had KPop fever the second the credit rolled and instantly demanded Netflix greenlight a sequel and shared their concepts for a TV spinoff. In the meantime, Expedition 33 was constructed on the again of a long time’ price of turn-based RPGs made in Japan, from heavy hitters like Ultimate Fantasy and Persona to trendy cult classics Blue Dragon and Misplaced Odyssey. Whether or not you knew the influences or not, that didn’t cease the sport from feeling like a breath of recent air (nicely, paint) at a time when the business might’ve used some excellent news in between the following rounds of layoffs and cancellation-focused information. It’s additionally a recreation that did its job too nicely: between dangerous religion actors and a basic must deify Sandfall for making a robust debut title, the RPG has turn into overwhelmed by discussions about what its success might and will imply for the business—and, extra pointedly, the ever-evolving Ultimate Fantasy franchise, whose mainline installments have taken extra of a real-time fight focus—that subsequently smothered any actual talks about its mechanics or late-game narrative swerves. Sandfall’s saved its head down and centered on updating the sport (and possibly its subsequent venture subsequent), so it’s arduous to know the way a lot of this has gone to their heads, for higher and worse.
For folk hoping for some originality, KPop Demon Hunters and Expedition 33 couldn’t have come at a greater time. The 2020s have seen franchises begin to buckle beneath steady sequels and expanded universe video games, prompting many to return to their outdated methods, if not reboot solely. So many headlines have centered on what’s being rebooted or remade, what’s coming again for one more go years or a long time after the very fact. Unique works really feel extra uncommon than they’ve in a while, even regardless of the percentages changing into more and more stacked in opposition to them. It’s all the time been a crap shoot as to what originals will land with audiences and to what diploma, as seen with the cut up between how they took to 2023’s Elemental versus Elio this previous summer season. However when one looks like it’s obtained the juice, there’s hope that it will possibly construct up the right momentum and discover an viewers so it turns into a real nice. Or failing that, it will possibly all the time be a stepping stone in the direction of later tasks from its creators and achieve extra consideration down the road. Netflix will get to satisfy a number of of its KPop-related ambitions, and if Sandfall ever makes an Expedition sequel, gamers will likely be throughout it. However probably the most fascinating factor about them is seeing the shadow they’ll have each solid years after the very fact and what new creations come to comply with in its footsteps. And if what comes subsequent appears to be like, sounds, and performs as nice as what impressed them or finds their very own voice, it’ll all have been price it. Need extra io9 information? Try when to count on the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on movie and TV, and every thing it’s essential learn about the way forward for Physician Who.
