Actor Ahn Hyo-seop is garnering attention from the global market with just one voice acting performance.

Netflix’s animated film ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters ‘starring Ahn Hyo-seop has emerged as a global sensation after being mentioned by American film media Variety as one of the’ films that should be nominated for the 2025 Oscar Animated Feature Film category ‘.

Variety said, “‘ K-Pop Demon Hunters ‘is a colorful and dynamic musical journey and a cultural festival that combines animation aesthetics and K - POP elements, “adding,” It’s a film that the Oscar animated feature film category deserves to see.”

The work is a hybrid action musical animation about members of a world-famous K - POP girl group hunting demons off-stage.It was co-directed by Sony Pictures Animation, which produced ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ and directors Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans, increasing its perfection.

Immediately after its release, it entered the Netflix TOP 10 in over 90 countries, and ranked first in over 40 of them, creating a box office hit.It received favorable reviews for its visual style, action direction, and three-dimensionality of the characters, recording a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

OST also achieved global success.The album ranked 3rd on the US Billboard album chart, and the track “Your Idol” ranked 1st on Spotify’s US daily chart.

Ahn Hyo-seop played the role of Jin-woo, the leader of K - POP group ‘Lion Boys’ and an idol grim reaper in the drama, and led the character’s narrative with emotional expression and immersion that went beyond simple voice acting.His global acting ability was newly highlighted as he received favorable reviews such as “acting that conveyed emotions with just his voice.”

In particular, the cover video of the theme song ‘FREE’, which he sang himself, surpassed 10 million views on YouTube within a day of its release.The video, which is a result of combining the unique sensibility of K - POP with the emotion of animation, led to the expansion of the fandom and received praise that “one voice can make the world cry.”

Overseas media outlets also paid attention.The American Collider praised him, saying, “Ahn Hyo-seop perfectly embodies the intellectual yet charismatic Jin-woo,” and global communities such as Reddit followed with comments such as, “He breathed life into the character with his voice acting,” and “His acting made me feel the essence of storytelling again.”

‘Jinwoo’ is considered by fans to be a symbol connected to the identity of the actual K - POP fandom, rather than just a simple virtual character.Related music, goods, and challenges are also gaining popularity, and the success is expanding in various ways.

An official said, “This work is a case that proves that Korean identity can become a global sensation beyond box office success,” and “The achievements of a Korean actor with just one voice have presented a new global communication method to the content industry.” Another official added, “Ahn Hyo-seop’s ‘Jin-woo’ is a symbolic milestone that shows how far Korean content can reach.”

Meanwhile, Ahn Hyo-seop is scheduled to return to the screen through the movie ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’, which will be released on the 23rd.Expectations are high for what new steps he will take based on the expanded acting spectrum and global influence he has shown in animation.


Reporter Lee Su com jin sujinl22@donga

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.