On June 20, the animated film ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ premiered on Netflix. It topped the charts and received widespread acclaim for its portrayal of diverse aspects of Korean culture, ranging from ancient myths and shamanistic beliefs to K-pop bands, K-drama scenes, Korean tourist attractions, traditional Korean cuisine, bathhouses, and aspects of daily life in Korea. The film has been dubbed into Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. The leading roles of the band ‘Huntr/x’ are played by Lna Ezz El Arab as ‘Rumi,’ the lead vocalist; Hadeer Moustafa as ‘Mira,’ the visual and main dancer; and Nourhan Hafez as ‘Zoey,’ the main rapper and maknae.

The film depicts the story of a three-member K-pop group named Huntr/x, who have inherited the responsibility of protecting the Honmun (spirit gate) from demons led by ‘Gwi-ma.’ They sing and ignite the crowds, much like ancient shamans. However, a youth group of demons, the Saja Boys, begins to emerge and compete with them, led by ‘Jinu,’ who makes a pact with ‘Gwi-ma’ to relieve his guilt over abandoning his family 400 years ago in exchange for ‘Saja Boys’ eliminating Huntr/x.

In this article, we will learn about the experience of the three Arabic voice actresses of Huntr/x, in their debut as K-pop stars, through an interview conducted via WhatsApp on June 28.

1. Welcome to Korea.net, Huntr/x stars. Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview. Please introduce yourselves to the readers.

Lna: My name is Lna Ezz El Arab, an Egyptian actress. I graduated from the Department of Acting and Directing at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Academy of Arts, Giza. I have been working in dubbing as an actress, adaptor, and quality controller since 2019. I have performed in several dubbed works, including the films ‘Coco,’ ‘Inside Out,’ and ‘Squid Game,’ among other series, films, and games.

Hadeer: My name is Hadeer Moustafa, an Egyptian actress. I began working in dubbing in 2015 as a voice actress for Chinese series, and I directed three Chinese series. Then worked as a voice actress in global films and series, including ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Sing 2,’ ‘Super Mario,’ ‘Arcane,’ and many other famous works.

Nourhan: My name is Nourhan Hafez, a dubbing actress. I graduated from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts. I started my dubbing career in 2018, performing roles in various languages, including Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, and English. I have participated in works such as ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Arcane,’ ‘Atlantis: The Lost Empire,’ ‘Raya and the Last Dragon,’ and other works that I hold dear.

2- How did your relationship with Korean culture begin? What did you love most about it?

Lna: My relationship with Korean culture began during my teenage years, when I loved watching Korean dramas. The first Korean drama I watched was ‘The Heirs.’ I also loved ‘Crash Landing on You’ and many other Korean dramas.

I also love Korean food very much, and I used to enjoy watching Korean dramas while eating ramyeon, just like the heroines did.

I also love Korean mythology and the radiant skin and hair of Koreans. I used to be very happy when someone compared me to a Korean, to the point where I started dreaming of traveling to Korea.

Hadeer: My relationship with Korean culture began with K-drama and K-pop in 2018 when I became a fan of BTS (Army) and started watching K-dramas and Korean programs. I loved the similarities I found between us in some aspects; Korean mothers resemble Egyptian mothers a lot. I also love Korean food, especially ramyeon. I hope I get the chance to attend BTS's Fiesta.

Nourhan: I love Korean food a lot. But my relationship with Korean culture began to expand when I started working in dubbing. I noticed how widespread and influential Korean content has become in dramas, songs, and even programs.

3- What differences did you sense between your roles in your previous works and your roles in the film 'Kpop Demon Hunters'?

Lna: The role was unique and different, with a strong and important message, which made me very happy. Every human being has good and evil within them, and Rumi chose to see only the good within her and let it prevail.

Hadeer: I couldn't believe how happy I was to get this role. I was excited to play an idol and work with TWICE on the same film, even if indirectly.

Nourhan: I treat every project as if it were my first and last, putting all my energy and love into it. But what attracted me to this film was its unique details, both in the acting and the emotions the team conveyed to the viewer.

4- While performing your roles, what aspect of Korean culture in the film did you feel curious about or attracted to? Especially since the idea is inspired by merging ancient Korean myths with modern Korean expressions, such as K-pop and other elements.

Lna: I'm always curious about everything related to Korea, because its culture is so different from our own. I especially love their rituals during special occasions, and I'm drawn to works that deal with myths and parallel universes, like this film. I also listened to the film's songs and was very impressed by them, and I keep dancing to them whenever I hear them.

Hadeer: As someone into Korean culture for years, I was glad that it had begun to spread in Egypt and that we finally had the opportunity to work on Korean works and dub them into Arabic, which will help its expansion. I also really liked the K-drama-inspired scene and the choice of the background song from the series ‘Business Proposal,’ starring Ahn Hyo-seop, who also plays Jinu. It was a nice irony that helped me enjoy as a K-drama fan.

Nourhan: The movie's songs attracted me. They made me want to listen to and follow Korean songs more. I love the Korean language because I feel it's smooth and harmonious, which piques my curiosity and drives me to explore and learn.

5. Tell us, Lna, how you share similarities with the character ‘Rumi,’ who faced complex challenges completely alone. Would you have acted like her, preferring to keep your secrets to asking for help from your friends?

Lna: Actually, my personality is completely different from ‘Rumi.’ I can't hide my feelings, even if I try hard.

However, we are alike in feeling anxious and overthinking, and I am passionate about work. We are also similar in that we don't ask for help from friends. Unless someone notices something wrong with me and asks me, I will immediately tell them without denying or lying, because my facial expressions will immediately expose me.

6. Mira was ostracized by her family, so she felt out of place and extremely complex. However, she hid behind her nervous personality, refusing to share her pain. Tell us, Hadeer, what are the similarities between you and Mira?

Hadeer: Actually, I don't see much similarity between Mira and me except for our voices and speaking style, and that we both have strong personalities with feminine appearances. However, I always saw Suga of BTS in front of me while recording the character. Despite her sweetness, beauty, and kindness, she prefers not to show her feelings to anyone except her fans, which reminds me of Suga.

7. Nourhan: The secret to the complexity of Zoey's character lies in her extreme simplicity and kindness, being a selfless people pleaser. I wonder what similarities you see between you and her? Would you act like her?

Nourhan: The resemblance between Zoey and me is strong. I always like to be kind to those around me, lighthearted, and do my best to make everyone happy, even if it's just with a kind word. I also love offering a helping hand to anyone, even if they're strangers.

Probably because I believe that the ultimate peace of mind, love, and kindness between people is to give sincerely without expecting anything in return, it makes me feel good about myself. But when you feel like you've made a difference in someone else's life, you must also give yourself the same attention to maintain your ability to give back to others.

8- What challenges did you face while recording your roles?

Lna: The challenge for me was that the character sings, and the songs weren't dubbed. Therefore, I had to keep my voice as close as possible to the original voice we hear in the film's songs and dialogue. This is especially true since my voice is slightly higher-pitched than the original.

This required me to exert more control over my voice and try to make it sound like hiding a secret. The crew helped me deliver the best possible performance.

Hadeer: Performing Mira's firm voice without sounding harsh was not easy. So, I focused on conveying her heartfelt conversations with her friends in a warmer voice.

Nourhan: I didn't find it challenging at all. Working on the film was smooth, and the crew was very comfortable, which created an atmosphere that helped me perform my role with passion.

9- Which Korean works would you like to dub with your voices?

Lna: I was amazed by the brilliance of Parasite, its success, and its Oscar-winning performance. I hope to direct and act in its dubbed version one day.

Hadeer: Actually, I would love to work on dubbing countless Korean works. If I had to choose one project, I would work on ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines.’

Nourhan: I would love to work on any Korean work that has a character that suits my voice. I may not be a big follower of dramas, but I am genuinely curious about Korea and its art. This was a lovely beginning and a truly unforgettable experience.

Many thanks to our three heroines for this lovely and enriching interview, and for your contribution to spreading Korean culture more widely by voicing the film's heroines in both Standard and Egyptian Arabic.

It's nice that working on the film has helped you delve deeper into Korean culture and explore new aspects of it.

The film is available on Netflix, and we recommend all our readers watch and enjoy both dubbed versions.

It's worth noting that Lee Byung-hun voices Gwi-ma in both the English and Korean versions of the film, and Ahn Hyo-seop voices Jinu in the English version. Jinu's drawing was inspired by Cha In-woo's face, and the drawings of the other members of ‘Saja Boys’ were inspired by K-pop boy bands like BTS and Stray Kids.

The name ‘Saja Boys’ is a play on words between the word ‘Saja,’ meaning lion, and the second syllable of the word ‘Jeoseung Saja,’ meaning ‘Grim Reaper,’ referring to their being demons.

The character designs for ‘Huntr/x’ were inspired by several female K-pop groups, most notably TWICE, which performed the film's theme song.

Keywords: Kpop Demon Hunters, K-pop, Netflix, dubbing, K-drama, Business Proposal, Ahn Hyo-seop, Cha Eun-woo, BTS, TWICE, Lee Byung-hun, Shaman, Stray Kids, Saja Boys, Huntr/x, Ramyeon, Lna Ezz Elarab, Hadeer Moustafa, Nourhan Hafez, Rumi, Mira, Zoey, culture, art, acting, Korea, Republic of Korea, ROK, Korea.net