From taking down demons to sealing the Honmoon with their unwavering voices, May Hong and Ji-Young Yoo show us “how it’s done, done, done”. We’re here to talk about what really makes the two Huntr/x girls ‘Golden’. “This is what it sounds like” when the KPop Demon Hunters landed at Fan Expo Canada.

The Emotionality of Fan Interactions

May Hong discussed that she is so surprised to see the film continue to grow bigger, but even more shocked that fans were able to get cosplays and art out in record time. The movie being “uniquely Korean-American” allowed for special interactions with fans. 

One in particular stood out to Hong; she was touched by how viewers with autism resonated with the film. They described it to be the first movie they were able to sit down and watch through. Other fan interactions gave both Hong and Yoo a chance to see how the film helped people through tough times.

“They Tom Holland[ed] me!”

When Joe Deckelmeier asked if they were able to see the full script, Ji-Young Yoo exclaimed that “they Tom Holland[ed] me”. The audience erupted in laughter and applause, and it was then that you can see Zoey’s personality in Yoo. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Marvel tends to withhold information from Tom Holland to stop him from spilling their secrets. A very unexpected callback, but not an unwelcome one!

Yoo continued by sharing that although she was not given the full script, the audition process was so long that it felt like she already watched the whole movie. She remembered reacting to the script and saying, “wait, we made a musical?!”. Originally, Yoo read lines for Rumi and recalled the scene where Rumi meets Jinu. She noted that there was a different name for Zoey at the beginning, but cannot remember what it was. It seems to remain a ‘Mystery’. Hong stated that it was clear that Mira was a fit for her voice. Despite the palpable chemistry between the three Demon Hunters, Hong shared that they did not record their lines altogether. Even so, their voices still blended seamlessly. 

Voice Acting as a “Golden” Ticket

Hong’s journey in voice acting began by her expressing interest in this medium back in 2022. Although she enjoys on-camera work, the ability to not have to sit in hair and makeup seemed appealing. She started by recording lines on her phone, but was immediately told that it needs to sound better than that. She detailed that an effective way to do voice acting is by actually doing the action outlined in the script. If Mira sounds out of breath, Hong would actually run laps around the studio, otherwise it would sound fake. 

Hong and Yoo spoke about what they enjoy most about conventions, especially Fan Expo Canada this year. Yoo said that she is so impressed by all the effort in cosplays and enjoys walking through Artist Alley. Hong was happy to have made new friendships with other voice actors in the past year. This inspired her to check out their projects and she has become a huge fan of Jujutsu Kaisen. She felt “very indoor kid this summer” since she got into video games, especially Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. She had met the voice actors of the game twice and she was so in awe.

Writing for KPop Demon Hunters 2 Is Unfinished

Yoo revealed that EJAE, singer for Rumi, had written over 30 songs. EJAE eventually settled on three iconic songs heard all around the world, most notably ‘Golden’. She also discussed how Rumi’s parents’ backstory was deleted, but said ‘this is not an official statement’ and giggled. Hong joked that every time someone comes up to her and asks for never-before-heard details about KPop Demon Hunters 2, she says that she does not know anything about it. People always respond by saying they know she has an NDA, but she really does not know a thing. She said that if fans were to read her mind to find facts about the upcoming movie ‘it’d be empty”.

Deckelmeier asked what plot they would like to see elaborated, Hong said she would want to see more of Mira’s family and what her younger brother is doing and if he is a doctor or a lawyer. Yoo laughed and said, he would be both and all other Asian stereotypes including finance. They said that if fans have theories about back stories, not even the creators know them, and that “someone should tell the people who made this movie about that” which led to more laughter.

Manifesting and Acting Inspirations

In terms of on-camera work, Hong is “manifesting” a role where she would have to ride a horse, but that she needs to train first since she does not have prior experience. She was inspired to start acting by watching a film called The Birdcage. Yoo was inspired to start acting since her mom introduced her to classic Hollywood films starring Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn and even modern films with Stanley Tucci as her muse. 

It is exciting to see where their careers will take them in the near future. We hope to catch May Hong and Ji-Young Yoo in KPop Demon Hunters 2 in 2029.