"Jimin will always be everyone's muse"- Fans react as Kpop Demon Hunters' director shares "Baby Jimin" and BTS' influence on the film

On September 6, 2025, Kpop Demon Hunters’ director Maggie Kang discussed the influence of BTS in shaping the Netflix animated film. During an interview with Canadian entertainment news program etalk, host Lainey Lui raised a question about the group’s inspiration in the movie. She specifically talked about the character "Baby Saja," who was reportedly inspired by Jimin, referring to him as "Baby Jimin."

"I am BTS Army, I can’t not ask about this. So, BTS’ inspiration in this film and is Baby Jimin.. Talk to me about BTS’ influence," she said to Kang.

Kang explained that her experience attending BTS’ World Bowl concert left a lasting impression. She described the atmosphere as magical, adding that this sense of collective emotion inspired her while creating the film.

"Huge. Because, after the movie was sold, I went to the World Bowl BTS concert, and I witnessed 50,000 fans knowing every line to a Korean song that I didn’t really know. I was like, wow, this is real, this is insane. This magic is palpable. You can taste it and feel it. That really inspired the magic and all the tinglies you feel in the movie," she answered.

Following the broadcast, fans quickly took to social media to celebrate Kang’s remarks. They highlighted both the influence of the K-pop group and the inspiration drawn from Jimin for the character in the film. One fan commented:

"So BTS is inspirations in this film ( k-pop demon hunters) is 'Baby Jimin ' .... I don’t get it directors and interviewers have all confirmed that Baby Saja is inspired by Jimin, so why are some people still fighting over it? Move on..Jimin will always be everyone’s muse. Jimin's influence is crazy !!"

Fans took to social media to share their excitement over Jimin's influence. Some of them emphasized that the inspiration behind the character had already been confirmed. For context, Kuwait Moments reported on June 26, 2025, that Marion Bordeyne, who worked as the character designer and visual developer for the film, drew inspiration from Jimin.

The designer revealed that the idol inspired the creation of Saja Boy’s “cuteness aspect.” Fans also drew this reference and expressed pride in seeing Jimin and the 5-time Grammy nominated group being once again confirmed to be creative muses.

Some repeated the director's words to stress the connection, while others uploaded short and emphatic posts to show their support. These brief reactions spread widely, adding to the conversation about how the K-pop group and Jimin inspired the film.

BTS’ members singing Kpop Demon Hunters track leaves director Maggie Kang amazed

The discussion also touched on Soda Pop, an original track from Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters. The song drew massive reaction from the fans after BTS leader RM and member Jungkook were spotted singing it during a Weverse live broadcast on July 1, 2025.

Later, Jungkook was also seen singing Sopa Pop as well as Golden from the movie in a recent live to celebrate his birthday on September 1, 2025. Kang shared that her husband had woken her in the middle of the night to inform her of the news.

She also shared that though she had not fully processed it at the time, she was later amazed. She said that, for her, the acknowledgment from the global K-pop group carried immense value.

"It’s amazing. It’s so cool. My husband woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me. I was like, okay. And then in the morning I was like, oh my god, this is amazing. No, it’s just recognition from the idols, from the industry, it’s everything to us," she said.

Meanwhile, BTS is gearing up for their comeback with a new album slated for spring 2026. The group recently wrapped up part of the production process in the United States and returned to South Korea for a short period. They are expected to fly back soon to continue recording sessions and shoot music videos.

About the author

Adrija Chakraborty is a writer at Sportskeeda with a Master's degree in English literature, which provided her with a strong foundation in research, analysis, and writing. Currently, she covers all things K-drama trends. In school, Adrija served as an editor for her school magazine and has published many stories that received delightful responses.

Adrija's passion for pop culture, especially K-pop and K-dramas, developed during her university years. Writing blog posts and articles on these topics, which received positive feedback, helped her build a portfolio and opened doors to opportunities in the pop culture writing industry. This also allowed her to combine her academic background with her love for K-pop and K-dramas.

Accuracy is key for Adrija, and she maintains this by thoroughly researching and cross-verifying information from multiple credible sources.

Adrija loves BTS, whom she admires not only for their music but also for their resilience, passion, and dedication.
In her free time, Adrija enjoys watching K-dramas, reading books in different languages on various topics, singing, painting, and cooking.

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Edited by Adrija Chakraborty