Huntr/x may be a fictional K-pop group, but Netflix has managed to capture one part of real-world K-pop stardom in its official KPop Demon Hunters merchandise: photocards. These little pieces of cardboard usually depict fans’ favorite K-pop idols in anything from professional headshots to candid photos you might find on their camera roll. While Netflix is only now really hitting the merchandise angle hard after the animated musical’s runaway success, one thing it planned ahead for was that fans might want photocards of their favorite members. I even got one of the lead singer, Rumi, when I saw the film at the sing-along showings last month. Now, the film’s soundtrack CD is out, and each disc comes with one random photocard of one of the members sealed inside. And since fans love to collect things, the random photocard inside the album has got people buying multiple copies, reselling, and trading like they’re prized Pokémon cards.
Because the photocard is randomized, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is basically a blind box. Huntr/x has three members, so there’s a 33 percent pull rate for each card. So it’s entirely possible you could buy three copies of the album and get the same photocard each time, like this TikTok user did:
That’s how the dice fall sometimes. All these collection crazes are essentially gambling, and while the odds of getting all three Huntr/x photo cards are better than those in your average Pokémon TCG pull, you can still end up spending a pretty penny on multiple copies of the album trying to complete the set. This has made unboxings a new trend within the KPop Demon Hunters community, much like you see in most TCG fandoms.
Unfortunately, this also means that we’re starting to see resellers upcharging for opened copies that have a confirmed photocard. There are several eBay listings for the album that are asking for more than twice what it costs to buy the album unopened. Even as a pretty big fan of the movie and its fictional girl group, I can’t stomach the thought of spending that much to try and complete the set. Y’all stay safe out there, though.
KPop Demon Hunters is officially the most-watched English film in Netflix’s history, and the company is reportedly in early talks about working with Sony Animation on a sequel.