ENHYPEN says ‘DARK MOON’ storytelling deepens fans’ connection to K-pop
ENHYPEN said the group’s expanding ‘DARK MOON’ universe has helped deepen fans’ connection to their music and wider content.
The members spoke with reporters in San Diego on July 24 (local time).
Jay: “Storytelling plays a huge role in K-pop,”
Jay: “When people become fans of something, they naturally want to explore more related content. Our fans can enjoy not only our music, but also our performances, videos and additional content like ‘DARK MOON’. I think that’s what makes our group special.”
Rather than only hinting at a fictional world through songs and videos, the group has continued to build a vampire-themed narrative through the ‘DARK MOON’ webtoon and web novel series since 2022.
Jake: “We’ve been building this story since our debut, and it’s reflected in our album lyrics as well,”
Jake: “I think that helps fans become more invested. They enjoy both ‘DARK MOON’ and ENHYPEN together.”
The members said they also take part in creating the narrative. According to Jay, the creative team regularly interviews the group about their personal thoughts, emotions and experiences, which are then incorporated into both ‘DARK MOON’ and ENHYPEN‘s music videos.
One franchise installment, ‘DARK MOON: The Blood Altar’, has surpassed 200 million cumulative views and was later adapted into an animated series, which helped bring ENHYPEN to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Jungwon: “I realized there are a lot of people who see ‘DARK MOON’ as its own animation rather than just idol content,”
Jungwon: “That was really surprising.”
When asked about the possibility of a live-action adaptation, Sunoo laughed at the idea of major acting roles.
Sunoo: “I don’t think we’re good enough at acting to be cast,”
Sunoo: “But we’d definitely be open to making a cameo.”
After the interview, ENHYPEN held ‘DARK MOON Blood Night’, a vampire-themed fan event at the House of Blues San Diego. 650 fans selected through a lottery attended in vampire-inspired dress. The group performed six songs tied to the franchise, including ‘Bite Me’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Criminal Love’.