Growing up is a Beast’, was inspired by two k-pop groups; Find out which ones!

In “Red: Crescer é uma Fera”, a new Disney and Pixar animation, the protagonist Mei and her friends Priya, Miriam and Abby are completely in love with the fictional boyband 4*Town, made up of five members and owner of hits like the track “ Nobody Like U”.

Represented in the film as “the most amazing boy band of all time”, since the revelation of 4*Town many k-pop fans began to find similarities between some of the characters with real idols, such as the youngest member Taeyoung who, according to social networks, it’s the face of Jiminby BTS.

During a recent interview with Billboard Japan, the film’s director, Domee Shi, surprised everyone by confirming that 4*Town was indeed inspired by some k-pop groups. According to the filmmaker, the boy band was inspired by two great groups of the second generation of k-pop in which she was a big fan when she was younger: BIGBANG, formed by YG Entertainment in 2006, and 2PM, from JYP Entertainment, who debuted in 2008.

“It pays homage to bands like the Backstreet Boys, who I really liked. But I wanted to add a more modern element, so I was inspired by the personalities of members of K-pop groups like BIGBANG and 2PM that I loved when I was in school. Each member has their strengths, and once we shared that idea, everyone agreed,” said Domee.

The filmmaker even explained the reason behind the boygroup’s presence in the film. According to her, “For girls Mei’s age, a boy band is something very incredible, because it is the first contact with the world of boys. Through that, you widen your circle of friends, so I thought it would be interesting to put that point in the story.”

“Red: Growing Up Is A Beast” sees Meilin stepping into adolescence and dealing with puberty and family issues while learning the importance of friendship and acceptance. The animation is now available via the Disney+ streaming platform. Check out the trailer!