Netizens Notice Resemblances Between TXT’s Yeonjun and Saja Boys’ Romance in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Fans online are buzzing over the striking resemblance between Saja Boys’ character Romance and TXT’s Yeonjun, sparking a wave of speculation that the idol might have inspired the design. This discussion started on an online forum where users compared early concept art of Romance to Yeonjun’s signature looks from past performances.
A netizen pointed out that Romance’s initial sketches share key elements with Yeonjun’s styling, especially his iconic pink turtleneck and the yellow sweater paired with jeans. The character’s long pink hair closely mirrors Yeonjun’s layered pink hairstyle that he’s sported during previous stages.
While none of the Saja Boys’ members are direct copies of specific K-pop idols, it seems the creators didn’t shy away from pulling inspiration from prominent groups. The production team of the global Netflix hit movie KPop Demon Hunters has confirmed that they referenced popular K-pop groups such as TXT, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, and MONSTA X when designing the Saja Boys.
Besides Romance and Yeonjun, fans have also speculated that other characters took cues from real idols. For example, some think Jinu was modeled after Cha Eun Woo, and Baby’s look was influenced by BTS’ Jimin. These theories gain weight thanks to statements from director Maggie Kang, who acknowledged K-pop icons as part of the creative process, as reported by editors at Fast Paper Magazine.
The online chatter includes a range of reactions:
"Oh, it’s similar lol"
"The hair color and styling are the same, but I’m not sure about the face"
"But honestly, Yeonjun looks better lol"
"That Soda Pop video overall gave off strong BTS and TXT vibes. I’m not a fan of either group, but when the video first dropped, all the comments were people saying they looked like the idols from their own fandoms. I started wondering—do all idols have that colorful, pastel hair style?"
"Of course they took inspiration. You can tell which K-idols they referenced. There’s no way they made this without any references. This character probably combines features from a few different idols"
"Also, Sony and the original creator gave a shoutout to the TXT video—check that out too"
"Oh, they do look alike"
"Would love to see a Soda Pop dance cover"
"It would be great if they did a special stage at year-end shows. If Cha Eunwoo, Yeonjun, and Jimin were together, it’d be insane"
"Oh but yeah, stylistically I get it lol"
"I couldn’t help but think of him anyway lol Yeonjun, Choi San, Shownu—those types of idols came to mind"
The growing online buzz shows how much K-pop idols continue to influence not just music and performances but character creation in media reflecting the culture. With KPop Demon Hunters making waves worldwide, many fans are eager to see if Saja Boys will bring even more nods to their favorite artists.
What do you think about the possible inspirations behind Saja Boys? Does Romance remind you of Yeonjun or another idol?