When I was given the golden opportunity to preview Kayou’s new KPop Demon Hunters cards, I couldn’t decline. As a dedicated Pokémon TCG expert and someone who finds collecting small bits of cardboard fun, well, passing that experience onto my Huntrix-loving kids with a shared bit of bonding was exciting. I can’t easily pass the idea of collecting ‘mon to my children – stock shortages make that increasingly unmanageable for non-millionaires – but the KPop cards allow me to introduce them to something similar.
Let’s get something out of the way; this isn’t like the Pokémon TCG. Not at all. It does have various rarities of cards to give that sense of a ‘chase’, but it doesn’t offer a game alongside it – the KPop Demon Hunters cards are more of a ‘collectible trading cards’ experience, and can’t really be compared to the best trading card games. That’s apparent straight away, when you realize even the most common cards are designed as art pieces instead of offering hit points, attack stats, or text describing their skills.
Nevertheless, as someone emotionally invested in collecting cards, who also enjoys watching KPop Demon Hunters with their kids, I was all in on the idea. Admittedly, the pack art on my five booster packs (three ‘Classic’ Edition and two ‘Energy’ Edition) left me a little underwhelmed. They looked distinctly cheap, like some off-brand geegaw you’d pick up at a gas station – especially the more premium Energy variants. But my worries went away as I opened the boosters up.
Firstly, even the common cards found in each pack are well-designed. The material of each card feels sturdy and premium, with a plastic-like solidity to each and every one. The card art features a variety of in-world ‘social media’ posts which at first seemed odd but, considering the movie’s big focus on a constant battle of the fans, it’s actually thematically bang on. Then, as you reach ‘SR’ cards and above, you get special designs of your favorite characters – from the beloved Derpy and Sussie to a delightful parade of individual Saja Boys.
Of course, while the common selection provides more than enough thrills for KPDM-loving youngsters, it’s the more elusive cards that make things a little more interesting for me. While I didn’t get to see them first-hand, the ‘BP’ cards in the Energy Edition versions show Huntrix’ iconic band members sporting their battle-ready leather outfits. And I was lucky enough to get my top Saja Boy Jinu in his Your Idol outfit – my favorite song of the movie and a mainstay in my playlist.
I do think having two different ‘editions’ of booster packs is a bit overkill, for what’s merely “series 1” of Kayou’s new flagship product. It muddies the water a bit for true collectors and, while I’m sure it’s great for revenue, the collecting experience should remain the top priority. There are no numbers for cards, nor any true indication of what the different rarity types actually mean – but those are an old man’s concerns. I doubt the kids going feral for these as they land in stores will care if their collection is in order, or whether an SSR is better than a TR. As long as it has Rumi, Zoey, or Mira in their packs, they won’t care.
If you want to tell me about your favorite KPop Demon Hunters band, and why it’s Saja Boys, you can do so in our free Wargamer Discord. Alternatively, you can also chat with fans of other hobbies from Pokémon to Warhammer, D&D to Lorcana.
Source: Wargamer
