Before KPop Demon Hunters, There Was K/DA

Here is a 188-word summary of the news article: Before the fictional K-pop bands in the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" gained worldwide popularity, the virtual K-pop group K/DA from the League of Legends universe had already made waves in the music industry. Formed in 2018 as an opening act for the League of Legends World Championship, K/DA quickly rose to fame with their debut single "Pop/Stars," which topped the K-pop charts and became the first platinum-certified K-pop song by a virtual group. While the creators of "KPop Demon Hunters" have acknowledged K/DA as one of their influences, the film has drawn comparisons to the virtual band due to their similar concepts of animated K-pop groups with unique costumes and weapons. K/DA's success has paved the way for the popularity of fictional K-pop acts, and fans of "KPop Demon Hunters" have been exploring K/DA's discography as well. The article suggests that the virtual nature of these groups may be more appealing to first-time K-pop fans, and Riot Games' approach to K/DA as a real-world virtual band could be a model for Netflix to follow with the "KPop Demon Hunters" characters.