“The world will know you as pop stars, but you will be much more than that. You will be hunters.” This is the directive from Celine (Yunjin Kim) at the beginning of KPop Demon Hunters, a statement punctuated by shots of a crowded stadium full of screaming fans, setting the tone for the rest of the movie.
As the latest in a long line of musical demon hunters, Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoe (Ji-Young Yoo) balance stardom and heroics as they work to create the “Golden Honmoon,” a magical barrier that will protect the world from the threat of soul-devouring demons that live in an alternate dimension. The three young women form Huntrix, a renowned K-pop girl group on the brink of a much deserved vacation.
When Rumi enthusiastically pushes up the release of their newest song, she finds herself forced to confront the parts of herself she desperately tries to hide. That effort becomes much more difficult when she and her best friends and fellow hunters have to face off against an unusual threat: a demon boy band. The Saja Boys, the demon boy band led by the charismatic demon Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), quickly rushes to stardom, presenting a challenge for Huntrix as the two groups battle for the affection of fans and the fate of the world.
KPop Demon Hunters has been described as a love letter to K-pop, and it lives up to that description. Its catchy music, fashion, and fan culture echo current K-pop trends, and the power of music and fan affection amplify the stakes of the conflict between Huntrix and the Saja Boys. In addition to the K-pop appreciation, there are also nods to Korean history and mythology, from Rumi’s throne in the “Golden” MV to Jinu’s demon cat affectionately dubbed “Derpy.”
There is action and humour blended with touching moments of friendship. Themes of hope, companionship, trust, and self acceptance are woven throughout the narrative, in addition to messages about forgiveness and releasing harmful beliefs about yourself. The primary antagonist, and patron of the Saja Boys, is an entity known as Gwi-ma. He feeds off of human souls and uses negative messages to draw people to him. He will identify his victims’ flaws, fears, and shortcomings and bring them to the forefront of their minds before proposing that he offers an “alternative,” a way from them to escape the messages they believe about themselves. But if people let themselves fall for his wiles, they will find themselves turned into demons plagued by guilt and shame.
An opposing, but still harmful, coping mechanism is represented by Celine. Her mantra, which she passes on to Huntrix (it is implied to have been passed on to her as well from previous generations of hunters) is that in order to be an effective hunter and protect the Honmoon, “Your faults and fears must never be seen.” The effort to live by this idea leads to conflict between the members of Huntrix as Rumi attempts to rid herself of her own perceived faults before anyone can find out about them. The conflict has cascading effects as it leads to the Honmoon weakening–allowing more demons into the human realm as fans are won over by the Saja Boys–and it gives Jinu an opening and allows him to ingratiate himself to Rumi.
The character of Jinu is a complicated one. He’s well portrayed by voice actor Ahn Hyo-seop, and his guilt and path to redemption make sense, though his character arc would have been served by more time for exploration, as would everyone else’s. The movie is short, and while it managed to fit a lot in, some aspects are skimmed over.
Viewers are left to wonder about the nature of Rumi’s parentage. We’re told her father was a demon, and both of her parents have passed, but we don’t know what happened or how. In the same way, the movie does little to explain Rumi’s rapid attitude shift at the end, how society adjusted to the mass disappearances (it doesn’t seem like Gwi-ma’s victims returned at the end), or the complexity of demons and demonhood. There are several unanswered questions, leaving things open for a much-requested and now promised sequel, but the story would have benefitted from a deeper exploration of harmful generational messaging and dealing with past sins and shortcomings.
From an artistic perspective, KPop Demon Hunters is immensely enjoyable. Sony Animation utilised vibrant stop-motion-like animation, similar to that used in their Spiderman series, and there are some cute references to romance K-drama, for those who are fans of the genre. The music could have an article of its own. Huntrix’s singing voices are provided by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as Rumi, Mira, and Zoe, respectively. Andrew Choi provides Jinu’s singing voice as a member of the Saja Boys, and the vocals for the other Saja Boys are provided by Kevin Woo, Neckwav, SamUIL Lee, and Danny Chung. The songs are catchy and well suited for their scenes in the movie, and you may find yourself singing them long after the movie is over. In particular, the message of the final song, “What It Sounds Like,” provides an uplifting finale after the Saja Boy’s enticing invitation to darkness in “Your Idol.”
Ultimately, KPop Demon Hunters is a fun movie with a positive message that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
