Can you feel that? Your shoulders are swaying to the catchy songs of K-Pop Demon Hunters. The animated film brought to us by Sony Animation, the same animators behind the Spider-verse movies, seems like a guaranteed formula for success on paper—you have a highly likeable cast, amazing action sequences, performances on the level of K-pop productions, and catchy earworms. But does it live up to the hype? Join us as we dive into our High Five review of the charming, electric, and refreshing story of K-Pop Demon Hunters. You know the drill: we’ve got spoilers ahead, so be warned.
Mythological Themes Blend into Modern Presentation
I cannot begin to explain the beauty of how K-Pop Demon Hunters treated the folklore and supernatural aspects at the heart of its story. The film starts with a brief history of demon hunters—how they need to be singers so they can create the Golden Honmoon with their songs to stop demons from invading our world. From the singing shamans of old to the K-pop idols of modern times, the film does a good job of explaining the throughline between these two and incorporating the lore into the story. Allow me to share with you some of the details that make this film stand out.
Mira wielding a Korean Weoldo | Photo from Netflix
Zoey wielding a daesingkal | Photo from Netflix
Rumi wielding a Saingum | Photo from Netflix
First off, I was really curious about why there had to be three hunters every generation. The other K-dramas I’ve watched had shamans who were fine working by themselves. But when I further researched, especially diving into Korean numerology, the number three represents wholeness. Now add concepts of Mudang, a shaman who is often a woman, and Mugyo, which translates to Korean Shamanism, into the mix, and you get Huntrix—the girl group of our main protagonists.
When the girl group comes together to vanquish the demons, they sing and dance with their weapons that are inspired by real-life artifacts. The practice is reminiscent of Saryeongje or Gut dance, which is often performed to appease a bereaved spirit and lead them safely to the next world while melting away their resentment. This translates to K-Pop Demon Hunters in the form of choreographed dances that our protagonists perform in preparation of the Honmoon, the barrier that protects mankind from demons.
Saja Boys performing “Your Idol” | Photo from Netflix
We have the lore behind the Saja Boys, the rival boy group of our protagonists. In Korean, saja could mean lion or messenger. Saja also corresponds with the Korean word for grim reaper, Jeoseung Saja, which the boys literally became the moment they sang Your Idol, leading the souls of their listeners to be eaten by the film’s antagonist, the demon king Gwi Ma.
A Soundtrack True to Its K-pop Roots
“Cause you’re my Soda Pop!” That line has been stuck in my head ever since I watched this film. K-Pop Demon Hunters has a playlist fitting a K-pop group’s set list. The film blends musical numbers from the opposing K-pop groups into the narrative. From TWICE contributing songs like Takedown and Strategy, to original songs performed by in-film groups Huntrix and Saja Boys. It’s no wonder K-pop fans loved this movie.
As of this July, the film soundtrack has peaked at the number 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Exclusive US charts. Golden is also going to be submitted for an awards consideration, while also getting an official single release that includes Golden, Golden – Instrumental, and “Golden – A Cappella.
Relatable Girlies and Comedy Gold
After concert celebration with the girls | Photo from Netflix
I felt seen. The moment you see the girls eating their before-concert-meal, you knew that you were in for something unique. Some films avoid making women look unattractive by making them act too graceful, too rigid, and too unnatural—K-Pop Demon Hunters is not one of those films. It goes out of its way to ensure that the main trio of Rumi, Mira and Zoey wore their emotions on their sleeves, showing different aspects of their personalities by the way they reacted.
Before concert binge with the Huntri/x | Photo from Netflix
Huntri/x are hyped after concocting a plan to defeat the Saja Boys | Photo from Netflix
No make up before the Idol Awards presentation | Photo from Netflix
Rumi's cute pajamas | Photo from Netflix
The animation team made sure to capture all nuances of their expressions and dial it to 11—from excitement, to aggression, and even awkwardness, the film was able to portray all of these emotions and more through the characters. The girls even had scenes during their downtime where they didn’t wear makeup, and they wore comfortable pajamas—a scene of domesticity that can make anyone say “that’s literally me!”
Aside from the refreshing portrayal of female characters, the humor throughout the movie is on point. The Saja Boys, despite being enemies of Huntrix, are featured in the most perfect comedic moments. The way they baited the girls during the game show segment, their smug attitudes when they win over fans, and even their demon forms were all hilarious. There are also small moments like Jinu laughing “hihihi” after slipping on a puddle and the derpy tiger playing with the potted plant that make you genuinely laugh out loud.
Symbolic Meanings
Saja Boys participating in one of the industry’s famous gameshows for promotion | Photo from Netflix
They’re singing, they’re dancing, they’re laughing, and explaining the weight of their performance. Even the trailers marketed the film as just two K-pop groups fighting each other for the fate of humanity.
Yet under all its colorful visuals and catchy soundtrack, K-Pop Demon Hunters tells the story of what it’s like to be in the K-pop industry. Both Huntrix and the Saja Boys are the epitome of the K-pop scene—where the fans are everything. K-pop idols are under a lot of pressure to maintain an image for marketing purposes and to keep their fans appeased. To be able to stay relevant, songs have to be pumped out instantly, and they have to constantly promote their albums in talk shows, variety shows, and music shows.
Also, they showed both sides of the coin for the female and male groups. All of them start young, and their songs reflect that growth. If you look at Saja Boys’ Soda Pop and Your Idol, one is incredibly cutesy while the other is much more daring, darker, and dare I say, sexier, which reflects the growth of the group as they venture into more mature themes.
Of course, we cannot forget what Rumi had to go through. An idol’s image is everything, and if fans get hold of sensitive information, it could turn for the worse. The ensuing results take a toll on the idols mentally and physically, which leads to a snowball effect. Rumi is just an example of what happens when backlash against an idol occurs, but in a fictional setting. Thankfully, the people around her treated her with kindness eventually, and she learned to love herself, which I appreciate about this film.
Voice Acting and Animation Prowess
K-Pop Demon Hunters was in production since March 2021, taking quite a while before it premiered and gave everyone an unforgettable viewing experience. Both the voice actors and animation techniques are stunning and show the time and energy that the team put into creating this story.
The devil was truly in the details, especially for the animation. The characters had expressive faces and dynamic movements all throughout, making the viewing experience feel smooth and crips. In an interview, director Maggie Kang said she grew up with K-pop and revealed that boy groups like Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, and Monsta X inspired the likeness of the Saja Boys, while girl groups like ITZY, BLACKPINK, and TWICE inspired the Huntrix girls. But of course, an animated movie is not just about the visuals—it’s also about the actors and actresses who lend their voices to the characters.
The cast was made up of Korean actors like Arden Cho (Rumi), May Young (Mira), and Ji-young Yoo (Zoey) as the main trio. Joining them are big names in the industry like Ahn Hyo-seop (Jinu), Ken Jeong (Bobby), and Lee Byung-hun (Gwi-Ma), who are best known for their roles in Business Proposal, The Hangover, and Squid Game, respectively. Aside from the actors, members of TWICE (Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung) also joined in to sing for the soundtrack.
All in all, the film was an amusing watch that presented the realities of being a K-pop idol in a fun and digestible way. My only qualm was that Rumi’s demon blood origin wasn’t addressed. Because it was a catalyst for the main conflict, it would’ve been great to at least have an explanation for this important part of Rumi’s identity. Despite this, the film was still cohesive and blended music, folklore, and character growth in an entertaining film that has room for a sequel. SEA Wave gives this film 3.5 out of 5 waves.
What did you think about K-Pop Demon Hunters? Let us know in the comments!