Netflix’s newly released animated fantasy drama, KPop Demon Hunters, is making waves across the globe among Gen Z fans with its striking visuals and unique blend of themes like Korean pop culture, mythology, and demonology.
Shortly after its June 20 premiere, the film topped Netflix’s global TV series charts, securing the No.1 spot in 22 countries.
Helmed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, KPop Demon Hunters centres around a girl band, Huntrix, whose members balance their double lives, moonlighting as demon hunters. The members of Huntrix face off against their nemesis, Saja Boys, whose members are secretly demons.
The hype and the real-world references
Fans on Reddit compared the demon boy band Saja Boys with popular K-pop boy bands, including BTS, TXT and EXO. “It’s like they made the villains a parody of BTS or EXO and dialled it up with fangs,” wrote one Reddit user.
While another Reddit user made collages of their favourite K-pop icons alongside characters from the film.
Also, the show’s over-the-top fusion of K-pop tropes and anime action has led to comparisons with popular shows and films like Powerpuff Girls, Totally Spies, Frozen and Demon Slayer.
Unlike many other shows that borrow K-pop aesthetics, KPop Demon Hunters was made with direct involvement from the industry. The original song Takedown is performed by TWICE members and was backed by Teddy Park, who has previously worked with bands like Blackpink and BigBang.
“We didn’t want to spoof K-pop. We wanted to celebrate it,” said the film’s director, Maggie Kang, in an interview with Netflix Tudum. “To have real artists involved made all the difference. It gave us authenticity,” she added.
Striking visuals that pop
Backed by Sony Pictures Animation, KPop Demon Hunters blends concert lighting, choreographed fight scenes and K-pop fashion with anime-inspired motion. Fans have lauded the animation style for its ‘bold colour palette’ and ‘visual transitions mimicking stage performances’.
“What I like especially about K-pop demon hunters is that they allow the women to look goofy and funny! There are still many modern animation movies where the girls have to look and behave (pretty), Kpdh made me think back of ’90s Sailor Moon expressions,” an X user wrote.
A gripping story with engaging soundtracks
Beyond vibrant visuals, the film also explored themes like self-discovery, belonging, liberty and exhaustion of performers — whether as a pop star or a hero.
Rumi, who is the protagonist of the film, struggles with being half-demon in a world obsessed with purity and perfection. Actress Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in the film, said in an interview with US-based portal Variety, “It (KPop Demon Hunters) is a metaphor for growing up mixed-race or being queer or just different… The film is funny but it is also deeply personal.”
The film’s soundtrack is packed with K-pop hits, featuring artists like EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI, Andrew Choi, Kevin Woo, SamUIL Lee, Neckwav, and Lea Salonga.
Soda Pop, Love Maybe, Strategy, Takedown, and Golden are among the tracks which have gained significant traction worldwide on apps like Spotify and Apple Music.
Stellar Korean cast as voice artists
The film flaunts a star-studded cast, bringing renowned names as its voice actors. While Teen Wolf actress Arden Cho voices Rumi, Joel Chrim Booster lends his voice to one of the members of the Saja Boys. The cast also includes popular K-drama star Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu, while Lee Byung-hun, known for his role as the Front Man in Squid Game, lends his voice to the demon king Gwi-Ma. Additionally, former U-KISS member Kevin Woo is the voice behind a Saja Boys song in the film.
Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Byung-hun (Instagram)
