K-pop has become a global cultural craze. Korean pop bands are gaining worldwide attention, Korean shows and movies are being added to streaming services and theatres, and Korean media like manhwa is becoming as popular as manga. The Korean Wave, known as hallyu, is in full force. So it’s only natural that a Western-friendly animated movie be made about the lives of fantastical K-pop superheroes! KPop Demon Hunters is a film on Netflix about Korean pop music and culture combined with supernatural storytelling.
What Is K-Pop Demon Hunters?
KPop Demon Hunters is an animated Netflix film that follows a fictional K-pop group called Huntrix.
On stage, they are international K-pop sensations.
Off stage, they are trained demon hunters protecting the world.
The demons in Huntrix’s world feed on human emotions, especially obsession and despair. Music creates a protective force, shielding people from demonic influences.
So, Huntrix is effectively working to protect the world day and night.
This allows the pop music aspect to be a driving force in the plot, rather than using it as a background concept.
The main story focuses on Rumi, the leader of the group. She struggles with the burden of responsibility and hiding the secret that she is half-demon. She also strives to keep her bandmates safe, which becomes more difficult as the rival boy K-pop group, Saja Boys, which is made up of demons, gets stronger.
I've always wanted to make an animated movie set in Korea that really showcased our culture and our mythology.
Maggie Kang, co-director of "KPop Demon Hunters"
It’s a surprisingly thoughtful film that combines Korean culture and folklore with global culture, making it a relevant movie for all. It uses comedy and sincerity to explore deep themes like pressure, secrecy, and the power of teamwork. Rather than presenting good versus evil in simple terms, the film explores the idea that demons exist because of human weakness. This idea adds moral tension at a level that is suitable even for young audiences.
Main Characters of K-Pop Demon Hunters
Each member of Huntrix has a complicated past, but for different reasons. They are well-rounded characters, each with strengths, weaknesses, and unique personalities. Their bond as friends and bandmates is refreshing and inspiring. Their dynamic as a popular K-pop group is fun and interesting.
Rumi: Leader of Huntrix
As the leader, Rumi is calm, focused, and disciplined. She oversees the group’s performance schedule, plans shows, and manages their public image. On stage, she is the lead vocalist. As a demon hunter, she makes quick, tactical decisions to direct the girls in battle.
Rumi’s guardian, Celine, told her that she needed to keep the patterns on her skin secret, since they reveal that she is part demon. While Celine was only trying to protect Rumi, it ended up being poor advice that led to problems with Rumi’s confidence. Her secret-keeping eventually threatened her friendship with Mira and Zoey.
Rumi’s character development focuses on learning to accept yourself and trust that your true friends will accept you despite your perceived flaws.
I heard a great phrase when I was young that the more specific a story is, the more universal it is. And I think this is a wonderful example of it.
Ji-Young Yoo, voice of Zoey, talking about the film
Mira: The Main Dancer
When on stage, Mira’s dance moves enhance the group’s performances. In battle, her agility and speed are her strongest weapons.
As a character, she is direct and headstrong. She speaks her mind unflinchingly and challenges things she doesn’t agree with. Her personality can be a little abrasive and cause some tension, especially with Rumi since she’s in a leadership position, but ultimately, the openness the two have with one another, and their ability to work things out shows their true friendship.
Mira’s development focuses more on trust, as she learns that while independence is important, it’s also good to be able to lean on the people who care about you.
Zoey: The Vocalist
Zoey’s special skill on stage is rapping. Her vocal talent brings Huntrix’s songs to new heights. She is charismatic, charming, and witty. She uses humour to deflect, relying on keeping the peace with jokes and a confident, lighthearted attitude. Under the surface, she fears being left out or losing her place in the group.
Zoey’s character highlights the fragility of basing your self-worth on how youre perceived, which is especially apt in a performance-based role like a Kpop idol. She learns to settle in more closely with her friends and trust that she fits in with them, and won’t be suddenly abandoned.
The Saja Boys are the rival (demon) group. They represent the toxic tendencies in K-pop culture, especially between fans and idols: Romance (fans romanticising idols), Mystery (fans speculating about idols), Baby (infantilising idols), and Abby (a nickname for “Abs,” referring to sexualisation of idols). The leader, Jinu, is the only member with a real name since he is the face of the group.
The World of Huntrix
The creators of the film wanted to make a movie that was fun and memorable, while also bringing in traditional elements from Korean folklore and culture, and the good aspects of the K-pop world.
In this world, the demons exist alongside humans but are mostly invisible, held back by the special forcefield called the Honmoon.
They influence humans’ emotions to lure them to the demon world, rather than attack directly. K-pop concerts are an especially risky place because while they can greatly strengthen the Honmoon, if the demons are able to turn the fans on the performers, all that energy becomes negative and in favour of the demons instead.
Huntrix is part of a secret organisation that trains idols as hunters. It’s a generational system where the new idols learn from the previous generation, mirroring both K-pop training structures and everyday Korean philosophy.
Discipline, secrecy, and hierarchy are emphasised, just like in the real K-pop world.
Certain rhythms and harmonies act as a Honmoon-strengthening tool, making the group’s music feel weighty with ritual and symbolism rather than pure fairytale magic.
The movie is also careful not to criticise fan culture directly. Instead, it focuses on the harm that can come from imbalance and taking fandom too far. When admiration turns into a parasocial fixation and obsession, the demons gain power.
In the movie, there are many references to South Korean cultural history. The songs include Korean lyrics, demons modelled after entities in real Korean folklore, and especially the pet tiger and magpie (who are known as Derpy and Sussie).
Production and Development
KPop Demon Hunters was developed with clear attention to cultural detail. The film’s creators worked with Korean consultants to ensure accuracy in music, language, and performance style. Maggie Kang, the co-director, is Korean-Canadian, so accuracy was especially important to her.
The animation blends Western and Korean styles, with character designs reflecting both regions’ typical models. The idols are modelled to reflect real K-pop idol aesthetics (albeit to a cartoonish level). The dance choreography is based on real K-pop dance moves, adding a level of realism.
I wanted to make the movie as Korean as possible, because I wanted to prove it doesn't matter what culture something is set in – it's all about the characters and the story.
Maggie Kang, co-director of KPop Demon Hunters
With Netflix hosting the movie, it reached a much wider audience than it might have otherwise. Netflix isn’t a perfect platform, but it allows creatives to explore ideas like K-Pop Demon Slayers, which might not get greenlit at other film studios. The platform didn’t force the movie to be localised or Westernised into something more generic. It allowed the producing team to emphasise Korean identity in a way that hasn’t been seen in animation like this before.
Certainly, the movie has caused even more intrigue in Korean and K-pop culture, making hallyu (the Korean Wave) even stronger.
Reception and Impact
Overall, the film has been hailed by audiences and critics alike. It’s fun, entertaining, visually stunning, and filled with genuinely good, catchy songs that are integrated into the plot well. Critics note that it avoided parody and treated K-pop culture with respect.
The film also sparked discussions about Korean culture, since the cultural references were given without explanation or simplification. This approach is an act of trust, offering audiences the opportunity to engage in research on their own time rather than holding their hand through “foreign” ideas. Audiences became genuinely interested in K-pop and Korean folklore, wanting to learn more.
Fans loved the main characters. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey became figures that viewers, especially younger ones, and especially girls, could identify with.
The warm global reception showed that culturally specific stories can succeed when written well, with integrity and clarity at the centre. Having a cultural team to guide the film avoids the problems that sometimes plague experimental films like this, such as cultural insensitivity or over-explaining ideas.
The best animated film of the year with stunning animation, original songs and brilliant voice acting. I can't get enough of this soundtrack.
Critic Lauren Veneziani of WBAL-TV
The only real criticism the film garnered was its simplified, idealised portrayal of K-pop culture, which is valid. The girl group is shown managing their own schedules, writing their own music, and eating a ton of food, especially right before a show. While it makes sense for the plot and the story, it leaves out the reality that K-pop idols don’t have nearly that much control over their music (and definitely wouldn’t be able to eat that much right before appearing in public). Overall, there isn’t very much to say negatively about the movie!
Learn more about trainee and idol culture in South Korea.
Soundtrack and Musical Highlights
The voice cast adds is the icing on top that really makes the movie shine. The voice actors and actors who provided the singing voices were carefully selected. Several of the singing voice actors are or were involved in the K-pop scene. Especially noteworthy is Rumi’s singing voice, EJAE, who has worked with groups like Red Velvet, Twice, Aespa and NMIXX.
Especially important for the film is the integration of the songs into the movie’s plot. Musical movies tend to flop when songs are included for the sake of having a song. KPop Demon Hunters has many musical numbers, but they all convey important information.
Songs performed by Huntrix reflect their emotional state at different points. The first song, “How It’s Done,” is full of confidence. “Golden” is a strong song, but it also has a layer of vulnerability and dealing with doubt underneath. The group’s last song, “Takedown,” is a “warrior anthem” when they overcome the villains.
In the end credits, Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung of the girl group TWICE perform a version of “Takedown.”
The soundtrack charted well in several regions, with songs like “Soda Pop” and “Golden” quickly amassing millions of listens online, even among those who hadn’t seen the film. They're some of the most popular K-pop songs of 2024!
For viewers interested in Korean pop, animation, or global storytelling, the film offers a fun, thoughtful experience. It shows that pop music can carry narrative weight and that animated films can effectively address modern themes.
🎤 What's Your Favourite Song from "KPop Demon Hunters"?
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