Magical Girl Goes KPop in KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters is exactly what the title promises, but more than the stunning visuals and the earworm-inducing music, it’s a heartwarming story about trusting your community and letting go of shame. 

Image from Netflix

The movie introduces us to two rival KPop bands: HUNTR/X, a three-piece girl group made up of Zoey, Mira and Rumi; and the Saja Boys, a boy group with five members led by Jinu. The twist? HUNTR/X is a group of demon hunters going after the Saja Boys, a group of—you guessed it—demons from hell. The Saja Boys were formed after their leader struck a deal with the creature Gwi Ma, in exchange for him forgetting his mortal memories. HUNTR/X, on the other hand, is the latest in a long line of female singers and demon hunters dedicated to sealing the Honmoon, a protective barrier that stops Gwi Ma and his demons from escaping hell, with their music and ensuring that all of them stay in hell, where they belong. 

Produced by Sony Animation Studios, KPop Demon Hunters takes on the same animation quality as the Spiderverse animated series, making it look a lot less polished than 3D animation. This gives the film an edgy quality and lends itself to more moments of levity. This also allows the animation to break out of its art style, featuring comic-book and anime style art in several frames. These become standout moments in the film.

Of course, we have to talk about the songs. As proven by the current charts and the amount of covers currently online, KPop Demon Hunters was successful in capturing the KPop audience. The opening song “How It’s Done” takes on the classic KPop formula featuring both Korean and English lyrics, an onomatopoeic chorus, and rap verses over multiple layers of beats and instruments. The Saja Boys are introduced with the song “Soda Pop,” a bright pop track featuring tight choreography highlighting the boys’ roles and talents. Their concept is flipped in “Your Idol,” a dark song reminiscent of KPop boy groups like ATEEZ and Stray Kids. In opposition to this, HUNTR/X reunites in “What It Sounds Like,” a battle cry that captures how their individual strengths make them a formidable group. The movie brings it all home with an end-credits version of “Takedown” featuring three members of the widely popular KPop girl group Twice.

The movie knows itself and doesn’t take itself too seriously, rather it leans into the absurdity of its premise and runs away with it. It satirizes the KPop industry pretty well, from the ridiculous schedules of its idols and extremely high expectations, to the cult-like obsessions of its fans and the idols’ dedication to their images. The movie’s plot is a study in shame, told through the lens of Korean mythology and Asian generational upbringing. It’s also an homage to the magical girl genre, which has been one of the most popular subgenres in Asian media.

It is, of course, imperfect. Many things were still left up in the air, and the pacing made the film feel like the story had been heavily edited. That being said, it is quite common practice for films to be released in order to test the viability of its concept as a longer form of media. All I’m saying is that I won’t mind a full series run of KPop Demon Hunters. Maybe even a prequel. 

On the surface, KPop Demon Hunters sounds too absurd to work, but the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts. In a media landscape filled with endless remakes, I am grateful to Maggie Kang for fighting for this story to exist.

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