Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely noticed the sudden appearance and continued growth of K-pop in popular Western culture. It’s a culture that has plenty of fair criticism and detractors, yet has continued to explode into the mainstream, especially with kids and teenagers. As such, it makes sense that Sony would want to do a K-pop animated film – and perhaps a title like KPop Demon Hunters may attract some eyerolls seeing it scrolling through Netflix. Thankfully, the film is a lot more than a soulless cash grab; far more than its soundtrack, it thrives in its fight scenes, eye-popping animation, and message about being more than your past or your heritage defines you to be.
Huntr/x is the hottest group in K-pop – they’ve also got an important mission behind their music. The girls double as demon hunters, and through the strength of their music and fanbase, power a magical barrier known as the Honmoon, which has been successfully keeping demons from devouring humans’ souls for decades. However, the girls get thrown for a loop when the demons decide to start fighting fire with fire…er, K-pop. A new group known as the Soja Boys lands on the scene, their chiseled abs and viral hits threatening to steal the world at large, and bringing up some complicated feelings from the past for singer Rumi, who has a big secret she’s been hiding from her friends.
K-pop is perhaps one of the divisive topics on the Internet, though perhaps it’s not the music as much as it is the infamous raging online fanbases. The soundtrack plays it relatively safe with a set of tunes that mix English and Korean, and are naturally catchy in the way a lot of pop hits are. Even for those who aren’t fans of K-pop or pop music in general, the film doesn’t overly emphasize its score a la The Rose of Versailles, and there’s plenty of action and other elements here to enjoy.
There’s also some subtle, yet present critique of the world that pop stars in general often find themselves in. Huntr/x lives by the motto of “our faults and fears must never be seen,” which is naturally an almost impossible feat for anyone. They understand themselves not just as a group, but as a product – a shiny fascination that can easily be dismissed if they aren’t constantly putting themselves in the spotlight. The only difference between them and real pop idols is that the fate of the world actually depends on their success – that, and they’re allowed to eat.
Furthermore, there’s an important message here for all ages about the possibility for growth. While most people might not have a literal demon talking in their head, it can feel like it at times – both the hunters and demons alike struggle with feelings of being inadequate, haunted by actions of their past, or characteristics about themselves they can’t change. The message behind KPop Demon Hunters is a lot more than “K-pop is cool” – it’s about how the ability to work past your inner self-doubt and the things you’ve done that haunt you can grow a stronger bond between you and the people that matter to you than ever before.
The animation style is quite similar here to Sony’s Spider-Verse films, with a bit more of an anime-inspired flair. Much like Spider-Verse, the film is constantly busy, with some impressively animated action sequences and occasional moments of comic relief that use the less popular now but still cute “chibi” stylings of the characters. It’s a bit unprecedented to see them on the 3D-animated characters, but somehow Sony has pulled it off – continuing a streak they’ve had since Spider-Verse of bringing animated stories to life with more depth than their roots. I imagine the reason Sony chose not to release the film in theaters is because it lacks the marketing appeal of something like the Angry Birds or Smurfs characters, the film’s explosive soundtrack and fight scenes would be appealing to see on the big screen.
Overall, KPop Demon Hunters is an exciting, action-filled love letter to K-pop with plenty to offer for those who aren’t fans. While it has its light-hearted moments, it offers a lot for viewers to chew on in terms of industry conditions, as well as the ability to grow and change beyond what your environment has beaten into you. Even K-pop detesters will have no choice but to root for these girls as they strive to save the world and maybe get an earworm or two stuck in your head in the process.
KPop Demon Hunters is available streaming on Netflix.
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