- Release year: 2025
- Directors: Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang.
- Producer: Michelle Wong.
- Screenplay by: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMehan, Maggie Kang, and Chris Appelhans.
- Cinematography by: Gary H. Lee.
- Music by: Marcelo Zarvos.
Synopsis: a female K-pop group moonlights as demon hunters, using the power of their voices to keep them in the underworld.
Shotgun Commentary: colours…so many colours…
Review
Kpop Demon Hunters is a production that combines oversaturated colours with K-pop music and idols, supernatural elements, and a lot of delicious-looking food. A fun, innocuous feature to pass the time without necessarily getting too invested.
The context
The story begins in the thick of it already, with the K-pop group HUNTR/X already formed, famous, and fighting demons. Their songs lighten up their fans’ hearts and make their souls sync in harmony, keeping the sunmoon strong.
What is the sunmoon? You might be wondering. Well, the sunmoon is a sort of invisible web that protects the surface of the Earth. It keeps the demons underneath from reaching the people living above. The web is usually blue, but the goal is to make it golden. This would mean it is a lot more permanent and powerful. On the other hand, were the web to turn red, it would mean that it has rifts through which the demons can crawl out.
As you can see, the concept is simple enough: HUNTR/X singing and being popular keeps everyone alive and safe. However, everything goes to hell (pun intended) when a group of demons, led by one Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), form a boyband to steal the girls’ fans. Around the same time, you learn that the leader of HUNTR/X, Rumi (Arden Cho), is actually half-demon.
The drama
This fact puts further strain on the group, even though two thirds of the band are oblivious to the fact. Her sidekicks Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) also happen to be her best friends, which makes it hard for Rumi to keep her secret, both physically and psychologically. Through the trio of friends, the film offers an obvious, but still wholesome, take on friendship and the importance of keeping your relationships honest.
However, the main topic of the feature isn’t friendship or fame, not even good and evil. It is shame. Underneath all the layers of neon, bright dyes, and sequins, this is a story about shame and how it can corrupt your whole existence.
Serious business
On the one hand, the theme is explored through Rumi’s life experience. As a demon hunter who was born half-demon, not only do Rumi’s origins hint at a juicy romance worth exploring in a sequel, but they also bring up the subject of bastards and class difference. The hatred against demons is incredibly justified considering they steal souls and mess up your life, but hating a being over something she had no choice in is another matter entirely.
Rumi was brought up by a band member of her mother’s group, the trio of hunters that preceded HUNTR/X. With no blood relation to her and a deep-seated hatred for demons, her guardian Celine (Yunjin Kim) did her best to provide for Rumi and protect her. Sadly, her prejudice against demons are passed onto Rumi through her teachings, making Rumi ashamed of her ancestry and, as a result, her whole existence. This shame feeds her demonic part in a never-ending spiral of shame and self-loathing that leads only to damnation.
On the other hand, there’s the character of Jinu, a demon by choice consumed by the same shame and self-loathing as Rumi, but due to regrets of his own making rather than chance. Both of them are consumed by guilt about events they can’t change, which only bring them pain and darkness. One doesn’t expect to see such themes in a Netflix animation feature as colourful and fun as this one, yet here we are, and it is absolutely gorgeous to witness.
Fun atmosphere
Both the soundtrack and the animation are also worth the mention. The first one is plagued with absolute bangers that might not stay in your head for long, but will very likely become part of your playlist. As for the second, the 3D animation is combined with 2D classic anime expressions to emphasise certain reactions from the characters, adding a ton of humour to each scene.
All in all, KPop Demon Hunters is an animation feature with both style and substance. Easily-digestible content with a message, great music, and wonderful visuals. That is, everything you could possibly want from an animation musical. Highly recommended watch for a chill afternoon.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Never be ashamed of who you are or where you come from.
- The past is in the past, all that matters is what you do in the present.
- You need to give your friends some credit, if you have to hide things from them, you might wanna rethink your choice of friends.
What’s your take? Have you watched KPop Demon Hunters? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀