Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) Click Here for audio version
Given the global rage of Kpop idols and music, it was only a matter of time before someone made a movie about a Kpop girl band fighting the bad guys. Netflix’s animated musical ‘Kpop Demon Hunters‘ is set in a world where singing trios across generations protect humanity by keeping demons at bay with their music. It’s far-fetched, silly, fun and turns on the ‘aegyo’ (the word for ‘cuteness’ in Korean).
Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, Kpop Demon Hunters follows popular girl band Huntrix, comprising lead singer Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), rebellious lead dancer Mira (May Hong), and chirpy maknae Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), who double as demon hunters, keeping evil forces at bay through their powerful music. Their strength lies in their voice and fan following, which is threatened by a rising K-pop band called the Saja Boys, demons masquerading as hot idols, led by Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), who aims to weaken their base and powers.
Kpop Demon Hunters starts off with a funny sequence of the girls flying in their private jet, gorging on ramyeon and junk food to power up for their big show. Their personalities are immediately established as goofy, cutesy, friendly and sort of relatable. And before they hit the mic, they also fight off some demons on the way! It’s a humorous, action-packed start that leads to their first song in the film, capturing the essence of most K-pop concerts, with fans cooing and going crazy as they cheer on Huntrix with their custom light sticks. The film takes plenty of subtle and funny digs at Kpop fans, like a small running gag which shows a bunch of guys crying their eyes out whenever they talk about their idols.
But once Jinu, the demon who plots to topple the Kpop Demon Hunters, debuts with his boy band, the Saja Boys, even the Huntrix girls are blinded by their deceptive good looks and charm for a second. Even the usually calm, cool, aloof Mira is shaken by the boys! The animation hilariously captures the girls crushing on the boys before realizing they’re demons. The rest of the film, of course, follows their quest to defeat them and save the world from their demonic charm. A major sub-plot reveals Jinu to be a far more complex character than an out-and-out villain, which makes Rumi wonder if all demons are bad. One of the film’s funniest moments is how the writers cleverly poke fun at ‘shipping’ culture, showing fans instantly pairing the Huntrix girls with the Saja Boys and setting off a frenzy of romance rumors.
With a 7+ rating, Kpop Demon Hunters is the kind of animated musical that will probably be best enjoyed by viewers between the ages of 12 and 17, although it’s also a fun watch for regular fans of animated films with goofy plots and the good old ‘good versus bad’ theme. Mira’s character reminded me of the film ‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken‘, which is all about a non-human girl trying her best to pass off as a regular kid at school. Mira, too, isn’t completely human and has a hard time concealing her true nature from her favorite bandmates, scared they won’t accept her for who she is. So there’s also the usual ’embrace yourself with all your flaws’ theme going on in the plot.
Animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Kpop Demon Hunters features character designs that blend popular K-pop idol aesthetics with flair. You can see the creators have even taken inspiration from the big names in the K-pop worlds – BTS, Astro, BlackPink, TWICE, among others. In-fact, TWICE members have even recorded a song for the film, it’s called ‘Takedown’. The animation is vibrant, colorful, and visually catchy, though some scenes suffer from slightly sluggish character movements, almost as if they’re buffering. But those moments are very few. On the plus side, the lip-syncing during dialogue is impressively accurate and well-timed.
And well, since Kpop Demon Hunters is a musical, with multiple song-dance sequences, the original soundtrack for the film is energetic and fun. Some of the tracks are catchy, with bubblegum beats, while others are more generic, although they do sound like a mix of Kpop songs you’ve already heard of. For instance, the Saja Boys debut with a track called ‘Soda Pop’, whose vibe might remind some of Zerobase1 song ‘Feel The Pop’. Overall, the music is enjoyable, the tracks smoothly help push the plot forward, never feeling contrived, and the vocal talent recruited the songs shine in their parts.
Packed with Korean food, glitzy visuals, girl power, and a hint of forbidden romance, ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ is an entertaining genre-bending musical that brings Kpop to the world of action-fantasy. This also hold potential for a full spin-off series. The climax cheers on girl power, friendship, and closes the girls’ adventures on a high note.
Kpop Demon Hunters is streaming on Netflix.
Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram
Read Next: Lost in Starlight Review: BGs Shinier Than Character Animation
Also Read: Sirens Netflix Series Review (Short Audio Version below)