This movie has such a hold on me, and I’m loving it.
K-pop Demon Hunters (produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix) is about three women who must save the world from invading demons intent on stealing their souls to feed their fiery leader, Gwi-Ma.
The movie opens with fans eagerly awaiting their final performance (before couch) but the girls are nowhere to be found. Apparently, their plane has been hijacked by – you guessed it – demons.
And right off the bat we get the banger of a song, “How it’s Done” which immediately establishes their group, aptly named Huntr/x, as the badass demon slayers/k-pop idols responsible for maintaining and strengthening the honmoon, a magical barrier which prevents demons from entering the human realm.
It took 3 minutes (seriously, you can time it!), but the demons were vanquished, and with bellies full of ramen, they give their fans everything they could have hoped for.
However, not everything is as it seems. After this performance, the girls were supposed to go on hiatus, but instead Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho, and sang by EJAE) decided to push out their next song, “Golden,” and promo starts tonight!
Mira (voiced by May Hong and sang by Audrey Nuna) and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo and sang by Rei Ami) are not too pleased.
This leads into the music video for “Golden” which is the #1 song on the Billboard as of this writing. As a k-pop fan and weeb, it pleases me to no end that several of this movie’s songs are in the top 10. It’s amazing what this movie has done for the culture and bringing it to the mainstream. Twice’s numbers have climbed significantly since the release as well.
The rest of the plot involves Huntr/x fighting demons, both the external ones (including the boy band, Saja Boys), and internal ones, and it’s that dichotomy of storytelling that I found really compelling.
It’s revealed through song and plot that each of the girls have insecurities that they’re dealing with. This movie is focused on Rumi though, and it explores her shame around having “patterns,” indicative of demon heritage. This is compounded by the fact that their mentor Celine has been instilling in them over the years that their fears and faults must be hidden, never to see the light. So it’s no surprise that Rumi is too afraid to tell her friends that she has them. She believes that by sealing the golden honmoon that the patterns will go away and she won’t have to deal with it.
Mira’s insecurity is that she had a tough family life growing up, and she’s dealt with this core wound by pushing people away. She puts walls up, and effectively has become an avoidant attached person. Zoey on the other hand grew being told that she was “too much” or “not enough” and has become a people-pleaser as a result, making her anxiously attached. She constantly seeks validation and isn’t confident in her own ideas.
It’s through the exploration of these insecurities that I felt attacked. As someone with ADHD (and is potentially on the autism spectrum) I’ve always felt like an outsider to those around me. At times my personality is silly and fun, but to others I have to mask this side of me because I feel like I wouldn’t be accepted, and I honestly don’t know how to be myself in those situations. I can’t say I even know who “myself” is in some contexts. So I relate to Zoey, I relate to Mira, and I relate to Rumi.
This movie is an anthem for every neurodivergent, or otherwise, non-typical person out there. Outsiders. Rumi’s struggles have also been interpreted as symbolism for LGBTQ+ experiences.
“Why couldn’t you love me?” Rumi cried.
“I do!” Celine responded.
“All of me!” Rumi shouted, exasperated.
Ultimately, Rumi’s secret comes to light as some demons in disguise perform “Takedown,” as they literally take down her jacket and reveal her patterns to the world. Zoey and Mira get there, but it’s too late and they see Rumi for what she really is. However, their response shows that it’s not her patterns they can’t accept, it’s her lack of trust and honesty that hurts them.
Feeling betrayed, Huntr/x breaks up and go their separate ways. Zoey and Mira, feeling cast aside, allow themselves to fall under the Saja Boys’ (and Gwi-Ma’s) spell, and Rumi confronts Celine in a graveyard (SN: why was Celine there in the first place?)
Rumi ultimately decides to destroy the honmoon, but only to replace it with one that’s not born of shame. This was a stressful moment for me because it could have gone either way. Feeling alone and ashamed, she could have gone full dark side, but she denies that temptation and decides instead to stop hiding who she is.
After an entrancing performance of “Your Idol” by the Saja Boys, Rumi makes a final stand, confronting Gwi-Ma with a heartful performance of “This is What is Sounds Like.” Her song breaks Gwi-Ma’s hold on Zoey and Mira and together they acknowledge their faults and realize they should accept each other for who they are. They join Rumi’s song in harmony, and are also joined by the audience (this part gave me chills).
Jinu (one of the Saja Boys, voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop and sang by Andrew Choi) makes a heartbreaking sacrifice, and with the honmoon restored, Gwi-Ma is finally defeated.
K-Pop Demon Hunters is the story of accepting yourself (faults and all), trusting your friends, and the belief that change is possible.
It’s not a perfect movie. There are plot holes (like why is killing regular demons fine, but demons like Jinu deserve a second chance), but overall it accomplishes what it set out to do. I felt seen by this film, and between the amazing music, stunning animation, and goofy and charismatic characters, I recommend it wholeheartedly!
Hopefully a sequel will explore some of the world more, and flesh out Mira and Zoey’s characters. What kind of story do you think they could tell next? Let’s discuss it in the comments!
| Director | Maggie Kang |
| Chris Appelhans | |
| Screenplay | Danya Jimenez |
| Hannah McMechan | |
| Maggie Kang | |
| Chris Appelhans | |
| Starring | Arden Cho |
| Ahn Hyo-seop | |
| May Hong | |
| Ji-young Yoo | |
| Yunjin Kim | |
| Daniel Dae Kim | |
| Ken Jeong | |
| Lee Byung-hun | |
| Editor | Nathan Schauf |
| Music | Marcelo Zarvos |
Oh, and here’s my ranking of the music!
Stage Shot Magazine 
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