Over the past year and a half, I’ve fallen down the K-pop rabbit hole. What started as a small curiosity after seeing an ITZY video on TikTok has snowballed into a genre of music that almost never leaves my playlists. I was enamoured by everything, from the music and choreography to the outfits; I love it all. So I was very happily surprised to hear that the team behind the fantastic Spider-Verse films would be making a film all about K-pop, called Kpop Demon Hunters, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. I saw the trailer and was immediately hooked on the premise, characters, and most importantly, the music. But now that the film has dropped on Netflix, was it worth all of the excitement, or is the K-pop coat of paint hiding a mediocre film?
For hundreds of years, a trio of singers have been keeping the evil of the Demon King Gwi-Ma at bay through a worldwide defence system called the Honmoon. Each generation has its own protectors, and the role is currently held by the K-pop group HUNTRX, comprised of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. The trio, while finishing up their world tour, notice that the Honmoon is starting to glow gold, which means that their job of permanently sealing away Gwi-Ma and the rest of the demons is nearly complete. Without a moment to rest, Rumi releases the group’s new single, “Golden”, in an attempt to seal the deal. But when Rumi’s voice isn’t as perfect as it once was and a rival boy band in the form of the Saja Boys appears, will HUNTRX be able to overcome it all and protect the Honmoon, or will the demons reign supreme?
This plot is engaging from start to finish. While the overall structure of it is a bit basic (demon bad, kill all demons), the way it is presented is unique, and the film adds K-pop flair to every aspect of the story. The relationship between the HUNTRX members felt genuine, and I was easily able to get invested in their characters. Rumi’s story was the main driving force of the film, and it was amazing, if a tad rushed. Lots of mysteries surrounding her past and relationships with her parental figures were brought up, but not followed through on.
In a similar vein, Mira and Zoey, while fantastic characters, don’t get nearly as much time in the spotlight to further develop. The 1 hour and 39 minute run time doesn’t help, so I’m hoping for some more from them in any possible sequels. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and even if we don’t get anything expanded on, it still remains a high-quality one-off experience.
I adored every character in this film from the moment they first appeared on screen. As the heart and soul of the film, Rumi’s journey is fantastic and leads to some moments of genuine heartbreak. I don’t normally feel second-hand depressed for a fictional character, but several moments throughout this film left me an emotional wreck. This was helped by Arden Cho’s impeccable performance as her line delivery made everything that little bit more painful (in a good way).
Mira is the brash and serious member of the group, and that comes across perfectly. Her one-track mind to kill demons is fun, but the moments where her insecurities start to show put her character in a whole new perspective. May Hong did an excellent job of capturing both sides of Mira, and I couldn’t imagine the film without her. She also has the coolest weapon with her big ass polearm called Gok-do; shit was cool as fuck.
And then there’s Zoey, my fav of the group, and the funniest character of the film. Her constant stream of energy and positivity balanced out the group’s dynamic and was a joy to watch. But the part that really hit me hard was her people-pleasing nature and the negative connotations that come with that mindset. It was something that I could relate to, and there were two moments in particular (one played for laughs, the other for crying) that hit very close to home. Ji-youn Yoo was the perfect choice for Zoey, and she’s the character I would love to see more of most in any sequels (Imma keep saying it until it’s real).
Besides the main trio, the rest of the characters were also a blast. Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu, the leader of the Saja Boys, perfectly encapsulated the two sides of the demon singer. I was left guessing the entire time if what he was saying was true or if he was just lying to get what he wanted. The other members of the Saja Boys didn’t get as much development, but I’m ok with that, as they made up for it by causing some hilarious interactions with Mira and Zoey. Lee Byung-hun of Squid Game fame voices the Demon King Gwi-Ma, and he absolutely nailed the otherworldly evil vibe of a demon king.
One more character I wanted to mention is the quack doctor who shows up for a scene, played by Daniel Dae Kim of all people! He doesn’t appear for long, but it was by far the funniest section of the film.
Being a film based around K-pop, I assumed that music would play a big part, and I was not disappointed. Every track is a certified banger, and I was jamming out every time a song started. I’m normally not big on musicals in general, but Kpop Demon Hunters might’ve made me see the genre in a new light. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack almost non-stop since the film ended, with “Golden” and “What It Sounds Like” in particular being stuck in my head on repeat. The other songs, such as “How it’s Done” and “Takedown” (including the TWICE version), also slap harder than they have any right to. And yes, the song “Soda Pop” by the Saja Boys is annoyingly catchy, and I caught myself doing the little shoulder dance more than once. All of this is to say that I need this soundtrack on vinyl last week so I can fill my house with these fantastic tunes.
It’s not just the soundtrack that slaps, the animation is also fucking amazing. Coming from the Spider-Verse team, I knew the film would look incredible, but I was not prepared for what I was about to witness. The character expressions are excellent, both in showing a wide range of emotions and also just being goofy. Hell, at one point Zoey turns into a chibi version of herself to eat snacks (it was adorable). The fight scenes all looked phenomenal, and have some of the best animation I’ve seen in a while. Every movement is so fluid and satisfying to watch that I couldn’t look away.
Kpop Demon Hunters is one of my favourite films I’ve seen this year. I adored everything about it from beginning to end, and it left me wanting so much more. While I have an issue with the plot’s loose ends, that is nothing compared to the rest of this fantastic film. I desperately want to see this story continued or expanded on in some way. Hell, I’ll even say it, I would rather have more of this than Beyond the Spider-Verse, fight me.
Have you seen Kpop Demon Hunters? What did you think? Do you want a sequel? Let us know in the comments below where we can fight over who is the best member from each group (Zoey clears all).
