Why is Everyone Obsessed With Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters?

Summer got hotter, but not with the latest K-drama releases, instead with Netflix’s animated feature ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’.

The animated film is directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, who have created an exciting story about a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who fight demons with their music to protect humans from getting their souls taken by the demon’s leader, Gwi-Ma. They use their voice to maintain a barrier called the Honmoon, which protects the human world from the demons. However, they are challenged by the demon K-pop boy-group Saja Boys, who are trying to take over the human world with their music.

K-Pop Culture

Since the movie revolves around K-pop, fans love the representation of the K-pop fandom. From fan signings to stans shipping K-pop idols, fans find the representation of this pop culture phenomena authentic, relatable, and funny. The directors and writers received assistance from K-pop fans and writers Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt, authentically representing various aspects of this global phenomenon.

The movie would be nothing without its soundtrack, with catchy and relatable songs like ‘Golden’, ‘Soda Pop’, ‘Free’, and ‘How it’s Done’. It was composed by Marcelo Zarvos, while the lyrics were written by Danny Chung, Ido, Vince, Kush, Ejae, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick, and Daniel Rojas. Singers of the famous K-pop group, Twice, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, have sung the lead single, ‘Takedown’, representing the heart and soul of K-pop.

Catchy Songs

The lyricists and producers have created memorable songs that mimic the nature of trendy K-pop music, combining rap, addictive beats, and meaningful lyrics to connect with K-pop fans. The songs also perfectly complement the action and plot development of the film, enhancing the distinctness of this animated film because we have never had a story of demon hunters fighting demons with their K-pop music?

Is it just a Good Vs. Evil Story?

The story itself is a typical good vs. evil story; however, it is presented in a modern and urban context, especially the connection between Korean demon mythology and K-pop culture. Kang created a unique combination of these two phenomena, which allows the story to connect with viewers instantly.

Huntrix includes Rumi, Zoey, and Mira, but Rumi, as the protagonist, is not the typical heroine, hiding secrets of her own. However, Saja Boys’ lead Jinu discovers her secret, and the story moves forward from there. With Kang, screenwriters Chris Appelhans, Hannah McMechan, and Danya Jimenez have created an exciting, heartwarming, and empathetic story featuring themes of overcoming one’s fears, self-discovery, friendship, and romance.

Rumi and Jinu represent various K-drama romance tropes with their constant banter and heartfelt moments, but their relationship is more complicated than a simple love story, which hooks fans from the get-go.

Stunning Visuals

The directors Kang and Appelhans have created a visually exciting animated feature with Sony Pictures Animation. It is similar to ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, but it stands out with its exciting fight sequences between the Huntrix and the demons, the K-pop performances, and the Saja Boys' final live performance, where the real showdown begins. The animation and the visuals are beautiful and striking, making K-Pop Demon Hunters a thrilling watch.

Voice actors Ahn Hyo-seop (‘Business Proposal’), May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun (‘Squid Game’) have done a fabulous job, creating distinct personalities for their characters.  Arden Cho and Ahn Hyo-seop nailed down Rumi and Jinu, creating holistic characters and perfectly depicting the complex chemistry between them.

How fascinating is it that Squid Game’s Front Man voices Gwi-Ma in this film? Lee Byung-hun perfectly created a terrifying demon leader, who is a bit similar to the Front Man’s frightening personality.

If you haven’t watched ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ yet, you definitely should because it has the story, the visuals, and the K-pop drama to glue you to your screen.  

This article was previously published on kuwaitmoments. To see the original article, click here