Animation Review: K-Pop Demon Hunters

I love my friends for a lot of reasons. They're kind, honest, loyal, spunky, funny- the list goes on. I would take a bullet to the chest and a razor scooter to the ankle for them. But they're also all a bunch of losers who won't shut the hell up about their latest obsessions. And that is how a three-hour car ride to Philadelphia turned into my friend's partial yap session about Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters. 

And what better way is there to follow up a yap session than with the actual subject of the yapping? We were in the city for a Babymetal concert that night but had some downtime in our hotel room. Before anyone else could figure out how we were going to kill some time, our friend put on K-Pop Demon Hunters and sat us all down.

The movie is as amusingly and adorably absurd as its title. It follows Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, three K-pop idols and members of the music group Huntr/x who lead double lives as ..... You guessed it: demon hunters. Their voices and songs possess the power to strengthen the magical barrier between the human world and the demon world. The Honmoon, as it's known, is the only thing keeping demon kind from devouring humanity's souls. 

When demons do happen to slip a through the Honmoon, however, Huntr/x dispatches them with some good ol' mystic weapons. They're a bold and confident trio who seem just as eager to stake a demon through its heart as they do to debut their newest songs. This all changes, however, when the demon king Gwi-Ma accepts an unusual proposition from his servant Jinu. Rather than continuing to try and kill the members of Huntr/x, why not best them at their own game on the stage?

And so the demonic Saja Boys are formed, with Jinu as their leader. They quickly capture the attention and adoration of Huntr/x's fans. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey suddenly find themselves struggling to keep their top spot in the charts and in their fans' hearts. As their popularity wanes, so too does their power to maintain the Honmoon.

From left to right: Mystery, Abby, Jinu, Baby, and Romance.

Even though K-Pop Demon Hunters is a bonafide movie, it does feel like a very fancy concept piece at its core. The plot is simple, the worldbuilding is minimal, and the characters, while getting a bit of development, don't get a substantial amount of fleshing out. The film throws in a few plot points that seem to demand in-depth character exploration, however, said exploration never goes far. 

But you know what? I am okay with this. Despite the thin plot, K-Pop Demon Hunters is still very fun and enjoyable. It is abundantly clear the massive amount of love and care that the writers, animators, musicians, and producers poured into this film. I have also heard that Sony cut its runtime from 3 hours to just one and a half. If that is true, then it's no wonder why it feels a bit underbaked. I think it's a miracle that the plot is coherent at all with half its guts ripped out. 

Back to the passion behind the film though, I can almost imagine how the idea for this movie came to be: One of the writers was pacing around their home, thinking: "Okay! There will be a K-pop idol band." A few minutes later their eyes widen. And they blurt out "And oh my God, what if they also fought demons!?" Then a few minutes after that they squeal, slam their fists down on their kitchen table, and shout "HOLY CRAP WHAT IF THERE WAS A DEMON BOY BAND WORKING AGAINST THEM????" K-pop Demon Hunters is just oozing with the manic passion of an artist who is struck with an incredible idea and feels compelled by an otherworldly force to bring it to life. And it is these feverous passion projects that I admire so dearly, warts and all.

Given the movie's premise, music is a huge focus in K-Pop Demon Hunters. Actually, I think you could even just flat out classify it as a musical, as Huntr/x's and the Saja Boys' music takes up a large portion of its runtime.

I don't listen to K-pop. I have nothing against it, I have just never really been exposed to it outside of Psy's "Gangnam Style". I only know three things about the genre: 1. BTS is the most popular K-pop group (I think). 2. K-pop fans can be absolutely wild and unhinged. 3. Back in 2020, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police brutality, the Dallas Police department created an app for people to report Black Lives Matter protesters. K-pop stans proceeded to flood the app with fancams and get it taken down. Not all heroes wear capes. 

My lack of familiarity with the genre doesn't matter, however, as K-Pop Demon Hunters' soundtrack absolutely delivers. It offers a great deal of variety, from the upbeat and chipper "Soda Pop" to the heartfelt "Free" to the courageous "What it Sounds Like". My favorite songs, however, would have to be "Takedown", "How It's Done", and "Your Idol". 

"Takedown" is Huntr/x's aggressive and intoxicatingly cocky diss-track. One of its final verses really nails home its savage nature:

I'ma cut you open, lose control,

And rip out your heart

You'll be beggin' and cryin',

All of you dyin'

I'ma gear up and take you down.

Listening to it feels like snorting a fat line of cocaine. "How It's Done" is similarly brutal and features what are probably Huntr/x's most relentless lyrics:

Heels, nails, blade, mascara

Fit check for my Napalm era

"Your Idol", meanwhile, is an appropriately sinister and alluring song from the Saja Boys. It hits the ground running (quality-wise), opening with eerie Latin chanting. It then dives into some absolutely malicious bars:

I will love your more

When it all burns down

More than power, more than gold

Yeah, you gave me your heart,

Now I'm here for your soul

K-Pop Demon Hunters dashes between its musical numbers at a frantic speed. As I mentioned before, the movie feels like it was conceived in a bout of manic inspiration, and that vibe extends to its pace. (Of course, having its run time cut in half will also speed up the pace). Conversations and exchanges between characters are rapid- sort of like that one Wii Sports clip where two tennis players are standing right at the net and hitting the ball back and forth at lightning speed. Meanwhile, new plot points are, for the most part, given only a few moments to settle in before the cast is running off to address something else. It rarely stops to take a breath.

While the pace could be disorienting to some, I think it's infectiously energetic. That's especially so when paired with the film's musical numbers. It's also fitting given that the life of a K-pop star is nothing if not frantic. Throw in the demon slaying and I think it's fair to say that it would feel weird for the pace to be anything less than breakneck. 

Plus, K-Pop Demon Hunters does have moments of quiet. They're far and few between, but they are there. And their scarcity is used to a great advantage, as they are reserved for moments of massive plot significance. The gargantuan contrast between the film's normally blistering pace and its handful of jarringly slow scenes help emphasize the importance of these calmer moments. 

With demons and K-pop fashion though, I of course need to talk about the visuals. The animation is fluid, flashy, and bombastic. This comes as no surprise, as K-Pop Demon Hunters shares a lot of animation staff with the Spiderverse films. The numerous fight scenes give Huntr/x plenty of opportunities to show off their wild combat techniques and skills. Perspectives and viewing angles are constantly shifting, contributing to the film's high energy level and hitting viewers like a dopamine rush.

K-Pop Demon Hunters takes heavy inspiration from anime, as seen with the wildly and hilariously exaggerated expressions that its characters show. Jaws drop, faces contort, and limbs twist in all sort of wacky ways. Eyes bulge, and eyes also..... Make popcorn. The loveable absurdity of the animation is best shown in one of the film's first scenes, in which Rumi deeply inhales the scent of some kimbap, moans in ecstasy, and then deepthroat it. This scene has become one of its most iconic moments. It has people making comparisons ranging from Moo Deng to various obscene acts. And the comparisons are all really funny, just as the original scene is also really funny. 

Certified Moo Deng moment.

The character design is similarly spot on. Huntr/x's outfits are all stylish and glamorous. Meanwhile, their hairstyles help to distinguish them not just visually, but also personality-wise. The tightly bound, intertwining nature of Rumi's long braid helps cement her status as the group's leader and anchor point while also alluding to her reluctance to share parts of herself with her friends.  

Zoey's hair is done up in a bun at the back of her head, however, she does have two short strands that twist in front of her face. She is a people-pleaser and is always trying to solve the group's problems and keep them together as well, hence how her hair is bound. However, she is more fun-living, free-spirited, and open with her friends, symbolized by the loose strands. 

 Mira, meanwhile, has flowing, waist-length hair as well as pigtails and two long wisps that extend far below her chin. The main section is wild and loose- just like how Mira's personality is unrestrained. But I think the wisps in particular bring things together. Mira's face is a bit longer and more angular than Rumi's and Zoey's- the wisps help frame her face and emphasis its length and angle. They also end in points, almost like long knives hanging in front of her. This matches Mira's aggressive demeanor. 

And it would be a crime not to mention Derpy and Sussie. Derpy is absolutely delightful. A tiger is a fearsome animal that inspires awe with its sharp claws, fangs, and predatory instincts. Derpy, meanwhile, is about as threatening as a dish towel. His relaxed, blue coloring contrasts with the traditionally more lively and aggressive orange coloring of a tiger, further emphasizing his docile nature. There's not a single thought that occurs between those big eyes of his. He is about as sentient as a sponge and I wish I could just stick my face into his fur. 

The lights are on, but nobody's home.

Sussie, on the other hand, is a conniving little bastard. This little magpie knows that Derpy may as well be a boulder and so happily steals his hat and uses his head as a perch. His design is simple but effective. You see the extra eyes on his neck and immediately think "Oh yeah, this is a demon bird". And the neck placement in particular is rather unique. When I think of extra eyes on monsters and demons, the face is naturally the first place I think of. Following that would be the inside of the mouth and the tops of the hands. The neck isn't a typical place for extra eyes to go, and so that makes Sussie's design more interesting in my opinion. 

My favorite designs by far though are those of the Saja Boys' demon forms. The patterns, the glowing eyes, the purple skin, and then the outfits..... They are just perfect. Their clothes take very heavy inspiration from traditional Korean depictions of the grim reaper, as does the band's name itself. I just can't get over how good they look. 

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

I think the only genuinely bad aspect of K-Pop Demon Hunters is its audio mixing. There are very large audio fluctuations between scenes that should have similar sound levels. It got to the point that one of my friends was constantly changing the volume to accommodate this. One scene would play at an acceptable volume, only for the next to be booming through the television speakers and threatening to bother the hotel rooms next to us. 

Outside of the mixing issues though, K-Pop Demon Hunters is an absolute treat. It has great character design, fluid animation, catchy music, and unmatched vibes. While I do wish its plot was a bit more substantial, I can't hold it against the team too much given the films slashed runtime. I have now been yapping about it to any of my family, friends, and coworkers who might enjoy it. And even if I'm not yapping directly to my neighbors about it, they have still heard all about it. Four days per week. At 6:45 AM and 5:30 PM. Via my car's speakers. With me, hunched over at the wheel in my dress slacks and blouse. Fit check for my K-pop era. 

8/10

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K-Pop Demon Hunters is available to stream on Netflix. It carries a rating of PG for action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material, and brief language.