The K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, led by Rumi, Mira and Zoey (voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo) are demon hunters who use their music to uphold a barrier separating the demon and living world, but they suddenly face competition from Saja Boys, a K-pop boy group who eclipse their popularity. With the girl’s noticing right away that they’re demons, this battle-of-the-bands has severe global consequences, but Rumi forms a connection with the band’s lead member, Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop) which causes her to open up about her own secret demon heritage (which Mira and Zoey don’t know about). With the upcoming Idol Awards being the deciding factor on whether the barrier stays sealed on not, Rumi will be forced to confront her demon half and stop the demons from claiming the souls of a stadium worth of fans.
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS turned what looked like just a quirky experiment into the next big thing that audiences and critics gushed over, and while some minor pacing, narrative and character issues prevent it from reaching golden status, the engrossing visual style, exhilarating musical numbers, likeable cast, and well-executed premise explain why it took over the world so quickly.
With a story conceived by director Maggie Kang, the strength of this idea is shown right away as it draws upon several components of Korean culture, and the concept of pop idols acting as demon hunters is just a fun premise. With Kang and fellow director, Chris Appelhans, both having experience animating movies that have mainstream yet still distinct styles, it allows this movie the benefit of feeling recognizable but also delightfully unfamiliar. The script by Kang, Appelhans, Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez enjoys the wackiness that comes from minimizing what should be a chaotic world-ending threat into singers fighting for the top spot on a music chart, but when it does get dramatic, it also works pretty nicely
The third act is when the film is at its best, as everything come together in a satisfying, theatrical and grand fashion, concluding in a way that while a tad convenient, feels pretty fulfilling. However, while it closes on a strong note, the road to that destination is a bit bumpy. The opening is nice and energized and there are fun instances throughout, but because the movie is only 100 mins and the exaggerated animation style and zany sense of comedy is so in-your-face, it never feels as emotionally engaging as it should. There’s still enough investment, but the film would’ve benefited from more of an intro or even just an extra 15 – 20 mins.
Getting the three lead heroines correct is crucial, and with very nice designs that have the benefit of looking extra memorable thanks to the unique wardrobes and hair stylings of Korean pop, these girls are played as very eccentric thanks to their extreme facial expressions and rowdy natures, but their genuine care for each other is felt during the quieter scenes and it results in a sweet sentimental friend group. It’s a solid starting point, but their identities need a little work. Rumi is a decent lead, with her demon heritage providing a good hook for her character to deal with and it leads to some nice drama in the third act, but Mira and Zoey feel more like comic relief rather than deuteragonists. While they have personalities, it’s more based around a single trait, and because they don’t have much mileage in the story, they never feel that relevant.
Jinu is an enjoyably tragic character, and while his arc is a little rushed, the nuggets of his past are good, and he and his extremely colorful boy band are wonderfully overdesigned and the passive sparing between both groups does make for some good comedy. None of the other character really contribute much to the plot even when it feels like they should, with characters like the Rumi’s mentor, Celine (voiced by Yunjin Kim) and even the main villain feeling more like plot devices rather than central characters, it’s another strange decision that whether due to time constraints or scripting complications, probably needed another rewrite to make what is overall, a very solid story, perfect.
When people heard the movie would have an art style like the Into the Spider-Verse films, excitement rose even further, mainly because they wanted to see how the song sequences would be handled, and they are nothing short of excellent. The movie perfectly captures the feel and sparkle of K-pop music, whether it’s the varying genres it can display or the amazingly intricate choreography and heart-pounding spectacle of the concert environment, it provides all flavours, offers a nice spread, and due to the fantastic singing and beautifully worded lyrics, leads to some incredible numbers that connected with a lot of people whether they were K-pop fans or not.
The action is very well done, the colors are so prominent and atmospheric, the camera work still gets some great hectic shots in the combat and some beautiful scenic imagery during the dramatic moments, and the choice of lighting and staging adds a music video quality even to non-singing moments. The range of expressions on the characters can rotate between an uncannily real style that feels almost barbie-esque, an extremely over-the-top style that feels very anime-inspired, and one that feels more like traditional Western animation, with it being the most effective. While the other two aren’t bad, the traditional style can still get some big expressions and movements, but in a way that isn’t off-putting and can still work in the more serious moments.
The popularity of KPOP DEMON HUNTER has risen so rapidly that it genuinely feels like seeing a new pop artist suddenly come to the fore. It’s almost a shame that it was streaming exclusive, as it could’ve had a solid theatrical run, but the success it has earned is still very strong. It has a few problems, but these issues like more character development and a firmer narrative, could be fixed with future instalments, and since everybody has really clicked with the great animation, likeable cast, fun premise, and absolutely incredible songs, it’s safe to say that KPOP DEMON HUNTERS knows how to get things done.
