- Date of Release: 20 June 2025
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
- Language: English
- Watch On: Netflix
KPop Demon Hunters
Introduction
Joining in the bandwagon and most definitely late to the party, the broader theme of the English animated Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters is a classic good versus evil template. And that is something which is ably conveyed through its title – ‘Demon Hunters’ is a straight up giveaway. But in the same moment, the word ‘KPop’ adds depth – not because it wishes to convey the global phenomena by the same name, but something more deeper that doubles up as our healing agent. The power of music is often a healing factor – our fellow companion during heartbreaks, or loss – wherein every little beat is curated to evolve that budding yet restricted cell inside you. It is hardly surprising on how you then feel ‘alive’, away from the negativity while looking at the world different. In the same breath, this music of yours is meant to tame your inner dragon by shielding it with a ‘Honmoon’ or a protective shield that separates your joy from your sorrow. This may seem like a regular animated film – something that I may have been guilty of dismissing back when it was out – only to understand the deeper philosophies engrained in the narrative that is stacked with a rich bout of emotions.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang, Hannah McMechan, and Danya Jimenez, you are instantly transported into the enchanting lore of KPop Demon Hunters wherein music and fear rule the world. So when you are introduced to the Demon Hunters – Rumi (Ardan Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) – you can sense that their purpose of protecting the humans from the flesh eating demons is through the music that they create. In a hilarious scene at the start, you see them getting the better over demons in an airplane before landing right in the middle of their concert. That scene is enough to tell you about the camaraderie that the trio share, and the friendship that binds the group together. With song writing, composing and choreography duties being separated – you understand the subtext on how every character requires the support of the other to survive, or in other words, to complete each other.
The drama uses the metaphor of identity through the character of Rumi. In a scene, you see Rumi being reluctant in entering the bathtub with her girl gang – something that is indifferent given the bond that she shares with them. On further speculation, you notice stripes on her body that tells us on how she maybe a demon too. This remains a secret deep within her, almost being told by her mother on “not to come out of the closet”. The subtext is enough to highlight the traces of a commentary on the LGBTQAI community, although this remains a generalized opinion on how to accept oneself without pursuing it further with the character of Rumi. Her identity remains her core conflict, while her music remains a medium of healing.
I liked how the demon in question is Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun), a soul-eater who remains unseen to the naked eye. In many ways, he represents a restless mind that would continuously feed you with multiple thoughts through multiple voices – a metaphor for eating your soul too! And in a drill-down between a good versus the bad metaphor, when he veils fractured souls into the lives of the humans, it is a means of luring the people towards the demons – a metaphor for evil thoughts that maybe attractive at times. In the physical appearance, you witness the emergence of the Saja boys – a direct competition to the KPop Demon Hunters – featuring a grieving and disturbed soul Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) who develops a strong bond with Rumi.
There is a distinct common ground between Rumi and Jinu, so much so that you feel a sense of transformation of the former, quietly being healed under the latter’s presence. On the face of it, this remains a game of one-upmamship between the Demon Hunters and Saja Boys – often met with frivolous moments of laughter and comedy, that would often keep you entertained. But deep-down, this remains a battle between positivity and negativity, even as there is a clear attempt of creating a conflict between the two – much like the conflict seen between the heart and the mind, leading to indecisiveness.
The core concept isn’t necessarily indeciveness here but more on acceptance without really caring about how the world perceives anyone. Just that when you give it your all, the love that you will eventually get would precede your identity and frills that have created a conflict within you. And the screenplay physically represents this through a resounding concert, although my only real criticism lay with the character arc of Jinu that was rather abrupt at the end. Nevertheless, the screenplay does make for an enjoyable watch, something that transcends beyond the frills while venturing into a deep territory that is relatable and pondering.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are effective given that they are sparingly used, while mounting the drama as a musical. In that sense, the music is catchy and has the capability of immediately luring you into the narrative. The lyrics represent the various shades of emotions pertaining to every character, while adding depth to the proceedings, even while allowing the music to perfectly strike the chord with the viewers, and conveying the suppressed emotions residing within. The animation is top notch filled with bursting shades of pink, and bright colours that spread evenly across the screen. The amount of detailing is a sight to witness too with respect to the attires of the characters, or even the bodily outlook of the characters (some characters have six-pack abs that is used as a tool of attractiveness despite them being demons). The editing pattern is crisp and sharp, so much so that the runtime of the drama is kept under 90 minutes. Director Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans manage to create an enticing animated film that has its emotional core with every young adult facing issues with respect to their bodies or their identities. Using music as a tool for healing was again a genius proposition, while the directors tactfully underline the ordeal of acceptance beautifully through their characters. The direction is immaculate!
Voiceovers
The voiceovers are excellent by the members of the cast, and it also did help that actual singers were cast here given how natural the dialogue to song transition seemed to be. Ken Jeong as Bobby lends some lighter moments in the screenplay rather effectively. Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma is intimidating and makes for an impactful watch, particularly given how his character could only be heard through his baritone. Yunjin Kim as Celine is sincere and earnest while pulling off her character with grace. Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu is quietly charming and puts the emotional core of his character on the pedestal with ease. May Hong as Mira and Ji-young Yoo as Zoey are excellent in their respective characters, bringing a sense of panache and frivolousness as character traits rather effectively. Arden Cho as Rumi internalizes her character wonderfully, by striking vital chords with her voice. She accounts for the insecurity and vulnerability of her character really well, while lending a magical presence to Rumi through her voice.
Conclusion
The winner of the Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globe Awards of 2026, KPop Demon Hunters explores themes of identity and acceptance in an enchanting tale of redemption that makes for a wonderful watch, which is pondering and reflective in equal measures. Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended!