K-POP DEMON HUNTERS is the real deal

Logo (c) Sony Pictures Animation/Netflix.

Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation have created a masterpiece: K-POP Demon Hunters. Originally I didn't pay it any mind because I just wasn't sure how I was supposed to take the film--it looked kind of goofy to me--but then I saw all of the gorgeous fan art quickly populate my social media, and I was intrigued.

I am so glad I gave this movie a chance. It's become one of my all-time favorites. Here's what it's about:

When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats. -- Netflix

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey form the K-POP ground Huntr/x, and the three of them come from a long line of female demon hunters whose power of song can hold back the demons of the Korean underworld by creating a barrier known as the Honmoon. As the group says, "Happy fans, happy Honmoon." The Honmoon is generated through the positive feelings of those who hear the demon hunters sing. The concerts Huntr/x give draws incredible power from the audience and keeps the Honmoon barrier up and functioning.

Meanwhile, where the demons dwell, a malevolent spirit in the form of a giant ball of fire known as Gwi-Ma is growing weak from the lack of souls for him to consume. The Honmoon is strong and the demons he sends for soul collection, and to defeat Huntr/x, keep failing.

A demon named Jinu challenges Gwi-Ma, asking him if he will "let the fire go out." Jinu proposes they fight back and collect more souls by playing the girls' game--he assembles fellow demons to form a competing K-POP band, the Saja Boys.

They go to Korea and begin the task of soul-collecting, all the while securing thousands of committed fans who don't know the danger they are in.

The Saja Boys seem innocuous at first. There's competition between them and Huntr/x, of course, but they come across as a typical, but popular, Korean boy band. Look how wholesome they are! And so much pretty pink!

Anyway, Huntr/x figures out the Saja Boys are demons and work on trying to see what their plans are while simultaneously trying to eliminate them from the human world.

There's just one complication: Rumi is losing her voice! And she harbors a great secret--her mother was human but her father was a demon, and she carries the demon marks on her (but covers them up). With the appearance of the Saja Boys, Rumi's demon side seems to be awakening while the Honmoon is weakening.

I lied. There's another complication: Jinu! They are a sort of enemy-to-lovers duo and their chemistry is palpable. Jinu makes Rumi question whether or not demons deserve to die, or if they are indeed all that bad, while Rumi makes Jinu question his motives and feelings.

I want to share more than that, but I think it gets spoilery. But overall the plot and characters are solid--everyone is distinct and everyone is perfectly loveable. My favorite Huntr/x member is Zoey, just because she's goofy but also the creative force behind the group's songs. She makes some of the funniest faces and sometimes goes into chibi mode:

Honestly, I like all the members of the group. Rumi is a compelling lead and Mira is kind of the tough, slightly snarky one. Everyone's personality is unique and each one has their own backstories, style, and talent.

Speaking of talent, check out one of Huntr/x's songs:

FIT CHECK FOR MY NAPALM ERA! I don't even know what that means but it sounds so badass.

This brings me to a major point of this review:

One of the best things about this movie is the soundtrack.

The songs are so catchy and made and recorded by real people in the K-POP industry. Not only that, but the movie itself relies on a lot of Korean and Korean diaspora talent to make sure the film is authentic in its mythology, demonology, pop music, and style.

Speaking of style, when the Saja Boys reveal their demonic forms to their audience to perform "Your Idol," I think they look the absolute coolest. Their forms are designed to look like the jeoseung saja or Korean grim reapers. This also happens to be my favorite Saja Boys song (although "Soda Pop" is pretty catchy!).

THANK YOU FOR THE PAIN 'CUZ IT'S GOT ME GOIN VIRAL. Baby Saja, that is one of your best, catchiest lines.

I really could go on and on about this film. While I am grateful I have Netflix and was able to watch this, a part of me wonders if this would have been wildly successful in theaters. The soundtrack is already topping Spotify charts and appearing on Billboard, and have broken records set by real K-POP groups like BTS and Blackpink. There's a good chance this movie might've broken box office records, too.

I am so grateful for the success of this movie and its music. It is unabashedly Korean, and unabashedly its own thing. It's teaching people about historic and modern Korean culture, getting them interested in the K-POP genre, inspiring cosplays and beautiful fan art. It even has real-life K-POP stars doing covers:

I think this film is genuinely on its way to be a cultural phenomenon. I've only seen it once but the songs have perpetually been in my head, and I can't stop thinking about the characters and story. I know Netflix will be keeping this on streaming as long as it can, but if they ever release it on physical media, I'm snatching this up. It's really that good.