KPop Demon Hunters || When Folklore Meets Pop Culture

Last Saturday I saw my FB account teeming with the same video clips from a certain newly released movie. I already saw its trailer like months ago, but I never expected it to air this month. So I watched some fan-favorite clips and the moment I heard some of the music from their soundtrack, I was immediately convinced that I should try watching the movie. It's just an hour and a half watch so I decided to set my schedule for my viewing time on Sunday morning, but unfortunately, something came up. Anyway, I ended up watching it on Monday morning, and after finishing it I was kinda mixed emotions...Why? Well, let's find out as I share with you my review of the newly aired animated movie, the KPop Demon Hunters.

About the Movie

KPop Demon Hunters is an American animated movie that was produced by Sony Pictures Animation and later on distributed by Netflix. It was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and it aired just this month, June 20, 2025. So this musical fantasy comedy movie is all about a K-pop girl group, Huntrix, who are secretly demon hunters. When they're not slaying on the stage with their grand performances, they do the slaying outside where they kill different demons who lurk in search of human souls.

Along with their duty to slay demons, they also needed to maintain the barrier that the first demon hunters had built, the Honmoon. It's said that when the Honmoon turns to gold, every demon will be banished thus making the world as safe as ever. However, just when they were close to making it gold, a new threat emerged. Saja Boys—their rival boy group who are composed of charming and irresistible demon boys—starts stealing their fans' hearts and eventually their souls. The tears on their boundaries started to appear and it didn't long for it to spread further.

But the tears on the boundary aren't their sole problem because as secrets started to surface, the strain in their group bond became more apparent. Also with their fandom reduced, the effectiveness of their music to unite people's hearts continues to lessen. The Saja Boys begin to dominate, but they, the Huntrix, won't yield easily. They would do everything to stop the tear, heal the Honmoon, and protect their fans. A takedown is about to happen and only one K-pop group will emerge victorious. Will it be the hunters or the demons?

I've mentioned that I had mixed emotions when I finished it and that was because I'm not certain how to feel exactly about how it ended. Part of me was happy with the end, but there's that part of me that's somehow a little bit disappointed. I felt that they really made me invested in Rumi and Jinu's interaction only to end that abruptly. I mean they started it like a slow-burn romance, with all the tension and love-hate interactions, but just when they started to feel a connection with each other—the tragedy happened. It's really a shame that their blossoming romance ended that way, and I did wish that they made the relationship progress more because their connection is really promising.

Moving on from its bittersweet end, the rest of the movie was definitely enjoyable. You'll really experience a roller coaster of emotions while watching it, but honestly, most of them are light emotions. There are a lot of funny scenes—especially the intro of Saja boys and that Kdrama bump! I really laughed and cringed at the sight of the Rumi that time. Further, I like how diverse the characters were because they added more appeal to the story—especially the main trio. All of them have different backstories, but somehow there's still a part of me that's yearning for more. Like more information about how other Saja Boys became demons and also how the other members of Huntrix—other than Rumi—ended up as hunters.

Those details really intrigued me, and before I forget I also want to know more about Rumi's backstory. They only revealed the gist of it, but the moment I knew it more questions started to pile up. I don't want to further delved into what are those questions because it would spoil the main twist for those who haven't watched it yet. Moreover, I noticed some scenes that felt like foreshadowing but in the end, it didn't even mattered that much—or was it just me overthinking again? Anyway, plot-wise it was a nice and enjoyable story. Of 'course there's still the yearning for more, but the way that they're able to portray the main points of its story so well in just almost an hour and a half was something noteworthy. The dialogues are also nice and some lines really stayed in my mind.

Even though I rewatched the whole movie twice yesterday, I'm still thinking of rewatching it again. The visuals were honestly not the ones that I'm used to seeing because I don't often watch American animated movies, however, the visuals—like the Huntrix—really slayed. Their character designs were cool and eye-catching, and the Saja boys! They're so easy on the eyes! Seeing them perform somehow stirred up that Kpop fangirl persona in me—tho it's not totally awake, they do make me feel giddy (hehe). Also, I like how fluid their animation is; the movements were smooth. And the action scenes, the choreography was so fine and the angles were utilized well.

Perhaps the only thing that kinda weirded me off was how their mouth moves when they sing—it's like they appear constrained at some parts. Maybe that's just their art style, nevertheless, the whole visual aspect was great and it really made my viewing experience more enjoyable. Now to my favorite aspect of this movie, its soundtrack! I've mentioned that it's the one that convinced me to watch this movie because I was really impressed with how catchy and nice those songs are. From How It's Done to Your Idol—all of the songs in their soundtrack were so memorable. I even listen to some of them now—especially the Golden and Takedown! Their lyrics were also meaningful and they fit well with the scenes they were used.

Also, the VAs portrayed their roles very well. I was totally shocked when I knew it was Ahn Hyo-seop who voiced Jinu. I already watched him in Business Proposal before, and I didn't really expect that he would sound so good at speaking English. The way he voiced Jinu was just so astonishing because his accent was so cool and I didn't notice an evident Korean accent. I already heard VAs before talking in other languages and I somehow could distinguish that that wasn't their mother tongue because their accent somewhat gave it off. However, the way he voiced Jinu was just amazing—like is that really his voice? The low chuckles and that part where he got so shocked with Rumi, definitely sounded so natural.

So yeah, overall this movie was definitely a must-watch. From the plot, and visuals, to its soundtrack, everything was well thought out. I badly want a prequel or sequel—or anything more about it, but I read from an article about the interview of one of its directors that the production period took over nine years! It indeed took time, and I can really see that it paid off because the whole movie turned out great. And regardless of whether it will have a prequel or sequel, the movie itself was a solid one and I definitely recommend to you all to try watching it because I know you'll not regret the experience!

Before I end this review, I'll share with you its trailer, so—

Have you watched this movie last week or perhaps yesterday? Or is this your first time seeing it? If you have thoughts about it, then feel free to share them in the comments. That's all for now, minna-san! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.