Why Even Non-K-Pop Fans Love KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters is not just Netflix’s global success of the month, but the fastest-growing, most culturally acclaimed animated film in history. Since its release in June, this sci-fi fantasy adventure set to a K-pop soundtrack has clocked over 33 million streams in two weeks, landed on Netflix’s global top 10 charts in 93 countries, and reached the second place on the worldwide ranking.

Millions of fans around the world have already flooded social media with fan art and are daily clamouring online for a sequel. But the “animated visual album’s” success is offscreen, too. On the very day of its 20 June release, two fictional bands’ songs from the film were recorded on Korean music charts. Since then, seven have broken into the Billboard Hot 100, outstripping such industry powerhouses as BTS and Blackpink, while at the moment they occupy the first and second places on the US Spotify list – a first for the platform and animated idols.

Virtual or not, South Korean hipsters, pop goths, light sticks in hand, are the stars of KPop Demon Hunters, fighting evil along with Huntr/x, an all-female Korean band led by lead singer Rumi, whom actors/actresses Hana Mae Lee, Eiza González, and New York Dolls legend Johnny Thunders, respectively, portray in the film.

Together, Rumi, bassist Mira, and guitarist Zoey take on a series of supernatural missions, even as they are simultaneously becoming global K-pop superstars. Each night on stage, dazzling performances unfold along with cleverly choreographed fight scenes. At its core, however, the story is about friendship, trust, and being true to yourself in an unpredictable world. A plot that is as surprising as it is down-to-earth and full of real-life references and humour.

Made for fans and K-pop newbies alike, there is a strong cultural focus in the movie, which could not escape viewers’ attention. K-pop, as well as K-dramas and Korean cinema as a whole, have been mainstream in the United States and other Western markets for years, but with KPop Demon Hunters, the filmmakers took this idea of cultural representation even further.

Koreans’ daily lives are also drawn into the film – both in the classroom and on the street: Korean food served on the table (instead of on plates), inscriptions in the historic halls of Seoul (in the ancient city walls, in the healing clinics Hanuiwon and public bathhouses, and in Namsan Tower). “The attention to Korean culture goes much deeper and broader than the usual exotic touch. It’s not like a Korean food market or a random scene in the background with a Korean flag waving. For the Korean audience, such a well-studied and tasteful approach to their culture was a pleasant surprise and provides an enormous sense of support,” one of the community leaders for Korean culture in Europe, Lashai Ben Salmi, told Meduza.

Seeking Inspiration

Directors Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang (the latter is of Korean-Canadian descent) visited South Korea to research folklore and film locations, visited folk villages, took pictures of streets in Myeongdong, and studied Korean traditional clothing in detail. Koreans speak the main lines in the film in the English version, but in the animated process, subtitles do not appear: the lip movements match the pronunciation of Korean phrases, and the characters’ microexpressions also sound familiar to Koreans. In addition, some scenes are sprinkled with Korean words or even lyrics.

The girl band’s outfits, for example, feature traditional touches that the Korean public has already noticed. But this is just a small example of what the film can offer. “The whole concept, visual and sound design of the film, cinematography, and set design is something that would take the modern American viewer many years of exposure to Asian media to learn by osmosis on their own. In KPop Demon Hunters, it’s all there,” Salmi explains.

The film not only immerses you in Korean life from morning to night but also in K-pop fandom itself, from fan signing events to the light sticks, from Kalgunmu (perfectly synchronised dance moves) to Korean signs and banners. Most importantly, though, it portrays the culture and not one of its stages: from the 80s to the present day. “The animators of the film did not limit themselves to just one sphere or era of K-pop culture, and this allowed them to more accurately and widely reflect the scene. This allowed even those who are not too familiar with K-pop to watch the film and not get lost. At the same time, there were many cool easter eggs for fans who are in it ‘all the way through,’” Salmi says.

Song and Sword

In KPop Demon Hunters, elements of traditional Korean culture are also present in the film’s fantasy action. Huntr/x’s magical swords and fans are a clear reference to the martial arts used by Mudang (Korean shamans and healers), while their supernatural opponents, the Saja Boys, were inspired by the Korean Grim Reaper (Saja, from which the band gets its name). Folklore-derived images and symbols appear throughout the film, from Dangsan trees (leafless trees in Korean shamanism are a symbol of blessing) to Dokkaebi (magical and mischievous goblins). In addition to everything else, the band has two Korean folk-inspired mascots: a tiger named Derpy, who represents guardianship and protection, and a magpie called Sussy, a symbol of good luck.