Over the summer, the animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters” broke Netflix’s record for most-watched movie, and its songs climbed up to #1 on Spotify and Billboard 100 charts.
The movie follows a fictional K-pop group, HUNTR/X, three demon hunters. The girls unite their fans with their singing, and as a result, the fans are protected from demons. Meanwhile, a boy band of demons, the Saja Boys, is vying to steal the fans’ souls.
Aside from the movie’s international fame, it has also become locally popular. At a “KPop Demon Hunters” in-theater screening in Portland, we heard people of all ages sing along to the catchy tunes. The song “Soda Pop” in particular has been very popular on social media. Many people have watched “KPop Demon Hunters” due to siblings and friends listening to the music and humming the tunes on repeat.
We’ve overheard students discussing the characters and the movie’s story. Despite the straightforward plot line, the movie explores the complex themes of self-acceptance, friendship, societal expectations and cultural exploration.
The main character, Rumi, voiced by Arden Cho and Kim Eun-jae, struggles with her identity as a half-demon girl who is still destined to hunt demons. When a member of a rival demon boy band realizes her true character, they work together to ultimately save the world. In the process, Rumi accepts herself for who she is.
However, the standout of the film was the soundtrack. Its producers have worked on some of the biggest hits of K-pop, including Blackpink’s “How You Like That” and BTS and Halsey’s “Boy With Luv.” Kim Eun-jae’s singing voice for Rumi in “Golden” is powerful, hitting high notes with ease and confidence. Our personal favorite song was “How It’s Done” with its strong confidence. The rap packed a punch while the lyrics clearly laid out the premise of the film.
We loved the bright and colorful animation style as well as the humor. The movie contained visual gags, which broke up the tension of the movie and kept it light and entertaining, while the strong emotional arc of finding identity hit us right in the heart.
The combination of action and tenderness is what leads many people to rewatch the movie, including us.