Kpop Demon Hunters Review: Netflix’s Animated K-Pop Musical Hits the Mark

Netflix has been on a roll lately when it comes to animated media starring demon-slaying Asian women. After loving December’s Jentry Chau vs the Underworld, I knew my Asian-Canadian K-Pop-loving self would eat up Kpop Demon Hunters. The movie centers around the fictional girl group HUNTR/X (“Huntrix”), who live dual lives as the world’s top K-Pop group and as the world’s sworn protectors. The movie takes no time launching into introductions for Rumi (Arden Cho), the face of the group and its main vocalist; Mira (May Hong), the visual and lead dancer; and Zoey (Jiyoung Yoo), the main rapper, lyricist, and maknae from Burbank, California. Their combined musical prowess helps protect humans from demons by generating a force field called the Honmoon.

The premise itself packs a lot, and trust me, Kpop Demon Hunters delivers on it and much more. K-Pop fans feeling skeptical of the film’s handling of the genre can feel rest assured as the story comes from Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang. Kang has been a K-Pop fan since the 1990s and told Variety in 2021 that the film represents her “love letter to K-Pop and [her] Korean roots.” Together with co-director Chris Appelhans, the two managed to create an action-packed world that understands its general audiences and hardcore K-Pop fans.

The movie’s first fight sequence, located on a plane sabotaged by demons masquerading as a flight crew, showcases how the film seamlessly integrates the best from the K-Pop world and the animation world. I would expect nothing less from a film animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, the studio behind hits such as the Spider-Man Spider-Verse movies and the Hotel Transylvania movies. “How It’s Done” hits as hard as the punches served up to the demons. The singing voices of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, and REI AMI respectively—deserve as much praise as the performances of their main voice actors. Fans may know EJAE’s name from her work on songs by girl groups like aespa, NMIXX, and TWICE, but her role here undoubtedly embodies a formidable main vocalist.

The movie’s music producers, including THE BLACK LABEL’s TEDDY and Danny Chung, helped fill Kpop Demon Hunters’ soundtrack with memorable songs. I expected some to fall flat, but each song genuinely feels like ones performed by K-Pop idols. Lindgren and Ian Esiendrath produced the track “TAKEDOWN” with two versions performed separately by HUNTR/X and members of TWICE. Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung feature on the rage-filled diss track that pumps up our heroes for battle.

Of course, every superhero trio needs some adversaries. The underworld has another plan of attack in the form of the Saja Boys, the newest boy band stealing the hearts (and souls) of K-Pop fans everywhere. Leader Jinu (Ahn Hyoseop) and his crew become humanity’s biggest threat and obsession. Although the demons’ master Gwi-Ma (Lee Byunghun) feels skeptical about the hoax at first, it works—putting HUNTR/X’s dream of creating the ultimate “golden” Honmoon in jeopardy.

Without explicitly spoiling heavier parts of the plot, the film masters balancing K-Pop references without deeper cuts that would likely alienate general watchers. It provides nods to K-Pop, K-Drama, and Korean mythology. While the pacing feels off at times, the movie still conveys many of its plot points. There are moments when this movie hints at deeper, interpersonal conflicts (like those of the trio with their parental figures), but many of those points come fleeting. And that’s okay: KPop Demon Hunters isn’t meant to explore these harder story beats in depth.

KPop Demon Hunters is a movie with a lot of heart. K-Pop fan or not, take a chance on this film. The team behind KPop Demon Hunters crafted it with genuine love during its seven-year journey to release. While its premise shoves in many layers, it accomplishes at least one primary goal: to bring enjoyment to its viewers.