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Movie Review: KPop Demon Hunters

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment
KPop Demon Hunters is about a girl group who are more than just entertainers. They have demons to fight.

I admit I’m one of those late to the ball when it came to watching KPop Demon Hunters. I have not been too excited to see the latest animated films in recent years. What got me to see it is the big awards show buzz and how this film made some hit records chart well in the last few months. I knew I had to see it and I’m glad!

Huntrix is a girl group of three girls named Rumi, Mira and Zoey. They are the top music phenomenon in all of Korea but unknown to their fans is they are demon hunters. This goes back to the ancient past where demons led by the evil ruler Gwi-Ma used to prey on souls of humans. Back then, three women would use their singing voices to create a magical barrier on the demons called the Honmoon. Generation after generation would have their own threesome of singing hunters in hopes of strengthening it to a Golden Honmoon that would banish the demons forever. And now, it’s bestowed on the three girls of Huntrix who are trained by former hunter Celine. Their first test comes when their concert’s helicopter is discovered to have demons on board. They succeed in defeating them and make it to what they hope will be their last concert of their tour on time. To the annoyance of the others, Rumi pushes their upcoming release ‘Golden’ out sooner than they wanted and it tops the charts. That means the girls will have to go back to touring instead of having the relaxing time in the bathhouse at the end of the tour they were hoping for.

Back to the demon world, Gwi-Ma is angered for his latest plot being foiled by Huntrix. Gwi-Ma discovers Jinu: a human-turned-demon. With four other demons, he groups them with Jinu in a promise to erase his human memories and turns them into a boyband Saja Boys, whom he hopes will rival Huntrix and destroy their chances of creating the golden Honmoon. It’s also revealed Rumi of Huntrix is half-hunter, half-demon. Only Celine knows this as she found Rumi orphaned and raised her to be a hunter. The skin pattern on Rumi is the same skin pattern of demons, which explains why she won’t go with Mira and Zoey to the bathhouse. Rumi can’t do away with the memory and it starts affecting her voice as she can’t sing a certain note in ‘Golden.’

One day, the girls of Huntrix see the Saja Boys waking down the street. They think they’re hot until one of them bumps Zoey and instead of picking her up, he says ‘Watch it.” Minutes later, Huntrix see the Saja Boys, those arrogant boys, dazzle the crowd on the street with their song ‘Soda Pop.’ Huntrix are furious that they are trying to steal their #1 spot but they notice the demon skin of all five members. In a location not seen by the public, Huntrix and the Saja Boys get into a battle. Huntrix succeed, but Jinu notices Rumi’s demon pattern. Jinu feels he has to tell his own secret to Rumi privately. In their private meeting, Jinu tells Rumi that 400 years ago, Gwi-Ma promised him fame and recognition and to take his family out of poverty if he just gave himself over to the demon world. He agreed. It made him famous, but it led to his family’s downfall. It’s a feeling of guilt he still holds.

The problem with the Saja Boys’ popularity growing isn’t just how it threatens the #1 status of Huntrix. It also weakens the Honmoon and it allows more demon attacks to occur. The other two girls of Huntrix thinks the way to expose the Saja Boys’ demon identity is by releasing a song titled ‘Takedown.’ The song’s demon-hating lyrics shocks Rumi and it leads to a strain in her relationship with the other two members. Rumi also has to work out a solution for Jinu. She suggests to him if he helps Huntrix win the upcoming Idol Award and strengthen the Honmoon, he can freely live in the human world. Rumi revealing her secret to Jinu helped her get her singing voice back. Jinu tells Rumi that through her, he no longer hears demon voices and agrees to his deal with her to sabotage the Saja Boys. Infuriated, Gwi-Ma reminds Jinu in the demon world that he abandoned his family for a life of fame and privilege and will increase the voices of torture if he follows through on his deal with Rumi.

The Idol Awards happen and because of the fiasco involving ‘Takedown,’ Huntrix has to sing their hit ‘Golden.’ On stage, Rumi is singing solo on stage because Zoey and Mira were lured away by imposter demons sent by Jinu. In the middle of her performance, the song ‘Golden’ is stopped and two other demons sent by Jinu trick Rumi into singing ‘Takedown’ and expose Rumi’s demon pattern to the whole crowd. Rumi is embarrassed by it all and runs off stage. Zoey and Mira are mad for Mira hiding her demon patterns and her meetings with Jinu. All this friction causes further weakening to the Honmoon and more consumed souls which allows Gwi-Ma to enter the human world and put a trance on the public, including Mira and Zoey, and allows them to be consumed by the Zoey. Such an incident causes Rumi to confront Celine over never truly loving her as the Honmoon has been destroyed. It is up to Rumi to solve this.

How does Rumi solve this? With the Saja Boys now on top, Rumi delivers an improvised song to interrupt the Saja’s performance of ‘Your Idol’ and to break Mira and Zoey out of Gwi-Ma’s trance. This helps the three reunite and fight back to free the crowd. That fuels Gwi-Ma’s desire to attack Rumi. Jinu, repentant from all he caused, sacrifices himself by giving Rumi his restored soul. This allows Rumi to get a new source of strength to defeat Gwi-Ma and the other Saja Boys whole creating a new Honmoon. The ending gives the three girls time to finally relax in the bathhouse and Rumi’s hidden truth about her ‘demon skin’ no longer a dark secret: Rumi’s first bath with the other girls! Huntrix is back on top and their fans are all free!

It does seem awfully unusual to do an animated film about the K-Pop phenomenon. It seems especially bizarre that the film be made into an action film about fighting demons. That was the idea of Korean-Canadian director/ Maggie Kang. Kang has fifteen years of scriptwriting experience with many big-name animated films. Kang intended to create a film that paid homage to Korean mythology and shamanism to deliver something unique to animated film. Her intention of this film was to be a ‘love letter to K-pop’ and to her Korean background. The use of Korean singers as fighters of demons is not intended to be a novelty. Kang would describe that song and dance was common in the rituals of Korean shaman women. To take this mythology and to make it into something modern and in the present takes a lot of effort and a careful usage of the culture. Kang and her co-director Chris Applehans succeed with flying colors, both literally and figuratively. To have a film like this win crowds in big numbers both at the box office and Netflix hits, it’s an accomplishment worth big acclaim. Netflix teaming up with Sony Pictures Animation sure delivers a real winner here! Also the film delivers a hint that there’s a sequel coming. In 2029!

As an animated film, it’s not the common cute animated film that are mostly in the big theatres. Actually an animated film of KPop stars who are secret warriors, that looks like something more for older children or even teenagers. Especially with KPop being so popular since the early 2010’s and still continues to do very well on the charts. Outside of the age demographic it’s most suitable for, the film is a dazzler. It is very colorful, loaded with action and drama, does a great job of mixing traditional Korean mythology with modern Korean pop culture, and has a lot of dazzling effects. The music from this film also knows how to catch on in mainstream music markets and on radio. ‘Golden’ hit #1 in many a country and has become one of the most played songs of 2025. The film has kicked of many other hit songs like ‘Soda Pop’ hitting #3 in the US, ‘Your Idol’ hitting #4, ‘How It’s Done’ peaking at #8 and ‘Takedown’ peaking at #21. I think it has been years since a film has unleashed this many hit singles. For many decades, it seemed like hit songs from movies were less common than ever. This film sure changed that!

One thing to notice is that the girls of Huntrix have different voices for their acting and singing voices. Arden Cho does a great job in the acting voice of Rumi. She captures it very well. For Rumi’s singing voice, South Korean singer Ejae who’s had a lot of experience with various KPop acts, delivers excellent singing. That it something how she hits the high note on ‘Golden!’ May Hong is great as the fierce Mira and Ji-young Yoo is excellent in giving Zoey the most comic relief of the film. Ken Jeong is great as the excited manager Bobby. I knew with a film like this, they had to have Ken Jeong! Lee Byung-hun, who also starred in this year’s live-action Korean film No Other Choice, is great in providing the drama of Gwi-Ma. Ahn Hyo-seop, who himself has experience in being with a K-pop boy band named One O One, does a great performance as the troubled Jinu.

KPop Demon Hunters is one animated film more suitable for older children and teenagers. Adults will like it for the culture in its story, its  drama and the special effects. This year’s surprise delight! It even tempted me to think this could be adapted into a stage musical in the future. Do you agree?

VIFF 2020 Review: Beauty Water (성형수)

Jon The Blogcentric1 Comment
Beauty Water is a Korean animated film about an attempt to become beautiful gone wrong.

It’s interesting that the first foreign-language film I see at the VIFF is an animated film. The Korean film Beauty Water is definitely something else.

The film begins in a production studio for a television network. It starts with a conversation between the actors and actresses and conflict arises. In the background is Yaeji, the make-up artist. She’s overweight and has average looks. She doesn’t get involved in any arguments. She’s just there listening in. The actors and actresses then come to her when they get their make-up done. Even if the prima donna actress berates her looks, she carries on as if nothing is happening. After work, she goes home to live with her parents. The parents have always been there for Yaeji from her days pursuing ballet as a child to her present career.

One day the producers of an advertising show think Yaeji is perfect for an advertising campaign. It’s to do about a cooking gadget. In that advertisement, they will show Yaeji eating. She agrees, but she is completely embarrassed when she later learns of all the mocking internet memes on social media. Embarrassed to tears with her body, she decides to fix things for her. She saw an ad for a product called Beauty Water. You wash your face in the water for 20 minutes and you peel away the old skin for a new beautiful face. But it’s not simply peeling away the skin. It’s peeling away the thick excessive flesh.

Yaeji orders a bottle and uses it on her face. The result leaves Yaeji happy that she’s now beautiful, but it’s not enough. She wants enough Beauty Water to change her whole body. She begs to her parents for financial assistance, but would be the equivalent of four months of their income. Yaeji begs to them, believing she’ll be nothing without that Water. They agree and the bottles of Beauty Water come in time to change her whole body.

The end result is both a face and a body of a beauty perfect to get noticed by television producers and the rich and famous. She rushes out and buys expensive stylish clothes from Seoul’s Gangnam District. She attends a party for the rich and famous over in Gangnam. She wins the notice of a production company of Jihoon. She also wins the attraction of a certain handsome man she noticed at the party.

However she is insecure. She’s afraid the effects of the Beauty Water won’t last. She also still has images of her past self she wants to forget, but reappear out of nowhere. With the money she made in her new modelling career, she’s able to afford more Water and soaks in a bath of it. Unfortunately, the phone dies before the alarm is to go off at the 20-minute mark and the Water goes deeper into her flesh leaving her almost depleted. She begs to her parents for them to give her some of their flesh. They agree by bathing in the water and giving their removed flesh to Yaeji.

Despite her new flesh, Yaeji’s body looks hideous. Nevertheless she still plans to meet up with the man she met. She tries to hide the effects from the man while she’s over at his place. She even goes to a woman who helps her return the form of her body, or at least make it human-like. However when she returns back to his place, she makes a shocking discovery. She sees identifications of other women. Did they also use the water? Did he kill them? She tries to escape him, but it’s of no avail. She learns the awful truth of him. I won’t give away the ending, but I will say she’s still alive in a way you won’t expect.

This film is a film that’s a good example of the common style of Korean animation. Most of you may already familiar with the style of anime from Japan and a lot of the grim and even bizarre stories and images it showcases. Korean animation is also similar in its way of showcasing bizarre and grotesque imagery and bizarre storylines. This film is good in showcasing the bizarre style of Korean animation that could just rival anime. However it’s not just for shock and gore. It has a story to say.

The main message of the story is to show the nations obsession with beauty and youth and how it’s actually quite damaging. If you’ve noticed in the last twenty years, South Korea has emerged in the world’s eyes with its entertainment industry being seen as a force to be reckoned with. We already have K-pop phenomenons like BTS, 2ne1 and BigBang. All of them are young with picture-perfect looks, clothes and bodies. The television and film industry in South Korea is also obsessed with youthful beauty.

You can tell director Cho Kyung-hun has something to say about this film. South Korean society in recent decades as it has worked to become a world power has become a nation that values beauty, wealth and prestige. There’s a lot of plastic surgery young women in South Korea undergo. There’s also news of many women in South Korea having eating disorders. This film has even been advertised with a tagline: “In a society as obsessed with physical appearance as modern South Korea, ugliness is a fate worse than death.” I think that’s the point Cho is trying to make. He’s trying to show how damaging the obsession with physical beauty is in Korea, but doing it with the bizarre style that is Korean animation. Very rarely is there a film that tries to both freak you out and get you thinking.

The story itself is creative. It aims to get one thinking while at the same time aiming for the thrills and shocks. Already the first shock is near the beginning when you see this Beauty Water make one not simply peel off skin but flesh! That’s what the Water does and that’s why Yaeji uses it on her whole body, even though it’s intended for just the face. It’s hard to notice a flaw in the story. I admit I don’t understand Asian animation styles. There are times I wonder if it did get the message across or did it rely too much on the shock imagery.

Beauty Water does more than just show an animation style that’s common in Korea. It also has a message to tell about beauty and how a society values it almost dangerously. It conveys the message in a very bizarre style.