With its unique artstyle, insanely catchy music and impressive choreography, “K-pop Demon Hunters” quickly caught the attention of millions of people during the summer. As a K-pop fan, I was shocked at how accurate the movie was to real life. But as a general fan of animation and movies, I was even more surprised at how well they were able to captivate the attention of those who had never heard a K-pop song before. The amount of fans that K-pop has gained in the past several months because of this movie is surreal and heartwarming. In the past, K-pop hasn’t always garnered the most positive attention, with outsiders judging the music simply because they don’t understand the lyrics or style. But this movie represented the industry to a scarily accurate degree. K-pop is about spreading happiness and building a community through catchy dances and upbeat music, which is exactly what HUNTR/X, the main group of girls, did.
To start off, all of the songs were incredible. My personal favorite was “Your Idol” closely followed by “This is What It Sounds Like.” It’s ironic that the song “Your Idol,” which was about taking the souls of their fans, made it to the Top 100 Billboard charts within its first two weeks. That’s sort of the effect that K-pop has: It’s able to bring you in and enthrall you into a world that was previously foreign and unknown. Not to mention, Rumi vocals’, sung by singer-songwriter EJAE, is something out of this world. As an alto, she is able to sing about three octaves above her normal range, an absolute insanity for any singer.
Not only are the three girls’ voices beautiful, but their character designs are so unique to each of their respective styles while still blending together as seamlessly as their harmonies. Rumi is the leader and main vocalist, Mira is the lead dancer and visual, and Zoey is the songwriter, maknae, and rapper of the group. Additional small details, such as their customized nails and tailored hairstyles,were really what cemented this perfect image of a ‘golden’ K-pop girl group.
Talking about perfection, K-pop groups in real life are constantly battling it out for the top spot on the charts, which brings me to … the fans. The fans are probably one of the biggest aspects that can make-or-break the atmosphere of a K-pop group. The fans can definitely get more competitive than the groups themselves when it comes to voting for their favorite idols during these award shows. However, it may be because there is so much that K-pop groups have to offer to their loyal fans. Meet-and-greets, fanchants, lightsticks, and posters that express their love for the idols are just some of the aspects that were greatly represented during the Huntrix and Saja Boys performances.
Another aspect of the movie that I highly respected was that they made the voice actors realistically sound like members of a K-pop group. Typically these members are of Korean descent, and especially with Jinu, I am happy that they did not change his accent to a more American style and kept his original ethnicity even when speaking in English. Not just that, but they incorporated Korean words into their songs as well which is very common in K-pop songs. The writers and producers seemed to have stuck true to the core of the K-pop community’s values, something that I am eternally grateful for.
As someone whose two favorite kinds of movie genres are action and musicals, the idea that these girls were fighting demons while singing high notes very few can reach was basically a match made in heaven. This movie delightfully prioritized the importance of girlhood by portraying the tight bond between the three girls. Seeing how the three of them backed each other up on the battlefield and on the stage was beautiful to witness. The writers also expertly gave each of them individual flaws and demonstrated how it was okay for them not to be perfect, something that’s uncommon to see even with real-life idols. Mira was constantly emotionally distant, Rumi was a perfectionist who needed to learn when to stop pushing herself too hard, and Zoey was a people pleaser and caught between the conflict of the other two girls. But even with all of their imperfections, that’s what made them come together stronger in the end and seal the hon-moon. Typically K-pop girl groups have to resemble this image of perfection each and every day that they perform, but I liked that this movie allowed the girls to be their 100% authentic selves. Through their love for ramen or the wild expressions they would make when talking with one another, their characters become relatable, not to mention hilarious to watch.
As someone who had watched almost every movie that was put out in theaters this summer, it was a pleasant surprise to see a movie that had never originally been planned to reach the box office make it to my #1 movie of the summer. Whether you are a die-hard K-pop fan or have never heard about it until now, I highly recommend watching the masterpiece “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
