“KPop Demon Hunters” Review
Director: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Screenwriter: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Cast: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun Distributor: Netflix Running Time: 100 min. MPAA: PG
For a premise that seems like it would be drowned in pop culture theatrics, KPop Demon Hunters offers more than zippy slapstick the Sony Animation Studio has mastered. Artist-turned-director Maggie Kang takes a handful of cultural influences, ranging from mythological tales to pop band bravado, and infuses them into an animated film that is as meaningful as it is musical. There are some delightful surprises in this glitzy and goofy picture, for what could’ve easily been commercially safe fluff or a vehicle for a pop group.
What makes the film instantly more appealing is that the K-pop group Huntr/x has a purpose beyond the routine of getting to their concerts on time and promoting their latest hits. The trio is established as idols to the public and secret warriors defending the mortal realm from demons that have been invading Korea for centuries. They carry on the tradition of music warding off evil and enhancing the spirit in a fantastical logic that fits well for a rock opera. Their dual goals make it all the easier to fall in love with them as much as the giddy fans, gushing over the leading voice of Rumi (Arden Cho), the punk aggression of Mira (May Hong), and the eccentric rapping of Zoey (Ji-young Yoo). They have an adorable charm together and catchy music in between and during demon battles, the singing voices supplied by pop artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, respectively.
While figuring out the increased spread of demons might give the hunters enough to do, a more compelling, tragic romance is thrown into the mix. Rumi conceals her association with demons, making her war against them a conflicting one. It becomes even more conflicting when a rival pop boy band, Saja Boys, is rising in the ranks as the demonic competition. While Mira and Zoey struggle not to salivate over their abs, Rumi can’t shake the mystery of the band’s demon leader, Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop). The two connect because of how Jinu also hid a life of shame before he became the demon with an intoxicating voice. A tragic moment blossoms through cute chemistry and stern discussions of where the two lie on a battlefield of magical weapons and demon abilities.
This movie has a little bit of everything, ranging from cartoonish expressions over food to your work’s exhaustive perils of moral questioning, but it’s more admirable for how everything meshes together rather than being compartmentalized. The infectious bops of Huntr/x are not just reserved for stage performances, but thrilling fight sequences as the band obliterate demons with fitting tunes and meaningful lyrics. I also dug how Rumi’s consideration for her demon side affects how she continues with her music, where the composition of a diss track makes her fearful of going too hateful, despite the desires of her friends to bite back at Saja Boys. But for as much drama as there is in the star-crossed romance of humans and demons, there’s plenty of hilarity in between. There’s plenty of cartoony absurdity, aided by eccentric characters voiced by Ken Jeong and Daniel Dae Kim. It takes some goofy guts to have a film where three women get so enraptured with beautiful boy abs that their eyes reflect the ribbing by turning into corn that is so steamy it explodes into popcorn. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cartoon where girls spew puffed kernels to express their sexual attraction, but I’m kinda glad I did.
KPop Demon Hunters delivers what it promises with the fantastical and musical, but with an extra boost of compelling characters and eccentric cleverness. It always feels like the film is never phoning in one aspect of its South Korean stew of influences. When Huntt/x and Saja Boys perform, they feel like real Kpop chart-toppers that will be stuck in your head. When the singers get giddy about ramen and couch lounging, they’re played up with the most exaggerated reactions of anime absurdism. It’s just a very fun animated film that never feels like an artificial plugging in of entertaining elements. If its many musical numbers are destined to bore as earworms, it’s comforting to know there’s some solid animation and storytelling to accompany the beautiful beats.
