Idols by Day, Demon Slayers by Night: Inside Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters”

Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is one of the first — if not the first — mainstream animations focusing specifically on Korean pop culture. Given the global popularity of groups like Blackpink, BTS, and TWICE, this film is an action-packed, fantastical extension of the subculture many of us already know and love. 

Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Yoo Ji-young) are K-pop trio HUNTR/X, and as the jet to their latest concert gets hijacked by demons, we find out immediately that they are a world-famous girl group by day and fierce demon hunters by night. 

They are the prophetic Hunters of their generation, who have been tasked with upholding the Honmoon, the spiritual layer that guards the waking world from the demon realm, and therefore prevents demon overlord Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) and his henchmen from killing humans. However, when Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) and his demon boy group Saja Boys steals the spotlight and the world’s attention, all of the characters are forced to confront both literal demons as well as figurative demons they’ve hidden deep inside of them. 

I recently sat down with the voice actors behind HUNTR/X — Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo — to chat about some of their favorite aspects of the story, as well as directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans to talk about the movie’s development. 

The Secret Lives of K-pop Idols

The concept of K-pop idols leading double lives as demon hunters is about as unbelievable as it gets. However, the God-like visuals and catchy music of K-pop serve as the perfect backdrop to not only lean into this absurdity, but also to shine a light on the double life that most idols juggle in real life: their onstage persona and their private persona. 

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey each present as three unique personas within HUNTR/X, and they each embody this struggle between onstage vs. private self in different ways. Zoey, the maknae, or youngest, of the group, is cute, bubbly, and high-energy. When the group visits a traditional medicine clinic, albeit a faux one, Zoey gets read like a book. Healer Han (Daniel Dae Kim) blatantly points out that her bubbliness actually stems from her desire to people-please. 

“My main focus was making sure I’d slept enough before and after to make sure that she could be super energetic in every scene,” says Yoo about voicing Zoey. It’s clear that being the group’s cheerleader still takes moments of rest and recovery. 

Rumi, the group leader, bears the weight of the group’s success while she also faces her own internal struggles. Cho compares Rumi’s role in the group to being “sort of like the older sister. She’s the leader, she has to be perfect, she has to set the right tone, and she has to do everything right.” 

Even more so, Rumi represents “the first daughter of an immigrant family, in a way,” notes Cho. “And I think culturally, it’s hard to share if we’re struggling with something or in pain, because you’re not supposed to show that.”

As for Mira, her tough, cold exterior comes from a place of care, just not with the same aegyo — playful, childlike behavior — that we see from Zoey. “It’s all always out of love or concern and loyalty and just wanting to take care of people that she loves,” explains Hong. “There’s always so much emotion and love behind the toughness, and that’s something that I tried to really think about and focus on.”

Nothing Hits Harder than Comfort Food

One would be tragically remiss to talk about Korean culture without also talking about Korean food. Food weaves together the cultural fabric of Korea and its traditions, and much of that is still seen today in the way that families gather around the dinner table, friends share a pot of ramyun after a late night out, and colleagues exchange workday woes over steaming bowls of gukbap after work. 

In “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” food is not an afterthought; if anything, sometimes it’s the star of the scene. In just the opening scene alone, we see Zoey stuff her face with shrimp chips, Rumi down a whole roll of kimbap, and they each guard their personalized cup ramyuns from the demons like it’s their lifeline. The illustrations capture the vibrant colors and textures of the girls’ pre-show snacks, and also create a point of connection for viewers who grew up enjoying the same food. 

When asked about her favorite moment that spotlights Korean culture, Cho identifies one scene in particular: “One of my favorites is when the girls get together after their rehearsal and they’re eating a beef broth soup — I think seolleongtang. My favorite thing about that scene is all the detail with all of the banchan. Everything looks perfect. I feel like in Korean culture, eating together is really meaningful and I like that [the creators] got that.”

This scene happens when the girls are coming off of a tough rehearsal, and some personal stakes have been raised for Rumi. When Rumi’s usually powerful voice falters during the chorus of their song, she rushes offstage. The scene cuts to the trio sitting together at dinner, as Zoey and Mira ask if everything is OK with Rumi. Gathering around the table represents a unique moment of quiet and reprieve; whether idols or demon hunters, food serves as a conduit for vulnerability and community, much like it does for us in the real world. 

TFW You’re Fighting Demons, Literally and Metaphorically

Between performing their newest comeback hit at the International Idol Awards and slaying scores of demons on a moving train, it appears that, for these characters, the most intimidating fight might actually be within. At the heart of this movie is the idea that honesty and vulnerability is the key to slaying our own inner demons. 

The irony of a movie about K-pop, which often demands unrealistic standards and perfection of its idols, pushing for vulnerability is not lost on me. 

While the demons Saja Boys indeed present perfectly by industry — and human — standards, Jinu’s greatest weakness is his inability to face his past, and it’s ultimately why he’s been unable to escape the clutches of Gwi-Ma and the demon underworld for so long. Not long after the Saja Boys’ first public appearance, they go viral on social media, fans identify their biases, and a signature dance move becomes a trend. Little does anyone know that their new favorite boy group has ulterior motives. The overnight explosion of Saja Boys also calls into question audiences’ tendencies to blindly idolize and “stan” celebrities. The movie asks us what we’re running or distracting ourselves from when we do so.

Creating Space for Korean Stories in Western Animation

In a genre largely dominated by Western tropes and caricatures, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is an exciting, fresh, yet digestible animation that centers K-pop and Korean culture. It blends spectacle with a cultural and linguistic specificity that hits just the right notes. As a Korean American myself, I loved hearing Korean phrases (e.g., gaja, “Let’s go!”) interjected into otherwise completely English dialogue. 

“Being Korean, I always wanted to see Korean culture being represented in animation … to see the film be translated and dubbed in multiple languages — we’ve seen trailers in Portuguese and Korean. Even the songs are translated in the different languages — [which] was really incredible to see,” shares Kang, one of the directors. “I think it’ll be a great way for non-English-speaking fans to really connect with the songs and the girls.”

The animation style is also what truly makes this movie stand out. It is all at once webtoon, comic, and highly stylized, with slower frame rates at times to highlight some of the HUNTR/X girls’ silliest, chibi-esque facial expressions. This helps strike a balance between action-packed demon fight scenes and slower, heartfelt moments.

“We found that our whole crew — they love this stuff too — was waiting to unleash [this kind of genre specificity] into contemporary animation in a Western form,” co-director Appelhans admits. “So that was inspiring and kept us going, and it felt like we had a kindred spirit with our own team.”

“What’s exciting is that Netflix provides this kind of instantaneous reach that’s totally global and has a very low barrier to entry … just by people saying, ‘Dude, I loved that,’ it travels and it can find an audience,” Appelhans further notes.

Using demons as a metaphor and nostalgic snacks as cultural shorthand, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is a reminder that authentic representation in stories is about being unapologetically seen and understood. 

“K-Pop Demon Hunters” premieres on Netflix on June 20.Stream the single “Takedown” (from “K-Pop Demon Hunters”) by members of TWICE.