My wife is a big fan of anime, so naturally, when something called K-pop Demon Hunters came up on Netflix she along with a lot of nerds out there decided to give it a shot. Little did I expect, she really enjoyed it. But then again, something with such a title…yeah, of course it would be a hit in our house. My degree is actually in Asian Studies, so I also enjoy all things Asian history, culture, language, etc.
I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when my wife wanted to show me the film. (COMMENT: Only for a second, Babe! Only for a second!) My wife has never steered me wrong with Anime, and K-pop Demon Hunters is no exception. This film of course has catchy K-pop tracks for a soundtrack, but also an original story concept that incorporates a positive message, good humor, and a well-written script. And the animation is very unique…kind of a cross between hand drawn and CGI.
(COMMENT: The synopsis does include mild spoilers) The story is of a trio of women that fight demonic forces that try to break through a barrier that protects humanity from the darkness. Every generation has a different trio. Their best weapon to fight the darkness is through song. They wield really cool weapons and hold martial arts skills that would make Jet Li and David Belle wet themselves, but those more for supplementary purposes. The film follows this generation’s trio who have become, yup…K-pop stars, known as Huntr/x (COMMENT: for those who care, the “/” has been promoted to a vowel and the name is pronounced Huntrix). As they are completing their world tour, the darkness makes a major attempt to take control of humanity by sending their own vocalists in the form of…you guessed it…a K-Pop Boy Band, known as the Saja Boyz (COMMENT: So easy even Americans can say it. It’s pronounced phonetically). There’s a sub-plot of romance, but it’s not overpowering at all. The two lead vocalists start to get close to one another, but it doesn’t distract from the story.
The script consists of some fun one liners especially from supporting characters to include the main demon voiced by ever-popular Lee Byun-hun, a therapeutic healer voiced by the legendary Daniel Dae Kim, and of course Huntr/x’s manager voiced by the very talented Ken Jeong . However, the best supporting characters are in the form of a tiger and magpie that are actually a direct reference to traditional Korean folk art known as Jakhodo. (COMMENT: Don’t look at me….I studied Mandarin Chinese. I don’t even know where to start with Korean!) The Tiger represents a bumbling loveable figure, often interpreted as upper-class or royalty. Meanwhile, the magpie represents intelligence and good fortune, often interpreted as the commoners in some portrayals. These two animals serve as kind of a cross between Hei Hei and Raja as they follow the main Saja Boyz vocalist around, and often visit Rumi, the lead vocalist for Huntr/x.
Additional cultural references are seen through cuisine, landmarks, and recreational activities. None of that compares to the portrayal of Korean and Japanese music scene! (COMMENT: You think Taylor Swift fans are nuts. They’re Girl Scouts compared to K-Pop fans) The songs are performed during fight scenes, but also on stage and most of the comedy comes from scenes when Huntr/x and Saja Boyz are interacting with their fan base. The music itself is (COMMENT: come on you can guess it….I believe in your abilities)…K-Pop! So, it’s a healthy mix of electronica, rap, pop vocals/melodies, and of course the use of Korean and English lyrics. As long as you can enjoy that style of music, then you should have zero problems. However, I should point out that the entire soundtrack is on the top 30 Billboard, including 2 tracks in the top 10!
I had mentioned a positive theme/message before. Truly, this is what I enjoyed most. Anyone consumed by the darkness is fighting “inner demons”, whether it be guilt, depression, shame, malicious intent, etc. The use of song to battle the darkness goes back to the idea that music can help us express our emotions and process our stresses. (COMMENT: Unless you’re me and you channel everything via movies) The inner demons theme is conveyed through the lead singers of both groups. One is trying to come to grips with being different and the other is trying to atone for their actions many years ago. (COMMENT: Cue Imagine Dragons or some epic 80s power ballad)
Bottom line…K-Pop Demon Hunters is a solid anime film. Full disclosure….My 5 year old loves it so much, we’re attending the Sing-Along event in theaters in a week or two! This film was also released on Netflix right when Tim Burton’s hit series Wednesday dropped its 2nd season, and it’s holding the number one spot pretty steadily! All in all, it’s a solid film.