When I first sat down to watch K-Pop Demon Hunters with my brother, I was fully bracing myself for an hour and a half of cringy music, predictable plot lines, and over the top animation. Aside from stumbling across a cheesy TikTok edit of the movie’s animated K-pop boy group that sent my lactose intolerant self into a chaotic spiral, I was walking in completely blind.
It started as a joke; my brother and I laughed at the opening scene of screaming K-pop fans, wondering how anybody could be so totally and emotionally invested in K-pop of all things… and then came the first song. At once we were hit with a fiercely quick beat, intensely exciting visuals, and lyrics that were simultaneously contextually clever and captivatingly catchy. With the melodic voices of the protagonists, Mira, Zoey, and Rumi punctuating our living room, we went from cringe-watching to can’t-stop-watching. We were transported to a world where demons lurk just out of sight and music isn’t just entertainment, but a force that protects the human race. The film follows Mira, Zoey, and Rumi who together form the world-famous K-pop girl group HUNTR/X and moonlight as demon-fighting hunters. As the demon underlord Gwi-Ma sends up his most dangerous competition yet — a demon K-pop boy band known as the Saja Boys — the girls have to rise up to the challenge.
When the movie ended, we both had goosebumps. We were amazed that what we had assumed would bring a painful amount of second-hand embarrassment actually was a total takedown, making us want to watch it again and again… and we did indeed watch it again.
Now, I’m no K-pop fan — BTS and Blackpink have never been for me and the only time I ever listen to Rosé is when when a video with the song “APT” randomly comes up on my feed — but somehow, I found myself adding multiple HUNTR/X songs to my playlist.
It turns out, I wasn’t alone in my unexpected obsession. Another Laguna student who shared my same indifference for K-pop found themselves sitting down to watch KPDH: “I’m not really a K-pop fan, but when I opened up Netflix and saw that it was the number one movie, and wondered what made this movie so delectable. At first I thought it would be cringy, but I realized after watching it you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
What makes the movie so appealing to such a wide audience is the fact that there is something for everyone in it. K-pop Demon Hunters isn’t just a movie musical, it’s also an action-packed fantasy, ridiculously clever comedy, and visually stunning spectacle all at once. For fans of action, KPDH offers thrilling fight scenes infused with the vibrant energy of K-pop choreography. Comedy lovers can appreciate the film’s witty dialogue, playful tone, and moments of pure absurdity that balance out the intensity of the thrilling action. The movie is intricately detailed, with every sequin on every costume shining, each joke planted with sharp comedic timing, and every lyric of every song both moving the plot forward and moving the audience’s bodies. As our anonymous Laguna fan so beautifully put it, “ if I were to ever hear ‘Golden’ playing in a Macy’s I would be very thrilled.”
But above all, K-pop Demon Hunters is a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship, perseverance, and self-acceptance. Beneath the shining stage lights and explosive action sequences lies an emotional core demonstrating that connection — with others and with oneself — is what fosters strength. From doubts of their worth to fear of abandonment to the placing crippling expectations on themselves to win, each of the HUNTR/X girls faces their own struggles. However, it’s through their shared resilience and their consistent support of one another that they discover their true potential. When asked what aspect of the movie resonated with them most, the anonymous KPDH fan told me it was “the moral: how anybody can make a change, even if you’re different.”
But what do K-pop fans think of the movie? I spoke with Dakota Risley, an avid K-pop fan, who told me that her love for the film came from its authentic rendition of K-pop music.
“The movie has the feel of the old K-pop. Nowadays, K-pop has become more westernized and caters to the appeal to English listeners. Even though KPDH songs are mostly English, they had the kind of energy, rhythm, and outgoingness that drew me to K-pop in the first place,” Dakota Risely said.
Dakota explained how the “old K-pop” wasn’t just a genre but a movement. What made K-pop so beloved originally, she said, was that “it was really about the music.” Idols weren’t just lip-syncing and dancing just to put on a show, but they were singing their hearts out and expressing their passion. “That’s the reason why I and so many people loved it,” Dakota emphasized. She described how K-pop Demon Hunters has that same sense of “love, energy and feeling of authenticity” present in every song. Just like in the early days of K-Pop, Dakota appreciates that KPDH allows fans to bond over the shared emotion behind the music rather than the flashy production.
Whether you’re a K-pop or not fan is irrelevant; whether you’re six years old or sixty doesn’t matter; whether you like anime or you don’t, K-pop Demon Hunters manages to break through those boundaries. I may have started watching the movie as a joke, but the movie’s impact on audiences internationally certainly isn’t one. According to Netflix’s companion site, Tudum, K-pop Demon Hunters has become Netflix’s most popular film ever, raking in “more than 236 million views to date,” and I’m not ashamed to admit that at least 5 of those views are from me.
I get it if you may be skeptical — I was too — but that’s the magic of K-pop Demon Hunters: it takes an idea that seems way too chaotic and over the top and makes it into a world-wide golden sensation. The movie has a way of pulling your heart in, and once it does, you start to realize that maybe those screaming fans in the opening scene aren’t so crazy after all.
