KPop Demon Hunters has gained unbelievable attention and a huge fanbase, with me included. Its bright colors, intense plot, and captivating soundtrack make the movie perfect for anyone looking for a bit of whimsy. As a K-pop girlie, when I opened Netflix and was welcomed with KPop Demon Hunters, I was taken aback, to be honest. All I was thinking was, are we being so for real right now? Even after watching the preview, I wasn’t sold on it quite yet. A couple of days later, while I was doomscrolling on TikTok, an edit of the main character Rumi popped up performing “Golden,” one of the many hit songs in the movie. I was sold immediately. Her voice was possibly the best thing I’ve ever heard.
KPop Demon Hunters succeeded in capturing the vibe of actual K-pop groups and their songs throughout the entire movie, including the beef between certain fandoms at times. I found this extremely surprising, but I seriously could not have been happier. I even found myself crying during the “What It Sounds Like” sequence and still do upon my many rewatches!
Personally, “What It Sounds Like” is the song of the whole movie. It emphasizes the importance of female relationships and coming to terms with your struggles in the past. I believe these principles are so critical to promote, especially to the audience of young girls watching. In my experience, all I could think about was my best friend in the whole world and what we’ve been through together in our five years of friendship. I even convinced her to watch it after she had her own reservations as a K-pop stan herself. Turns out she loved it, maybe even more than I did. She rewatched it every single night before bed for two weeks straight, and who could blame her?
The overarching themes of loving yourself for who you are (as shown in Rumi’s journey with her demon patterns) made me feel more confident in myself, which might be silly considering I’m talking about a movie where a K-Pop girl group fights a demon boy band, but my point still stands, nonetheless.
Even if you’re not interested in the K-pop genre at all, I strongly recommend watching the movie, if not at least listening to the soundtrack. Both HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys (the fictional bands in the movie) have incredible songs, showcasing their insane vocals in a variety of subgenres that are worth giving a shot.
I would just like to thank the filmmakers and the cast for making this film a truly magical masterpiece that I will continue to rave about for years to come (at least until the sequel comes out).