When my roommate came home from an ultimate frisbee tournament one weekend proclaiming that “KPop Demon Hunters” was the best movie of all time, I knew the time had finally come to sit down and review the smash-hit cultural phenomenon.
The movie, released on June 20, has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is Netflix’s most-watched animated film.
“KPop Demon Hunters” starts incredibly strong with a touching opening message about the power of music to unite souls through hope and connection. In the film, generations of female k-pop trios have kept the human world safe by using their voices to sing away the demon realm.
HUNTR/X, featuring characters Zoey, Mira and Rumi, is the newest group tasked with fighting off the demons through song and dance.
The recurring theme throughout the movie — drumroll please — is acceptance. Rumi, HUNTR/X’s main singer and the film’s protagonist, struggles with her half-demon identity, repressing the side of her made up of everything she fights against.
In a very tongue-in-cheek manner, the film tells the audience that to defeat one’s demons, one has to accept them, or else those demons will win.
I believe this message gives the film its universal appeal. It’s a message that we all need and want to hear, regardless of age.
“I should’ve let the jagged edges meet the light instead,” Rumi sings in the song “What It Sounds Like.”
More than addressing objective personal flaws, the film highlights the danger of our perceived insecurities. Rumi hides her demon heritage because she feels she is a mistake, while Zoey — HUNTR/X’s lyricist — thinks she is too much for other people. Mira, the dancer of the group, fears she is too abrasive.
Sometimes our demons are not actual faults as much as our fears of being less than. In a culture where the pressure to be perfect is felt more than ever in younger generations, it’s no surprise that a college senior like myself would revel in the comfort of imperfection.
“No more hidin’, I’ll be shinin’ / Like I’m born to be,” HUNTR/X sings in their song “Golden.”
Besides the catchy soundtrack and hopeful message, “KPop Demon Hunters” also speaks to the positive aspect of globalization.
I was shocked to discover — upon trying to watch the film in its original language — that it’s an American film, despite its Korean setting. Other publications, such as BBC and Time Magazine, have commented on the cross-cultural success of “KPop Demon Hunters.”
K-pop in this film transcends cultural boundaries. Despite the film being in English, Korean words are sprinkled throughout the film and soundtrack. The production team even traveled to South Korea in order to capture as much authenticity in their animation as possible, according to the BBC.
In addition to the film’s universal theme of self-acceptance, the cultural connection displayed through the use of multiple languages and different geographic settings unites audiences.
“KPop Demon Hunters” demonstrates the potential potency and popularity of art forms that embrace the global space of the contemporary world.
“You know together we’re glowin’,” HUNTR/X sings.
I get why my roommate said this was the best movie she has ever seen. I want to be glowing together, too.
As cliché as another hope-and-acceptance-themed children’s movie might feel, I say we all deserve to bop around our kitchens watching three badass female leads eviscerate their insecurities.
And good luck getting “Soda Pop” out of your head. It has over 410 million streams.
