So, I’m home for the duration and decided to see some movies, and while KPOP Demon Hunters didn’t really look like my thing, I decided to check it out anyway. Why? Well, I just did, I guess. I know a couple people who raved about it. I figured, at the least, I should be a little familiar with it given its popularity and status.
Besides, it was only a little over 90 minutes. If I didn’t like it, it wouldn’t take too much time out of my evening.
Korea, we’re told, was once infested by demons until a trio of female hunters showed up to drive them all down to the underworld. Said trio were also accomplished musicians whose voices worked together to create a mystical barrier called the Golden Honmoon. Since then, every generation gets a similar trio of musicians who are all secretly demon hunters. The current trio, Huntrix, is also the most popular pop trio in Korea and, presumably, the world? Maybe? Regardless, wealthy black sheep Mira (May Hong), American-born rapper Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), and lead singer Rumi (Arden Cho) take their mission seriously as they do everything for the fans, just not in the way the fans expect. If they get their next single out and make a huge hit out of it, Huntrix can solidify the Golden Honmoon and keep the demon king Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) and his minions off the Earth forever.
There are some small problems. First, a demon named Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) forms a rival boy band, the Saga Boys, to replace Huntrix as the top band in Korea or the world? Maybe? Rumi actually has a secret of her own: she is also a demon, but not one in service to Gwi-Ma, and she hasn’t told Mira and Zoey yet When Rumi and Jinu are maybe looking to create a romantic relationship, or at least for them to see if it is possible for a demon to be good, there’s bound to be problems when Mira, Zoey, or Gwi-Ma find out. Can some really good songs save the day or doom humanity?
So, I don’t know what to make of this movie. I watched it, and I can recognize the story is good, the songs are fine, the animation works, the comedy is often amusing, and a whole host of other things. It also is very much not my thing. My knowledge of KPOP is basically non-existent beyond knowing it exists, and my knowledge of greater Korean culture is limited to a handful of movies and Squid Games. I am left in a position where I can recognize this movie is well-done and good, but I also know I am not the target audience. I didn’t connect with the characters, but I could see they were well-developed and entertaining for people who could.
What do I have to say about a movie like this one? I will say it’s a good movie. I will say that if you are a fan of KPOP or animated musicals or something along those lines, you’ll probably like it. If you aren’t? Well, I have no idea. I don’t think I wasted my time or anything, but it wasn’t for me. It won’t be going on my “Best of 2025” list when it comes out. And yet…
Grade: A
0 Comments