The Making of KPop Demon Hunters: Where K-Pop Collides with Korean Myth
What happens when you take the explosive energy of K-pop and collide it with ancient Korean myths? That’s exactly what directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans set out to explore with KPop Demon Hunters—an animated film turning heads for all the right reasons. This movie isn’t your typical musical or fantasy. Instead, it’s a vibrant mix of slick choreography, heart-thumping original songs, and a dose of supernatural tension straight out of folk tales.
The film’s story centers on Huntrix, a girl group doubling as demon fighters. Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) aren’t just pop idols; they’re heroines holding back the powerful demon king, Gwi-Ma (Byung-hun Lee). Their rivals, the Saja Boys, are a demon boy band led by Jinu (with Ahn Hyo-seop lending a voice that swings from brooding to vulnerable in a heartbeat). Each Saja Boy comes with his own demonic twist and distinct persona—think classic K-pop charisma with a supernatural edge.
Kang and Appelhans didn’t just want a musical showdown. Every song in the film pulls double duty, propelling the story while leaning into big ideas like cultural identity, self-worth, and the balancing act of light and dark. The directors fought for original music that would feel at home in a real K-pop album, collaborating with actual K-pop artists to nail the sound and attitude. The lyrics aren’t fluff—they’re woven into each character’s development and the larger themes of embracing your unique self. Cast members were drawn in by the chance to voice characters wrestling with their own sense of ‘areumdaun’ (‘beauty’ in Korean), but viewed through the lens of accepting quirks and flaws rather than chasing perfection.
A Visual and Emotional Juggling Act
Animation was a beast of its own on this project. The team at Sony Pictures Imageworks brought a fresh look that mashes up the exaggerated, colorful style of anime with the raw, emotional pull of a K-drama. It’s a visual feast—big dance numbers, demon showdowns, and heartfelt small moments all blend together in a truly original style. Every frame feels dynamic, bursting with both movement and feeling.
Behind the scenes, there were plenty of challenges. Authenticity was a must: K-pop choreography needed to look just right, so choreographers with actual K-pop experience consulted on each routine. The team sweated the details, right down to how a character holds a mic or nails a dance move, making sure the animation did justice to both the music and the culture.
Ahn Hyo-seop’s character Jinu adds an unexpected twist to the story, too. Not just a villain, Jinu made a desperate bargain with Gwi-Ma to keep his family safe, trapping him forever between being human and being a demon idol. His pain isn’t just window dressing—he brings plenty of pathos to the flashy, high-stakes faceoffs that shape the film.
The push and pull between the Huntrix girls and Saja Boys mirrors more than on-stage rivalry. It’s a battle over what it means to be yourself in a world full of labels, criticisms, and expectations—something every pop idol, and let’s be honest, every one of us, deals with at some point. Between the laugh-out-loud moments and the nail-biting showdowns, KPop Demon Hunters delivers a punchy, culturally-rooted adventure with more than a few surprises along the way.
