©Courtesy of Netflix
Some choreographers create dance numbers, while others orchestrate elaborate martial arts fight scenes. The K-Pop trio known as Huntrix have the chops for both. They were raised to battle demons, but their power comes from their music. Unfortunately, Huntrix might face a “live-by-the-sword-die-by-the-sword” situation when a demonic boy band tries to steal the loyalty of Huntrix’s fans (and their souls) in Chris Appelhans & Maggie Kang’s animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters“, which premieres Friday on Netflix (and in select theaters).
Mira is Huntrix’s featured dancer. Zoey is the rapper and lyricist, who grew up in America. Rumi is the leader, whose late mother was a member of the prior demon hunter songstress group, the Sunlight Sisters. Rumi also happens to be part-demon. That last part is a secret, even from her band-mates. Only Huntrix’s founder and executive-director, Celine, a former Sunlight Sister, knows Rumi’s full origins and helps conceal her telltale markings.
Lately, the stress of hiding her true nature has wrecked Rumi’s nerves and her voice. Rumi’s crisis of confidence come at an inopportune juncture, because the power of Huntrix’s songs have nearly secured the musical-spiritual barrier between the human world and Gwi-ma’s demon realm. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the demon-lord allows Jinu, a former Joseon-era troubadour (before his damnation), to form the Saja Boys (“saja” meaning either lion or afterlife messenger in Korean) to undercut Huntrix’s popularity. Unfortunately, it works, because K-Pop fans are fickle. Of course, they are also losing their souls in the process.
©Courtesy of Netflix
Obviously, the Sajas are cute. That’s why they are so tempting. Much to her annoyance, Jinu really has a knack for getting inside Rumi’s head. He even discovers her partially-demonic secret. Yet, she believes she can reform Jinu, after learning his tragic backstory.
The Huntrix members will remind viewers of many spirited animated teenaged girls they have already met in previous films and series. However, Appelhans and Kang successfully drop them into a non-stop parade of high energy musical numbers and martial arts spectacles. They maintain a breakneck energy that helps power through the sometimes overly silly humor.
In fact, both the music and demon-busting action are executed cleverly. Granted, the animated “fight choreography” is not the least bit realistic, but it is cleanly rendered on screen, while also gleefully embracing the film’s outlandish and macabre fantastical themes.
The K-Pop music is similarly legit—if not even more so. To prove its authenticity, Appelhans and Kang even incorporate footage of the real-life K-Pop group TWICE recording the tune “Takedown” in the studio, during the closing credits. Yet, “Golden,” (written by K-Pop songwriter EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick, who also collaborated on tunes for the Ryan Reynolds musical vehicle “Spirited”) stands out as the best song, as perhaps it should, since it serves as an emotionally revealing show-stopper for Rumi.
©Courtesy of Netflix
While EJAE, Audrey Nuna. And REI AMI dubbed most of Huntrix’s performances (quite harmoniously), Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo handle all the girl’s goofy and angsty teenager dialogue. Ken Jeong sounds aptly nervous and nebbish voicing their put-upon road-manager Bobby, even though the character looks considerably less than half his age. Regardless, the masterstroke of casting came by enlisting Lee Byung-hyun (the shadowy “Frontman” on “Squid Game”) to provide Gwi-ma’s ominous tones.
Clearly, between them all, screenwriters Kang, Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, and Hannah McMechan have a thorough understanding of K-Pop idol culture. As a result, there will be ample singing and dancing, as well as the slicing and dicing of demons, all of which are entertaining. (As an extra bonus, there is also a rather charming and cinematic-looking mystical cat.) The humor is considerably more hit-or-miss, but that is often the case with younger-skewing animated films. Indeed, parent should note, the cartoonishness of the characters often softens the elements of infernal horror. Recommended for fans of K-Pop and animated series like “Totally Spies!”, “KPop Demon Hunters” releases Friday (6/20) on Netflix and in theaters.
©Courtesy of Netflix
Grade: B
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Here’s the trailer of the film.