KPop Demon Hunters Parent Guide

Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) are the members of Huntrix, a massively popular K-Pop group who have an unusual side gig: the trio are demon hunters. When combined, their voices have the power to form a protective barrier between the demon and human worlds, keeping the demon king, Gwi-Ma (Byung Hun Lee), and his forces at bay. But when a new boy band appears on the scene, the three singers recognize danger. The members of the boy band are demons on a mission to steal Huntrix’s fans and weaken the barrier so the demon king can take over the world once and for all. But as the girls try to band together against this new threat, old secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Coming in at a cool hour and 25 minutes of actual runtime, the writers of KPop Demon Hunters manage to fit a lot into a short amount of time. They provide a bunch of lore about demons and demon hunters, a story about vulnerability and acceptance, and a handful of incredible and catchy songs. All tied up with fabulous animation, fun choreography, and some tender moments. I really enjoyed this film overall. I laughed out loud multiple times, got a few songs stuck in my head, and had my heartstrings lightly tugged.

Although it’s not going to blow the roof off of the animation space, this film is a great example of a good, original story done well. The plot itself is straightforward, and you know how it’s going to end from the beginning, but I don’t mind that at all, especially in stories for children. I went in expecting a shallow story about pop stars fighting demons but instead got beautiful messages about how shame keeps us apart, but vulnerability and honesty bring us together. The three main characters are all fleshed out people with flaws and strength, and their friendship is forged on accepting each other fully. It’s beautiful and I’m sure young audiences will take away some important themes they can integrate into their own lives.

On a less serious note, the animation, music, and choreography would have made this a good movie even without the surprisingly poignant writing. The only content concern of note is the violence, with demons getting slashed left and right which could be frightening to very young viewers, but I’d still say it’s less violent than most anime films for this age group. KPop and Korean animation fans are sure to love this movie, but you don’t need to fit into those categories to enjoy it.