KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

A Perfect Pitch with a Flat Note Ending

Kpop Demon Hunter is an entertaining film with a unique concept, vibrant visuals, beautiful cinematography, and a few catchy songs, but unfortunately, it relies too heavily on overused tropes and underdeveloped storytelling. As a result, it feels like it was made to appeal to a narrow audience, rather than exploring the full potential of its creative premise.

The film centers around Huntr/X, a K-pop girl group that doubles as demon hunters, and the Saja Boys, a K-pop boy group who are demons. While the setup is promising, the story fails to give the Saja Boys meaningful development. Only Jinu, the group’s leader, is given a real arc, he displayed glimpses of complexity as he struggles between good and evil. However, his journey is cut short. When he finally comes to his senses, he’s killed off within seconds, which undercuts emotional payoff tremendously.

Jinu’s character had strong potential, his desire to be free and his sense of being misunderstood were compelling. That same depth could have been extended to the rest of the Saja Boys. Giving each member a unique reason for being in the group and showing their eventual growth would’ve added real emotional weight and created a stronger connection to the audience. But they were reduced to background noise.

It would have been far more impactful to show The Saja Boys and Huntr/X teaming up, to defeat Gwi-Ma, providing a powerful message of unity and growth. Instead, the film takes a shortcut, and it shows.

The film also leans into a somewhat problematic dynamic: girls fix problems and saves the world, while boys create them and seek destruction. All the main villains are male, and while there are female villains, they’re under the control of Gwi-Ma. That dynamic felt one-sided and oversimplified. This one-dimensional portrayal felt both imbalanced and reductive. There was a real opportunity to subvert expectations and show unity and collaboration between the groups, but instead, the film leaned into division and sacrifice.

The film also leaves a number of questions unanswered: (just a few listed)

1. What happened to Rumi’s aunt?
2. Was the demon world actually sealed successfully?
3. What are the consequences of Rumi being half-demon and half-hunter? (If there are any)
4. Were past bands completely unsuccessful, and is Huntr/X the first to succeed?
5. And if Gwi-Ma is defeated, is he truly gone or could he return?

On the musical side, only three songs stood out as potential singles: “What It Sounds Like,” “Free,” and “Golden.” The rest are decent, but feel more like standard movie soundtrack that’s only enjoyable in the moment, but not something I’d revisit outside the film.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie, but I wasn’t satisfied with the direction it took. The ending, in particular, felt rushed and underdeveloped. This concept would’ve worked much better as a limited series, where the characters and their arcs could be properly explored and given the depth they deserved. As it stands, some moments felt sloppy, inconsistent, and creatively lazy! Especially in the final act. I may be overthinking this movie, but at least it’s a good one time watch.

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A Standout Animated Film

KPop Demon Hunters is easily one of the most compelling animated films released this year. It manages to blend modern pop culture with supernatural action in a way that feels fresh without trying too hard. The premise—K-pop idols secretly fighting demons—could’ve gone gimmicky fast, but the film handles it with a surprising level of care and style.

What really stands out is seeing this film listed on kisskh. Usually, animations—especially ones from non-Asian countries—don’t make the cut there. But in this case, it actually makes sense. Unlike a lot of Western attempts to tap into K-culture, KPop Demon Hunters shows a real understanding of its influences, and it doesn’t just borrow the aesthetics—it respects them. That’s probably why it was given a chance where others weren’t.

The animation is clean, the action is sharp, and the characters are well-designed both visually and emotionally. The music hits the right notes without overshadowing the story. It’s fun, but it also has enough substance to hold your attention beyond the spectacle.

It’s not just good “for a Western animation”—it’s a strong film in its own right, and a smart, entertaining watch for anyone interested in a cross-genre story done right.

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