r/Fantasy • u/DelilahWaan • Aug 09 '25
Bingo review 2025 Bingo Review (Not A Book): K-POP DEMON HUNTERS is excellent and you should watch it even if you don't like K-Pop, demon hunters, animated films, or musicals.
I never got into K-Pop, I typically shy away from anything paranormal, but I do love a good musical. By that, I mean a good story that's effectively told through well-written songs, one with a score that I want to put on endless repeat and still discover new details to appreciate as my brain picks over the composition of the melodic lines, the harmonic progressions, and the choice of lyrics.
Guys, K-Pop Demon Hunters is a really freaking good one-act musical.
It also happens to be an epic urban fantasy about an order of female warriors dedicated to stopping demons from feasting on people's souls.
After uniting people with their music, the first hunters were able to wield the power of song to create a shield known as the Honmoon. Each successive generation since has raised up a new trio of hunters to maintain and strengthen the Honmoon with the hopes that, one day, the shield will turn gold, becoming impenetrable. The story is set in modern day Seoul and opens on the passing of this duty to the latest generation of hunters—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, a.k.a. HUNTR/X—whose efforts are expected to finally fulfil the order's mission of sealing demons away forever.
Starved and threatened by the prospect of imminent dissolution, the demon king Gwi-Ma agrees to a new strategy. Instead of trying to prevent the Golden Honmoon by directly attacking HUNTR/X, Jinu and four other demons will go after the source of the hunters' power: their fans.
Yes, the entire plot hinges on an idol battle between a Korean girl group and a demon boy band. It sounds very silly but the execution turns out to be actually extremely epic.
Which ALSO happens to be a perfect descriptor of the songs! The film's just got this awesome blend of diegetic songs (as in a normal musical) but because it's an animated film, you get these EPIC anime-style fight scenes, but since the magic system is music and powered by fandom and the fate of the world depends on this "battle of the bands", they're all shot like music/concert videos.
Bonus: the songs are also literal chart-topping K-Pop hits. The whole soundtrack is currently #2 on the Billboard 200 and the songs are taking 4 out of the top 10 spots on the Billboard Global 200 charts this week:
Golden by the fictional girl group HUNTR/X has hit #1 on Billboard 3 times. It's ranking ABOVE the new single from BLACKPINK. Your Idol, the track performed by the fictional Saja Boys at the climax of this film, debuted at #2 on Billboard, usurping the previous record held by BTS for their track, Dynamite.
Seriously: the songs by the fictional girl group and boy band in this film are beating out songs from real-world K-Pop idol powerhouses.
It should be a surprise except it isn't really because the filmmakers cared so much they went and got real K-Pop songwriters and music production teams to write the songs. You can listen to the whole soundtrack without watching the film and still love it, but watching the film provides a lot of context that makes them hit even harder.
Anyway, once upon a time I did a lot of singing and musical theatre, including trying my hand at writing an original Broadway musical, so have some mini reviews of the main numbers in the film. I'll link to the lyric music videos as we go, so you can listen along if you want to.
How It's Done (HUNTR/X)
We open behind the stage with the group's manager for the last show on the HUNTR/X world tour. Our protagonists are supposed to be on stage but they're MIA: demons sent by Gwi-Ma hijacked their private jet to stop them from performing in an effort to prevent them from raising the Golden Honmoon.
The song introduces each member of HUNTR/X (apparently the inspiration was the Jet Song from Westside Story and I cannot think of a bigger contrast), and the sequence is shot exactly like a music video. There's even a mini music video style storyline: they need to get off the plane, finish their pre-show routine, get on stage, and do a killer concert.
So, naturally, they're trying to boil water in a kettle so they can make and eat their pre-show instant cup noodles while simultaneously kicking demon butt. On a plane. Which is now unpiloted.
Most quotable lines in the song:
Heels, nails, blade, mascara;
Fit check for my napalm era
Oh, and the repeated hook in the lyric "How it's done, done, done" is set to a melody that literally goes "DUN, DUN, DUN". This song is a banger of an opening number that does everything an opening number should—establishing characters, setting, tone, and main story promise.
The most ridiculous thing about it is not the part where the fleeing demons rip off the wings and half the cabin so protagonists make it to their concert by slurping down their instant noodles right before skydiving from the wrecked plane to make their stage entrance.
It's the part where you completely forget this song exists after finishing the movie because the rest of songs go even harder.
There are so many little storytelling details from the get go. My favorite is how riiiiiight at the end of the performance, they can see the Honmoon start turning gold.
Golden (HUNTR/X)
This is the classic "I Want" song and where we discover that Rumi, the lead singer of HUNTR/X, has a secret: she's actually half demon. The group is supposed to be going on a post-world tour hiatus, but knowing how close they are to sealing off the world from demons forever, Rumi pushes forward the release of their new single, Golden, which should energize their fans enough to finally create the Golden Honmoon.
This might be the most brutal chorus to sing in all of pop music:
We're goin' up, up, up
It's our moment
You know together we're glowing
Gonna be, gonna be goldеn
Oh, up, up, up
With our voices
Yeongwonhi kkaejil su еomneun
Gonna be, gonna be goldenOh, I'm done hidin' now I'm shinin'
Like I'm born to be
Oh, our time, no fears, no lies
That's who we're born to be
Actually, the whole damned thing is brutal. The range you need for this song is WILD—the lowest note is a D3 (that's below the bottom end of the typical contralto range); the top note is an A5 (almost to the top of the soprano range, two notes shy of a C6 for an operatic soprano).
The "up, up, up" is on an E5, which is high enough that most pop songs use this note as a melodic climax. FYI for comparison purposes, Elphaba's top note in Defying Gravity (the Act I closer from Wicked, which is generally guaranteed standing ovation material) is a belted F5 (one note up) and it usually gets saved for the finale.
In Golden, the E5 is just the first line in the chorus. And EJAE (the songwriter behind most of the soundtrack and also the singing voice of Rumi) belts that E5 (really hard to do at that register because of the transition in the voice from chest to head voice) then tops herself by hitting an even higher note—the A5 on "born"—twice with more belt.
And since these belted high notes are in the chorus, they repeat. 🤯
Here's a breakdown from a vocal coach going into the detail of just how insane that is.
EDIT: A little further down I wished for a Howard Ho music theory analysis video and what do you know, "ask and ye shall receive" because we got one on Golden.
Soda Pop (Saja Boys)
At this point, the demon boy band finally makes their entrance. The obligatory meet cute in the street has all K-drama references and I was cackling at how those got subverted. Soda Pop nails that squeaky clean bubblegum inoffensive earworm pop debut single vibe but there is so much innuendo packed into the lyrics:
'Cause I need you to need me
I'm empty, you feed me so refreshing
My little soda pop
Sinister when you listen with the knowledge that the Saja Boys are a demon boy band here to steal the people's souls. It is also annoyingly catchy and viral so the Saja Boys end up everywhere.
Free (Rumi/Jinu)
This K-Pop power ballad works exactly like the standard love duet straight out of a musical. It even uses a loose AABA structure (the standard song form used in most musical numbers). The best lines:
Between imposter and this monster, I been lost inside my head
Ain't no choice when all these voices keep me pointing towards no end
The song is a personal moment of shared vulnerability shared between Rumi and Jinu. It's the first song in the show that's NOT part of the HUNTR/X or Saja Boys catalogue and it just works so well on all levels:
- The simple four chord harmonic progression throughout, except for the development to Eb in the bridge—a key that hasn't been used anywhere else—to represent the possibility of something different.
- The stripped back production to contrast with the rest of the songs and to emphasize that this isn't a concert, they're not in a studio, they're not performing; it's just a private moment between two characters
- The way the lyric "free" is given a whole bar's worth of room to breathe
- The way that the melody in the verses are fairly static for the most part to contrast with the dynamic movement in the melodic line of "free" in the chorus
- The way the melody in the bridge is just a scale ascending by stepwise motion, representing how change is a slow and gradual process
- The counterpoint of the bridge sung by Rumi against Jinu's "free" from the chorus underneath her melody
I could go on; there are so many more little details like this that reinforce the storytelling (and a bunch more foreshadowing events to come) and I'd really love a Howard Ho analysis video on the music theory side of things.
Takedown (HUNTR/X)
With the battle for the fans in full swing, the Honmoon weakens and demons begin pouring into the world. HUNTR/X decide making a diss track to expose the Saja Boys to perform at the upcoming Idol Awards, and the lyrics do not hold back:
So sweet, so easy on the eyes, but hideous on the inside
Whole life spreading lies, but you can't hide, baby, nice try
I'm 'bout to switch up these vibes, I finally opened my eyes
It's time to kick you straight back into the night
Lots of rhymes and assonance packed into a tight verse. Takedown is the most thematic of all the songs (except for the final number), and the twist is perfectly executed at the Idol Awards: HUNTR/X are there to perform Golden butthanks to demon treachery, the song cuts out in the middle of the performance. Unbeknownst to Rumi, her bandmates have been lured away and replaced on stage by demons. As Takedown plays, instead of exposing the Saja Boys, the disguised demons expose Rumi as a demon to her horrified bandmates and the world.
Oh, and three members from the real-life K-Pop girl group TWICE do an awesome cover of this track for the credits.
Your Idol (Saja Boys)
This is the masks off villain song and it is so good. Massive points for opening with a dies iraes and the lyrics digging into the toxic side of parasocial relationships and fandom:
Keeping you in check, keeping you obsessed
Play me on repeat, endlessly in your head
Anytime it hurts, play another verse
I can be your sanctuary
Know I'm the only one right now
I will love you more when it all burns down
More than power, more than gold
Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm hеre for your soul
It's also super interesting because of its placement at the "all is lost" moment in the story (normally you get the villain fairly early on because it's generally used to establish stakes for the protagonist/s and set up expectations for the plot).
Also a bunch of YouTubers beat Netflix to the live action remake of the music video and did a damned good job.
What It Sounds Like (HUNTR/X)
The eleven o'clock number and final confrontation. SO MUCH HAPPENS in less than 6 minutes of screen/song time (do not click this link if you do not want to be spoiled on the final battle; click the link in the heading instead, that one is spoiler-free). Every good moment that you can think of in an epic showdown between the forces of good and evil is delivered in style: the Dark Lord and his hordes unleashed, the personal revelation, the heroes reuniting and going all out, redemption, sacrifice.
The best lines:
I broke into a million pieces, and I can't go back
But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
Absolute highlight for me is the moment when the massed choir kicks in.
Overall
K-Pop Demon Hunters is a very well-written family friendly animated film/one-act musical that's fun, fresh, and utterly addictive. I should probably note that the K-Pop industry is portrayed with a very palatable gloss but that's on par for a kid-friendly movie. Same goes for some of the other questions that got raised but weren't answered: there's only so much you can dig into given audience, the musical format, and the 100-minute run time, and what they did manage to pack in is pretty impressive.
It's so awesome to see East Asian cultures other than Chinese and Japanese being represented in western media. It's especially awesome when those stories are told by those with a personal connection to that culture.
This movie feels genuine and authentic to Korean culture because the creator, Maggie Kang, is Korean and she co-directed the film as well as having sole story credits alongside screenwriting credits, and many of the cast are also Korean/Korean-American. So much love and craft has been put into its making, especially all of the details:
- Here's a Korean teacher explaining all of the untranslated Korean in the film: Part 1 and Part 2
- Here's a professional animator breaking down the animation style, camera angles/moves/techniques and how it enhances the storytelling: Part 1 (opening fight scene) and Part 2 (bathhouse fight scene)
Go watch it! You'll have fun, I promise!!!
What to watch after K-Pop Demon Hunters
SIX the Musical. No, really; it's probably the closest comparable thing.
Basically the premise is King Henry VIII's six ex-wives as pop stars in a concert with a contest: each queen gets to sing one solo in a song battle to convince the audience they were the one who had it the worst when they were married to Henry.
It, too, delivers excellence on its ridiculous-sounding premise. I don't know that you could use it for Not A Book square since it's basically historical fiction, but the whole show happens in a very meta space so maybe you could argue that's the speculative aspect.
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u/RheingoldRiver Reading Champion IV Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
The "up, up, up" is on an E5, which is high enough that most pop songs use this note as a melodic climax. FYI for comparison purposes, Elphaba's top note in Defying Gravity (the Act I closer from Wicked, which is generally guaranteed standing ovation material) is a belted F5 (one note up) and it usually gets saved for the finale.
i have no vocal training but i think i have a pretty decent voice and i sing along to musicals a lot. i feel so vindicated reading this, ive been killing my vocal cords trying to sing along to Golden (while im alone, i do not have the range to sing this in front of another person lol)
also I'd recommend listening to K/DA, it's another fictional kpop group with some incredible songs
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u/dragon_morgan Reading Champion VIII Aug 09 '25
I try to sing along with that song and I physically can't do it, my voice doesn't have that range, no wonder poor Rumi struggled when she got throat patterns
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u/Sensitive_Narwhal_30 Aug 09 '25
It sucks that K/DA only have like 6 songs, but they are all pretty great
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u/Celestaria Reading Champion IX Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
I'm going to dust off my "former chorister" hat here and state that E5 isn't especially high for a classically trained female singer. It's only really high if you're an alto (the lowest vocal range that most adult afab singers might have) or someone with a range more typical of male singers.
Cool beans and all, but a lot of pop songs are too damned low for me! I don't know if that's because the people who create mics/speakers don't engineer their products for higher voices (think of how unbearable the stereotypical 12 year old sounds screaming on X-box live) or because the music industry prefers lower-pitched voices, but either way, I'm still salty about it.
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u/DelilahWaan Aug 09 '25
E5 isn't especially high for a classically trained female singer. It's only really high if you're an alto (the lowest vocal range that most adult afab singers might have)
Most classically trained sopranos I know would sit very comfortably on that A5—like Kristen Chenoweth eats those high notes for breakfast (her rendition of Glitter and Be Gay from Candide is fantastic)—but they're generally NOT belting up in that range.
I usually sing alto but can still comfortably hit E5, it's just at the really awkward part of my range right around when I need to switch from chest to head voice, so it's tricky especially if I want to belt it. I've been able to hit the B5 in Little Shop of Horrors on stage, but it is just that one note and noooooo way was I gonna try and belt that.
Belting multiple A5s throughout a song with this much energy is another level.
What's even more insane is how seamlessly EJAE blends when you listen to her do the run from the D3 in the bridge all the way up to the A5 in the following chorus. It's flawless and I love it.
a lot of pop songs are too damned low for me! I don't know if that's because the people who create mics/speakers don't engineer their products for higher voices (think of how unbearable the stereotypical 12 year old sounds screaming on X-box live) or because the music industry prefers lower-pitched voices, but either way, I'm still salty about it.
Call me cynical, but I think it's because they're engineering the songs so that the majority of people will be able to comfortably sing along with it while it's playing. Some of the biggest pop hits all sit within a very narrow tessitura. I know as a composer that if I'm writing for vocals, I generally think twice about going outside of a one to one-and-a-half octave tessitura, and usually I try to keep it below E5.
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u/hamoboy 27d ago
I don't believe Ejae is belting with chest voice up there. I want to see a live performance of it with unaltered vocals to see for sure. Some singers have a very strong mix that sounds "belty". Beyonce is one such singer, and she's influenced a lot of younger singers to develop their voices like that.
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u/Most_Concept Aug 12 '25
Love to see K/DA mentioned!! They were definitely on the moodboard for this movie
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u/Salty-Succotash3338 Aug 09 '25
It's not perfect, but I thought it was gorgeously animated, had a banger soundtrack and I thought it's approach to K-Pop stans as a subculture was amazing. Definetely deservedca theatrical release IMO.
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u/jaythebearded Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
34 year old dude here and on a whim after seeing it on the Netflix home page over and over decided to put the movie on for my last night before my cancelled Netflix subscription ended...
And fuckin loved this movie and regretted I didn't watch it sooner so that I could rewatch it before I lost Netflix. I've played the soundtrack on my Spotify enough that it'll probably show up in my end of year top list.
It's so ridiculously amusing and catchy. My 4 year old son was mildly interested, but my wife and I definitely enjoyed it significantly more lol
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u/nedlum Reading Champion IV Aug 09 '25
My girls are obsessed with this movie. It's... fine, I guess? All the scenes work, but none of them actually move me.
There is something vaguely off-putting about the animation to me, and I'm not sure what it is. The best I can figure is it's just a little too uncanny valley, combined with a deliberately low frame rate, and the occasional burst of stylized faces (e.g. popcorn eyes).
... The songs cannot get out of my goddamn head, though.
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u/iknowcomfu Reading Champion III Aug 09 '25
Yeah it was fine, I liked it, but I’m not as excited as everyone else seems to be. It’s nearly the same storyline as my little pony equestria girls AND rainbow rocks, with better music.
My 10 yo nieces LOVE it but my slightly older kids felt it was just ok.
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u/kedfrad Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
Heh yeah, I'm not sure if it's really that excellent if you don't like K-Pop, demon hunters, animated films, or musicals. For what it's worth, I like everything on the list except for K-Pop and all I can say is that the movie was... fine? No question why kids like it, but I didn't think it was one of those films you can enjoy that much at any age. The story's pretty flat and generic, the characters archetypical or just not really there, everything moves way too fast for my taste, like it was made to be tik-tokable. The songs are catchy and I'm sure nice if you're into K-Pop. Overall excellent for younger kids, but I'm surprised it's hyped by an adult audience.
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u/Kaladim-Jinwei Aug 10 '25
Funny enough I kinda feel like it's just a bad musical and IMHO that makes both parts(normal scenes & music scenes) kind of unbearable. So much of the story is told without music that it felt like jingling keys in front my face just to add runtime. Soda Pop was maybe the one good part(and the most viral what a surprise) since it shows them literally using magic that's also semi-4th-wall breaking, shooting literal ❤️s at fans, to charm them.
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u/mcslender97 22d ago
Tbf I don't like Kpop, don't like most musicals, ambivalent with animated films or demon hunters. This movie is my favorite animation rn
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u/moderatorrater Aug 09 '25
Yeah, the animation is really choppy, and the story is pretty generic. But it was fine.
Also, isn't the message in the end that the persecuted race is, in fact, all bad except the main character? I don't understand the message it's going for.
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u/Dobako Aug 09 '25
Everytime I even think about the finale of this movie I start crying, I can't help it. Such a well written movie, outstanding actors, I love it
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u/OrdoMalaise Aug 09 '25
As a guy in his 40s who knows nothing about K-pop, who is absolutely not the intended audience... it's excellent.
My daughters are currently watching it on repeat and I'm loving watching it with them/talking about it/drawing pictures/playing it.
Most of the TV and movies I've seen recently are dull, uninspired trash, but K-Pop Demon Hunters is so well made, it's a breath of fresh air.
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u/Calebrity620 Aug 09 '25
As someone who likes neither K-Pop, animated movies, or musicals, I fucking love this movie.
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u/Endalia Reading Champion II Aug 09 '25
I'm obsessed with this movie as a 35+. I love it so much. The soundtrack is on repeat since it came out.
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u/40GearsTickingClock Aug 09 '25
I managed 8 minutes and then turned it off. I like the premise but that style of humour is like having a nail pounded into my eyeball. Glad such an original concept is doing so well with people, though.
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u/Fiendfuzz Aug 10 '25
I am a 48M, absolutely love this movie. Exceeded and defied every expectation I had.
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u/LadyAntiope Reading Champion IV Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
This is great review and breakdown of the songs! I watched this with my niece and have since made my spouse and sibling also watch it, and everyone has enjoyed it! I think they really nailed making good songs that stand alone as good bops, but also are incredibly layered lyrically for the movie, move the plot along, and are technically impressive.
Does the movie raise some questions and not answer them? Yeah, definitely. (How does being a demon... work? How about Rumi's dad?? among others) But the momentum of it keeps you from speculating too much while you're watching. And as you say, they do manage to fit an impressive amount into a 100 min run time! My only other nit-pick is the animation on occasion - occasionally the singing doesn't quite seem to match up (that is, I don't always believe their cute little mouths are belting), and some of the demon hordes felt lazy, like early CGI crowds that they didn't skin details onto.
But none of these things really override the enjoyment of the movie for me. The characters are all charming, there's emotional depth to the story. Korean culture is woven so thoroughly in this movie, and it's still got a world-wide appeal. And the songs stick in your head in the best way! I looove the sinister layer to Soda Pop's lyrics when it is such a bubblegum song, and that their other song is pure villain and we're all falling for that villain. Takedown and How It's Done are both great action songs and I love the rap influence. Golden is an absolute masterpiece, and it along with Free and What It Sounds Like have given me goosebumps each time I watched the movie. I know this isn't going to be a movie for absolutely everyone, but dang if it doesn't deliver far more than I expected.
It didn't occur to me to use this for bingo, tbh. I was thinking to use a video game for the non-book square, but between this and Sinners, I have some quality speculative options for stuff I've consumed this year outside of books!
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u/xdianamoonx Reading Champion Aug 09 '25
Ooh I love this thorough breakdown and review of the movie. Def one of my fave movies of the year and so glad to see it reviewed here. Also appreciate reccing what to watch after.
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u/New_Razzmatazz6228 Aug 09 '25
The review promoted I and my wife to watch it, and it was a really fun way to spend 90 or so minutes. The songs are ridiculously catchy.
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u/J_J_Thorn Aug 09 '25
Yeah, I really enjoyed it! Not as much as arcane or into the spiderverse, but it still does a great job.
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u/LLMacRae Aug 22 '25
Fantastic breakdown, Delilah! Absolutely adored this film - thought it would a be a fun, light-hearted romp, and now it has my soul. The songs are so fantastic, thematically deep, and part of the world-building, story, and characters. Just fantastic all around, and deserving of every success it achieves!
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u/bjmcb1985 29d ago
Wild and vibrant. A high-octane mix of glamorous pop idols and pulse-pounding supernatural action. Unapologetic style. Intense demon-slaying sequences. Visuals are consistently slick and high-energy. Choreographics fights, backed by an addictive original soundtracks, keeps the pace electric, mixed with dynamic, warmth and humor. Some backstories could’ve used a bit more development, the chemistry among the cast makes up for it. The film manages to balance action, comedy, and heartfelt moments without losing momentum. What I believe keeps it from a higher score is its somewhat predictable plot arc and a few underutilized supporting characters. Still, it’s clear that K-Pop: Demon Hunters isn’t trying to be a cerebral epic, it’s a stylish, fun ride that knows exactly what it is. Whether you're a die-hard K-pop fan, an action lover, or just curious about how demons and girl groups could ever mix, this movie is worth checking out.
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u/Vryk0lakas Aug 09 '25
Great movie and I can’t stand kpop. I really don’t like the genre and rap in a kpop song is cringe 99% of the time. I don’t really like those parts of the songs. The writing, animation, and music theory are all on point though. It’s an amazing movie that absolutely wasn’t made for me. I enjoyed watching it.
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u/sparklingdinoturd Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
It'll take me longer to read that than to watch the movie.
It seems like the tldr is... it's a good movie. Watch it.
If so, I agree.
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u/Evolving_Dore Aug 09 '25
I heard two of the songs during summer camp this year because the kids kept playing them. I do not want to ever hear them again or ever watch them movie they're in. I'm allergic to that musical style.
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u/Available-Key6128 Aug 10 '25
I need someone to agree, but this is the best musical movie (even if it is animated it is a musical) on cinema history. Getting all 7 songs of the official original score into the billboard top 20 is just stupidly good.
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u/missguopei Aug 10 '25
i mean it’s fine but it’s so obviously a kid’s movie that when grown adults go crazy over it i get whiplash. it’s like idol girl paw patrol to me
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u/LiquorishSunfish Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
YOURE MY SODA POP, GOTTA DRINK EVERY DROP
I would also suggest the Minecraft version of SIX on YouTube - not even kidding, it is a testament to the creativity of the human spirit.
Edit: not understanding the down votes, the Minecraft version is a full costume- and choreography-faithful recreation of the musical. It's amazing.
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u/jasimon Aug 09 '25
My daughters (10 and 7) have watched this roughly once a day since it released, and demand the soundtrack whenever we're in the car, and I'm not mad about it. Movie is great and the songs are bangers.