The Global Appeal of Huntr/x and the Saja Boys

For two weeks, KPop Demon Hunters has been top of the global Netflix charts. In the run-up to its June release, the animated film was among the platform’s most-viewed titles globally, streamed more than 33 million times in the first two weeks. In over 93 countries, it ranks in the global top 10, and it is now second in the overall list. Fans have created fan art already, and calls for a sequel have intensified with each passing day.

KPop Demon Hunters’ success doesn’t stop at Netflix, however. Since its 20 June release, the two bands at the center of the film’s high-energy narrative, the all-girl group Huntr/x and their hooligan rivals Saja Boys, have topped the real-world music charts, outselling titans like BTS and Blackpink. Seven of the film’s songs have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, while on Spotify’s US chart, the fictional bands occupy both first and second place, a feat only a handful of real-world acts have ever managed.

KPop Demon Hunters combines the fantasies of Korean pop with a broader coming-of-age narrative as well as action-adventure elements, targeting a demographic that bridges both age and fandom. On the heels of chart-topping successes, such as the now-defunct Squid Game, Netflix has reaped yet another unlikely victory with the international phenomenon that is KPop Demon Hunters.

The story focuses on three Huntr/x members, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who must balance worldwide fame with their clandestine existence as demon hunters, seeking to save the world from evil entities while also battling otherworldly foes in live performances on top of their stage feuds. A story that weaves friendship, trust, and learning to be oneself into supernatural fantasy and heart-pounding action has attracted attention from viewers from many countries and cultures. The action, fights, humor, and sweet moments all serve to enthrall fans with their own experience.

However, it is KPop Demon Hunter’s soundtrack that has proven most impactful in terms of transcending the Netflix film itself. KPop Demon Hunters co-director Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian artist who draws her inspiration from K-pop idols of her youth, explains that making the music matter in a narrative that transcends entertainment is what made the film a phenomenon. Inspired by traditional Korean music, the original songs by Teddy Park (who has worked with superstars like Blackpink) and Lindgren (a Grammy Award winner for producing and collaborating with BTS and TWICE, among others) could all pass for real-life K-pop hits. Amanda Golka, a Los Angeles-based content creator who isn’t particularly familiar with K-pop, has found herself listening to the soundtrack on repeat. “I have been blasting the soundtrack from Spotify every time I’m in the car,” she admits. “It’s interesting how universal the language of music is.”

Cutting Edge Tradition

KPop Demon Hunters’ appeal lies not just in its visuals and action, but in the authentic details of Korean tradition and culture. K-pop, Korean dramas (K-dramas), and Korean films have all become mainstream products in the US and other Western markets, but KPop Demon Hunters brings representation to a new level. Life in South Korea, from traditional table settings to shots at historical places in Seoul like city walls, ancient Hanuiwon clinics, traditional bathhouses, and Namsan Tower, is woven into the story. In these places and the casting of non-stereotypical Korean characters, the producers have given the Korean viewer the representation they need and the respect they deserve, says Lashai Ben Salmi, a community leader for the inclusion of Korean culture in European countries. “It gives the film a surprising level of maturity,” she says.

KPop Demon Hunters’ animation team visited South Korea to prepare for the film. They visited a folk village, walked and photographed the Myeongdong neighborhood, shot Hanok houses, and studied Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. Attention to detail can be seen in the animation as well: though the characters speak English in the film, their lip movements reflect Korean pronunciation, their faces and body language are recognizably Korean, and in some scenes, Korean words or song lyrics are featured.

The scenes were also accurate and on-point, featuring not just K-pop acts but the entire ecosystem of a K-pop fandom. Shots of fan signing events and the glow of fans’ colour-coordinated light sticks light up several scenes, as do Kalgunmu (perfectly synchronised dance routines) and even Korean signage. The story also does not focus on one particular group or era. Instead, it embraces all of K-pop culture, providing casual viewers with a non-exclusive entry point to K-pop and rewarding hard-core fans with “only K-pop” references.

The traditional elements of Korean culture also play a large role in the fantasy action sequences of KPop Demon Hunters. Elements like the swords and fans used by Huntr/x as weapons reference Mudang, Korean shamans. By contrast, Saja Boys’ clothing and swords, and the white horse they ride during battle, recall the Korean Grim Reaper. Folklore such as Dangsan trees and Dokkaebi goblins also pop up, as do folk-inspired iconography such as Derpy the tiger and Sussy the magpie, traditionally considered guardian and good luck symbols.

At the same time, however, KPop Demon Hunters remains first and foremost a story about self-acceptance that fans of any nationality can relate to. The characters struggle with identity and learning to be themselves, to trust themselves and one another, and find their paths while loved ones may not understand at first, but will ultimately come around in the end. “Your friends may not understand right away, but they do love you and they will figure it out. I think that has resonated with people,” Golka concludes.