KPop Demon Hunters

Now, I have never interacted with anything KPop in my life, I never really connected with that culture and having seen this film, I feel like I should! Watching this film on my OLED TV was an ethereal experience, the sound, the colour, the visuals, the animation, everything pops relentlessly and effectively.

I give Sony a lot of flack for some of their creative decisions, especially regarding Spider-Man, but I’ve got to give their animation team their dues. This film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, a clear and concise visual language that perfectly complements the tone and feel of the film and KPop itself as a genre. I can’t believe that this is the same studio that gave us the Emoji Movie…

Okay, back to the film itself, it follows a group of girls who moonlight as a Kpop band to cover their activities as demon hunters. It sounds insane but it works on so many levels, the push and pull of the double life, the sacrifices, the choices they have to make, it all flows together in a perfectly cohesive and engaging story about self-acceptance and overcoming social pressures. All the characters are super expressive, with the Korean animation style allowing for unique facial expressions and emphasis on emotion.

The soundtrack is also insanely catchy! I’ve been obsessed with Soda Pop and This is What It Sounds Like. The film uses the music to perfectly emphasise the characters emotional state and the place in the story, each song having a thematic and character-driven purpose just makes them hit that much harder. The way they contrast the upbeat and passion driven songs of Huntr/x with the catchy and manipulative songs of the Saja Boys is a stroke of genius!

Special shoutout to Maggie Kang and Chris Applhans, the two directors of the film. They had such a clear vision for the film and really understood how the juggle the multiple different aspects of the film.

I’ve not been this impressed by an animated film for a little while, I’m glad to see the artform is still changing and growing into something that everyone recognises as art. Animation is so special because it allows you to do literally anything, and this film is perfectly representative of the limitless potential of the genre.

8/10