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The cultural phenomenon that is KPop Demon Hunters (2025; Kang, Appelhans) isn’t losing any momentum, even almost a month after the June 20 direct-to-stream Netflix debut. The film just broke a Netflix record, becoming the first to achieve a viewership peak in its fifth week of release on the platform. The iconic soundtrack by fictional Kpop groups Huntr/x and the Saja Boys has also broken Kpop, Billboard, Spotify, and global records.
KPop Demon Hunters not only has the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025, but songs by its fictional Kpop groups broke records previously held by Kpop giants. In the United States, Huntr/x’s song “Golden” tied Blackpink for Kpop girl-group chart records. The Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” charted second– the highest placement for a Kpop group, breaking BTS’s record.
The chart-topping soundtrack isn’t the only reason the film has seen such success. The lovable main character, Rumi, and her fellow Huntr/x stars, Mira and Zoey, embody realistic, relatable young women– aside from their supernatural ability to slay demons. They burp when they eat, would rather relax than work, and deliver authentic friendships.
Their adversaries, the villainous five-member Saja Boys, lean into the different archetypes found in Kpop groups. Their visual and musical appeal rockets them to in-world and real-world stardom, captivating audiences (at times, literally) with their catchy songs.
KPop Demon Hunters critiques the Kpop industry through its fictional Kpop groups while offering a better alternative. The Saja Boys underscore the negative aspects of the industry, like how fans reduce idols to commodities and idols are pressured to enable parasocial relationships. Huntr/x members, however, defy standards often placed on female idols, uplifting healthier representations of women in Kpop.
KPop & The Cost Of Global Stardom
Kpop is beloved by millions around the world. What used to be a niche genre to those outside Korea and greater Asia has exploded into global dominance. Uniquely fan-focused, Kpop has taken over social media, with “stans” dedicating corners of the internet to their community.
Though idols are the center of global adoration, they are also subject to strict rules, high expectations, predatory contracts, and harmful interactions with fans.
KPop — A Brief Background
Kpop is characterized by meticulously planned visual performances with high-energy, often synchronized choreography. Multiple members enable diverse vocals with various musical influences. Notably, rappers are key members in Kpop groups. Multilingual lyrics are another common feature in Kpop, adding to the genre’s international marketability.
Groups have different roles for each of their members. Generally, the youngest is the lead rapper and the eldest is the leader. There are also main vocalists, main dancers, and main “visuals” or “faces,” those most photogenic. Aside from roles, there are also key personality traits that idols tend to embody. Common examples include the cute idol, the sexy idol, the funny idol, and the responsible ‘older sibling’ figure idol.
Hip-hop has always influenced the Kpop genre. In 1992, “Seo Taiji and Boys” blended hip-hop, electronic, and rock music with Korean pop, becoming the first Kpop group, the first to sell one million albums, and kicking off the “first generation” of Kpop1. The band’s international success proved the value and marketability of Kpop.
The second gen, starting around 2000, saw a surge in idol culture. Entertainment companies emphasized fan engagement, offering collectible lightsticks for fans to wield at concerts and photocards of groups and each member2. The commodification of ‘tradeables’ brought new streams of revenue. Before, groups relied largely on televised media for promotion, but the rise of the internet opened even more opportunities for reaching wider audiences.
By the third gen, the 2010s to 2020, KPop had a solidified hold on the global market. In 2023, Seventeen, Stray Kids, NewJeans, and Tomorrow x Together, all KPop bands, placed in the top 10 most listened-to artists globally3.
Now, with KPop in its fourth generation, the genre is essential in music playlists all over the world. The influx of international attention has sparked further experimentation with genres, visuals, and opportunities for international idols4.
The Dark Side Of The Industry
The rise of Kpop coincided with the rise of entertainment companies, like HYBE and YG Entertainment, that manage Kpop bands. The companies host auditions, offering young adults or children, as young as five — some of whom may have trained for over a decade, as is the case with Bigbang’s G-Dragon– the opportunity to attain their dreams of being an international star.
The training process can be rigorous. Trainees face long and arduous working hours on top of schoolwork, often going into debt. In some cases, if the trainees are successful, the management company will withhold earnings as compensation for training and career-launching costs5. Idols from massively successful groups, like EXO, have sued their management companies over unfair wages.
Idols must attain and maintain the ideal physique and appearance. South Korea already leads the world in cosmetic surgeries– one in three women between 19 and 29 years old has had plastic surgery6. Though U.S. women under 30 are getting cosmetic procedures at increasing rates but only around three in every 100 women have had any7.
Lighter skin is glorified, highlighting the colorism that impacts East Asians. Double eyelids are another European feature that is viewed as desirable, leading some Korean idols to get double eyelid surgery. Unsurprisingly, idols are pressured to maintain certain weight requirements — Momo from Twice said on live stream that she had to lose 15 pounds in one week to debut, causing fear for her health.
In some companies, the personal lives of Kpop idols are regulated. Many aren’t allowed to date, drink alcohol, or do anything that might diminish their public image. For example, a member of aespa made international headlines over an apology letter she wrote for dating Korean actor Lee Jae Wook. Their identities are manufactured and controlled to make them appealing — conforming to a heteronormative standard that reduces idols to fantasies.
The commodification of idols enables unhealthy, parasocial relationships with fanbases. Amongst large fanbases are individuals who dip into extreme obsession. These fans, called sasaeng, make headlines for following idols to their homes, attempting to kidnap idols offstage, and even stealing and selling underwear from idols. The stalking and invasion of privacy leave lasting harm on the victims.
Kim Jae-joong from JWJ and JX, whose home was invaded by a sasaeng, said in a YouTube interview, “Being stalked was so painful that I felt like I wanted to die…even if they serve their sentence and are released, it’s still a problem.”
Rather than artists, idols become tools and metaphors. Pressure from agencies to fulfill a role and play into audience fantasy creates an environment that prioritizes physical appeal over mental health. Predatory contracts from management companies reduce idols to marketing prospects, demanding relentless work.
KPop Demon Hunters — Building & Breaking The Mold
Without getting into big spoiler territory, KPop Demon Hunters follows Huntr/x, a Kpop group that uses magic imbued in their voices to protect Earth from the demonic underworld.
When their voices mix, they literally weave threads of music to power the 혼문 honmoon, with hon meaning soul or spirit and moon meaning door or gate that keeps demons from crossing into Earth. The demons that do slip through do so to give their ruler, Gwi-ma, souls for his army.
Gwi-ma decides to change his strategy– taking down the honmoon from the outside with a Kpop band to rival Huntr/x.
“Perfect” Packaging — The Saja Boys & Manufactured Stars
The Saja Boys, despite most members lacking narrative depth and character development, received overnight virality in the film and real world. Thousands of fan edits and dance covers with millions of likes have flooded social media sites, mirroring the fan-made dance covers featured in the film. Though they are villains, they are still recognizable, even if not relatable, as idols.
Their names, aside from the leader, directly identify which trope the character embodies. Baby is the maknae, youngest member, and rapper — with round cheeks and a yellow beret. Romance is the visual, winking, and flirting with fans. Mystery has bangs blocking most of his face, capturing the imaginations of Huntr/x’s Zoey and fans alike with his allure.
Abby, Abs for short, is the tall, buff main dancer whose shirt constantly pops open to reveal his namesake. Finally, the leader, Jinu, is soft spoken, modeled off K-drama leads like Nam Joo-hyuk.
On the outside, they are an overnight sensation of a boy group with excellent style, stellar dancing, and catchy melodies. In reality, they are demons trying to snatch their fans’ souls, literally. When their disguises drop, they resemble the jeoseung saja, the Korean version of the grim reaper, down to the all-black hanbok and wide-brimmed hat, called a gat.
Even their song lyrics dictate the dynamics of their relationship with the audience. They lure audiences in with their pastel colors and infectious song “Soda Pop,” and once the audience is in their grasp, the masks drop.
The Saja Boys leverage idol worship, flipping the fan-centered dynamics common in KPop. As Jihye Park writes:
“they’re a meta-commentary on fandom itself.”
They naturally fall into their roles as a group, but they use the parasocial dynamic with fans to ultimately steal their souls, since they already have the audience’s hearts.
“You’re all I can think of, every drop I drink up
You’re my soda pop, my little soda pop."8
“Keeping you obsessed
Play me on repeat, endlessly in your head
Anytime it hurts, play another verse
I can be your sanctuary…
Your obsession feeds our connection
So right now give me all your attention."9
While fans in the fictional world of KPop Demon Hunters may not realize the darkness under the Saja Boy’s colorful facade, real-world audiences do. Even so, fans can’t help but adore them. What draws people in is the hidden danger behind the Saja Boys — idols who expect something back from their audience.
Huntr/x & The Rise Of Empowered Idols
KPop Demon Hunters offers a healthier alternative to the lifestyle of idols that uplifts authentic representations of young women. Creator and director Maggie Kang said in an interview with The New York Times:
“I wanted to see female superheroes that were a lot more relatable…I was trying to make a film for my current self, of course, but also for my teenage self.”
They effortlessly blend Korean culture with modern aesthetics, serving face while protecting the world with killer (literally) performances.
Self-imposed shame, familial expectations, romantic troubles, and transformative friendships shape the characters. They are empowered in their own way, but learn that they are strongest when they work together.
As KPop idols, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are free to carb-load before performing or take a break from their responsibilities. Their manager, Bobby, genuinely cares for their well-being, and Huntr/x cares about him in return.
Their autonomy contrasts with the lifestyle of many real idols. Footage of Huntr/x members stuffing their faces full of food juxtaposes footage like that of IVE’s Wonyoung, who had her 20th birthday dinner taken away on livestream.
Their healthy relationship with their management shows that with mutual respect and trust, success can be mutual.
Rumi, the leader of Huntr/x and main character, struggles with the weight of carrying on her family legacy, inheriting responsibility over the honmoon. She bears the same patterns on her skin that demons do — her father was a demon, and her mother died when she was a child. Her mother’s fellow hunter, Celine, adopts Rumi, raising her to believe the patterns will disappear when they seal the honmoon for good.
This crushing secret complicates her relationship with the rest of Huntr/x and her dynamic with the leader of the Saja Boys, Jinu. As her shame grows, so do her patterns, at the cost of her singing ability. When her fellow bandmates notice, they encourage her to rest and relax.
Mira, the visual and main dancer, is rebellious, constantly defying expectations openly and owning her individuality. She even wears a sleeping bag to the Met Gala.
Coming from a wealthy Korean family, she felt like she didn’t fit in until she found Huntr/x. Her icy and edgy exterior and monotonous tone are misleading, as she is fiercely loyal and cares deeply. She is the most emotionally tuned into situations, knowing instantly that Rumi is hiding something.
Zoey is the group’s maknae and main rapper. She comes across as bubbly and quirky, but struggles with her self-worth. She feels like she is too weird or too eager to please at times, which many fans can relate to. Zoey always has multiple notebooks and pens with her, ready to write down whatever she’s feeling and transform them into songs. Once it’s her turn to shine, her cute exterior disappears and a lethal performer emerges.
They carry on the legacy of hunters, summoning traditional Korean weapons adorned with norigae — traditional pendants usually worn by women in hanbok for decoration and good luck. Their weapons also hold cultural significance, connecting the characters to Korean shamanism.
Rumi’s saingeom, or Four Tiger Sword, signifies strength and was used in rituals to ward off evil spirits. Mira’s gokdo comes from the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 BC-668 AD). Zoey’s sinkal translates directly to spirit knives, which are used by shamans to protect their ritual and spiritually cut negativity.
Like many other girl groups, Huntr/x lyrics center on empowerment and confidence, but they deliver a vulnerability that isn’t commonly seen. Their struggle with isolation and shame is expressed honestly, and though they are fictional superheroes, their emotional authenticity translates to real fans and fictional fans alike.
"Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?
I should’ve let the jagged edges meet the light instead...
So we were cowards, so we were liars
So we're not heroes, we're still survivors."10
The Huntr/x members also have a healthier relationship with their fanbase. Rather than trying to steal their souls, they protect their fans with their lives. They can walk the streets unnoticed, but feel safe to approach fans without hiding.
With the exception of one fan who got a Huntr/x tattoo (which Mira did like), and one girl customizing her own shirt ‘shipping’ Rumi and Jinu, the interactions are respectful and positive.
Despite fighting demons with spiritual weapons, their stardom has nothing to do with their heroics. The members of Huntr/x are grounded, realistic characters that reflect the experiences and emotions of real women and girls.
Their struggles aren’t endured alone. The character development throughout the film gives audiences more of a reason to resonate with Huntr/x song lyrics.
Storytelling In Songs
While authenticity might seem difficult to convey through animated characters, the emotions the voice and singing voice actors gave them grounded their performances in realism. Animation style and techniques contributes to the emotional depth and development, but the lesser-known connections between the cast and their characters add another layer of depth to “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Like a majority of trainees, EJAE, the singing voice for Rumi, never debuted herself despite training for years. Instead, she wrote hit songs and provided backing vocals for major groups like aespa, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and Red Velvet. When she was invited to join THEBLACKLABEL producers IDO, Vince, and Dominsuk, it was initially to record vocals and aid in the songwriting — until Maggie Kang offered her the singing role of Rumi.
EJAE says that she was excited because she felt such a strong connection to Rumi’s character. Like Rumi, she comes from a family of professional performers who maintained strict standards. Watching the scene of Rumi and Celine, her mother figure, felt like watching her own life play out on screen11.
In an interview with Forbes, EJAE said,
“That’s the part where you have to hide your insecurities. You can’t be too masculine. You can’t be too outspoken… I feel all Koreans can relate to this high standard.”
In writing “Golden,” EJAE says that the uplifting song is something she needed, and her resonance with Rumi helped the melody, lyrics, and storyline effortlessly integrate into the film.
The vocalist behind Jinu shares a similar story. Andrew Choi’s family couldn’t afford music school, but he pursued music anyway. Briefly pursuing a solo career and placing in the top three in a Korean singing competition, he decided he was better suited to writing songs.
EJAE recruited him to the project, where he also thought he would just record demos and help write songs. Choi said he didn’t feel like his voice would fit, but took the opportunity anyway. In an interview with the Korean Herald, Choi said:
“I love that the film offers a universal message of love and redemption, with many inside jokes for Koreans and K-pop fans. While it is in English, the film retains its Koreaness. They are Korean idols (or Korean demons) and the concerts are in a Korean city.”
Ahn Hyo-seop, one of the visual inspirations for Jinu, was cast as Jinu’s speaking actor. He wanted to capture the complexity of Jinu’s pain, responsibility, and emptiness, which he tells the WeVerse magazine was difficult to utilize only his voice.
“…I wanted to approach him not just as coming across as cool, but as someone with a sense of something missing deep inside.”
Hyo-seop says that true strength comes from confronting inner demons and being willing to sacrifice yourself for others. Happiness can be found in accepting even the painful parts of existing.
“There’s a word in Korean, areumdapda, beautiful. But that word can also be interpreted as meaning ‘true to yourself.’ I hope Jinu’s character gives people the courage to accept themselves…”
Hope For The Future Of KPop
The Kpop industry evolved in each generation, as have the dynamics between fans, idols, and their management companies. Commodification of idols and their power as a tool of capitalism continues to manifest, but idols are more empowered to defend themselves.
NJZ, formerly NewJeans, have stirred up the industry by speaking in front of South Korea’s parliament in 2024. Hanni Pham addressed the labor committee, advocating for changes to protect idols from the bullying and mistreatment she faced from her managers and company, Ador.
The company’s response cited Hanni’s lack of evidence. In November 2024, South Korean parliament ruled that the nature of management contracts are not subjected to the same workplace protections as ordinary workers.
NJZ members started an ‘#Idolsareworkers’ trend on social media, which inspired other idols to speak up on their experiences within the industry. Jungkook from BTS spoke up, adding a simple “Artists are not guilty” caption on Instagram, alluding to the legal battle between Ador and Hybe over NJZ.
This battle has prevented the group from continuing their music careers. Seungkwan from SEVENTEEN called out the state of the industry via Instagram. He criticized fans who reduce idols to ‘puppets’ and the silent suffering idols endure.
“I no longer want to see us hurt each other. I’ve tried to quietly endure it, hoping things would pass, but now I can’t stay silent anymore… We are not your items to use as you please. We fight for every moment on stage, and it takes a toll. If we can all just be a bit warmer, I think things could improve.”
Idols are breaking out of companies, not renewing contracts, and pursuing self-made careers at increasing rates. There are more opportunities for self-marketing on social media, allowing direct connections with fans, and finding independent music production is easier than ever, driving artists to control their music and career rather than subject themselves to constraints12. Perhaps the most well-known example is Blackpink’s disbandment, which opened the door for Jennie, Rosé, Jisoo, and Lisa to focus on their individual careers.
If KPop Demon Hunters have proven one thing, it’s that audiences desire authenticity, vulnerability, and storytelling in idol groups. Though industry standards are slowly improving, even with lacking legal protections, idols are more empowered than ever to advocate for themselves, or to leave companies behind. With increased ownership over their music, idols and fans can connect on a soul-level and seal the honmoon for good.
Footnotes
- Woliski, Kristin. “Generations of K-pop.” University of North Texas Library. 17 Aug. 2023. ↩︎
- Javanshir, Sarvenaz. The Beginnings of K-pop: A Look at How It All Started.” Nolae. 15 Jan. 2025. ↩︎
- Yoon, Hyeyoung. “‘Expanding K-Pop’s Scope’ Seventeen, SKZ, 2V2V, and NewJeans Ranked in IFPI’s Top 10 Global Artists.” 22 Feb. 2024. ↩︎
- Ryou, Hae-jeen. “Generations of K-pop Explained: Part Three.” University of North Texas Library. 4 July 2024. ↩︎
- Hinsberg, Maari and Claudia Valge. “The Capitalist Control of K-pop: The Idol as a Product.” ICDS Diplomaatia. 2 Oct. 2019. ↩︎
- Rodrigues, Aimee. “Top 20 Countries with the highest plastic surgery rates per capita.” Aesthetic Medical Practitioner. 15 May 2024. ↩︎
- Delaney, Margaret. “Plastic surgery, injections soar in US and LA, particularly among young people. Doctors tell why.” Nola. 6 Nov. 2024. ↩︎
- “Soda Pop.” The Saja Boys. KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack. Sony, 2025. ↩︎
- “Your Idol.” The Saja Boys. KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack. Sony, 2025 ↩︎
- “This Is What It Sounds Like.” Huntr/x. KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack. Sony, 2025. ↩︎
- Sirikul, Laura. “How Singer-songwriter EJAE Found Rumi’s Voice In ‘KPop Demon Hunters.'” Forbes. 20 June 2025. ↩︎
- Jae-heun, Kim. An increasing number of K-pop idols are breaking free from big agencies. Why?” The Korean Herald. 24 Sept. 2024. ↩︎