‘KPop Demon Hunters’: A New Era of Global Pop Culture Fusion

At first, I had no intention of watching Netflix’s animated sensation “KPop Demon Hunters,” a story about a K-pop girl group battling demons disguised as a rival boy band. I doubted it would resonate with me or have cultural relevance for someone my age.

Though I occasionally write about K-pop, I’m not necessarily a fan of the genre. The film seemed to embody many elements I typically dislike, such as contrasts seemingly included just for effect—like cute, stylized Asian girl idols battling monsters. I was also skeptical about the compromises the largely North American production might have made to appeal to a broad audience, including potential cultural dilution.

However, upon viewing, I discovered that this global hit is far from a clumsy, Westernized sellout. Instead, it may signify a shift toward a post-multicultural era in which pop culture envisions a world where cultural boundaries are increasingly fluid.

Since its release on June 20, “KPop Demon Hunters” has become Netflix’s second most successful original film. Its catchy single “Golden” (with lyrics like “We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment / You know together we’re glowing”) currently tops the Billboard Hot 100. The film boasts a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, placing it alongside classics such as “The Godfather” and “Schindler’s List.” Unlike those films, it also enjoys singalong screenings across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The story centers on Huntrix, a three-member K-pop girl group who are also the latest generation of demon hunters. Their mission is to protect the Honmoon, a fragile boundary separating the human world from a demon-infested underworld reminiscent of the eerie Upside Down from the series “Stranger Things.” Each generation of hunters passes their powers to the next.

Why are the demon hunters a girl group rather than, say, a law firm? Their supernatural abilities derive entirely from their fanbase. The louder the cheers, the stronger their album sales and social media presence, the better equipped Huntrix is to defend reality. When the demon lord Gwi-ma (voiced by actor Lee Byung-hun) seeks to breach the Honmoon, he creates a rival boy band called Saja Boys, designed to captivate fans so intensely that their eyes literally turn to popcorn—stealing fandom, and thus power, to conquer the world.