Spoilers ahead
A Brief Summary
The newly released KPop Demon Hunters has already gathered hundreds of millions of views on Netflix and is praised highly by audiences and critics alike. The story follows three demon huntresses, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who are seeking to end the demons and Gwi-ma in order to save the world by activating the Honmoon. The Huntrix do this through the uniting power of their music as K-pop stars. Gwi-ma, the demon lord, seeing that they are getting close to activating the Honmoon, sends some demons in the form of a rival boy band to try to steal their fans’ souls.
The demonic presence in this film understandably brings concern to Catholic parents. However, this is actually a good thing. First of all, the demons are the villains of the story, and they make them as a villain that is simply evil, like Disney’s Maleficent or Frollo. There is no sympathy for Gwi-ma or the other simple demons who devour the souls. The only questionable characters are the ones who are part or “turned” demon, but this is where the Korean folklore and simple artistic freedom start to come into play. Jinu is technically not a demon, but his soul is under the command of Gwi-Ma, and they use the Jeoseung saja, or Grim Reaper of Korean folklore as inspiration for the role he plays in the film. Things like this in the film add to the layers of symbolism and narrative style, but he does not necessarily equivocate to being a literal demon.
Secondly, the demons are “child proof” in that they don’t explain a whole lot about them, such as how to contact them, or perform rituals, etc. They also portray them as ridiculous, but also somewhat scary, especially the crawling ones. Probably appropriate more so for 8-year-olds and up than a 5-year-old. As it is PG, a parent should be prepared to discuss things like sin and shame, Satan, forgiveness and similar topics appropriately to their children according to their age. I would look at this as a chance to help them understand prayer life, the sacrament of Penance, etc.
Something to be Aware of:
The demons are also representative of things naturally psychological, so it is not all about spiritual warfare, but the messages of the film work for both perspectives. The writers were not necessarily going out of their way to convey demons as real, spiritual enemies, but they acknowledge the similarities. Demons tell lies, strive to harden hearts, and lead us into spiritual desolation. This can be paralleled to anxiety, apathy, and depression. Generally mental health issues are tied to something biological or traumatic or associated with poor coping mechanisms and bad habits.
Rumi is the main character that is having the toughest confrontation with this as the warrior standing in between chaos and harmony. However, she feels very alone in the fight as she is hiding her identity from her friends, and this puts pressure on her leading to hopelessness and lies slipping into her head.
This Movie gets into the Dignity of the Human Person
There are several quotes that stuck out when Rumi went to Celine after her secret was revealed to her friends. This is the lowest point of our hero’s journey.
“You knew I was a mistake from the very start” - Rumi
She believes there is something inherently wrong with herself, being part demon. It was uncertain to Celine and herself how she would get to be free of her patterns. It’s possible to see the patterns as marks left on us from sin. In Rumi’s case, she was born with them. So, it can actually be akin to Original Sin, where we are born with a tendency to sin, which is impossible to be rid of until death, or the Second Coming, which could be equivocated to the Honmoon.
“I thought I could fix it all—fix me” “Why couldn’t you love me – all of me?” - Rumi
Continuing with these quotes, there is nothing we can do in our own power to “fix” ourselves. Rumi finds the power again in the harmony of her friends and in something greater than herself. It’s important to note that she does want to be free of her patterns it is not something she accepts to be her rather a part of her. But she does accept the truth that while she can’t go back, she can go forward. To love all of her, she is referring not to loving her patterns but to love her as she is now, as she lays down her vulnerability and openness.
Theme of Truth
Truth is one of the main themes in Kpop Demon Hunters. As the story progresses, all the shame and guilt are hidden, and truth and lies battle against each other. It is scary especially for Rumi and Jinu to think that allowing the truth of their mistakes and pains to be revealed will make them unlovable or unsalvageable. However, as they open up to each other in “Free” they begin to realize that they are actually able to escape this torment little by little. “You’ve got a dark side, I guess you’re not the only one” is an interesting line when you understand a bit of the Catholic Church. The mystery of the Church has a dark side - sin - a brutal reality; everyone has sinned, and sometimes it leads to a scandal. This idea can be further explored in Henri de Lubac’s Splendor of the Church, but the important part is that Christ took on that scandal called the Cross. Sin is humiliating to bear, and yet “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more,” there is always an opportunity for forgiveness and healing.
Inspiring Hope
The hopeful and beautiful song “Golden” is not necessarily lost or spoiled by its early release. It is still a masterpiece, but at the time it is the hope and expectation of the characters on how things will go. However, the prophecy is fulfilled perhaps in a different way than is expected by healing not just hunting. I like to think of how the Israelites believed that the Messiah would be a warrior, and He actually came as the Prince of Peace, yet the promise was still fulfilled and in the resurrection of His Body He still bore the scars of the wounds from the cross. Whether certain characters could be considered Christ-like figures is debatable. Although it is possible Rumi is Christ-like; she heads back into the fight at the climax not really finding the “secret code” but makes herself entirely honest and vulnerable to her friends and the crowds (not the demons), bearing her patterns that are glowing with an iridescent light. So, towards the end, in “What It Sounds Like” you can hear in the movie some words and notes of “Golden.” What is known to be truly good is never lost, it sometimes just comes in ways we don’t expect. Now they technically did not achieve Honmoon, but there was an Easter egg for a potential sequel.
The Movie is Made with Skill
The work as a whole integrates different styles of unique animation that are well executed. For example, for comedic moments they tend to use exaggerated, comic expressions that you often find in Korean products or television shows. Whenever they sing a song, they smoothly transition into a music video style, where the quality is higher and the editing is much more like you would see in a Kpop music video. Then at the intense, or deeply emotional scenes it is much more cinematic with close ups and wide shots. There is also an incredible use of colors, namely blue, gold, and pink, that are representative of characters, emotions, tones, and themes. The music is also incredibly written; it’s not vague, or exaggerated, rather it is deeply on point and relatable. They are believable as Kpop songs.
Motivated by & Relevant to Experience
Everyone is under the effects of Original Sin and spiritual/psychological warfare. The prince of lies has told everyone a lie, and it typically sounds like ourselves. The lies fester if you don’t catch them or bring them to the light. However, the Honmoon, the kingdom is promised, and until then, we keep fighting with hope for the harmony, the union with God in Paradise. Of course we can’t go in the fight alone, it takes everyone with everyone in mind: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).
I hope this inspires some thought and would love to hear any comments.