Do You Like Rockstars and 'Buffy' Style Sories? This Netflix's New Anime Already Scores 96% on RT and Smashes the Charts
During the day, the main characters fill stadiums, and at night, they cut down demons in combat suits.
Just look at a couple of stills and it's crystal clear why the new animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, released on Netflix, is already tearing up the charts.
It mixes two cultural phenomena of recent years — K-pop and superheroics, and Sony Pictures Animation proved that they can surprise not only through Miles Morales. Judge for yourself: 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and critics give it 96%.
The plot is simple, but charged to the brim. The trio Huntrix — Rumi (vocals), Mira (dance) and Zoe (rap) — pack stadiums during the day, and at night in combat suits they chop up demons. Here, music is a shield, the stage is an arena, fan stones are magic. Imagine if Sailor Moon met Buffy and Power Rangers, but neither of them were serious.
At the center of the conflict are the antagonist group Saja Boys, whose viral hit Soda Pop didn't so much soften the hearts of teenagers as it caught demonic energy. And then comes the key twist: Rumi is revealed to be half demon. Saving the world is no longer enough: now you have to love yourself, even if you are part of that darkness.
The visuals are simply fire. Sony have destroyed the style — glitchy inserts, 3D pastosity with roughness, stop-motion effects that flash in time with the bass. This is much cooler than any anime 3-star. And the final battle of Huntrix vs Saja Boys turns into a real K-pop war of the worlds, where the structure of the fights is organized according to the laws of choreography.
Music is not just a background — it is a plot engine. Tracks from Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung from TWICE are catchy: even if the makeup of the voice does not always match the body of the actresses — the audience is already singing along at the top of their lungs.
But it's not just about the sound and picture. Deep themes are hidden behind the chilling sugary shell: guilt in front of oneself, acceptance of the dark part of the soul, an attempt to free oneself from shame. Rumi and Jinwoo (leader of Saja Boys) are not so much fighting demons as trying to remain human.
Humor adds a hell of a thrill: the girls tease each other, make fun of the demon press, and are friends. Ironic dialogues manage to make you laugh and melt your heart before the moral meat grinder begins.
Result: K-pop demon hunters is an example of how a seemingly trashy idea can be turned into a hit with soul. Fun, smart, beautiful, modern. Yes, about idols, microphones, and magic. And yes —- damn cool. Magnificent exotica at the intersection of genres that you need to see — before it completely disintegrates into the masses.
