Netflix's latest animated film is taking the world by storm, but queer folks might feel a special connection to the surprisingly touching story about demon-slaying K-pop stars.
Light spoilers ahead...
Sony Pictures' latest animated project, KPop Demon Hunters, follows the story of three girls who make up the K-pop group Huntrix. Rumi, Zoey, and Mira are the world's biggest pop stars who moonlight as demon slayers. The three use their popularity, swords, and the power of their voices to keep demons at bay with the golden honmon. But the demons aren't just giving up without a fight, and they put together a boy group of their own, The Saja Boys, to steal fans and lessen Huntrix's influence and powers.
Rumi is the group's leader with an otherworldly voice whose life mission is to permanently close the portal between the human and demon world. But what no one knows – even her girl group besties – is that she's hiding a huge secret.
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Though Rumi fights demons, she secretly is one. Rumi was born half-demon, half-human, with the scars to prove it, and she's doing everything in her power to keep them hidden.
If the pop star angle wasn't gay enough for you, we have some good news! While there aren't explicitly LGBTQ+ characters in the film, Rumi's struggle feels quite queer-coded. From an early age, Rumi's aunt instructed her to hide that part of herself from the world. The hiding grew into a deep shame, and she holds contempt for the half-demon part of herself. I know a few gays with religious trauma who can relate.
The only way to rid herself of the demon is by closing the honmon. As she extends herself, her voice begins to blow out. The panic sets in and threatens the entire human world – until she meets someone else who's damned, and sees her for who she is for the first time.
That person is Jinu, the leading demon (and main vocalist) of the Saja Boys. For the first time, someone sees her scars – and her shame lessons.
"I tried to hide, but something broke. I tried to sing, couldn't hit the note," Rumi sings in "Free." "You got a dark side, guess you're not the only one."
Acceptance becomes the key to getting her vocal abilities back, and she pushes towards her goal of ridding the world of demons – but she has no idea what will happen to the demon part of herself... or Jinu.
The film has heavy religious overtones and imagery, especially apparent in the Saja Boys' performance of "Your Idol." The group donned rosary beads while singing about "preaching to the choir" and idolatry, a notorious sin in the bible. And the story connects Rumi's shame about her scars and hiding who she is to the sin that damned Jinu to hell in the first place.
It's a thrilling tale well worth your time, and the movie has already become a cultural phenomenon. It's been just over two weeks since its release and it's still the No. 1 watched movie on Netflix. KPop Demon Hunters is the top trending original soundtrack on Google, and HUNTR/X and Saja Boys are the top trending girl and boy groups respectively. Google Trends also tells Out that the top trending question about Rumi and Juni in the film is, "Why didnt rumi and jinu kiss?” followed by, "Does rumi love jinu?"
Fingers crossed we get a sequel?
KPop Demon Hunters is now available to stream on Netflix.
