KPop Demon Hunters: 10 Behind the Scenes Facts & Best Voice Actor Performances

#10: A Long Road

According to “K-pop Demon Hunters,” the warriors who protect the human realm from demons have done so for untold centuries. Which is about how long it took to get this movie made. Okay, we’re exaggerating, but it was still a lengthy process. Director Maggie Kang revealed that it took around nine years from first inception to finished product. Which is a long time, even in the slower moving world of animation production. Much of the extra time was spent on painstaking research into Korean mythology and lore as well as modern K-culture. The team was dedicated to meticulously crafting a world that felt detailed, specific, and authentic. You can definitely see the positive results reflected on screen. It just goes to show how important it is to give creatives enough time to fully develop their work.

#9: A Well-Placed Business Proposal

Jinu, the dreamy leader of the boy group Saja Boys gets his classic good looks from celebrities like Cha Eun-woo and Nam Joo-hyuk, both of whom have sent plenty of hearts fluttering in their popular K-drama roles. When Canadian-Korean actor Ahn Hyo-seop was cast as the voice of Jinu, it gave the film a chance to make a more overt wink to Hallyu fans. Not only does Jinu’s first meeting with Rumi poke fun at one of the genre’s tropes, but the song playing as he lets her tumble to the ground is none other than MeloMance’s “Love, Maybe.” The song was the award winning OST to Ahn’s own wildly successful K-drama, “Business Proposal.” In KDH, not only is this a fun Easter egg, but it draws a stark contrast between Ahn’s two characters. Jinu is nothing like secret cinnamon roll Tae-moo, make no mistake.

#8: K-Pop DNA

With K-pop right there in the movie title, it was surprising to learn that it wasn’t originally part of the story. Maggie Kang originally conceived of the idea without its musical element; something more akin to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Once they realized that K-pop was the missing ingredient in the sauce, Kang and her team looked to some of the biggest names in the game to craft the two battling groups at the heart of the action. For the fearless trio Huntr/x, the confident swagger of Girl Crush ensembles like Itzy and BLACKPINK, as well the bright visuals of TWICE were all sources of inspiration on the group’s look and sound. Saja Boys were drawn from an even wider array of sources, including Monsta X, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, Stray Kids, and, of course, BTS. Given that these groups represent some of the most successful K-pop acts of all time, it’s no wonder the KDH soundtrack set the Billboard Hot 100 on fire.

#7: Arden Cho’s Casting Switch-Up

Arden Cho’s expressive and nuanced vocal performance as Rumi is a highlight of “Kpop Demon Hunters.” But it’s not the role she originally auditioned for. Cho originally read for the part of Huntr/x’s mentor Celine. But at Maggie Kang’s urging, she put her hat in the ring for Rumi, ultimately winning the part. A Korean-American, Cho’s pitch perfect performance drew on her own struggles with identity and perfectionism to help inform Rumi’s similar internal battle. Celine would be played by another accomplished Korean-American actress, Yunjin Kim. Fans of Netflix’s “XO Kitty” know her best as Principal Jina Lim, proving she has a knack for complicated maternal figures.

#6: Saja Siblings

Does anything seem off about Saja Boys to you? Okay, beyond the obvious. Does anything ELSE seem odd? Could it be that they all seem a little too evenly matched? While the creative team does a great job of capturing different k-pop idol types in the styling and presentation of each member, they made the deliberate choice to give them all the same CGI body. Well, except Abby, of course. His design differs for pretty obvious reasons. This was meant to put them in contrast to the Huntr/x members, all of whom are very physically distinct. Mira in particular, who is tall and lean, was designed after real life fashion model Ahn So Yeon.

#5: The Old Masters Help Demonstrate How It’s Done

As we’ve already mentioned, Huntr/x borrows some of their aesthetic and musical makeup from the group BLACKPINK, even getting the input of their star producer Teddy Park on the intro song “How It’s Done.” But for deeper inspiration, the KDH team went outside Seoul, back in time, and halfway around the world to the streets of mid-twentieth century New York. Songwriter and soundtrack producer Ian Eisendrath cites “West Side Story”’s “Jet Song,” as a point of reference on the track. It was a model for how to present the characters, their world, and their group dynamics to the audience in under three minutes.With old school sensibility acting as a framework for a modern k-pop banger, we get something timeless yet fresh that simply doesn’t miss.

#4: Shamen & Shepherds

Korean mythology has a strong influence on the foundations of KDH, both in the world of the story, and for the creatives who developed it. The design of the first hunters is very similar to that of the Mudang, female shamen who commune between spirits and humans, and often use music and dance in their rituals. The weapons wielded by their modern day counterparts continue the reference to Korean traditional weapons, and shamanistic implements. Saja Boys too have their roots in the past, and it’s right there in their name. Saja means lion, yes, but it’s also a reference to the Jeoseung Saja, figures similar to grim reapers, who were tasked with escorting deceased souls to the spirit world. Of course KDH’s Saja Boys serve a more devious purpose, but we can’t say they weren’t up front with us.

#3: Minhwa Art Inspiration

KDH fans may not know of this traditional Korean folk artform, but they would definitely recognize one of Minhwa’s most popular subgenres: the frequent depictions of a foolish tiger and distinguished magpie. As it turns out, the lovable duo dubbed Derpy and Sussy are a lot more than just your typical toyetic animal sidekicks. Customarily, their images were used to critique Joseon-era social hierarchy, with the tiger meant to represent the foibles of people in power, while the magpie is the dignity of the common man. Sussy’s behavior gains a whole new dimension with this added background. Since the hat -called a gat- symbolized status and authority, the fact that it is stolen and worn by the magpie becomes a clever bit of foreshadowing about how the fans will help defeat demon king Gwi-ma in the end.

#2: A Scrapped Standoff

A look at the KDH cast list reveals Tony award winner Lea Salonga credited as Celine’s singing voice. But fans may recall that while the character was a pop star in her own right, she doesn’t really sing in the film. She might have originally been intended to, though. Rumi’s confrontation with Celine was originally meant to play out as a powerful musical standoff between the two hunters. However, it was eventually decided that it didn’t quite fit Rumi’s arc, and the scene was reworked into the dialogue-only version we have now. Another change involved scrapping a near kiss between Rumi and Jinu. Maggie Kang explained that the team thought restraint was sexier, but shippers may be divided on whether or not they agree.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Fashionable First

Due to the Number of Looks Sported by the Huntr/x Members Alone, “KPop Demon Hunters” Features the Most Unique Costumes of Any Animated Movie Ever

Rumi Repurposed

The Character’s Design Was Originally Developed for a Different Project, but Director Maggie Kang Realized She Was Perfect for the Lead in “Kpop Demon Hunters” Instead

Villainous Synergy

Lee Byung-Hun, Best Known as the Front Man From Netflix’s “Squid Game,” Lends His Voice to the Demon King Gwi-Ma

Look TWICE

Not Only Do Three Members Appear on the KDH Soundtrack, but the Movie Makes a Couple Visual Nods to the Popular Idol Group as Well

#1: A Golden Arc

Here's a story worthy of its own movie. The singer-songwriter and producer who also provides Rumi’s incredible singing voice once aspired to be an idol in her own right. For 10 years EJAE was a trainee under SM Entertainment, but was never selected to debut. Eventually, she moved on to songwriting, finding success contributing to hits for other SM artists, like Red Velvet’s “Psycho,” and Aespa’s “Drama.” “Kpop Demon Hunters” has been Ejae’s moment as much as anyone’s. Not only did she write on most of the Huntr/x song for the mega-hit soundtrack, but she has been able to show off her astonishing vocal prowess performing them in the movie, leaving no doubt about her talent. It’s a shining, golden moment for this artist, and heartwarming to see her enjoying her long-overdue flowers.

What’s your favorite overlooked detail in “Kpop Demon Hunters?” Share it down in the comments so we can all nerd out together.