FROM ANIMATION TO IDOLS: MEETING THE REAL-LIFE HUNTR/X OF 'KPOP DEMON HUNTERS'

“Take down, take down!” The chant echoed as Huntr/x broke into their anthem — and for a moment, I had to remind myself it wasn’t just an animated film I was watching.

- MJ MARFORI

It was the KPop Demon Hunters, flesh and blood before me, whom I was speaking to on the other side of the Internet in real time!

They were performing lines that fans all over the world had been quoting, covering and remixing nonstop. Including yours truly. Hahaha! I bet you sang one of their songs, too? Golden, perhaps? Well, what began as a Netflix original has now exploded into a global pop culture movement.

For the first time in history, an animated K-pop girl group stepped out of the screen and into real life. We met EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, the powerhouse Korean American artists who voiced Rumi, Zoey and Mira, respectively. They aren’t just lending their voices anymore.

They've embraced their Huntr/x identities, attending the MTV VMAs as if they were idols themselves, performing on global stages, and connecting directly with a fanbase that has already crowned them as the next big thing.

Their styling is even on point, and it captures the essence of their characters.

The journey to this moment began quietly in 2018, when the idea of a K-pop fantasy film mixing Eastern mythology with Western storytelling was first floated.

During the pandemic lockdowns, the project solidified under directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, who nurtured the idea into a fully realized animated musical.

I remember first meeting the girls of “KPop Demon Hunters” at the Tudum event in Los Angeles. It was Arden Cho, who also voiced Rumi, that led the red carpet for the ladies.

It was weeks before the title’s debut and I do remember that the buzz surrounding the title would never let anyone project that it would have the same impact it has today.

Well, the gamble paid off spectacularly.