Abhiroop Das
The rivalry between Huntrix and Saja Boys is central to the story of ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ as its outcome ultimately decides the world’s fate. The race to win the Idol Awards doubles as the battleground between hunters and demons, both sides fighting for their causes. Saja Boys, led by the charismatic Jinu, seeks to disrupt the protective barrier of Honmoon by targeting the very thing that strengthens it: Huntrix’s fans. The boys’ electric music immediately swoons anyone who listens, and out of nowhere, the trio finds their dominance threatened. With generations of hard work at stake, both sides go all-out, scheming, producing diss tracks, and rallying their fans to ensure victory. When a surprising bond begins to develop between the leaders of the two bands, their values start to change, along with their music.
Huntrix is Partially Inspired by a Host of Iconic K-pop Girl Groups
Huntrix is a semi-fictional K-pop girl group developed by the film’s creators, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. The two went to great lengths to capture the charisma, infectious energy, and glamour that K-pop superstars often radiate. Their creative process began with a bulletin board, where they collected all of their favorite idols, as well as other music artists and models. Then, the entire body of inspiration was handed to the art department, which subsequently modeled the characters. For the Demon Hunter trio in particular, ITZY, BLACKPINK, and TWICE were among the many who served as their primary references, the latter of which even performed a Huntrix piece, “Takedown.” Huntrix’s dedication to their craft reflects the high standards real-life girl groups set for themselves.
The characters themselves are based on real-life celebrities as well. Art Director Celine Kim hinted that Rumi, whose design and aesthetics had reportedly been in development for several years, traces back to Jennie Kim, an iconic member of the group BLACKPINK. In particular, the singer’s look in the song “Kill This Love” bears a striking resemblance and is thus a possible inspiration. Similarly, the character of Mira is confirmed by the creators to be inspired by Korean personality Ahn So Yeon, which adds up as the two are known for their cuteness. The character Zoey is described as being modeled after several K-pop idols due to her striking appearance. STAYC’s Yoon, IVE’s Wongyoung, and Weki Meki’s Doyeon all stand out as possible inspirations.
Saja Boys Charm Their Audience Much Like Their Real-Life Counterparts
Much like Huntrix is an amalgamation of some of the most popular girl groups, their rivals, Saja Boys, are loosely inspired by boy groups such as Stray Kids, BIGBANG, Tomorrow X Together, Monsta X, and ATEEZ. Many of these idols have codified the archetypes that ‘KPop Demon Hunter’ makes full use of, such as Abby, a member known for their muscles, likely being inspired by idols such as Monsta X’s Wonho or BTS’s RM. Similarly, idols known for their romantic spirits, such as BTS’s J-Hope and Stray Kids’ Bangchan, are possibly the creative forces behind Saja Boys’ Romance. Baby Saja is described as Maknae, or the youngest of the group, with a characteristic appearance and childishness. BTS’s Suga, while not a Maknae, seems to match many of Baby’s characteristics, potentially being an inspiration alongside idols such as NCT’s Jisung and GOT7’s Yugyeom.
While Kang couldn’t recollect the inspiration for the character of Mystery, whose face is covered by his long hair throughout the narrative, she did mention that he was inspired by anime. Thus, characters such as Undertaker from ‘Black Butler’ and Osamu Dazai from ‘Bungou Stray Dogs,’ known for their iconic haircuts, might have provided inspiration for the Saja Boys member. Their leader, Jinu, stands out from the rest of the group, carrying more of a classic appearance. His creator, Kang, names popular K-drama actors Cha Eun-woo and Nam Joo-hyuk as his inspiration. Furthermore, Ahn Hyo Seop, the voice behind the leader of the Saja Boys, himself bears remarkable similarities, particularly with the character he portrays in ‘Business Proposal.’ Therefore, the characters of ‘KPop Demon Hunter’ draw parallels to many K-pop artists, though only a handful are confirmed inspirations.
Huntrix and Saja Boys Music Captures K-pop’s True Essence
The music in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ effectively conveys the magic and emotion that oozes out of K-pop, exemplified best by the bands that serve as inspiration. ‘Takedown’ is likely inspired by popular Diss Tracks such as BLACKPINK’s “Pretty Savage” and BTS’s “IDOL.” Similarly, Huntrix’s chartbuster “Golden,” which signifies a period of growth and transformation for the trio, might be based on songs of similar importance, such as Mamamoo’s “Yes I am” and LE SSERAFIM’s “ANTIFRAGILE.” Saja Boys’ breakthrough debut single, “My Little Soda Pop,” is possibly based on TWICE’s “Alcohol-Free,” owing to their similar warm vibes and subject matter. Other boy-band songs, such as ENHYPEN’s “Polaroid Love” and SEVENTEEN’s “Pretty U,” are the other possible inspirations for the groovy track.
Kang, who grew up as a fan of the earliest K-pop bands such as Seo Taiji, H.O.T., and the Boys, has seen the industry metamorphose into a pop cultural phenomenon and intimately understands the importance of accurately portraying fandom culture. Fans show their commitment to a band’s music and its members’ quirks, and the artists’ response to it becomes the driving force of the movie. As such, both Huntrix and Saja Boys show great affection and respect for their fandoms, attending popular talk shows and doing fan meet-and-greets. This culminates in the Idol Awards, a fictional competition likely inspired by its real-life counterparts, such as the MAMA Awards and Golden Disc Awards, where popular groups face off, with the victor being decided by the fans’ votes. BTS, BLACKPINK, and New Jeans are some of the notable winners of these events.
