To take a break from all the messiness of this world, I am going to occasionally talk about my favorite distraction, Korean supernatural action comic books, shows, and movies. KPop Demon Hunters (케이팝 데몬 헌터스 in Korean, a very literal phonetic translation) on Netflix has become extremely popular since it was released in June of 2025, and its sing-along edition is coming to theaters nationwide in the United States on Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24. It seems there is going to be at least five showings per day in many theaters. Here is the website with showtimes: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/kpop-demon-hunters-sing-along-event. If you see XD on some of the showtimes, it means an extra-large screen that is more expensive.
The basic plot sounds like it can go either way: Three K-pop stars who moonlight as demon hunters to keep the world safe. If you are a parent concerned about violence, check out this official clip of the opening song, “How It’s Done”, for a better sense. Also, this is the parents guide on IMDB. I had low expectations, mainly due to the cheesy title, and ended up watching it twice. I will probably go to the theater to watch it on the big screen. It is an American production with cast and crew members largely consisting of Korean-Americans and Korean-Canadians. The setting is mostly in Seoul, South Korea. The production crew took extra effort to accurately depict the Korean language, culture, and cityscape as explained by this Korean teacher on YouTube. Underneath the surface is a well thought-out animated musical that touches on significant themes like facing shame, the dark side of K-pop culture, and coming together as a community through music. I think the intended audience is both adults and children, similar to Shrek and Frozen. The plot has some holes and can feel rushed at times, but overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable watch.
The most notable strength of KDH for me is its music. It is an animated musical, after all. Its main song, Golden, just became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. You can purchase the official soundtrack from Republic Records. I bought the digital album, which is simply a downloadable file link they email you.
I strongly recommend people to watch it. It is meant for all ages, so there is no shame in watching it as an adult. A little Korean trivia I will end with is that singing and dancing form the basis of traditional Korean shamanism. The following is a documentary on Ogu-gut (오구굿), a shamanistic ritual for guiding the dead into the afterlife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W11mV5Ovims. Most traditional Korean shamans are women. While the movie only hints at it, its foundation – Korean women who sing and dance to protect the world against darkness – is a modern interpretation of Korean religious view that is millennia-long. That might fascinate some and make some uneasy.
City Untangled 