Archetype Deconstruction Through Familial Backgrounds

A Reflection on K-Pop Demon Hunters

K-Pop Demon Hunters was first introduced to me via BlueSky. The storyboard artists and animators were proudly sharing the trailer and talking about their individual contributions. It’s not uncommon to learn about new animated projects this way. It’s how I discovered Jentry Chau vs the Underworld and the second season of Castlevania: Nocturne. Sometimes a million dollar marketing campaign (or lack thereof) is no substitute for word of mouth that comes from the creatives themselves. In recent history Hollywood and major animation studios have been reluctant to greenlight something that isn’t a reboot, remake, or sequel. Originality isn’t dead, it’s just not being given a fair chance. But I digress. The concept of Korean popstars who secretly battle demons was enticing to me because of how wholly original it was.

I have a passing familiarity with the world of K-pop. Blackpink and Stray Kids are among the few heavy hitters I can name. When BTS took a hiatus for mandatory military service, I felt a tinge of sadness for the fandom eagerly awaiting their return. In the animated realm K/DA’s music videos occasionally snuck into my Youtube autoplay queue. Suffice to say while I didn’t go into K-Pop Demon Hunters completely ignorant, I’m far from an expert on the ins and outs of the Korean music industry. My understanding of K-pop groups can be split into three components: stylish outfits, unparalleled choreography, and songs destined to be in millions of listeners’ Spotify Wrapped. As for the Demon Hunter part of the title, well, I’ve watched the entirety of Yu Yu Hakusho twice so that would have to do.

From the opening scene to the final musical number, I was completely hooked on the world that Sony Animation’s creative team brought to life. Between the visuals, voice acting, and soundtrack I felt like I was truly bearing witness to something special. Yes, we can all make visual comparisons to the first two Spiderverse movies, but K-Pop Demon Hunters does so much more than follow the leader in terms of aesthetic. It’s a film which succeeds because it cares about the characters, their relationships, and how it affects the world around them.

I am enamored with the three members of HUNTR/X. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are of one the most unique trios I’ve seen in animation. The mere fact that HUNTR/X are adult women is unique itself. Protagonists for Western animation aimed at younger audiences tend to either be children or teens. Legal adults tend to be supporting roles and side characters. Being older meant Zoey, Mira, and Rumi were mentally and emotionally mature. They did show childish tendencies but those were reserved for very small bits of comedy and not indicative of their core personalities. They could be serious, silly, and sad. The vocal performances and character animations made HUNTR/X feel three dimensional. They feel like real friends who are together not only out of duty, but because they genuinely love and care about each other. I consider Mira, Zoey, and Rumi to be a masterclass in what is possible for the portrayal of women in animation. To condense them into their roles as “The Leader”, “The Tough Chick”, and “The Cute One” is to do them a disservice. I believe each character can be seen as a purposeful deconstruction of those archetypes.

Rumi is the lead singer of HUNTR/X, ‘pop star royalty’ due to her mother being the part of the previous generation of demon slay songstresses. We don’t get much about her parents and I think that’s intentional. We don’t know anymore about her mother and father than Rumi does. How did her parents meet? Fall in love? Conceive a child? We learn her mother died early on but what happened to her demon father? Celine is her surrogate mother figure and another of hunter from the previous generation. Celine succeeded in forging Rumi into the perfect fighter and popstar. She fell short of instilling self worth, pride, and confidence into Rumi. A good deal of Rumi’s shame comes from Celine repeatedly telling her she is a mistake that needs to be fixed. The lack of information about Rumi’s parents means she has nothing to counter it, no one who can she trust with the truth of her heritage.

Rumi is a deconstruction of the “Leader” archetype as she is vulnerable, indecisive, and secretive. She doesn’t have all the answers because her very existence calls to mind an endless amount of questions. Her inner and outer conflicts make Rumi a breath of fresh air. Audiences demand more complex female characters and Rumi is a step in the right direction.

Mira is HUNTR/X’s choreographer and my personal favorite. I love the design details of her long face and nose. They really are a sharp contrast to how round the faces of Disney heroines tend to be. Mira deconstructs the “Tough Girl” because she is fully aware of how her hard exterior can make people turn away from her. She’s described as the ‘black sheep of her family’ and a ‘problem child’. My personal headcanon is that Mira was disowned by her family for her attitude. If there’s something in either the film or script to back this up, I’d love to see it. If not, well that’s my own interpretation. When Rumi is being increasingly secretive its Mira who pushes her for answers and transparency. Her intensity only heightens Rumi’s distress. Mira being able to apologize for her actions and acknowledge her shortcomings is something I frankly didn’t expect. A key component of the ‘tomboy badass female character’ is that they don’t apologize and don’t ever admit to being wrong (unless of course they’re either about to die OR fall in love with the male lead).

Last by certainly not least is the lyricist Zoey. She is adorable and I think it’s a defense mechanism. She’s called out as a “people pleaser” and shows she’s a lot less aggressive than Rumi and Mira. Her familial background is also filled with questions. I headcanon her as either half Korean or first generation Korean-American. Being pulled between two countries and cultures might be why she is reluctant to pick sides. There is also the possibility she was pulled into choosing between her parents as well. There are references to her being seen as “weird” due to her focus on writing lyrics. A times she seems to not entirely be on the same page as her teammates but quickly catches up to prevent being called out. This can be understood as a reluctance to be the odd woman out or being excluded for going against the grain.

My deconstruction could be seen as reducing HUNTR/X to three little balls of mommy and daddy issues. What I mean to say is that Mira, Rumi, and Zoey are all more than meets the eye. I’m extremely interested in the role that family played in forging the people they are when we first meet them. Even if we never get a closer look at the parental figures, these small details are an important piece to what makes the protagonists of K-Pop Demon Hunters unique.