Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters Is Not an Anime, According to Official Directors
The directors of KPop Demon Hunters break down why the hit animated film isn’t actually an anime, despite its heavy anime influences.
Speaking to CBR, KPop Demon Hunters directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans were asked whether they themselves consider the film to be anime, to which Kang responded simply, “I don’t.” Kang continued, “I think we were inspired by the 2D looks, designs and expressions that anime has, and they just naturally fit our weird characters and exaggerated expressions that our characters put on. We were inspired by anime and wanted to translate that in a 3D way and not go to 2D like Spider-Verse does, and I think it just tonally fit with our movie.”
KPop Demon Hunters Directors Were ‘Inspired by Anime’ But Wanted to Go 3D
Chris Appelhans added, “Also, I think anime is so influential now in the upcoming generation of Western animation artists that it’s just becoming a part of everyone’s aesthetic and identity as a tribute to how ahead of its time [anime] was.” While neither of the directors named any specific anime titles, when asked about the popularity of the similarly timed Demon Slayers: Infinity Castle movie and whether KPop Demon Hunters took any inspiration from this franchise, Appelhans answered, “I didn’t even know about it.” Kang followed suit, saying simply, “Yeah, I don’t really know about [Demon Slayer].”
Directed by Kang and Appelhans from a screenplay co-written along with Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan, KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix in June and quickly found a foothold with critics and audiences alike. The film follows the KPop group Huntr/x, consisting of Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (voiced by May Hong) and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo), who moonlight as professional demon hunters. While this presents its own set of unique problems, tensions ramp up with the introduction of the Saja Boys, a new boy band led by Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop) who themselves belong to the very same breed of demon that Huntr/x have dedicated themselves to destroying. Things only get more complicated when budding romances arise between the lead members of each group — not to mention closely held secrets coming to light that threaten to tear Huntr/x apart.
What Does the Future Look Like for Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters?
Within three months of its Netflix debut, KPop Demon Hunters had cemented its place as the most watched film of all time on the platform. This, coupled with the stellar reviews that the film received from both critics and audiences, led to the near-immediate development of several potential sequel and spinoff concepts. While Kang and Appelhans themselves have been open about the fact that the franchise won’t be making the leap to live-action any time soon, other creatives involved in the feature have also pointed towards what could be a decidedly friendlier experience going forward. In August, KPop Demon Hunters sound designer Michael Babcock explained that, in terms of a sequel, “It’s so much easier to go darker and colder. It’s more clever if you go warmer.” Babcock added, “So I wonder if there’s a way of getting more immersed into this world.”
KPop Demon Hunters is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
