Yes, These KPop Demon Hunters Secrets Are Truly Golden

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Safe to say the cast of KPop Demon Hunters is officially done hidin’. 

Despite the fact that the actors’ faces aren’t visible in Netflix’s popular animated series about the K-pop group HUNTR/X—who also secretly fight demons—they’ve been incredibly impressive since the show premiered last June.

Ji-young Yoo, the voice of Zoey, the energetic yet strong rapper from HUNTR/X, shared that the most unusual place she’s ever been asked for an autograph was while she was in the hospital. She told TopMob News this in January.

As a huge fan, I was so excited to hear Arden Cho, who voices Rumi – the awesome purple-braided leader of HUNTR/X – talk about the experience. She said it’s been absolutely crazy and that none of them anticipated just how much work would be involved. It’s amazing to see how popular the show has become!

The film, which became the streamer’s biggest hit ever with over 500 million views by late 2025 and won two Golden Globes and Oscars, will have a sequel. The original cast – including May Hong as Mira, along with singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami – are all set to return in the new film, expected in 2029, and promise another captivating experience.

Honestly, we were really disappointed to learn we’ll have to wait three more years for new content from HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys. But creating high-quality animation and writing hit songs like “Soda Pop,” “Your Idol,” and “Golden” takes time and effort.

Director Maggie Kang expressed her excitement and pride that audiences are eager for more of the Korean story and characters she and her partner, Chris Appelhans, created. In a March interview with Netflix’s Tudum, she hinted at a much larger world yet to be explored, stating that this is just the start of what’s to come.

While we’re waiting to hear about what happens next, let’s enjoy the music and all the fascinating stories from behind the scenes.

After nine years of work, KPop Demon Hunters was a breakthrough for Rumi. However, the show’s purple-haired main character, HUNTR/X (voiced by Arden Cho, with singing by EJAE), was originally created by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhaus—who would later direct the 2025 Netflix hit—along with Kang’s husband, Radford Sechrist, who worked as a director and storyboard artist. They initially developed the character for a different project.

Originally, she was cast for a movie about a skateboarding group, but the director was so impressed with her that he changed the project entirely. He ended up creating a film centered around her as the lead singer of a wildly popular K-pop group that hunts demons. As Kang explained in a January 2026 interview with The New York Times, he was so captivated by her that he ‘just plucked her out’ and built the movie around her.

As a creative lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by the ‘why’ behind a project, and with this film, it all comes down to intentionality. The director really wanted to create something deeply rooted in Korean culture, which led her to explore mythology and demonology for a fresh, visually striking approach. Plus, she had a fantastic vision: a powerful group of women taking center stage. It wasn’t just about a braided lead singer – it was about building a world and characters that felt both unique and empowering.

It was important to her that Rumi’s bandmates – Mira (voiced by May Hong and Audrey Nuna) and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo and Rei Ami) – felt like fully developed characters, enjoying both relaxing at home and getting dressed up.

I’ve always loved how she described what she wanted for her characters. She really aimed for a wonderful balance – she didn’t want them to be perfect! She wanted them to be relatable, to be funny and a little bit messy, but also someone you could look up to and admire. It was about being real, but with a touch of glamour, you know?

She also aimed to create something truly powerful and exciting. While she used K-pop to initially attract attention, she explained to The New York Times that she’d always been fascinated by Korean folklore, particularly the imagery of grim reapers. She envisioned a strong, yet playfully quirky, female character, something she felt was often missing in animated stories. She’d often felt frustrated in writing rooms where female characters weren’t allowed to be silly, and her husband encouraged her to combine all her ideas into one project.

To connect the two worlds, they turned to the Korean mudang tradition, Kang continued, “which is basically shamanism, and using song and dance to ward off spirits.”

The characters truly looked born to shine! Although animated movies don’t usually have many costume changes, animation director Josh Beveridge told Netflix’s Tudum that art director Scott Watanabe created around 200 to 300 costume designs for the entire film. Rumi, one of the characters, had a remarkable 23 different outfits throughout the movie!

“We spent a lot of time creating these very fashionable looks,” Kang said of referencing fashion houses like Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen “and infusing Korean traditional elements with haute couture.”

The characters were given equal focus in terms of appearance. Rumi received a distinctive purple braid because braids are a classic Korean hairstyle, and it created a playful, edgy look, according to Kang. Additionally, all the characters – including the male ones – were given unique nail art.

HUNTR/X’s team members each use unique and historically inspired weapons. Rumi fights with the Four Tiger Sword, Mira wields a gokdo from the Goguryeo period, and Zoey utilizes a shinkal from the Joseon era. Their weapon choices demonstrate a well-thought-out approach to combat.

The decorative accessories worn with traditional Korean performance costumes are called norigae. These knotted ornaments, which literally mean “playful object,” have been considered good luck charms since the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897).

Finding the right actors took almost three years, as the producers were committed to casting an entirely Korean ensemble. While ultimately chosen to voice Rumi, actor Cho initially auditioned for the role of Rumi’s aunt and mentor, Celine, submitting a voice recording for that part.

She told the Times she hadn’t received any acting offers for nearly a year. Then, she was surprisingly called back for an audition for the role of Rumi. She remembered being so shocked she called her agent to double-check if it was a mistake.

Kang understood it was crucial to demonstrate the process of making successful music. She explained to the Times that because the overall concept was unusual, the songs needed to be incredibly strong to resonate with audiences. She also emphasized the importance of the songs both advancing the narrative and standing on their own as potential chart-topping hits.

K-pop songwriter EJAE joined a project in 2020 to help define its musical style. When she was later asked to become the vocalist for Rumi in 2022, she admits she was unsure. “I prefer working behind the scenes, not singing in the studio,” she told the Times. “Being the lead singer felt like a lot of pressure.” Ultimately, she agreed because she wrote the song herself and felt confident she could deliver a great performance, understanding all its subtle details.

10. Admittedly, the Saja Boys tracks were meant to be as sugary sweet as soda pop. “We wanted the Saja Boys’ songs to be super catchy, but slightly hollow, like there’s no real soul underneath,” co-director Chris Appelhans explained to Mashable. “In contrast, the HUNTR/X songs are emotionally vulnerable and honest. The idea was that the surface-level part of your heart might be obsessed with the boys, but the deeper part is moved by the girls. It’s that feeling when an artist shares something raw, like [Olivia Rodrigo‘s] ‘drivers license’ or [Beyonce’s visual album] Lemonade, and you’re stunned they went there, but you feel it so deeply. That’s the space we wanted HUNTR/X to live in.”

HUNTR/X’s popular songs often draw inspiration from other musicians. In a 2025 Reddit Q&A, the producer mentioned being influenced by numerous Kpop tracks, saying, “There were so many, it’s hard to list them all, so I’ll share some of the more surprising influences.”

Appelhans explained that songs like The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” and Drake and Eminem’s “Forever” were influential in shaping their approach. These tracks demonstrated how a popular song could also tell the story of someone overcoming humble beginnings to achieve success. They aimed for “Golden” to show the girls’ challenges and insecurities before they became famous, and those songs served as excellent examples of how to do that.

Meanwhile, finisher “What It Sounds Like” was inspired by Lorde’s “Green Light”  and Imogen Heap‘s “Hide and Seek.”

HUNTR/X and Saja Boys are currently the most popular groups in the KPop world, but they’re also competing with actual K-pop bands. At the International Idol Awards, you can see posters for groups like MEOW and TWICE, and TWICE is even ranked right below HUNTR/X on a recent Top 10 list.

Kang briefly appeared in the video as well. The fan who shared a photo of Rumi and Saja Boys’ Jinu playfully touching feet during a spontaneous meet-and-greet was a social media user named Magg_kang24.

Derpy Tiger and Sussie Magpie weren’t just decorative. Traditionally, Korean homes displayed paintings of tigers and magpies on New Year’s Day to bring good luck.

Let’s talk about the group Saja. The name “saja” means lion in Korean, which is why their fans call themselves “The Pride.” But interestingly, in Korean tradition, a jeoseung saga – a figure often shown wearing a long robe and tall black hat – is a type of Grim Reaper.

In June 2025, Appelhans explained to Salon that the boys’ appearance in the Third Act reveal was inspired by the Jeoseung Saja, figures representing the Grim Reaper in Korean mythology. Building on K-pop’s tradition of constantly evolving and stylish looks, the team aimed to blend this aesthetic with a historical theme, creating a visually striking result.

With excitement building for the next installment, here’s a little behind-the-scenes info: a great song performed by RUMI was cut from the final showdown between her and Celine. Music supervisor Ian Eisendrath revealed in a Reddit Q&A that while the song was fantastic, it didn’t quite fit the overall story.

17. According to Yoo,fans have felt it was their moment to slide into her DMs with suggestions.

You know, it always makes me smile when fans try to tell me what should happen in the next film! It’s funny because, honestly, I have very little say in the story myself. Those suggestions just give me a good laugh, really. It’s all part of the fun of being involved in a project people are so passionate about.

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2026-04-04 10:18