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Kpop Demon Hunters, now streaming on Netflix, follows K-pop superstars Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo). The three idols lead double lives as demon hunters, shielding their fans from constant otherworldly threats.
Their biggest danger appears as the competing band, The Saja Boys— secretly demons hiding behind human faces. The flick originates from its filmmaker, Maggie Kang's passion to create a story inspired by her Korean heritage.
She pulled inspiration from myths, folklore, and K-pop to shape a film that is deeply tied to cultural roots. Moreover, beyond the demon battles and dance breaks, Kang also layered in various subtle hidden clues. Here’s a roundup of seven moments that flew under the radar at first.
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1) Famous Korean bands like BTS & BLACKPINK inspired Kpop Demon Hunters characters
Speaking to Forbes, Maggie Kang said that actual K-pop idols and Korean actors helped shape the Kpop Demon Hunters characters.
While designing the characters, Kang tossed all her favorite visual references onto a digital board. Once the art crew joined in, that board turned into a collage of idols and celebs pulled from across genres and generations.
The Saja Boys, consisting of Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Baby, and Romance, were modeled after familiar K-pop frameworks. Such frameworks are seen in groups like BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, TXT, and others.
Meanwhile, Huntrix (made up of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey) was also formulated using nods to K-pop girl bands. Kang said the team studied visuals from ITZY, BLACKPINK, and TWICE.
2) Jinu’s look is precisely modeled after Cha Eun-woo in Kpop Demon Hunters
Jinu’s style came straight out of Korean drama playbooks. Kang named Cha Eun-woo and Nam Joo-hyuk as the visual benchmarks for his look.
Though Ahn Hyo-seop was later cast to voice the role, Kang pointed out in the interview with Forbes that the character was designed beforehand, yet somehow ended up resembling Ahn’s role in Business Proposal.
3) Business Proposal's easter egg in Kpop Demon Hunters
If Ahn Hyo-seop’s name had come up, the Business Proposal nod should not be skipped. When Rumi spots Jinu during the Saja Boys’ intro, the track Love, Maybe plays in the background. This song is famously from Business Proposal.
4) Jinu’s Kpop Demon Hunters final scene mirrors Goblin’s iconic ending
K-drama observers also pointed out similarities between Jinu’s final moments and the climax of Goblin. In the fantasy drama, Eun-tak pulls the sword from Kim Shin’s chest.
It is a move that looks heroic but actually leads to his death. He fades into ash right in front of her. The movie mirrors that tone in its own finale. As Gwi-ma nearly strikes Rumi down, Jinu steps in and sacrifices himself to protect her and vanishes.
5) ITZY’s WANNABE dance move gets a nod in Kpop Demon Hunters scene
K-Pop Demon Hunters slips in a reference to ITZY's viral WANNABE shoulder move. The moment unfolds when Bobby (their go-to manager) is caught scrolling and casually shoulder-grooving with Zoey. Mira and Rumi step in right after, telling him to stop with the dance break.
6) TWICE's hidden cameo in the Kpop Demon Hunters
Diverse cues in K-Pop Demon Hunters reference TWICE. During the Idol Award shortlist segment, a nomination featuring the group's track, Strategy, is briefly shown alongside other groups.
The track Takedown (voiced by Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung) also lands on the movie’s curated playlist as part of its musical direction.
7) NewJeans-inspired Powerpuff merch spotted
In one clip, some Huntrix stans are spotted wearing HUNTRIX merch such as hoodies and tees stamped with Powerpuff Girls visuals. This is a nod to NewJeans. The 5-member girl group has officially embraced the Powerpuff aesthetic in their branding and visuals.
Viewers can catch Kpop Demon Hunters on Netflix. In addition to English and Korean, it is also available in several other languages.
