7 details you probably didn’t know about KPop Demon Hunters

Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans created KPop Demon Hunters as an ode to Korean folklore and culture and the dazzling world of K-pop. In the intersection of these distinct spaces lies the story of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey: Global K-pop superstars entrusted with the duty of protecting the world from the devious Demon King, Gwi-Ma. With their powerful voices, they protect the shield, or the Honmoon.

With rich detailing and grandiose world-building, the movie offers fans a peek into a new culture, as well as unexplored territory in the Korean music space. This means every minute detail had to be meticulously crafted by Kang, Applehans, and the entire design and animation team at Sony Pictures Animation.

Whether it's Jinu's traditional good looks being inspired by Astro member Cha Eun-woo and actor Nam Joo-hyuk, or what happened behind the scenes with character CGI, KPop Demon Hunters is a gift that keeps on giving.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer. Spoilers ahead.

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Jinu's real-life inspiration, the tiger's connection to ancient Korean art, and other details about KPop Demon Hunters fans might not know

1) Jinu and Mira had major real-life inspirations

Mira and Jinu (Image via YouTube/Still Watching Netflix)

Fans already know the music by Huntr/x and the Saja Boys is inspired by popular groups like Twice, BlackPink, Itzy, BTS, TXT, Stray Kids, Ateez, and more. But a detail from KPop Demon Hunters that might be more surprising is which Korean celebrities inspired the characters.

For Jinu, the Kang wanted a more conventionally attractive man, and the team used a bulletin board to workshop a face. Ultimately, K-drama sweethearts Cha Eunwoo and Nam Joo-hyuk fit the bill. For Mira, Korean model Ahn So-yeon's sharp and sleek features inspired the team, while the others were a mix of girl group members and their K-pop archetypes.

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2) Jinu's pet tiger didn't initially have a defined role

The tiger delivers a message to Rumi (Image via YouTube/Netflix Family)

Kang's partner and one of the movie's artists, Radford Sechrist, explained his inspiration for Jinu's "Derpy" tiger and the six-eyed bird in an interview for Salon published July 2, 2025. In Minhwa, a Korean folk art style, a wide-eyed, sharp-toothed tiger is always paired with a snarky magpie, which made its way into KPop Demon Hunters. Combined with his cat, "Fluffy", it resulted in the short-limbed pet.

While the idea added a fantasy touch, the duo did not have a defined role until production designer Helen Mingjue Chen created a painting of Jinu. Kang adds in the same interview:

“Our production designer did this really beautiful painting of a statue of a tiger turning into a real tiger, and Jinu is standing next to it and he has his shirt open for no reason. When we saw that, we were like, ‘Oh, maybe he is Jinu’s pet, and he can use this tiger to deliver messages to Rumi.’ So that’s how Derpy was integrated into the movie as a mailbox basically, and then the bird tagged along with him.”

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3) The film was 9 years in the making

Rumi's character design was made nine years ago (Image via YouTube/Still Watching Netflix)

The idea for KPop Demon Hunters began to take shape almost a decade ago. Rumi's character design was initially created for director Kang's partner Sechrist's project, Plastic Walrus. However, in an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit on July 10, 2025, Kang admitted to wanting Rumi's design for her "KPop IP" that began taking shape in 2018.

Nine years after the first inkling of an idea came along and seven years after Kang pitched it, the movie has become one of the biggest hits of 2025, inspiring sequels, a live-action remake, and even a sing-along theater release after its Netflix success. Kang also revealed to Animation Magazine on June 13, 2025, that director Bong Joon Ho inspired her to create a film that was both dark and funny.

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4) Celine's voice actor is a famous star

Salonga is the singing voice of Celine (Image via Getty)

Although Celine's role in the movie is minor, she acts as a takeoff point for the Huntr/x trio. She teaches them everything they know, and in the end, Rumi breaks free from her relationship to shame and control at a critical point before the climax. So she doesn't have any complete songs in the movie's soundtrack.

However, her singing voice is Lea Salonga, a popular and critically acclaimed singer who has appeared in the Broadway production of Les Misérables and voiced iconic Disney characters like Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). With a career spanning over four decades, her voice added mysticism and adventure to KPop Demon Hunters.

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5) The Saja Boys share a CGI secret

The Saja Boys appear at a Huntr/x fan event (Image via YouTube/Still Watching Netflix)

Director Kang used every archetype in the K-pop manual to create the Saja Boys. After all, they are demons cosplaying as a boy band, which means they embody the most obvious traits: Mystery is aloof yet alluring, Abby is outgoing and a visual treat, Romance is the soft "lover boy", Baby is the stereotypical "maknae" (youngest) with a polar opposite stage presence, and Jinu is the powerful leader.

But while they have different roles, they have one thing in common: They share the same CGI bodies, with broad shoulders and a narrowing torso. In an interview with Forbes published on June 19, 2025, Kang explains that it was a challenge to animate five distinct characters for KPop Demon Hunters, while adding:

“Fun fact: they all share the same CG body, except for Abby Saja, because he’s a little bit bigger. We bulked him up like 20%.”

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6) The most costumed looks in any animated movie

The characters had several outfit changes (Image via YouTube/Still Watching Netflix)

The fast-paced anticipation in KPop Demon Hunters is accentuated by the set, the soundtrack, and more impressively, by the intricate costumes. As K-pop stars, the Huntr/x trio have stage outfits for their concerts, music videos, stage performances, and the Idol Awards. But off-stage, the girls wear pyjamas, robes, and display a floor-to-ceiling wall of outfits ready to go.

This, combined with the other character looks, makes KPop Demon Hunters one of the most costumed looks in any animated movie ever, according to director Kang. In an interview with Netflix on YouTube released on July 10, 2025, she says:

"We have the most costumed looks of any animated movie that has ever been made."

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7) Rumi was slated to have another song

Rumi after confronting Celine in KPop Demon Hunters (Image via YouTube/Netflix Family)

In one of the most heartbreaking moments in the movie, Rumi approaches Celine and begs her to end her misery as a part-demon. Celine frantically suggests hiding parts of her until everything is perfect again, which makes Rumi realize that the Honmoon was made of a false sense of perfectionism. She vows to destroy it and creates a new one born from celebrating the trio's imperfections.

The scene is the unraveling point in KPop Demon Hunters. According to music supervisor Ian Eisendrath, this moment almost had a song that Rumi sang at Celine, but ultimately, didn't make the cut.

"There was a really cool song that RUMI sang in the final standoff between herself and Celine…it was amazing, but ultimately didn’t fit the arc of the story!"- Eisendrath in a Reddit AMA on July 10, 2025

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Watch KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix and spot the hidden details.