The leading ladies of Huntr/x are here to stay. The fictional girl group at the heart of the animated sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” has already topped the Billboard charts with the smash hit “Golden,” and they’re quickly climbing Netflix’s list of its most-watched films (currently sitting at No. 2 with over 184 million views).
Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo, who provide the speaking voices for Rumi, Mira and Zoey, respectively, have a theory for just why their world-saving pop stars have resonated so deeply, especially among young girls.
“It’s a testament to all the animators and the creative team, because they made the effort,” Yoo tells Variety. “I think it’s the small details. They created versions of the characters with makeup and without makeup. There’s a level of attention to detail, like the designs on their PJ pants and each one having their own individual style. It’s such a labor of love. Even if you’re not noticing it on your first watch, I think you feel it when you’re watching the film that there was a lot of effort and research.”
While the titular demon hunters present a glamorous front for their fans as they’re dropping bars and slicing through demons, they’re also undeniably real in their off-duty moments, chowing down on ramen, chanting about their comfy couch and rocking some adorkable loungewear.
“On stage, they’re perfect,” Cho adds. “But put them together and they’re goofy, they’re real, they’re making funny faces. They eat all the things that they want, and they’re burping. I think it makes us, as girls, feel seen.”
Early in the film, Cho’s Rumi reveals a devastating secret: she’s half-demon, hiding the purple patterns along her arms from the world (and her two best friends). At the film’s climax, she finally learns to accept the part of herself she once felt ashamed of.
“It’s such a simple metaphor, but it is a really resonant one. Sometimes, the worst voices are the ones in our head,” Yoo says. “It’s such a beautiful way to reach all age ranges in this message of learning to accept yourself and learning to love yourself.”
Hong has particularly enjoyed watching fans on the internet connect Rumi’s shame spiral to their own experiences. “There are groups of people on Reddit like, ‘Oh, this is a movie about queerness!’ Everyone is able to be so certain that it’s about them: ‘It’s obviously this, or it’s obviously that.’ It’s such a testament to how universal the message is, and it’s fascinating that this kind of profound understanding and potential healing can be found in something that’s so glitzy and fun and hilarious,” she says. “For kids to be able to watch it 10 times in a row and keep hearing that message over and over again, it’s kind of amazing.”
With so many kids (and adults) watching the film on repeat, a sequel (while not greenlit just yet) feels inevitable. And Cho knows exactly what she’d like to see in a continuation of the story: “I would love to see if we can rescue Jinu! It is a magical world, right? I feel like the options are endless, and our incredible writers and directors left it a bit open. Anything is possible.”
Aside from a sequel, there’s one more big dream the trio is hoping will come true: introducing a real-life Huntr/x performance at the Oscars from singing voices Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna. “Those three together is the coolest dream. I keep asking Netflix,” Cho says. “I’m waiting for the day that we can see the girls sing it live. Can we intro them? ‘We’re the speaking voices, but we’re really here to listen!’”
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