The animation in K-Pop Demon Hunters pushed boundaries in 2025 by blending 2D flair with the depth of 3D environments. This fusion created an expressive, kinetic look that sets it apart from conventional animation styles. This combination allows characters to move with a far more heightened expressiveness while also maintaining cinematic depth. The result is both visually striking and narratively effective for the viewer.
K-Pop Demon Hunters follows Huntr/x, a globally popular K-pop girl group consisting of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who secretly use their musical prowess and hidden magical abilities to fight soul-sucking demons. When a rival demon boy band called the "Saja Boys" emerges to capture fans' souls, the Huntr/x trio must combine their music, fighting skills, and friendship to protect humanity and activate a powerful magical barrier known as the Honmoon.
The movie borrowed heavily from anime, with bold hairstyles, stylized faces, and exaggerated expressions. Director Chris Appelhans stated that: "He and co-director Maggie Kang took a lot of inspiration from the faces and the look and feel of anime but did a CG version of it." In practice, this meant characters broke from rigid realism in favor of hyper-dynamic motion and emotion. According to Kang, "The animators transformed the characters' faces based on the tone, allowing them to be both glamorous pop stars as well as have silly faces and hyper-ridiculous expressions."