Kpop Demon Hunters shares some striking similarities to Turning Red, a highly-rated Pixar film. Based on the latest viewership numbers, KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix’s second-most popular movie. And it’s been enthralling fans over the past few months, ever since its release in late June earlier this year.

The KPop Demon Hunters songs are breaking records and have award potential because the music is addictively good and memorable.

As the reviews of KPop Demon Hunters prove, fans can’t get enough of the refreshingly original musical and its soundtrack, whose songs are all instant classics. The infectiously energetic animation and the emotionally deep arcs of the characters have won over fans of all age groups.

The rising popularity of the movie and the unbelievable records it is achieving, including fictional group HUNTR/X’s song Golden hitting no. 1 on Billboard’s H๏τ 100, reminds one of another recent animated movie which even won a Best Animated Picture Oscar nomination and features a boy band which is based on the famous k-pop band BTS, among other bands.

KPop Demon Hunters & Turning Red Both Share The Same Premise

Rosalie Chiang’s Mei in Turning Red finds herself confronted by a unique problem – she turns into a giant red panda when excited. This issue, which occurs as part of the changes she experiences as a teenager, is soon revealed to be linked to a mythological occurrence, and is something every woman in her bloodline has experienced at her age.

Initially apprehensive about telling her friends, Mei has a lovely journey of claiming her red panda persona and helping her mother see through the culture of pᴀssing down generational trauma after she opens up about her reality. The phenomenon Mei experiences in Turning Red is a metaphor for periods, which are, unfortunately, still often the source of shame for many.

Arden Cho’s Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters bears marks on her body that resemble the marks commonly found on demons. She is a half-demon, half-human woman, and while the theory that Rumi’s father is Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) hasn’t been officially confirmed, it’s clear that her father is a demon, and she is taught to be ashamed of it.

So, she spends her whole life hiding her true idenтιтy from her friends, which is also linked to mythology. Not only are her demon marks seen by her friends in the final act, but they also react negatively, before she confidently owns her idenтιтy, confronts her guardian for making her ashamed of herself, and apologizes to her friends.

So, while the movies have very different approaches, with Turning Red‘s central focus being the generational trauma Mei is trying to fight back against and KPop Demon Hunters‘ central focus being Rumi’s struggle with claiming her idenтιтy, the two roughly follow the same emotional narrative that concludes the stories started with very similar premises.

KPop Demon Hunters & Turning Red Both Happen On A Backdrop Of Pop Fandom

KPop Demon Hunters‘ other storyline, which unfolds in the background while Rumi grapples with her shame about her idenтιтy, is based on K-pop fan culture. The realm of the demons needs to be sealed off from the world at large, and this is only possible if Rumi, Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), aka HUNTR/X, can win over fans.

The Saja Boys in KPop Demon Hunters are literally a boy group comprising demons who hatch a plot to wow HUNTR/X fans and weaken the impact of their music by weakening the strength of their fandom. So, pop fandom is the primary swaying force and the subject of battle with supernatural implications in the world of KPop Demon Hunters.

The central conflict in Mei’s life, beyond the shame her mother attributes to her turning into a red panda, is her mother’s refusal to allow her to attend a concert by 4*TOWN, her favorite boy band, inspired by bands like BTS, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. As an ardent fan of the band, she refuses to stay grounded during the concert.

Mei and her friends are seriously obsessed with 4*TOWN, and part of the solace she finds during her trying time is in losing herself to the fandom. From fan theories about band members to singing their songs together, the only part of Mei’s life that feels unaffected by her recent change is her participation in pop fandom.

K-Pop Demon Hunters & Turning Red Both Deal With Powers Handed Down Over Generations

The ability of HUNTR/X members to sing and seal the Honmoon (the border that connects the world with the demon realm) is a skill that is pᴀssed down over generations. HUNTR/X are the latest in a long line of K-pop demon hunters who have honed their combat and singing skills to fight off demons and seal the Honmoon, respectively.

As Sandra Oh’s Ming, Mei’s mother, eventually explains to her, turning into a red panda is something she experienced at her age, much like her grandmother, and every woman in her bloodline. While they view it as a curse, Mei eventually weilds it as a power that she has been hereditarily given and can proudly use instead of hiding.

Which Is Better? KPop Demon Hunters Or Turning Red?

Even though they’re very similar, it’s hard to decisively say which of the two movies is better, as they have very different cultural contexts, and it can seem both counterintuitive and unfair to compare them on the grounds of the aforementioned similarities. However, as movies, they each have strengths and weaknesses, and KPop Demon Hunters is the better film.

While Turning Red is one of Pixar’s most underrated movies and will undoubtedly eventually become a cult classic someday, KPop Demon Hunters‘ mᴀss appeal speaks to its strength as a film. It’s possible that the incredible soundtrack and KPop Demon Hunters‘ innovative approach to the musical genre – it’s tonally and structurally atypical – is why it stands out more.

Moreover, Turning Red‘s animation, while perfect for the story it’s trying to tell, is decidedly less energetic than KPop Demon Hunters. Even though Turning Red doesn’t require the kind of energy KPop Demon Hunters‘ sharp, fluid, and electric visuals have, the latter is just more appealing than Turning Red‘s visuals.

KPop Demon Hunters‘ concept is also more unique because linking music to the fight against demons allows it to both celebrate and critique the parasocial nature of fandom and the extremely taxing culture that can often affect K-pop idols. Turning Red‘s metaphor for menstruation also makes it an important movie, but it’s not as potent an approach.

However, Turning Red‘s subtle approach doesn’t significantly undercut the impact of its message. Much like KPop Demon Hunters, it also addresses self-acceptance and toxic cultures of shaming and generational trauma, and both of them are important, funny, memorable, and fun movies that deserve to be seen and celebrated. You can and should be a fan of HUNTR/X and 4*TOWN simultaneously.