A KPop Demon Hunters star clarifies a key relationship in the movie. Following three K-pop superstars who use their voices to shield their world from attacks from the demon world, the Netflix animated movie sees Rumi (Arden Cho) struggle to carry out her duty as a huntress while hiding the secret of her demon lineage.

Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), a former human musician who traded his soul for fame, leads the Saja Boys to compete with the Rumi-led Huntr/x. After discovering Rumi’s secret, the two start meeting occasionally. KPop Demon Hunters’ ending sees Jinu sacrificing himself to protect Rumi from the demon king Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun).

Since KPop Demon Hunters‘ release, Rumi and Jinu have been at the center of fan debate. In an interview with Collider, Arden Cho offered her take on the two’s relationship status. The actor broke down the scenes where Jinu helps Rumi hide her patterns and stressed that he was the first to see her and accept her for who she is, and it was clear that he had feelings for her. Read Cho’s comments below:

Okay, I’m not offended. Okay. I am sorry, but if you watch that scene when Rumi’s patterns are exposed and she just embraces her and hides it and protects her, and wraps it up — um, hello. In what world is that platonic? Whoever thinks that’s platonic is the same person that’s like, “Oh, this is my best friend. We’re just best friends. We’re just friends. He does everything for me, but he doesn’t like me.” No, I’m sorry, you are mistaken. He loves you. He is the first person — soul demon — to see her and accept her and protect her, but also, like… was he kind of calling out who you are, right? He might have called her out.

Cho further shed some light on how Jinu “transformed everything about [Rumi]” and helped her “heal” and get her voice back. Check out her comment below:

He literally changes her life. That relationship is… he transformed everything about her, right? Like the fact that Jinu sees her, and the second she starts accepting it and being like, “Okay, you’re right. This is who I am,” her voice healed. Jinu helps her heal and helps her voice come back.

What Arden Cho’s Comments Mean For Rumi & Jinu’s Relationship

There are several instances in the animated film that capture the attraction and romantic tension between Jinu and Rumi, strongly suggesting that their feelings are more than platonic. In fact, their faces flush several times when they realize how intimate and vulnerable they are being with each other.

Cho’s comments further emphasize the nature of their relationship and clarify that they’ve long pᴀssed the definition of a platonic friendship despite not sharing a kiss anytime throughout KPop Demon Hunters.

Maggie Kang, who co-directed the animated movie, has commented on the decision to omit a kiss scene between Rumi and Jinu. In a separate interview (via Reddit), Kang explained that the restraint is Sєxier than depicting that moment explicitly on-screen, which strongly indicates that Rumi and Jinu do share a deep romantic connection.

Our Take On Rumi & Jinu’s Relationship In KPop Demon Hunters

On-screen romantic relationships are characterized by on-screen physical intimacy. Usually, a relationship won’t be considered a romantic one until a kiss is exchanged between characters. This explains why fans may feel like Jinu and Rumi have a platonic friendship rather than a romantic connection.

However, it seems that KPop Demon Hunters challenges the format of romance in movies by approaching their connection through hints and more subtle affection. Arden Cho also made a great point about Jinu’s actions. On top of that, there are hints of Sєxual tension between the two throughout the movie.