The Voices of Rumi, Mira and Zoey From KPop Demon Hunters on Becoming K-Pop Superheroes

by Tayah Fox

 

By day, they are K-pop stars; by night, they are demon hunters. That is the reality for the hardcore trio of Rumi, Mira and Zoey from Netflix's new animated film, KPop Demon Hunters. This story follows the K-pop girl group, Huntrix, as they balance their careers as charming, talented K-pop idols with the brutal, action-packed responsibility of slaughtering demons to keep people safe. As the three work towards permanently eradicating demons from the world, a new boy group hits the scene. Jinu and his group, the Saja Boys, create competition not only for their careers as idols but for the greater good of humanity—as they're secretly demons themselves.

With a demonic boy group now capturing the hearts of many fans, Huntrix's job grows increasingly difficult. As Jinu and the Saja Boys continue on their mission, Rumi's unexpected connection with Jinu sends her on a path of self-reflection. Rumi faces internal conflicts, depicting themes of self-love and perseverance. Sweety High got the opportunity to chat Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-Young Yoo—the voices of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, repectively—to discuss how they prepared for their roles and their thoughts on their characters. Read the full interview below.

Sweety High: What was your first impression of the film when you read the script?

Arden Cho: I was so excited!  I feel like the story was really fun, and I like a lot of that magical stuff.

May Hong: I loved how bad*** they were in secret and the comradery that they have.

Ji-Young Yoo: I think my first impression was just that it was going to be a lot of fun both to watch and to
do.

 

Also read about: Everything You Need To Know About Teen Wolf's Arden Cho

 

SH:  What is the message that you hope this film delivers to the audience?

AC: I hope people feel inspired to not be scared to be vulnerable, to accept who they are and not think that being different is a flaw.  I feel like sometimes it's the things that make you different, that make you really special and who you are.  It also teaches you about being vulnerable with your friends and honest, and having that support is so important as well.

MH: To learn to lean on each other.

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

 

Also read about: Love KPop Demon Hunters? Here Are What Its Korean Lyrics Mean in English

 

SH: This movie is a family film that taps into Korean culture. How does it feel to bring that culture to younger audiences?

JYY: So Exciting! All of the projects I've worked on so far have been rated R. They tend to be very sad and intense or like a horror movie that's too gory for kids, so it's refreshing to have a change. It's always really exciting to work on something that everyone is going to watch and enjoy.

AC: I'm always looking for projects with a positive message, and I was really excited about this one. It's the type of movie I wish I had as a kid, and I can't wait to watch it with my nieces, nephews and friends' kids. We have watch parties planned, and I've received so many messages from people excited about it. It feels like something that brings everyone together.

MH: It's cool that there is such a specific animation about a particular culture, as well as Korean culture in general. I never imagined that something like this would have existed during my childhood, so it's surreal to see it now. As I mentioned earlier, the closest thing I had growing up was Sailor Moon, which I really loved, especially because of the secret identities. It was so much fun!

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

 

Also read about: 49 Memorable Quotes From KPop Demon Hunters to Use as Your Next Caption

 

SH: Could you describe each of your characters with one word and explain why you chose that word?

AC: "Strong" for Rumi,  because I feel like from her childhood and everything she had to go through and sort of who she is in the group as a leader, I feel like she is strong; and I think there are moments she doubts herself and she has fear, but I think the foundation of it, she's very strong.

MH:  A word that comes to mind for me is loyal. To the truth, to her friends, to her principals, to the work and that can man manifest in many ways—but no spoilers.

JYY:  I think "effervescent, "she's very bubbly and it's like a can of Sprite in human form. She's fizzy and sweet, and just so energetic. Everyone likes Sprite and everybody likes Zoe!

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

 

Also read about: What Your Favorite KPop Demon Hunters Song Says About You

 

SH: Each of your characters carry such distinct quirks and personalities. How did you prepare to showcase these accurately in the movie?

JYY:  A lot of it came out of the workshopping that we were doing with the directors in the studio. You just get to goof off and play a lot. I think Zoe is much higher energy than me, but it's fairly close to how I am when I'm feeling comfortable and around my friends. So, I think a lot of her quirks are probably my quirks that are just cranked up a couple notches higher than I normally am.

AC:  I think the same for me with Rumi. There was so much direction from [directors] Maggie [Kang] and Chris [Applebaum], and so I think we were sort of figuring her out together.

MH:  I feel like the casting is kind of unbelievable with how much the characters are just like different versions of who we actually are. It developed as we were doing the recording sessions; Maggie and Chris would say, "Go even lower than your voice," sort of making her more intense and gruffer, like Mira, but it's still like some part of me that's in there. I feel like that's the same for Rumi and Zoe.

(Photo credit: Ricky Middlesworth/Netflic)

 

Also read about: 6 Things We'd Love to See From KPop Demon Hunters Sequels, Prequels and Spin-Offs

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to share?

JYY: Everyone in the movie is so hot! Who knew an animation could be so hot!

AC: It isn't a movie for only K-pop lovers. It is a movie for everyone. I think that's what I love about it so much. I actually have some people who don't even like K-Pop that watched it and were like, "Wait, why was the music so fire?" And I'm like, "Dude, that's K-pop. You love K-pop. You just didn't know it."

 

For more on the K-pop music we love, click HERE to read our review of Stray Kids' recent show at SoFi Stadium in L.A.