When my 10-year-old’s friends started raving about KPop Demon Hunters, I knew we had to check it out. Even though there are no K-pop fans in my house, the trailer was fun and I was probably more eager than my son to watch it.
Friends, it did not disappoint. If you’re contemplating watching this movie with your family, you’re probably wondering, like I did, if KPop Demon Hunters is appropriate for kids. Here’s what I found.
K-pop is a genre of South Korean popular music that blends various musical styles into ultra catchy tunes.
K-pop shows are characterized by strong visual elements and robust choreography that’s heavily influenced by hip-hop. K-pop has exploded beyond the music to become a global cultural fandom.
The premise of KPop Demon Hunters is centered around K-pop music and its subculture. KPop Demon Hunters does a good job of capturing the allure — if your kiddo isn’t into K-pop, they might well be after watching this movie.
The MPA rating for KPop Demon Hunters is PG for “action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material and brief language.”
But a PG rating can mean many things. So what age is KPop Demon Hunters appropriate for?
Common Sense Media suggests KPop Demon Hunters for kids 10 and up. Because of this, I debated letting my almost-6-year-old in on the fun. But after watching the trailer and reading some parent reviews, I decided to risk it, and I’m glad I did.
My take is that Kpop Demon Hunters is solidly suitable for children 8 and up and appropriate for most kids 6 and up. If your littlest tends toward fearfulness, they may find a few points scary (see below).
The language in KPop Demon Hunters is quite mild. There’s no swearing, but minimal use of words like "idiots," "jerks," "suck," and "jeez."
The girls in HUNTR/X go gaga for the heartthrobs in rival band Saja Boys, and the boys play into it by ripping their shirts off on occasion.
But the romance is very campy (read: popcorn coming out of the girls’ eyes to depict swooning) and the vibe is solidly tween.
There’s quite a bit of violence in KPop Demon Hunters, which is unsurprising, considering the protagonists are literally hunting demons. But the fights are cartoonish, highly stylized, and often situate the striking blows just off camera.
I’m squeamish when it comes to showing my kids violence, and I had no problem with this film.
KPop Demon Hunters has some images that younger kids might find scary, depending on their temperament, including depictions of demons and a creepy messenger cat that’s basically the Cheshire Cat on steroids.
For what it’s worth, though, my 5-year-old didn’t cover her eyes once. But if your child is young or especially fearful, consider watching the trailer and Googling some images from the movie to gauge what to expect.
KPop Demon Hunters is squeaky clean when it comes to substance use; there’s no drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.
The songs in KPop Demon Hunters are especially catchy which might have your kids hooked on the genre by the end of the movie. Luckily, the songs are performed by some prominent K-pop artists, so your kiddo can dive in beyond the soundtrack.
Here are some of the vocal stylings you’ll hear in KPop Demon Hunters:
KPop Demon Hunters is a movie your whole family will enjoy. It’s campy, fast-paced, and so much fun.
Parents will appreciate the way the movie pokes gentle fun at the K-pop genre and tween fandom in general. And kids will love the cool-yet-relatable main characters, the catchy tunes, and the exciting battle scenes.
The teenagers in this movie are just snarky and moody enough to feel real, yet wholesome enough to be good role models.
KPop Demon Hunters is a fun movie the whole family will enjoy. It has some mild violence and scary images, but the stylized nature blunts most of the impact. KPop Demon Hunters is suitable for kids 8 and up and is usually fine for little siblings, but parents of younger children should watch the trailer first to judge what’s appropriate for their individual child.
If you’re concerned about what your child may be watching, BrightCanary can help you supervise their viewing and other online activity. BrightCanary monitors everything your child types, including their search history on Netflix, and the videos they watch on YouTube. It’s a great way to supervise the media your children are interested in. Download BrightCanary and get started today.
