K-POP Demon Hunters Impact American Culture from Halloween Costumes to Theology Classes

K-POP Demon Hunters has become a symbolic cultural phenomenon across the United States. All five of Google’s top Halloween costume search terms this year originated from this film, and major American retailers are mass-producing costumes for Rumi, Mira, and Joy. Lorenzo Caltagirone, owner of “Total Party,” a party and costume shop in Washington D.C., said, “I’ve never seen such a sudden and unpredictable massive hit. Even if items are urgently manufactured via air freight from Chinese factories, they still face a 30% tariff, yet customers show no hesitation.” Children’s costumes cost 60 dollars, adult ones cost more, and wing accessories alone are sold for 50 dollars. The film’s representation of Asian Americans held deep significance for parents and children alike. Jin Wang, a fashion blogger from Boston, shared her feelings when her 7-year-old daughter Nori wanted to wear a Rumi costume, saying, “I remembered how hard it was to find a ‘me-like’ costume for Halloween when I was young. It’s truly refreshing and exciting that this year’s best costume features a female character of Asian descent.” Wang’s video, in which she sewed golden stripes onto a Zara jacket and added purple hair extensions before posting it on Instagram, quickly went viral. Asian American children no longer have to rely solely on Disney princesses. Ella Pereira, an 11-year-old Filipino-American girl, was cast as Rumi in “Spirit Halloween.” Pereira said, “I’m really proud that the characters in the film look like me,” adding, “Rumi is a character who is brave, talented, and also shows vulnerability, and I’m so lucky to be able to play such a role.” The film’s influence has expanded beyond commercial areas into social spheres. Dr. Michael Park, a pediatric dermatologist in Denver, Colorado, was told by several young patients that he resembled the film’s evil leader, Jinu. Having witnessed one patient look up at Dr. Park after watching “K-POP Demon Hunters” on an iPad before returning to the screen, Dr. Park recalled with a laugh, “I think that child thought I was Jinu.” Since then, at least four more patients compared Dr. Park to Jinu. Dr. Park posted this anecdote on social media to share a “light-hearted moment” from his medical training, and it received over 250,000 likes in three weeks. Comments included reactions like, “I showed the screen to my daughter, and she shouted, ‘Jinu?!’” Dr. Park, who has trained in classical singing, posted a video covering “Your Idol” in his vocal range. Saying, “I grew up in the Midwest where there wasn’t much representation,” he added, “I’m truly happy that Korean-American children can proudly embrace their culture and heritage within such an amazing cultural phenomenon.” The expansion of K-Pop fandoms is also noticeable. According to Nguyen, who runs a “Oh Seoul Happy” store in Charlotte, new fans are coming in large numbers to buy merchandise due to the influence of recent K-Pop films. Nguyen’s partner, Stacey Navarras, said, “Recently, customers have been asking if we have ‘K-Demon Hunter’ products or asking for recommendations to get started with K-Pop.” In Charlotte, after aespa last year and TWICE this year, IVE is scheduled to perform at Spectrum Center in March. The film has even reached theology education settings. A Catholic singer-songwriter and high school theology teacher used “K-POP Demon Hunters” as teaching material in his theology classes because he believed the film’s storytelling held deeply theological meaning. He explained that particularly the process of Rumi, the leader of the Huntrix, trying to hide the “pattern,” a mark of evil spirits, before ultimately accepting it, conveys a universal theme about how we deal with our failures and fears. Film actress May Hong met fans while working as a cashier at “Rising Cans” in New York’s Times Square on October 10. Hong described “K-Demon Hunter” as an “addictive story” and added, “Many fathers watched it at their children’s insistence and now listen to the songs by themselves in the car.”