The most important colour in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is not what you think
Even if the soundscapes of KPop Demon Hunters were on mute, the vibrant colours of the Netflix animated movie would be enough to woo you with a visual storytelling unlike any other.
But did you know that the filmmakers and creative team behind the Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning film actually curated its colour palette, from the exact shade of the costume to a strand of hair, actually, to pay tribute to meaningful Korean traditions?
As it turns out, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans gave strict directives to the animation team to keep the aesthetics of KPop Demon Hunters not too “rigidly colour-coded.” This approach reflects the diversity within the girls who form HUNTR/X, who are anything but a single personality. While the colour philosophy is crucial in setting every frame apart from the other, do you know what the most important colour in the movie is?
Although it’s only natural to assume that gold is the most significant colour in KPop Demon Hunters, the assumption isn’t necessarily right. Sure, Rumi’s primary mission throughout the animated musical is to spread the Golden Honmoon – a magical barrier powered by music and love from the fans – that can seal the demon world away from the mortal realm forever. Plus, the Oscar-nominated track, ‘Golden,’ is practically an emotional anthem of the movie.
While gold may have represented Rumi’s dreams initially, the most important colour in KPop Demon Hunters is something that cannot be found easily in any given crayon box. As Tudum puts it, “it’s iridescence, a whole lot of spectrum of subtle, pearlescent shades that includes pink and soft blues and greens.”
During the conclusion of KPop Demon Hunters, HUNTR/X doesn’t only produce a Golden Honmoon; they outdo their initial dream with a Rainbow Honmoon, representing the unified voices of all fans. Indeed, the world doesn’t explode with Rainbow Honmoon until the very last. However, according to Netflix, the filmmakers and writers have been hinting at this destiny right from the beginning, with iridescence “serving as the guiding colour principle.”
Honmoon colours are visibly featured in the girls’ clothing, as well as Rumi’s demon markings and their weapons – Rumi’s Saingeom, AKA the “Four Tiger Sword,” Mira’s Gok-do, AKA the “Curved Moon Sword,” and Zoey’s Shin-kal, AKA the “Spirit Blades.”
In a conversation with Tudum, character designer Ami Thompson said, “I always pictured their weapons infused with musical energy; colourful, iridescent, and flowing like liquid light – visualised music bars or notes oozing and trailing from their movements, like a natural fusion of performance and spiritual power.”
In essence, iridescence is the ultimate colour in KPop Demon Hunters, which not only represents music and strength but also HUNTR/X’s true fate.