The release of the new KPop Demon Hunters digital art book that accompanies the hit Netflix film has opened fans eyes to some crucial lore that was once just speculation — but now has become canon thanks to the streamer releasing this inside look at the animated musical.
Warning! Spoilers for KPop Demon Hunters follow:
In the new book titled The Art of KPop Demon Hunters, the nature of Rumi’s mother’s fate is confirmed. A passage early in the book explains that Rumi, the lead vocalist of HUNTR/X, had her life “ripped open when her warrior mother was killed, at a time when Rumi was just a baby.” As a result, HUNTR/X brought family and comfort back to her life after such a devastating loss.
How did she die? Well, some early concept art for the film was shared by Kpop Demon Hunters artist Simon Baek via social media back in June, including one enlightening piece in particular. One image of many the artist shared details an early version of the scene where Rumi confronts Celine, the guiding force behind HUNTR/X and her mother’s closest confidant before she died. This happens shortly after Rumi’s demon markings are forcibly revealed to the world for the first time — and in this version of the scene, she even goes as far as to ask Celine, “Why did you kill my mother?”
So, yes, putting those two bits of confirmation together, seemingly means what you think it means. Celine, the former idol who was Rumi’s mother’s greatest ally, appears to be the one who killed her. It’s tragic to think about — especially considering fans had already been speculating that Rumi’s mother was killed. But even worse, Baek previously revealed that Rumi’s mom was killed by accident.
Needless to say, that leaves a lot to potentially explore in the sequel film, which won’t arrive until 2029. It’s a long time to wait and see how they handle a second installment, which became Netflix’s most watched film ever upon release, but at least it’s on the calendar or else we wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Last month, the singing voices behind HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami) opened up about what they want to see in KPop Demon Hunters 2. “More Korean traditional stuff — traditional history, music, food,” EJAE, who is the singing voice behind Rumi, told Collider.
For Audrey Nuna, who provides Mira’s singing voice, it’s all about going international. “I want to see the girls in different cities. I want to see what they bring [globally], because this film has had such a global impact,” she said. “I think the movie and reality have been having a really crazy conversation with each other, and I’d love to see that continue.”
Rei Ami, who sings Zoey’s parts, made a couple great points about where the next film should take fans. “I would love to see the origin story of how the girls got together,” Ami explained during the interview. “If it’s not a prequel, then I want Gwi-Ma back. Bring him back. Who’s going to be the antagonist? I’m so curious for this next one.”
KPop Demon Hunters is available to stream on Netflix now in its original version and a singalong version.
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Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
