KPop Demon Hunters' Derpy the Tiger has a deeper meaning than some may expect, holding its origins in real-life Korean art. The hit Netflix animated movie opened the door to a colorful KPop-filled world, full of singing superstar idols, demons, and an adorable, colorful tiger known as Derpy.
The yellow-eyed feline arrives in the film as Jinu's cuddly companion who takes a liking to the movie's main character, Rumi. However, Derpy Tiger is a little more than just a funny-looking furry friend, with deep roots in Korean culture.
KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix, being one of the streamer's biggest hits of all time. The new film from Sony Pictures Animation (the same studio behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) follows a group of demon-hunting KPop idols, whose world is turned upside down when a devilish band of demons forms a band of their own and starts to steal their thunder.
Thus far in its streaming run, the hit animated blockbuster has shot up the charts. It is now Netflix's biggest original movie release ever, and several songs from its stellar soundtrack have charted on the Billboard Top 100.
The True Korean Origins of KPop Demon Hunters' Derpy Tiger
Despite not having an official name in KPop Demon Hunters itself, the team behind the film referred to the film's tiger character as Derpy.
Dermy Tiger is heavily inspired by classic interpretations of tigers painted by Korean artists known as Minhwa. This form of classical Korean art roughly translates to "painting of the people" or "popular painting," usually referring to paintings done by anonymous craftsmen that emulate popular art trends of the time for everyday use and decoration.
Some popular Minhwa designs include a large-headed tiger, like the one depicted in KPop Demon Hunters, with gnashing teeth and bulbous, beady eyes.
In fact, there is an entire subject of Minhwa that focuses primarily on tigers paired with magpies. This specific genre of the populous art form has come to be known as Jakhodo.
Fans got a taste of Jakhodo specifically in the new Netflix film, as Derpy did not come into the movie alone. No, he was accompanied by a capped magpie character referred to as Sussy by the KPop Demon Hunters production team.
Over time, these Minhwa depictions of the tiger and magpie became increasingly surrealist, with large features that deviated further from the look of the real animal they were based on.
This peaked in the 17th century, as the modern Minhwa tiger interpretation was perfected, resulting in a take on the animal most closely resembling Derpy in Netflix's latest musical hit.
Looking at Derpy, one can easily see how the character was a direct homage to the classic Korean art form.
And it does not stop at the character's specific look. Minhwa animals have been described as whimsical, mischievous, and downright magical. These are all qualities Derpy is imbued with in the new movie, as he is often seen as the movie's supernatural comic relief.
