Minhwa inspired the tiger and magpie designs in KPop Demon Hunters.
Minhwa is a Korean folk-art tradition that became especially popular during the Joseon period. The film draws particularly on Hojak-do imagery, a genre featuring tigers, magpies, and pine trees.
In Korean folk paintings, the tiger and magpie could carry playful or satirical meanings, including a humorous challenge to authority. KPop Demon Hunters adapts that visual tradition for Jinu’s companions: the bright blue tiger Derpy and the six-eyed magpie Sussie.
The creatures are not generic fantasy animals. Their stylized proportions, expressions, and unusual colors connect the demon world to Korean artistic history. The filmmakers also used minhwa’s whimsical qualities to balance the film’s darker supernatural elements with comedy and charm.