KPop Demon Hunters: The Saja Boys Series (The Production)
Get ready for an idea that came around 1am, spent on for 3 hours or so and a whole piece of paper from front to back with small illegible writing turned into a rambling blog. This is inspired by people having said that more of the movie is needed, that this could be wonderful for a series and my Saja Boys-centric heart. Seriously, I'm taken over by the Saja Boys dynamic in Ao3, I know 'Your Idol' by all the lyrics and haven't forgotten yet. Also, if Tangled from Disney had about 3 seasons of Tangled: The Series with its own set of catchy songs, I don't see why Sony can't do the same for KPop Demon Hunters. We can dream...
Until then! Get ready for my canon divergence / canon compliant Saja Boys POV 13 ep, 2 season summary production of a series. Wondering whether it sells well whether it comes from a demon boy band POV rather than the demon hunters Huntr/x. But the slice of life idea of centuries old demons trying to live in the modern world with their cluelessness, especially as idols where they can never let the fans know what they are and how out of touch they are in fear of scandals to not fail and have a probable fate worse than death. I mean, why not?
So KPop Demon Hunters series would have something slightly different in summary, since it's more focused on demons, their lives under the tyranical ruler hellfire Gwi-ma and how they want to ensure their livelihoods, still tantalized by the idea of being free~ The Saja Boys, widly interpreted from good to morally grey to downright evil would be a little bit of all of it. Their personal motivations could be as himbo as wanting to live topside because man has the world changed in centuries with comforts they have never known before and quite deep because they are dragged down by their sins but long to be free from damnation and maybe losing all their memories, starting anew in ignorance is the best way to go (no, it's not but shh about that for now) and maybe petty because they want to show that they can do their job better than Gwi-ma and ensure some form of freedom for demon kind, not for altruistic reasons but their kinds from the jeosung saja, to the dokkaebi, water demons and others... they do not know what their life was before Gwi-ma, but the folklore, the idea about being more than what hellfire had damned them to... well, it's an idea tho.
Let's just pin the Saja Boys as pack dynamic boy band eventful, dutiful jeosung saja aware of more, stick close together and knowing each other's shame in a ride and die together fashion, self-serving only for each other with little empathy to humanity, for now.
Now, that is kinda out of the way...
Season 1: Sweet Pride (Can also be read as an album cover and I felt SO genius over it)
If it were an album, it would have Jinu's Lament which is the first ep preluding the whole story, Soda Pop the debut obviously and now onward to made-up names!
Cherry Drop, Red-White Swirl, Wrapper Bust, Choco-BOOM, Jelly Break, Gummy Up. After Cherry Drop that at least rhymes with Soda Pop at the end until I got to name the album Sweet Pride for potential theme and so many meanings for their pastel summer vibe, soul feasting ways and... whatever the public wants to dig up with their 'overthinking' minds on a few verses in Soda Pop, the names were generally inspired by 'Hey, say you designated in your mind already with Baby as the lyricist so what if he got all those ideas esp Soda Pop from being a gamer boy, like playing Candy Crush, the soda version?' My mind immediately stumbled upon ~genius~
Since there are like 13 eps to this, other eps name do not correspond to the album but are still pivotal enough to the series.
Ep 1: Jinu's Lament - The demon boy band intro. It starts off with the introduction to the demon king, demon hunters with their Honmoon that have only deprived them off duties and burn them out all the faster and demons getting souls to the king as a duty they know little else to, with subjects spawn from devoured souls made through hell, just like the dokkaebi and water demons. And then there is the jeosung saja made out of deals gone wrong by the sins that created them to drag them down to hell where they continue the cycle as long as sins exist, this time as messangers. This then shows five jeosung saja off in one of hell's plains where one was playing the bipa. Then off to explanation about the faceless demons, a fate feared especially by jeosung saja when it means their souls are burnt out to their tyranical demon king when their memories became too much. It is a fate especially hoped to be avoided, second to breaking the twisted shackles from their overlord but when that hope fades, they want to avoid being faceless demons, and if memories drag them down to burn among other things, the best way is to forget, start afresh. They need to keep their demon king pleased, keep the topside world open to them for the duties ingrained to their demonkind body more than their tyrant may be aware of and so forth.
After that introduction, the five jeosung saja would be shown in clearer scale with Derpy and Sussie at Jinu's side first and foremost with trinkets from the overworld. These jeosung saja are grouped together as a pack that hunt souls together, since no one goes topside alone when performing their duties with the hunters on the loose. Derpy and Sussie somehow completely resistant to the Honmoon's effects that the demons otherwise are not were able to get away with stuff from the evolving world since demons come in and out of the world just doing their jobs and little else when the hunters were always on high alert, their tyrant would never allow that indulgence and so forth.
This particular group have felt the strain of their patterns and felt that in their centuries of experience, especially for Jinu the oldest, that their pitiable fates might come any second now and with the Honmoon glowing stronger than in previous eras, without the sustenance, the flow that they needed, they all want to think up something, fast. For their survival, for their pack, for their absolute envy about missing out when delighting in the trinkets Derpy and Sussie found out. It was gadgets called phones that they managed to swipe out. Baby got obsessed with the game, Jinu got obsessed with KPop, Abby got obsessed with fitness challenges, Romance got obsessed with social media and Mystery got obsessed with videos, especially about cats. Somehow, that led to the demon boy band idea, from workshopping song, dance and cheography while their motivation was to use this idea against the hunters and a bargaining chip to Gwi-ma just to delay the inevitable and enjoy the topside that they have envied now that it has come so far. And for the fans. Uh-ah~
Ep 2: Soda Pop - They made it topside after bargaining with Gwi-ma, now for indulgence and setting the stage to a debut but the plan needs more than hours at end staring at tutorials and KPop showcases and suddenly think yourself expert. The world was louder, brighter and even more insane than the Saja Boys ever thought of. While trying to hide away from the hunters, the boys had to figure out how to blend in, how to human enough (and they want to very much) while promoting their latest debut as a boy band. Cue 'Just because you think you are handsome that you can get away with anything?!' TikTok Challenges, fashion crises, Disney Princess-ing Mystery (that man will have affinity with dogs. Don't @ me), being muses, the restaurant should pay THEM for their impromptu promotions, 'It's just special effects...?', 'I thought we agreed with incognito names so why can't you agree to call me Prince, like Jinu is fine by you guys???' and KDrama love scenes among other things. It helps me dive deep establishing their boy band dynamic especially topside as centuries modernly clueless boys try to life it as humans. Somehow, their shennanigans are better than us people that might need to touch grass T_T Of course, their debut will happen at the end, with the announcement that they will do the game show in a week's time and that Huntr/x start having plans of their own...
Ep 3: Cherry Drop - How to find a place and the ups and downs of sudden popularity of an eccentric but drop dead gorgeous boy band have when getting an accomodation, stat! For the sake of base of operations and getting away from hell as long as possible. Sellers, renters, sponsors, fans who are a yandere away from boy band roomie dreams is something the modern world can put some fear of Gwi-ma into them. At least it's a great idea in livestreaming, as one of the ways to kpop as suggested by the buff and flirt pink haired duo that just happen to be in their elements of this impending chaos. The joys of fangirling shennanigans that can be turned around for them.
Ep 4: Gummy Up - I feel like adding the elements of Mystery into this but maybe this is an episode that can show outwardly the boys having a fun hangout but really hiding off the past. A switch back and forth between their lives in the human world and their lives as the jeosung saja, and before. An episode detailing on secrets. For some reason, I put TikTok challenges. Maybe because I can make Mystery do something unexpected but I already did that in Soda Pop. Hmm...
Ep 5: Wrapper Bust - The game show + bathhouse arc, all in one go of course. They would meet Huntr/x properly, plus the well-known game Telepathy Know Your Leader after sliding into the balls which I've got inspo'd by fics especially Saja Boys: Devils in the Spotlight that honestly makes good precedence to the bathhouse scene when Jinu finds out about Rumi's patterns. And deep dive on the lore about half-demons, how this particular one hasn't fallen into hell yet and that among the Saja Boys, there's actually one among them that knows in particular what being a half-demon means. Cue Baby here, because pack doesn't hide away anything from each other, to a little see through on his lore where I hc him youngest looking purely because he fell to hell early and that's because of a half-demon heritage that drags you down faster and yet doesn't let you last as long if not for the other Saja Boys helping him~ What to do with Rumi, what it means for the Huntr/x and even the Saja Boys and so forth.
Ep 6: Fanstuff - A filler ep that reveals what the still new KPop group feels about fanfiction and fanart especially with the unexpected Huntr/x and Saja Boys collab. The horror of shipping, the beauty of merch. The fact that they have so many fans in the underworld too, and that Gwi-ma just HAD to check in their progress T_T And that their plan is progressing fast enough to figure out at the end of it that they were nominated for the Idol Awards with top ringworm song Soda Pop, meeting the Huntr/x again and reminded of all that shipping. What the fans would have rose tinted glasses for...
Ep 7: Manager For The Day - Jinu is an overworked Mom-nager. The fans have started loving the collab between sunbae idol royalty Huntr/x and underdog debutted hoobae Saja Boys. That means Bobby would have gone to visit the Saja Boys for potential team-up as a surprise to the girls for popularity's sake and even trying to clear up what they mean by demons when their theme and style are so far away from that. Thanks to a sponsor, Bobby managed to track them down, surprised they have no manager and see an overworked Jinu and just for one day, took things into his own hands. That convinces Saja Boys to get a manager just for Jinu's sake. They all worked hard enough as it is. All Jinu needs is some relaxation cuddling with Derpy, stat.
Ep 8: Free - A Rujinu ep. Maybe I should sprinkle some Miromabby and Zoeystery somewhere and have Baby play as wingman. Somehow I feel like I'm trying to hit the whole of season 1 from the movie that I have yet to watch and know only from clips just because I rather wait that it comes out cinemas near me or is free somewhere before watching it. In any case, this is figuring out about half-demons, hunters and the Honmoon itself. When the Saja Boys figure out their singing somehow causes the Honmoon to have an effect that's oblivious to the girls, an idea will pop up. And then, other than just forgetting memories, or delaying the inevitable, maybe there is hope somewhere. Also, somewhere if I'm putting all the ships here, I may as well add in this little blooper I somehow thought up of:
BABY: Bros before hoes! JINU: Ho-?! (Blushes) Why did the Internet have to teach you that too? That is so inappropriate! BABY: Shut up you old man. It isn't anything embarassing. Chill.
Ep 9: Jelly Break - Meet the fans on the demon side. Meet the over enthusiastic Saja Boy loving Jelly the water demon that has turned from fan to manager. This shows more inter-relationships between all the demons. But seriously, overworked perfectionist hyung needs a break. The break somehow consisted of the fan-signing event, for the fans. Uh ah~ Pettiness and continued flirting is all that's needed to clear away the stress XD
Ep 10: Choco-BOOM - For some reason, as Gummy Up felt Mystery and Cherry Drop felt Romance and Abby, this was really Baby for me. Sometimes, the Saja Boys do have their own lives and go their separate ways but that means it's easy for them to get caught up by a hunter if both set their sights on each other. That's how Baby met Zoey. It was lucky their centuries of experience and the KPop boost alongside the sudden discovery about how the Honmoon's affect to them narrowly deterred Baby's fate to what those Honmoon powered weapons really do to demons (a blessing and a curse and an ignorance by however it is wielded and how it is meant to be). It became a full-blown Huntr/x vs Saja Boys as it explores how packs work in the demon world and how the Saja Boys could quickly assist when any of their mates are in trouble. And yet, they still cannot come to an understanding, which solidifies the Saja Boys' determination. It's also how they listened to Takedown that the girls were using to fuel in battle against the demons.
Ep 11: Patterns - By now, in record time, the boys have almost finished up their album, Sweet Pride starting from Soda Pop with the later songs revealed especially the last in a special interview that congratulates the Saja Boys for their ever growing fanbase unheard of for people in debut stages. It gives off a simple Q & A, which they go through despite more probing questions. That they can lie and twist a tale. It's also a lead in two-ep origin story about the Saja Boys, starting with Jinu, how they all met, became a pack and had become this close-knit yearning for the very same thing, freedom. First meeting up with Romance and Abby, depicting a little bit of pride and war that a bipa player has to endure. It was somehow both harder and easier, with the help of Derpy and Sussie that had made hell's journey a little bit more bearable before their inevitable.
Ep 12: Red-White Swirl - The title is based on candy canes that can look like scythes if you squint really hard enough. It's the second-patter about the demon world origins, as the interview goes on and introducing Mystery and Baby into the scene. It explores Mystery's more animalistic features and Baby's (personal HC) potential half-demon origins. It shows about centuries of patience, hard-earned trust and care that make them a family of five. It shows Gwi-ma, the fates the demons have to endure and ends back in the real world, with a promise as Red-White Swirl is introduced as the last part of the album and a sudden announcement for a new one with its latest song about to be played at the Idol Awards with a new album at ready. Flash to this being shown on screen amidst cheering fans and a one-second flick of eerie smiling shadows that promise doom alongside a chuckling hell fire that feels like everything is going to plan (even if it was not his plan in the first place, that tyrant T_T)
Ep 13 : Your Idol - a song introduced to the latest album. It rebrands the Saja Boys, finally showing their true colors as the Jeosung Saja, in a way to express their freedom by whatever means after 'betraying' the Huntr/x with secrets they dare to keep from each other although it wasn't long before half-demon Rumi stepped up with the other Hunters with 'This is What It Sounds Like'. In a battle unprecedented by anyone, it became Your Idol vs This is What It Sounds Like weaving a Honmoon that pulsed between the two groups like never seen before. In a swirl of blue, red, gold, purple and so forth, the Saja Boys truly took freedom into their hands, in the battle with the help of the souls that once helped power the Honmoon, feed their king and now marking the new demon boy band group. The faceless demons would reawaken as people, like a reincarnation and Gwi-ma's flame may seem extinguished but truly dead? And the Saja Boys fled, much to the confusion of Huntr/x as their plan had reaped more benefits than they ever thought possible. Onward to Season 2, as the boys come out of this laughing and whooping to the world, leaving petty and chaotic confusion behind them~ What a middle finger XDD
Season 2: Saja Claws (Like I am so proud with this play of words because Saja as in lion and lions have claws, Saja as in reapers as the jeosung saja demons as they are that also have claws. And then Saja Claws sounds like a play to Santa Claus where I can see them just giving out demonic presents full of sin and we thank them offering out souls, as we literally become a part of them... IT'S A BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN GWI-MA TRUST -maybe crosses my fingers-)
This is the rebrand album where the Saja Boys go from pastel easy on the eyes summer fun idols into that sweet combat ready hanbok with the gat and golden piercing eyes staring into the souls look that just screams 'killer cosplay'. The album goes through about the whole underworld, depicting a story what it means to go against the tyrant, what the demons are really meant to be according to folklore and how the boys can finally be unashamedly themselves as they try to figure out what the new Honmoon means for everyone when two worlds collide.
Song names after Your Idol of course, World Break, Flame Abyss, Tidal Wave, Shadow Ferry, Spook Out, After-Trick, Catty Jewels and Patterned Gold.
Other ep names of course are not part of the album as once more the 13 ep parter promised but remain pivotal to this season.
Ep 1: Uh-ah - FOR THE FANS! THEY BOUNCE BACK! After so many special effects that are at least 'fake' or think about the property damage, the Saja Boys make it to another stage interview promised after the Idol Awards, dressed in that 'killer cosplay' that they have been seen with Your Idol. It was a surprise rebranding that shocked the fans from the easy go lucky boy band they once knew. It's the prelude ep that explains away their newest direction. From palatable and friendly humans to more dangerously seductive demons that appealed to the masses like a whiplash. They revealed their album, Saja Claws, a story depicting more about the demons like they 'pose' to be in fascinating curiosity about Korean mythology that the Saja Boys can only hope would keep their fans entertained. Much to their cheers. When asked why they are going that direction, the inside joke is they want to show everyone everything about them, even their sins as the idols they want to portray themselves to be in the hopes it really 'moves the fans' to 'shape the world with that in mind'. (cough the state of the Honmoon is the inside joke cough for the fans uh-ah with their souls the thing that shapes the Honmoon by influence to hunters' songs so could the Saja Boys experiment this with their demon songs cough)
Ep 2: World Break - Feels on the nose. But this one was for specifically the state of the world they have left it in after the Idol Awards, from reincarnated people out of faceless demons, returning missing people with temporary amnesia, flames that have flickered like special effects even in topside and the underworld hasn't really become better. From confused Dokkaebi to hopeful water demons and a pit that once housed Gwi-ma falling into unnatural silence as the Honmoon pulses and even sweeps the demons gently between worlds. All because of the Saja Boys, with newfound powers. They live and learn.
Ep 3: Battle : On & Off - Ofc this is something Huntr/x cannot abide by. But their weapons feel weirder and the Saja Boys felt connected to the Honmoon to even do the same for the sake of special effects. Even so, their KPop idolhood does not stop there, the thought of hiatus never crossing either of their minds now much to Huntr/x reluctance when they are fighting for the control of the Honmoon. Cue more shennanigans, frustration, a Celine drop by, learning more about the Sacred Tree and Bobby and Jelly bonding who decided to sit by with popcorn over the chaos as they are ready to do anything if things get 'worse'.
Ep 4: After-Trick - This is based on the Dokkaebi that were once born from Gwi-ma's constant soul stealing ways right in hell. Without Gwi-ma, not many of them have been born once more but neither they have been fed into Gwi-ma like recycable product. With the Dokkaebi duo that had supported the demon boy band with that 100%, this episode opens up to a hell dynamic that ends up being prank war with an undertone of serious in it. Like, why can't they have fun?
Ep 5: Catty Jewels - The fandom one day discovers that Jinu owns a freaking tiger and magpie. Instead of turning into a scandal as the Saja Boys feared it to be, the fandom was ecstatic, the producers and sponsors were calling it a feline good combination and model ads with a 'ferociously cute' tiger as a center piece because Jinu ended up being really good at 'commanding the tiger' quoted by fans had been on the rise for their jobs. Tis a cute episode.
Ep 6: Tidal Wave - While this is based off the water demons this time so it feels more Jelly-centric, I have the feeling that I got this song title from the rumored extra songs that would have been released if KPop Demon Hunters had been the 3hr+ movie. Whether it is or not thanks to poor memory, I'm still sticking to the title. For water demons. The manager Jelly had been collab-ing more with Bobby even hanging out more. The Huntr/x, always suspicious decides to stalk for their precious Bobby while the Saja Boys, worried that something will be messed up, in turn, stalked the Huntr/x to keep them in check. The funny 'idols going incognito and failing miserably' ep.
Ep 7: Shadow Ferry - As you can guess, this is definitely about the jeosung saja arc. Demons making deals and souls taken while corrupted to be born into hell as they were. With the precarious state between two worlds and the meaning of sins, jeosung saja have been awakening more that the Saja Boys wouldn't really wish for anyone else. Along the way, they met an elusive older jeosung saja who had been roaming topside for a while, helping fellow jeosung saja and be revealed to be Rumi's father. That type of fun arc.
Ep 8: Family Drama - The Saja Boys eat popcorn at Rumi's reunion, Celine's spiralling and getting more juicy gossip from Huntr/x because while they are still enemies with each other, it doesn't change that all of them no matter their efforts are still powering the Honmoon together and there is more to demons than meet the eye. If one way doesn't work, another must be found.
Ep 9: Spook Out - Based on the Faceless Demons that somehow resemble to Gwishin, or ghost, in KPop Demon Hunters that gives me ideas, the one fate met by all demons when Gwi-ma's flames burn out each and every demon's souls. But there have been cases of missing people coming back with amnesia that are not actually the missing people. Or people that seem out of this world or centuries old. It explores what faceless demons mean without their king and what souls really mean when they just don't power the Honmoon or go to Gwi-ma. Is this what freedom can really mean, if they deterred this inevitable fate?
Ep 10: Fake Dating Rumors - This is so Rujinu, Miromabby and Zoeystery while Baby is just there lamenting what happened to bro before hoes as Bobby and Jelly are doing overtime, Celine is frothing in the mouth and Rumi's new dad is two seconds away from killing the 'He's not my boyfriend, Daddy!' 'You called him what now?' "I...' Ah, fans will go nuts one day, fanart and fanfics are flowing better than before. The Saja Boys def do NOT regret their KPop arc. 'Tis glorious.
Ep 11: Flame Abyss - After a filler ep, this time it's finally going back to Gwi-ma, explaining the flames that sometimes mysteriously appear around topside like will-o-wisps that shouldn't exist. You cannot kill fire, you cannot kill hell and you certainly cannot kill hellfire. Gwi-ma had been patiently waiting before striking the Saja Boys where they least expect it, a overflow of memories and the intention to turn them into faceless demons when they had been the one to turn their back against the deal they made to him. So the only punishment to a reward for without memories was simply too much. By now, the Huntr/x have become something like reluctant allies to the boys, and with Derpy and Sussie as the guide, they explore through the Saja Boys, who overcome newfound challenges and trials to remember what they have now than what Gwi-ma overlords them.
Ep 12: Collab - The Huntr/x and Saja Boys have to finally work together with the Honmoon they created against the larger threat, Gwi-ma. It's workshopping song, dance and what would make those 8 shine together for a stage promoting an official collab that they have gone a long way to. With the allies and fans they made along the way, they finally struck gold and knew how to define the Honmoon to keep their common enemy in check.
Ep 13: Patterned Gold - The song about half-demons, sung by all of them. It depicts what they wanted out of the Golden Honmoon by Huntr/x while not ignoring the patterns that have made them by the Saja Boys. Hidden as a performance of the lifetime, it was a battle with the 'special effects' Gwi-ma that they will never forget. The Saja Boys have come a long way from just wanting to forget their memories to start afresh when they have been given hope and newer memories that they never wanted to discard by fighting against the despairing Gwi-ma. When the rainbow Honmoon had been created, with Gwi-ma truly weakened to be pronounced dead, it was a happy ending that demons can go back to how they were supposed to be before the tyrannical Gwi-ma, the Dokkaebi an actual curious mischievious spirit, the faceless demons more as Gwishin trying to move on from the afterlife or live undetected finding purpose, the water demons by the lakes roaming around giving rumous and the jeosung saja that meet those dying with the promise to move their souls into an afterlife more deserved than whatever created them in patterned sins. The patterns were something no longer to be ashamed of, the demons just a part of folklore myth that is just more than the evils of hell. And demons that can also be human in their own way, living a very fun life as KPop idols while trying not to burn down apartments in homemade cooking shows...
And end! It's all production stage, so it's like summaries of what-ifs that might not even make final cut. Of fun times. Episodes of 15 - 25 mins and canon divergence really kicking it because I don't think I was timeline wise correct with the movie when I made season 1 but ah well. 2 seasons worth of shows like Gravity Falls, with maybe another version of Jinu's Lament playing the ending credits. Too bad I'm non-KPop except for Your Idol that stolen my soul because I wonder how songs can be made out of the titles I propose but too bad I don't know Korean. If I have free time, maybe I will make these episode scripts throughout the seasons and at least the song's choruses as a sneak peek but I'm just patting myself on the back for my creativity as I try to fill the Saja Boy shaped hole in my heart. I hope that you all have fun reading this if you found it and let me know in the comments what you think. For the fans! Uh-ah~
