K-Pop demon hunters: Visual analysis of costume design in character design to differentiate the eras
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30998/jd.v13i2.1281Keywords:
Costume Design, Character Design, Animated Film, Temporal Recognition, K-PopAbstract
This study examines how costume design functions as a visual mechanism for temporal differentiation in the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters. While costume is widely recognized as a semiotic tool in character design, few studies have analyzed its capacity to communicate historical era transitions within animated storytelling. Addressing this gap, the research aims to identify how specific clothing elements—such as silhouette, fabric behavior, color palette, and stylistic detailing—are deployed to signify the narrative’s generational shifts. This study employs a qualitative visual analysis grounded in social semiotic theory by examining costume design as visual signifiers through systematic denotative and connotative interpretation, supported by comparative historical fashion references. The results indicate that each hunter generation is visually anchored to recognizable fashion eras, from early traditional attire to 1920s flapper silhouettes, 1940s wartime utility wear, 1960s mod styles, and contemporary K-Pop aesthetics. Findings further show that costume design not only conveys an era through appearance but also through stylistic choice, where fashion personality reinforces temporal and narrative authenticity. The analysis concludes that costume design serves as a narrative scaffold, enabling viewers to understand chronological progression without verbal exposition. These insights underscore the importance of integrating fashion history and digital costume practices in animation pipelines. Future projects may expand this framework by exploring audience perception studies or cross-cultural interpretations of era-based costume cues.
Downloads
References
Aghaei, M., Parezzan, F., Dimiccoli, M., Radeva, P., & Cristani, M. (2017). Clothing and People - A Social Signal Processing Perspective. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1704.02231
Baker, D. (2008). Korean spirituality. 166.
Bateman, J. A., & Schmidt, K.-H. (2012). Multimodal Film Analysis: How Films Mean.
Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2017). Film Art An Introduction. McGraw-Hill Education.
Calefato, P. (2021). Fashion as Cultural Translation. Signs, Images, Narratives. Anthem Press, 2021. Anthem Press. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2611-0563/13830
Cheng, Y., & Wang, Y. (2024). ‘Evaluating the Effect of Outfit on Personality Perception in Virtual Characters.’ Virtual Worlds, 3(1), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.3390/VIRTUALWORLDS3010002/S1
Cohn, N. (2020). ‘Visual narrative comprehension: Universal or not? Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 27(2), 266–285. https://doi.org/10.3758/S13423-019-01670-1
Ekawardhani, Y. A., Santosa, I., Ahmad, H. A., & Irfansyah, I. (2020). ‘Modification of visual characters in indonesia animation film.’ Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 20(2), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.15294/HARMONIA.V20I2.22556
Hardy, S., & Corones, A. (2016). ‘Dressed to heal: The changing semiotics of surgical dress.’ Fashion Theory - Journal of Dress Body and Culture, 20(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2015.1077653
Hoskins, P. (2025, July 4). KPop Demon Hunters: Fictional K-pop bands beat BTS and Blackpink in US charts. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyl1zyv1y2o
Jewitt, C., Bezemer, J., & O’Halloran, K. (2016). Introducing multimodality. Introducing Multimodality, 1–219. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315638027
Kalmakurki, M. (2021, December 10). Digital Character Costume Design in Computer-Animated Feature Films.
Kalmakurki, M. (2024). ‘Crafted for the Digital World: Digitally Realistic Costumes in CG Feature Films.’ Imagining the Impossible: International Journal for the Fantastic in Contemporary Media, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.7146/imaginingtheimpossible.145367
Kalyanarga Rizal, Ziaul Haq, M., & Andini, M. (2025). ‘Semiotic Analysis of Visual and Auditory Framing in Film Art: A Critical Synthesis of Bordwell, Thompson, and Barthes’ Theories.’ Cinematology: Journal Anthology of Film and Television Studies, 5(2), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.17509/CINEMATOLOGY.V5I2.87731
Kim, J., & Kwon, S. H. (2022). ‘K-Pop’s Global Success and Its Innovative Production System.’ Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU141711101
Kim, S.-Y. (2019). Fashion Theory The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture Beauty and the Waste: Fashioning Idols and the Ethics of Recycling in Korean Pop Music Videos. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2019.1581001
Lis, L., Fadzili, A., & Muharam, N. (2025). ‘Exploring Female Character Costumes and Representation in Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time.’ International Journal of Art & Design (IJAD), 9, 11–25. https://journal.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/IJAD/index
Liu, K., Zhou, S., Zhu, C., & Lü, Z. (2022). ‘Virtual simulation of Yue Opera costumes and fashion design based on Yue Opera elements.’ Fashion and Textiles, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-022-00300-0
Loschky, L. C., Larson, A. M., Magliano, J. P., & Smith, T. J. (2015). What would jaws do? The tyranny of film and the relationship between gaze and higher-level narrative film comprehension. PLoS ONE, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0142474
Lucas, T. (2020). ‘From Analog to Virtual: Visual Stylizations of Humanoid Characters Across Media.’ Journal of Visual Art and Design, 12(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.5614/J.VAD.2020.12.1.3
Mussel, D., Lardner, J., Tavares, P., Almeida, P. F. de, Madureira, M. A. C., Jr., N. G. G., Silva, S. R. D. R., Simms, R., Batey, J., Magalhaes, G., Gaio, M., & Messam, S. (2018). 4th International Conference on Illustration and Animation - CONFIA 2016 - Proceedings Book.pdf. Revista FSA, 15(2), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.12819/2018.15.2.4
Nikulina, O., van Riel, A. C. R., Lemmink, J. G. A. M., Grewal, D., & Wetzels, M. (2024). ‘Narrate, Act, and Resonate to Tell a Visual Story: A Systematic Review of How Images Transport Viewers.’ Journal of Advertising, 53(4), 605–625. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2024.2309921
Puspitasari, F., Piliang, Y. A., Kahdar, K., & Waskita, D. (2025). ‘A negotiating gender and culture: a semiotic analysis of anggini’s costume in Wiro Sableng 1995 and 2018.’ 9(2), 59–70.
Sharma, G., John, N., & Karandikar, M. (2024). ‘Multimodality In Stop Motion Animation Films.’ European Economic Letters (EEL), 14(1). https://doi.org/10.52783/EEL.V14I1.1146
Shin Gwang-seop. (2014). Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture (EKFC) - OMNIKA. Seoul, Korea: The National Folk Museum of Korea. https://omnika.org/library/encyclopedia-of-korean-folk-culture-ekfc
Sihombing, L. H. (2025). ‘The Role of New Media towards the Way K-Pop Fans Do Fashion as Their Self Representation.’ Kalijaga Journal of Communication, 7(1), 49–66. https://doi.org/10.14421/KJC.71.03.2025
Tennent, E. (2018). ‘The fashioned body: Fashion, dress & modern social theory Joanne Entwistle.’ Feminism & Psychology, 28(2), 292–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353516682662
Thuy, T. T. H. (2017). ‘Reading images - the grammar of visual design.’ VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 33(6). https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/VNUFS.4217
Tseng, C. I., Laubrock, J., & Bateman, J. A. (2021). ‘The impact of multimodal cohesion on attention and interpretation in film.’ Discourse, Context and Media, 44. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DCM.2021.100544
Vojković, J. (2020). ‘Film costume as a visual narrative element; defining the abstract emotions of the film viewer via Plutchik’s wheel of emotions.’ Textile and Leather Review, 3(2), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.31881/TLR.2019.34
Xia, Y., & Lin, Y. (2019). Research on Animation Character Design based on Dunhuang Art. https://doi.org/10.2991/ERSS-18.2019.93
Xie, T., & Long, Z. (2017). Research on Multimodal Visual Narrative of Digital Interactive Picture Books Interaction and Narrative. https://doi.org/10.2991/ICCESSH-17.2017.105
Yoo, H. Bin, & Ha, J. (2023). ‘What is K-Fashion? Understanding Thematic Components of the Idea of K-Fashion.’ Asian Culture and History, 15(2), 21. https://doi.org/10.5539/ACH.V15N2P21
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Felisa Naomi Sitorus (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This license allows users to:
- Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
- Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material to create derivative works.
These freedoms are granted under the following mandatory conditions:
- Attribution (BY)
You must give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and Jurnal Desain, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor (the author or the journal) endorses you or your use. When citing the work, reusers must include the article’s Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for permanent citation. - NonCommercial (NC)
You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Commercial purposes are defined as uses primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation. For any commercial use, republication, or incorporation into commercial products, you must seek and obtain specific permission from the copyright holder(s). - No Additional Restrictions
You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Official Legal Code: For the complete and legally binding terms of this license, please refer to the official legal code: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
