Exorcism Chronicles ~ The Beginning (2025) ~ Save the Child, Save the World

“Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning” is a 2025 Korean animated movie, categorized as Animation, Action, Mystery, Suspense, Fantasy, and Horror, and Horror Anime, streaming on Viki, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, and Amazon Prime.

• Memorable Quote: “Are you still rambling on about evil spirits disgracing the church? … Was it that child?”

SUMMARY: A disgraced priest, a devoted monk, and a gifted young boy team up to fight against dark supernatural forces on the rise across Korea. Together, they confront ancient threats and their own inner demons.

♦ A Child is in Danger

In “Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning”, the storyline follows three protagonists ~ Father Park, Hyunam Lee, and Junhoo Jang ~ whose fates intertwine as a demonic uprising threatens to reshape their world.

• Father Park, a doctor turned priest, whose life has been defined by a single catastrophic mistake. Once a respected figure within the church, he was excommunicated after performing unauthorized exorcisms, acts he believed were necessary to protect the innocent.

• Hyunam Lee is a monk from a secretive temple known for its mastery of mystical arts. He is disciplined, spiritually grounded, and deeply loyal. He and Father Park have a long-standing friendship. Hyunam Lee approaches his friend with troubling news: a powerful child is in grave danger.

• Jun-hoo Jang is the child. He is innocent and naïve but gifted with extraordinarily powerful abilities. The child becomes the target of dark forces seeking to control him and exploit his abilities.

The demonic resurgence is an event tied to ancient prophecies and long-buried secrets. It is supernatural warfare. As the trio travels to various locations, they encounter supernatural entities, corrupted disciples, and remnants of forgotten rituals. Each character is on a personal journey, as well as a joint mission to save the world.

Main Animated Characters (Voice Actors):

• Hyunam Lee: A martial arts master possessing immense physical strength. (Nam Doh-hyeong)
• Father Park: An excommunicated Catholic priest whose deep faith provides protective auras. (Choi Han)
• Junhoo Jang: A young psychic and prodigy highly skilled in talismanic magic. (Jung Yoo-jung)

Where to Watch: Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Viki, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.2 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.1 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this animated film: 8.7 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3 out of 5 stars
• Common Sense Media: 3 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

“Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning” (2025) was produced by Locus Animation Studios.

Locus Animation Studios is a leading South Korean CGI animation company, founded in 2009. The studio has a reputation for producing high-quality 3D animated films and series, combining advanced visual effects technology with creative storytelling. LAS is considered one of Korea’s premier animation studios.

This animated dark fantasy is an adaptation of Lee Woo-hyeok’s acclaimed book series “Toemarok” (Korean: 퇴마록, literally “A Record of Exorcism”). It is a 19-volume occult fiction epic published between 1993 and the early 2000s. “Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning” is based specifically on the first chapter of the first volume.

First off, I stepped out of my comfort zone to watch this. I don’t know much about anime, so I lifted a quote from a review by Spectrum Culture:

• “First off, hailing from South Korea, Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning is an excellent-looking and often genuinely spectacular work of animation that adopts the visual stratagem (by way of computers) of their Japanese neighbors. Screenwriter Lee Dong-ha is adapting the movie from the book series by Lee Woo-hyeok, so this is also the first film in an intended franchise. As expected, then, a lot is riding on how the filmmakers fare with this initial installment.”

Second off, I liked the artwork and the soundtrack.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning. | Spectrum Culture

South Korea’s Cult Classic Fiction Series about Exorcists Comes to Life in 3D Animation. | The CHOSUN Daily

Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning Review – Korean Anime Summons Convoluted Lore In Lieu Of Good Writing. | ScreenRant

Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning Evokes Deep Nostalgia | The Korea Times

TRAILER/TEASER:

Entertainment Access. “EXORCISM CHRONICLES: The Beginning – Official Trailer (2025).” YouTube, 28 Aug. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v85aALDMHTs.

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