Planning a K-Pop Demon Hunter (IYKYK) Birthday Party with Claude

The Experiment Can AI help plan a party based on specific media? I tested this by planning my child's birthday party themed around the Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Plot twist: Claude didn't know about the movie (not in its training data which cuts off in January 2025), so it worked purely from the concept I described—"K-pop meets demon hunting." Would generic theme ideas still work for a party based on specific media?

The Process Starting Point One simple prompt: "K-pop demon hunters themed party - what are some party ideas?"

The Journey (30 minutes across 3 conversations) Conversation 1: Foundation

Theme exploration (decorations, activities, food) Guest list and 4-week timeline

Conversation 2: Deep Dive

10+ game concepts Scavenger hunt mechanics (individual vs. team) Three "Pin the" game variations Prize budget breakdown

Conversation 3: Food & Beverage

Themed snacks with creative names Korean-inspired options

What Claude Created: Complete 4-week planning timeline with tasks 10+ unique game concepts blending K-pop and demon hunting Detailed activity stations with setup checklists Themed menu ("Power-up Potions," "Demon Defeating Dumplings") Prize distribution strategy Music playlist suggestions

Techniques That Worked Be Specific When It Matters

❌ "What games should I have?" ✅ "K-pop demon hunter games for individual play?"

Build Incrementally Tackle one category at a time rather than asking for everything at once.

Use Voice for Brainstorming, Text for Structure Voice chat works great for ideation, but switch to text when you need document updates or detailed outputs.

The Results What Surprised Me: Generic ideas still worked - Even without knowing the movie, Claude created cohesive K-pop + demon hunting concepts Practical details included - Not just ideas, but checklists, timing, and setup notes Budget-conscious - Helped work within constraints rather than suggesting expensive options

Limitations: No specific references - Couldn't suggest ideas based on actual characters or scenes from the movie Voice-to-artifact gaps - Couldn't update documents during voice conversations Generic approach - All suggestions were conceptual, not tied to specific movie elements kids would recognize

The Verdict: 8/10 AI excelled at:

Generating creative ideas quickly Organizing information systematically Remembering context across conversations Working productively despite knowledge gaps

Could improve:

Movie-specific references (knowledge limitation) Proactive suggestions for next steps Quantity estimates (had to prompt for this)

The Knowledge Gap Insight: Claude's lack of movie knowledge didn't prevent usefulness, it just meant planning was concept-based rather than specific to the film. For media-based parties, you'll need to add character names, iconic scenes, and recognizable moments yourself.

Alternative Approach - Using Perplexity: For movie-specific details, use Perplexity alongside Claude:

Perplexity: Research character names, key scenes, visual style from K-Pop Demon Hunters Claude: Organize info into party plans, create checklists, manage budget Best of both: Facts from Perplexity + planning from Claude = complete party with specific references

Try It Yourself! Experiment Ideas: Beginner:

Plan one aspect of your next event (menu, activities, or timeline) Combine two unrelated themes and see what AI creates Give AI a budget constraint and see how creative it gets

Intermediate:

Plan the same event for different age groups and compare Blend traditions from different cultures Test how well context persists across multiple conversations

Advanced:

Use Perplexity to gather facts, then Claude to organize them into a plan Ask AI to plan from different perspectives (budget-conscious vs. luxury) Deliberately give conflicting requirements and observe trade-offs

Starter Prompts: For Party Planning:

"I'm planning a [age] birthday with a [theme] theme. What are some activity ideas?" "Help me create a timeline for [event] happening in [timeframe]" "I have [budget] for [category]. How should I allocate it?"

For Creative Projects:

"Combine [concept A] and [concept B] - brainstorm ideas" "Develop this basic idea into a complete plan: [your idea]" "Give me [number] variations on [concept] for [audience]"

Pro Tips: Start broad, then narrow - Let AI brainstorm first, then add constraints Request specific formats - Ask for checklists, timelines, or budgets when you need structure Mix tools strategically - Research tools for facts, planning tools for organization Save effective prompts - Note what works well for future use

The Bigger Picture AI isn't just for coding or writing—it's surprisingly effective for creative project planning. The key is treating it as a collaborative brainstorming partner, not a magic solution.

The lesson: Even with knowledge gaps, AI provided useful scaffolding and creative direction. For media-based projects, AI gives you the framework; you add the specific details fans care about.

This made party planning actually fun instead of overwhelming. Now I just need all of the K-pop demon hunter decorations to arrive in time... 🎤👻

Your Turn: What could you plan with AI this week?

Time Investment: ~30 minutes across 3 conversations Usefulness: High - Complete, actionable party plan Fun Factor: Unexpectedly high

Tools Used

Tool: Claude (Anthropic) - Where to Find It: claude.ai - Cost: Free tier available; Pro subscription for extended features