In the past four months or so, you may have come across a title that left you puzzled. Sony Pictures Animation’s K-Pop Demon Hunters has been a Netflix trending tab darling since its release on June 20, 2025. The title may have confused you. After all, K-pop stars who hunt demons on the side may seem like a pretty bonkers concept on a surface level. However, after seeing some positive buzz about the movie online, and being a fan of both K-pop music and animation in general, I decided to give it a shot.
KPDH follows Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, members of a girl group trio called Huntrix. In addition to dominating the charts and selling out world tours, they spend their time protecting the world from demonic forces that slip through their protective barrier, the Honmoon. When a new threat arises in the form of demon boy band, the Saja Boys, the girls must come together to defeat them before they can break the Honmoon, all while Rumi battles a dark secret of her own.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I thought it had a sweet message about self-acceptance and finding strength in your own flaws. Additionally, I thought the influence of Korean folklore and culture present was very interesting to see. The animation in particular was very colorful and lively, which Sony Pictures Animation has become no stranger to, as evidenced by their Spider-Verse films. There were some aspects of the plot that I wish could’ve been fleshed out more (i.e., Rumi’s mother and her backstory with Celine, more information about Mira and Zoey, etc.), but I heard that there is a lot of cut content and concepts that didn’t make it into the final product, so that could serve as an explanation. Perhaps some of these questions could be explored in a sequel or other projects. Also, I thought it was clever how the movie touched on the tropes of the K-pop industry and its marketing with the characters of the Saja Boys and how they seemed to fit into certain archetypes, and how fans take and run with them.
Truthfully, I never anticipated how much of a phenomenon this movie would become.
As of writing this, KPDH is now the most-watched original Netflix movie ever released onto the streaming platform, with 314 million views. From August 23-24, the film was released to theaters as a special weekend sing-along event, selling out over 1,300 screenings across the US and Canada. The film’s soundtrack has smashed records, reaching the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart and having four songs occupying slots in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Golden, the breakout hit performed by Huntrix, has dominated the #1 slot for the past 5 weeks. I’ve heard tracks from the movie being played at the mall, at my local hair salon, and even while walking around my college campus. The film is also a huge hit with children, and I’m sure the members of Huntrix are going to be very popular Halloween costumes with that demographic this coming October. The soundtrack has already been floating around awards season as well, with Golden being nominated for “Song of the Summer” at the 2025 VMAS.
Why I think it’s been so appealing
K-pop in general is a very lucrative global market. These artists rake in millions, even billions, of views and streams on music platforms. They sell out massive venues. You’ll notice that if a K-pop group or artist is present at an award show, fashion week event, etc., most of the comments will be related to their presence. Naturally, anything related to K-pop will draw engagement from legions of curious fans. A lot of K-pop fans watched the movie out of curiosity to see how the conventions and quirks of the industry would be handled in a film created by a big studio.
I also noticed a lot of fans remark that the songs and overall vibe of the movie felt very reminiscent of the third generation of K-pop (2012-2018). A lot of fans got into K-pop during this time frame, myself included, so it’s considered a very nostalgic period. Additionally, the soundtrack features a version of the track Takedown performed by Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung of the girl group Twice, one of the biggest groups to come from the third generation.
Furthermore, the concept of the “magical girl” will always be a staple of popular culture. We’ve seen the trope time and time again: A group of fabulously dressed girls lead double lives while vanquishing the forces of evil. From Sailor Moon to Winx Club to Totally Spies, there have been multiple interpretations of these kinds of heroines over the years. With each of the girls of Huntrix having their own specific styles and personalities (although, like I mentioned, Rumi takes on the protagonist role for the most part), viewers can identify with each of them. With the friendship of the girls being what saves the day in the end, it could also serve as an allegory for the importance of female friendships and even found family. I’ve also seen praise for the members of Huntrix being “strong female characters” without it being spelled out to the audience. Through both fight choreography and the scenes of the girls being vulnerable about their emotions with one another, it’s conveyed to us that these characters are both physically capable and complex. The girls don’t have to be overly stoic to the people around them, nor do they have to verbally remind us that they are strong. They’re tough, but they have fun doing it. Also, Rumi’s strength isn’t magically incapacitated by pursuing a romantic connection. A recurring criticism I’ve seen with a lot of modern animated features is that they seem hesitant to show female characters falling in love out of fear that it’ll make them seem weak or delicate. While the plotline within KPDH isn’t perfect, Rumi is never portrayed as stupid or inadequate for her feelings. Jinu (her Saja Boys love interest) doesn’t take over her entire personality. I think it struck a good balance between having the romance present but not allowing it to take over her main story of self-acceptance.
The Unfortunate Downsides to Popularity
The Crime of Being Cringe
As we’ve discussed, the movie has drawn in a large audience of young children. I’ve seen some people even compare the hype of KPDH with Gen Alpha to the same hype Disney’s Frozen got with Gen Z. When something becomes popular with kids, it’s inevitable that kids are going to talk about it. They’re going to want toys, clothes, and a large number of birthday party supplies for their new favorite thing. However, as the movie continues to gain momentum, some have started to get annoyed with the constant stream of KPDH. Recently, while scrolling through TikTok, I came across a video of a mother documenting the work she put in to create a KPDH-themed birthday party for her daughter. The comments were filled with sentiments of annoyance, with “cringe” being the most common word thrown around. Mind you, this was a party intended for seven-year-olds, and yet people who are far from that demographic are the most vocal to complain. It may be a hard pill to swallow for some, but kids are inherently “cringe.” What a kid enjoys and the way they express that enjoyment is going to be very different compared to how someone who is older and thus, more experienced with the social conventions of how to enjoy media. People complain about how kids today want to grow up too fast, but will then turn around and mercilessly make fun of kids for the way they interact with media intended to appeal to them. As long as they aren’t harming anyone, what’s so wrong with a child being a little “cringe”?
Questionable Content “For Kids”
I’ve noticed this primarily on YouTube. When you look up anything related to KPDH on the aforementioned website, it yields some questionable results. There’s a concerning amount of off-putting content using the characters from the film, especially on Shorts, YouTube’s answer to TikTok. Typically, this kind of content is oddly mean-spirited and overly sexual. It’s also a goldmine for AI-generated slop, which thrives on Shorts. YouTube search results also pull up links to sketchy websites and “quizzes” with suggestive titles, yet they use edited photos of the characters from the movie to generate clicks. It’s kind of reminiscent of the “ElsaGate” controversy that got YouTube in some hot water a couple of years ago. While I don’t think the characters from KPDH are being exploited as badly as things got during the boom of “Elsa-Spiderman” videos, the intentions behind them are similar: Use kids to get clicks.
Oversaturation + Live Action?
When something becomes inescapably popular, people begin to hate it because of that popularity. Sentiments such as “It’s not even that good” and “I’m so tired of seeing this movie everywhere” are picking up. Now that Netflix has recognized the cash cow potential of KPDH, it’s very likely they’ll try to milk it for all they can. The favorable route would be a sequel or prequel; as I mentioned before, there’s a lot of story potential and questions left unanswered that would be good material for a continuation. Unfortunately, there have been rumors floating around that there’s interest in a live-action adaptation. In my opinion, this would be the worst-case scenario. Part of the appeal of KPDH is the fact that it’s animated. The movie doesn’t shy away from giving its characters wacky expressions, and it adds to its overall charm. I think it’s a lot more believable for Rumi to have a massive bright purple braid when she’s animated as opposed to how it would look in live action. More often than not, these live-action remakes don’t attempt to do much other than hit the exact same plot beats; they just seem to think they’re more sophisticated now because it’s not an animation. I think that going ahead with a live-action adaptation not only continues to normalize the view that animation is a trivial medium only intended for children, but it also finds it insulting to the crew that worked on KPDH during its 9-year development period. The concept art is so intricate and full of creativity in a way that only animation can capture. It’s the best medium for pushing boundaries with fight choreography, character design, and worldbuilding.
Overall
K-Pop Demon Hunters is sure to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. It embraces fun and invites its audience to do the same. If you turn off that little voice in your head that makes it hard to find joy in things that may be “childish” or “stupid”, it can make your viewing experience a lot more enjoyable. If anything, I think that the massive success of both the film and its soundtrack shows that people have a desire for optimism. There’s a desire for thinking out of the box and imagination, not just in the form of animated features, but in films of all kinds of genres. Hopefully, this will start a positive trend in the media industry that embraces innovation and creative visions.