KPOP DEMON HUNTERS!
On June 20, 2025, Netflix released an original animated movie in lieu of their on-going diversification of production—their ambitious KPOP DEMON HUNTERS. Little was it anticipated, their story about the titular characters, Rumi, Mira and Zoey would re-ignite the slagging honmoon, that had become the Korean Wave or the Hallyu!
The story utilizes aspects of Korean culture, whether it is the shamanist motifs of the demons and the demon hunters in the show, or the contemporary Kpop scene, where K-Pop Demon Hunters succeeds is its powerful accenuating of the best and most intriguing parts of Korean culture to the foreign world, into a par-excellence storytelling narrative, compelling to adults and children alike. Being ourselves, unabashedly and unapologetically, the main theme of the film, is not only a message deeply ingrained in the movie, but also one which sticks to all age groups.
The movie’s success is not just rooted in masterful story-building and writing, but also its powerful soundtrack and musical numbers. From their original soundtrack, songs like GOLDEN, Takedown, How It Sounds Like, or How Its Down by HUNTR/X and Soda Pop or Your Idol by the Saja Boys have become immensely popular throughout the globe with successful collabs with K-pop veterans like TWICE in their version of Takedown and Strategy also displaying a clear maturity and faithfulness to the Kpop genre.
The expression of the movie’s commercial success may only be said in hyperbole, due to its exponential curve of popularity. In just under 6 months, the movie has become the most viewed Netflix movie in history, and has become one of the highest rated animated movies of the year 2025 thus far. Moreover, songs like GOLDEN and Soda Pop endure on Korean as well as International and American charts. GOLDEN remains at the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and has become the song with the most Perfect All-Kills in the history of Korean streaming platforms, defeating songs by BTS and NewJeans with ease. Due to this success, we see many positive effects on the film industry in general. A more creative and free-flowing direction of films, a boost to independent artists in music and film, more freedom to artists is to be expected due to the breakthrough of the film, breaking earlier shackles in these industries to artists, truly an exemplification of the message of the film and of the songs within it!
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS streaming now on Netflix