Why Is K-Pop Demon Hunters So Successful?

Warning, this article will have spoilers in it if you have not seen the film.

We live in a time where we see a lot of animated movies becoming live action films, loosing their artistic animation integrity, or it is sequel after sequel, so it is almost no surprise to see how successful K-Pop Demon Hunters has become. Produced by Sony and released on Netflix on June 20th 2025, the film has captured the hearts of film buffs new and old.

The film had only come to my attention recently as I was scrolling through TikTok and heard the song "Golden" from the film being used in almost every other post. The first time I heard it I didn't think much of it, but then after hearing it time and time again the song had started to grow on me, and then my curiosity got the better of me as I had t0 source who the artist, or what the original content was. A few weekends ago I had sat down to give the movie a proper watch, and let me say... I AM OBSESSED. Now I have only seen the film through once, but the temptations to watch it again are higher than ever.

The premise of the movie follows a K-Pop group named Huntr/x, made up of Rumi, Mira & Zoey, who are the largest singing group in South Korea, and possibly (actually most likely) the world in the films setting. The trio use their singing powers to create the 'Honmoon' which is a protective layer to keep demons from the underworld out, and prevents them from consuming human souls. If the Honmoon turns gold, then the seal has been locked. For decades, other trios have continued this tradition of creating music so powerful that it protects the human race from their demise, but with demons who are getting fed up of being left in the dark, they come up with a new game plan to take down Huntr/x and consume as many souls as possible.

With Huntr/x's tour closed out, and Mira & Zoey ready for a break, Rumi releases their newest song, "Golden", and gear up for their next era, but something isn't right with Rumi, and we discover that she is half demon. The demons with a game plan of their own, send up 5 of their own to make an all male k-pop group named the Saja Boys, to win over Huntr/x fans and consume their souls. While Rumi is battling and hiding the fact that she is half demon from Mira & Zoey, they must all fight demons running ramped in the human world, and stop the Saja Boys before the Honmoon fully collapses.

With Jinu, the lead of the Saja Boys, trying to accomplish his goal of breaking the Honmoon with the others, he also faces the hardships of coming to terms with his past when he was still alive. The Saja Boys end up tricking Rumi into showing her demon side, making Mira & Zoey turn their backs on her, thus allowing the Honmoon to be broken. The Saja boys put on one final show to consume as many souls as possible, while a broken Rumi shows up to reunite with the rest of Huntr/x to defeat the demons once and for all and restore the Honmoon.

Since its release, K-Pop Demon Hunters broke record for most watch film on Netflix of all time, even getting a limited theatrical release due to its success. What makes it so binge and obsess worthy though? Analyzing it, the film seems to be one of the more well written original animated movies released recently. Comparing it to recent Pixar releases, you see films like Luca and Elio that didn't do too well in theatres or the toy market, as Pixar changed their animation style to try and fit in with Sony's. Same goes for Dreamworks, after backlash came from the animation style change that is evident in the recent Puss in Boots film and their Shrek 5 trailer, which are sequels. In my personal opinion the current 'comic book' or 'stop motion' style that Sony is doing can only be done correctly by them, which is why it works so well for the Into The Spiderverse films and K-Pop Demon Hunters. Even songs from the soundtrack itself at the time of writing this hold four of the top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100.

There have been a string of sequels for animated films recently, and more recently Pixar had announced films Toy Story 5, Incredibles III, and Coco 2. Will I still watch them? Well yes! Though it seems like a breath of fresh air having something original from Sony that seems to have united a lot of people together. Recently it was also announced that a sequel to K-Pop Demon Hunters is in the works, which is inevitable, and I'm excited for, but I hope Sony and Netflix don't pinch everything they possibly can from this fresh and new franchise they have created.

You can listen to the soundtrack below on Apple Music & Spotify, and you can now watch the film on Netflix.