K-pop Demon Hunters: The Movie That Surprised Everyone
Cast and filmmakers hop on the KPop Demon Hunters-Sing Along Experience at Paris Theater on August 23, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix)
It is very common for films to come out and leave a lasting impression on those who watch them. But very rarely does a film come out and not only leave a lasting impression on the viewers but on society.
I hadn’t heard of K-pop Demon Hunters until my friend had sat me down to watch it, and when I heard the premise, I thought that it was going to be a movie that was not very good or that would be forgotten within a week. I could not have been more incorrect. Not only did that film become very popular, but the soundtrack did as well.
The film became the number one movie on Netflix within 67 days, surpassing the record previously held by Red Notice. The soundtrack did not become as popular as fast, but it did hit number 1 on Billboard's top 200 albums and is the first album from an animated movie to do so since Encanto. The band Huntrix from the film was even nominated for a VMA.
But why was this film so popular? That is what I am here to explain.
The Story and Its Message
K-pop Demon Hunters is an animated film about a K-pop group called Huntrix, who are demon hunters in secret. Huntrix is comprised of Mira, Rumi, and Zoe. Mira and Zoe are human demon hunters, while Rumi is a half-demon, which presents a major conflict for the film.
The antagonists for this film are a group of demons who form a rival K-pop group called the Saja Boys. Rumi and a member of the Saja Boys, Jinu, end up getting close and kind of becoming friends.
Rumi being half demon is a major conflict in both the story of the film but also her character story as well. Since she is a demon hunter, being half-demon means that she is effectively fighting her kind. She ends up hiding this out of shame and fears that her bandmates Mira and Zoe won't accept her as being this way. Jinu helps her embrace her half-demon side and not be ashamed of it to the point where, at the climax of the film, she uses it to her advantage.
Part of the reason why K-pop Demon Hunters is so popular, especially with a younger audience, is because of this character journey that Rumi goes on in the film. She learns that being half-demon is not something she should be ashamed of.
This can be a good lesson for a younger audience younger girls especially because it can teach them that they are unique, but that is nothing to be ashamed of. They should not hide who they are but embrace it and not let other people put them down for who they are or what they look like, or where they even come from.
The story, while being about a K-pop group fighting demons, is entertaining but allows people of all ages, races, shapes, and sizes to be able to embrace where they come from and what they look like better and easier.
The Soundtrack
K-pop has been getting more popular worldwide lately, thanks to the efforts of groups like BTS and Black Pink, which helped the soundtrack to K-pop Demon Hunters get popular. What also helped, though, is how catchy the songs are and how easy they are to sing along to despite being K-pop songs.
K-pop is popular, sure, but only with K-pop fans. If you don’t like the genre, you aren’t going to listen to K-pop. The soundtrack to this film, though, is most English, so they sound like normal pop songs, so it will reach a wider audience than normal K-pop, especially with kids.
Let it Go from Frozen was one of the most popular songs in the world when that movie came out, because of how popular Frozen was, but also because of how catchy it is. I am sure that there are plenty of adults who are listening to the soundtrack, but it is most likely younger kids who are listening to it a lot because the film was made for them.
Breaking Ground
I know that most people think award shows are rigged or not all that important, but they can be important for some things.
Huntrix, the fictional group from K-pop Demon Hunters, was nominated for a Video Music Award (VMA). The VMAs are not as popular as the Grammy’s but they are popular among teens and young adults, which brings even more attention to the film if by that point you have not heard of or seen the film. What is significant about this, though, is that Huntrix is the first fictional group to be nominated for something like this.
K-pop Demon Hunters is a film that came seemingly out of nowhere on Netflix and became so popular that it is breaking ground in other ways as well. The film has a great message for kids and teens while being enjoyable enough for adults not to get sick of it easily. The soundtrack has nothing but good songs that sound like normal pop songs, so parents won’t get sick of it when their kids listen to it on repeat.
All these combined lead to an animated musical that is not just good but has super catchy songs as well. It’s no wonder that it has taken the world by storm. Netflix has announced they want to do a sequel to this film, so if that happens and comes out, expect it to be just as, if not more popular than the first one.