As South Korean popular culture continues to dominate the globe, the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” successfully blends influences and leans into the worldwide attraction of Korean leisure. Mixing energetic pop songs with Okay-drama storytelling stakes, the film has topped Netflix’s streaming charts and confirmed unique animation can nonetheless thrive. Past the movie’s streaming success, nonetheless, the manufacturing’s soundtrack can be breaking information, with its main single “Golden” now up for awards consideration. This breathtaking recognition on a number of fronts is a transparent testomony to the rising ubiquity of South Korean leisure worldwide and indicators the nation’s cultural unfold is simply gaining momentum.
For the uninitiated, “KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated musical a few Okay-pop lady group that hunts demons, because the title suggests. The story focuses on Huntr/x, a lady group having fun with international success whereas additionally secretly looking demons and utilizing their musical skills to take care of a magical barrier defending the world. In response, the demon king Gwi-ma (Lee Byung-hun) creates a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who’re disguised demons utilizing their recognition to empty followers’ souls. Main Huntr/x is Rumi (Arden Cho), who’s secretly part-demon and torn over her heritage as she defeats demons by means of her music. This results in a musical showdown between Huntr/x and the Saja Boys, with Rumi unveiling a brand new tune able to breaking Gwi-ma’s soul-draining spell.
This all makes for a pleasant bubblegum pop animated journey, however there are some really spectacular feats “KPop Demon Hunters” has pulled off since its June 2025 launch.
KPop Demon Hunters’ multi-fronted dominance
Whereas “KPop Demon Hunters” premiered to respectable streaming numbers on Netflix, with over 9 million viewers worldwide, it greater than doubled its viewership in its second week. For an business that sees regular viewers attrition after debuts, the animated film defied that pattern, with over 24 million further viewers having streamed the movie in its second week alone (by way of Selection). The film’s constructive important response and powerful word-of-mouth has probably buoyed its endurance, with the movie incomes a formidable 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Nonetheless, it is the musical accomplishments of “KPop Demon Hunters” which might be among the many manufacturing’s most eye-opening and necessary.
Because the movie’s soundtrack made its debut on-line, it has frequently topped streaming charts on Spotify, with the album having additionally launched at #8 on the Billboard Sizzling 200 chart. The soundtrack’s hit single “Golden” has even surpassed the output of real-life lady group Blackpink (whose member Lisa is now an performing star as effectively due to “The White Lotus”) to turn out to be the highest-charting women-led Okay-pop tune in historical past (by way of the BBC). In the meantime, the Saja Boys-performed single “Your Idol” has replicated that success, outperforming BTS’s work because the highest-charting male-led Okay-pop tune. Okay-pop had already turn out to be a musical powerhouse worldwide, and “KPop Demon Hunters” correctly faucets into that rising fanbase for its personal industrial success.
Given the streaming recognition of each the film “KPop Demon Hunters” and its accompanying soundtrack, South Korean popular culture stays a pressure to be reckoned with. And with toe-tapping hit songs and a family-friendly story, the film is a transparent signal that Korean leisure’s international presence is right here to remain.
“KPop Demon Hunters” is now streaming on Netflix (and it could but get a sequel).
