How ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ became the surprise hit of the summer

This image released by Netflix shows characters Zoey, from left, Rumi and Mira in a scene from "KPop Demon Hunters." (Netflix via AP)

NEW YORK — In the colourful, animated, musical world of “KPop Demon Hunters,” everyone is a fan. The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer’s global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons.

And it’s not just the film that’s a summer hit. The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Here’s how “KPop Demon Hunters” became the year’s surprising success story.

Musical tradition — and K-pop — are honoured

The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NE1 — empowered girl groups used as references for the film’s protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X.

It’s one of the many reasons the musical film’s soundtrack stands on its own. Filmmakers “really did their homework,” says Jeff Benjamin, a music journalist who specializes in K-pop.

Indeed, they did a lot of research. One of the film’s directors, Maggie Kang, said that her team prioritized “representing the fandom and the idols in a very specific way,” as to not disappoint K-pop fans.

They pulled from a treasure trove of influences heard at every corner: The fictional, rival boy band Saja Boys’ hit song “Soda Pop,” for example, references the ’90s K-pop group H.O.T.

And it has worked. “KPop Demon Hunters” is the highest charting soundtrack of 2025, with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200. To put that in perspective: Lorde’s “Virgin” and Justin Bieber’s “Swag” did the same.

In some ways, it recalls Disney’s “Encanto,” which topped the Billboard 200 and produced a No. 1 hit, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno ” in 2022. Similarly, “KPop Demon Hunters” embraces “the original soundtrack, which is a lost art form,” adds Benjamin.

Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the “Notes on K-pop” newsletter, says the movie succeeds because it embraces animated musical tradition and authentic K-pop music production styles in equal measure. She considers “Kpop Demon Hunters” to be “a musical with songs inspired by K-pop,” not unlike a Jukebox musical, where the songs of ABBA are reimagined for “Mamma Mia.”

Audiences hunger for something new

The novelty of the film, too, seems to be resonating. Where many animated films rely on adapting existing intellectual property, “KPop Demon Hunters” is original. And it comes from an original perspective. “It’s not completely Korean, it’s not completely Western and it’s kind of right in that middle,” says Kang. “It’s like not pulled from one side; it’s kind of flavors of both. So, I think that’s what makes the movie feels a little different.”

And “the core story is what’s drawing everybody in,” says Kang.

San Francisco-based cosplayer and content creator Nanci Alcántar, who goes by Naanny Lee online agrees. “It’s not only a K-pop group, but it also tells a story of their journey, of how they transform into powerful warriors,” said Alcántar in Spanish. For her, it goes beyond K-pop — it’s about the narrative.

Kang’s approach to cultural authenticity, too, may have contributed to the film’s crossover appeal. Rather than explaining Korean elements like HUNTR/X’s visit to a traditional medicine clinic or translating K-pop light stick culture for Western audiences, she opted for full immersion. “We just wanted everybody to just accept that they were in Korea,” Kang said.

The director said this method of “throwing people into the deep end of a culture” breaks down barriers better than heavy-handed explanation. “We just wanted to keep everything feeling normal,” she explained. “If you don’t shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.”

Inventive animation connects

Zabrinah Santiago, a San Diego-based longtime K-pop fan and freelance illustrator who goes by ItmeZ online, was so inspired by the animation style of the movie that she raced to make fan art. She sold illustrated fan cards of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys at her booth at the Los Angeles Anime Expo, held in July, two weeks after the movie was released on Netflix.

And she wasn’t the only one. A search of #kpopdemonhunters on Instagram yields thousands of fan illustrations of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys.

Japan-based Youtuber Emily Sim, also known as Emirichu online, says the character designs and original plot drew her to the movie. Sim, with more than 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a 35-minute video about the movie. In a week-and-a-half, it garnered nearly 450,000 views.

“I love seeing all the fan art and just the ways that this movie has creatively inspired people,” Sim said.

Kang says for “KPop Demon Hunters,” her team wanted to bring together demons and Jeoseung Saja — the grim reaper in Korean mythology — for a film that could look both very traditional and modernized — what she says is common in K-dramas but not in animation.

Herman compares the movie to another Sony animation: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which also attracted a broad audience with its creative animation. “And it’s a fun, animated musical, which we haven’t had in a while,” she says. “It’s campy, it’s engaging, it’s universal.”

And K-pop fans see themselves represented

Santiago was initially skeptical of the title “KPop Demon Hunters.”

“I feel like with big companies they kind of like to use K-pop as a bait. They kind of like to take advantage of K-pop fans’ sincerity,” said Santiago. “But I felt like with this one, it was such like kind of a love letter to K-pop fans.”

Indeed — if the film wasn’t authentic to K-pop fans’ experience, or mocked them, it is unlikely to have become so popular, says Benjamin. Instead, there are Easter eggs for the dedicated K-pop listener.

Herman agrees, and says that the film has in-jokes for K-pop fans, not unlike a children’s movie that features some humor meant to appeal specifically to parents.

“Figuring out what makes K-pop tick in a way that resonates with musical fans was really important to this movie,” said Herman.

For Kang, that was always at the heart of the project. “Fandom plays a huge part in the world being saved at the end of the movie,” she said. “So, we were really confident that we were doing that justice.”

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Karena Phan reported from Los Angeles. Juwon Park reported from Seoul.

Maria Sherman, Karena Phan And Juwon Park, The Associated Press