‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ Review: Netflix’s Breakout Hit is a Total Crowdpleaser

Catchy songs and a lovable cast of characters has helped propel the animated film into a word of mouth hit for the streamer.

One year after “Brat Summer,” Chappell Roan’s rise to stardom, and a full six-month period where the lyrics “That’s that me espresso” were stuck in every American’s head, 2025 pop music has proven disappointingly ordinary. With the charts staler than ever and little new releases to enjoy on the horizon, pop excellence has to be found in unconventional places.

Enter: Huntr/x, a K-pop trio with banging leather outfits and a likable lineup that slots into the classic “Powerpuff Girls” mold: there’s the childish and sweet “Bubbles” type Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), the tough and sarcastic “Buttercup” type Mira (May Hong), and the “Blossom”-esque earnest type-A leader Rumi (Arden Cho). Since June, the group has blown up in America with an album at No. 3 on Billboard and a hit single climbing up the Hot 100. It’s a particularly impressive feat for a group that isn’t actually “real,” instead hailing from Netflix‘s animated musical, “Kpop Demon Hunters.”

Since premiering on Netflix in June 20 to relatively little promotion, “Kpop Demon Hunters” has, via word and mouth and social media, blossomed into a bona fide success for the streamer and Sony Pictures Animation. As of this writing, it’s the No. 1 film on the site, and its soundtrack album — featuring the catchy multilingual earworms performed by Huntr/x and their rival group Saja Boys — has produced moderate hits (the song “Your Idol” managed to reach no. 1 on the US Spotify chart, surpassing BTS’ “Dynamite” as the biggest song on the chart).

In many respects, the film’s success isn’t exactly a surprise, reflecting on the widening market for kpop and the many fans of Asian animation that are primed to enjoy a western product that takes obvious inspiration from anime in its visual style. But thankfully, “Kpop Demon Hunters” isn’t just a cynical attempt from Sony to cash in on a cultural trend: in the hands of directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, it’s a endearing, beautifully animated crowdpleaser, with a dorkily sincere love for the pop culture phenomena it embeds itself in.

The film’s screenplay — credited to Kang, Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, and Hannah McMechan — thankfully doesn’t waste too much time on setting up or over-explaining the film’s somewhat silly mythology. Each generation, a new trio of women has risen up to take on the mantle of maintaining the Honmoon, a magical barrier that seals demons from the human world, with the power of song. In modern times, that translates to the trio being the hottest girl group in South Korea, with legions of fans at every concert to buy merch and squeal like babies as they perform under the bright lights.

Smartly, “Kpop Demon Hunters” picks up with the three women already having long come into their own as Demon Hunters, giving room for them to bounce off each other as friends. That’s a very good thing, because it allows for fun, knowing jokes about the Kpop industry — from the rabid fandoms to the corny variety shows burgeoning stars are forced to take part in — and because the cast chemistry between the three women is a huge part of what makes the film such a delight. Statuesque goddesses on stage but utter goofballs in the privacy of their home, Huntr/x’s personalities might be archetypical, but a combination of the three actresses’ vocal performances and lively writing makes them likable and relatable as they slurp self-branded instant noodles and complain about the hiatus Rumi keeps pushing them back from taking.

Comedic moments are where the animation — a mix of the sharp style of Sony’s “Spider-Verse” films with some clear Eastern influence — also shines the brightest. The action is well-choreographed, and the on-stage performances are convincing replicas of real K-pop girl groups, but nothing in the film is as delightful as the way the animators contort the faces of the leads with some manga inspired faces and reactions. In a standout moment, when the girls first encounter the Saja Boys — their rivals not just on the charts but on the battlefield, a band of monsters sent to destroy the Honmoon from the film’s unfortunately generic demon lord — Mira and Zoey’s eyes shift from red-eyed cartoon hearts to a pair of six-pack abs to popping corn, in a hilarious PG-friendly depiction of abject thirst.

The Saja Boys are memorable creations of their own, an over-the-top collection of shaggy haircuts, dewy faces, and bright streetwear that instantly invokes the heartthrobs of BTS or Stray Kids. They’re mostly anonymous grunts, though, with the exception of the dark-haired and soft-voiced leader Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), who immediately clashes with Rumi on a more personal level than just being on opposite sides of a demon/hunter war, which belies an obvious attraction. For Rumi, stressed out about finally fully strengthening the barrier and carrying a secret she keeps hidden from both of her friends, Jinu — with his own complicated backstory — becomes a safe space where she can finally feel like herself.

Like much of the film’s storyline, this star-crossed romance draws inspiration and beats from dozens of coming-of-age fantasies you’ve watched or read before, a more chaste version of Buffy and Angel, but “Kpop Demon Hunters” still makes it work. Cho and Ahn create believably compelling chemistry together, and their relationship gives an otherwise lighthearted adventure some much needed depth and weight.

Introducing the Saja Boys also allows the directors an excuse to cram the film with more music numbers, most of which were written by real professionals in the K-pop industry: contributors include Ejae (who also provides Rumi’s singing voice), who has worked on songs for girl groups like Twice and Red Velvet, as well as prolific Kpop producer Teddy Park. The result isn’t necessarily a full collection of bangers: a few (opening song “How It’s Done,” “Your Idol”) lean towards the generic and blend together too easily. But they’re eminently believable as real K-pop songs you can stream in the real world, and the highlights — including Saja Boys bouncy intro number “Soda Pop” and Huntr/x’s big inspirational ballad “Golden” — are spectacular.

What’s more impressive about the music in the film is how the directors find smart, varied ways to stage the songs. Some numbers like “How It’s Done” are performed as the girls are fighting demons, while others like “Golden” are presented via music videos emulating the high-budget endeavors of real-world groups. “Takedown,” a nasty diss track, gets introduced in a montage as the girls create it, while “Soda Pop” is a spirited dance number. When Rumi and Jinu have a moment of understanding, they launch into a short love duet. The film’s versatility with how it flexes its musical muscles makes the K-pop trappings more than just a goofy gimmick but a central and vital component of its storytelling.

If there’s a fatal flaw to “Kpop Demon Hunters,” it’s that there’s almost too little of it. The film’s quick pace and short runtime — subtract the end credits, and it barely lasts an hour and 25 minutes — is a boon at points, as the film moves on from it’s stuffier plot points. At other times, it glides a little too quickly away from depth. The film sticks to Rumi as the lead for expediency, giving Mira and Zoey short shrift storyline wise, while also not digging nearly enough into the resentment Rumi feels towards former hunter and surrogate mother figure Celine (Yunjin Kim). The rushed climax also lands as slightly underwhelming, an overly easy resolution that doesn’t give these lovable girls the ending they deserve.

That said, who’s to say it is the end? The last shot of the film seems begging for a sequel to be made, and the film’s success feels like it could very well become a reality. And it’d be welcome too, giving the charming fantasy Kpop world of the film another chance to shine. Until then, fans will just have to keep streaming “Golden” as they await Huntr/x’s comeback.

Grade: B

“Kpop Demon Hunters” is currently streaming on Netflix.

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