![\"Rumi,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6fa62da2b0faeb61b65ee59c5b910db60a61cec6.jpeg\")
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Last week, KPop Demon Hunters was announced as Netflix\u2019s most watched original animated film of all time and is emerging as something of an unexpected cultural phenomenon. The movie has been sitting pretty in the No.1 slot for kids\u2019 movies and the No.2 slot overall with 26.3 million views globally in the last recorded week. If you\u2019ve heard anyone mumbling the lyrics \u201cmy little soda pop\u201d under their breath, congratulations, you\u2019ve accidentally encountered KPop Demon Hunters.<\/p>\n
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Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as demon hunters in the Netflix film when they aren\u2019t selling out stadiums.<\/p>\n
What is KPop Demon Hunters?<\/p>\n
The 99-minute PG-rated movie was released on Netflix on June 20 to little fanfare, but since then, it has experienced snowballing popularity. The three-word synopsis of the title tidily sums up the plot, which follows three young women, Rumi, Mira and Zoey, of fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR\/X (pronounced Huntrix).<\/p>\n
The trio also moonlight as demon hunters with the ultimate aim of sealing off the demon realm and its king Gwi-Ma from humankind. They\u2019re close to defeating the soul-sucking monsters until Jinu, a resident of the underworld, comes up with the genius idea of the Saja Boys, a demon boy band with floppy hair and rock-hard abs designed to win over HUNTR\/X\u2019s fans and steal their spirits.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/9c9001db890b4c7234cf486bc391d00f8c816b22.jpeg\")
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The Saja Boys are an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s behind it?<\/p>\n
Maggie Kang, who co-directed it with Chris Appelhans. Born in Seoul and raised in Toronto, Kang told Variety<\/a> the film is \u201cmy love letter to K-pop and my Korean roots\u201d. It took seven years from Kang\u2019s original pitch until it hit screens, with Kang describing it as her passion project. The film is also her directorial debut after she had worked in the animation departments on Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Croods: A New Age, The Lego Ninjago Movie and Trolls.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s in it?<\/p>\n The voice talent in the cast includes Partner Track\u2018s Arden Cho as Rumi, Lost\u2019s Yunjin Kim as former demon hunter Celine, Hawaii Five-0\u2019s Daniel Dae Kim as a dodgy healer, Squid Game\u2019s Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma, The Hangover\u2019s Ken Jeong as HUNTR\/X\u2019s manager and Fire Island\u2019s Joel Kim Booster in multiple roles.<\/p>\n Healer Han (voiced by Daniel Dae Kim) in KPop Demon Hunters.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n Why has it become so big?<\/p>\n The film was released by Netflix and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, so part of the answer might lie in Sony\u2019s pedigree as it was behind the similarly visually impressive, critically acclaimed 2023 movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse<\/a>.<\/p>\n Being on Netflix also means that, unlike an expensive cinema outing, the film can be rewatched by kids, which is why it has become a word-of-mouth hit across playgrounds globally.<\/p>\n Hang on, isn\u2019t animation struggling?<\/p>\n Interestingly, KPop Demon Hunters is something of an anomaly, especially with much discussion about the death of original animation after Pixar\u2019s Elio<\/a> flopped at the box office this year. The animated films that have succeeded are sequels, live-action remakes or existing intellectual properties, such as Inside Out 2<\/a>, the new Lilo & Stitch<\/a> and The Super Mario Bros. Movie<\/a>. The fact the fresh plot of KPop Demon Hunters is being rewarded with eyeballs is certainly something to cheer about.<\/p>\n Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyo-Seop) and Rumi (voice by Arden Cho) battle in KPop Demon Hunters.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n Is it worth all the fuss?<\/p>\n Yes! For such a ridiculous sounding premise, incredibly well executed, pulling off the near-impossible Bluey-esque trick of being good fun for parents and adults to watch with legitimately funny quips peppered throughout. And forget the usual animated Disney princesses, the snack-loving, couch-adoring Rumi, Mira and Zoey are a breath of fresh air, managing to be simultaneously fierce, goofy and imperfect.<\/p>\n And while KPop Demon Hunters functions perfectly as an action-packed, monster-slaying romp, it also has a deeper message about fighting inner demons and negative self-talk through unconditional friendship and self-acceptance. Not a bad message to be sneaking into the brains of tweens and older children.<\/p>\n What do critics think?<\/p>\n It holds an impressive 97 per cent fresh rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, with The New York Times calling it \u201can original universe that is charming, funny and artfully punchy\u201d.<\/p>\n Ji-young Yoo (voice of Zoey), Arden Cho (voice of Rumi) and May Hong (voice of Mira).<\/p>\n What\u2019s the music like?<\/p>\n Incredibly catchy, so catchy it\u2019s utterly believable that it\u2019s the work of demons wanting to take over humankind.<\/p>\n The big hit Golden (basically the Let It Go<\/a>-size breakout song from the movie) is sitting at No.1 on the ARIA single chart, while the soundtrack is at No.1 on the album chart, with Australia the first market globally to hit that double No.1 for the movie\u2019s music. In total, a whopping seven of the top 20 tracks on ARIA\u2019s singles chart currently come from the film\u2019s soundtrack.<\/p>\n Internationally, the soundtrack has topped the Billboard Global 200 and even copped a David Guetta remix.<\/p>\n Considering how much of a chokehold K-pop has on popular music, with groups such as Blackpink and BTS, the soundtrack\u2019s success is no surprise. KPop Demon Hunters smartly recruited talent directly from that world for the film\u2019s original tracks, with contributions from hit-making songwriters Teddy Park, Lindgren, Jenna Andrews and Ejae (who also serves as the singing voice of Rumi). Popular K-pop girl group Twice also recorded their version<\/a> of HUNTR\/X\u2019s banger Takedown.<\/p>\n Will there be a sequel?<\/p>\n While nothing has yet been officially announced, it\u2019s unthinkable there won\u2019t be some more juice to squeeze from a hit this big. Netflix has already been rolling out KPop Demon Hunters merch on its online store, with everything from HUNTR\/X hoodies and Saja Boys badges, to a replica of the train and teddy-emblazoned pyjama pants Jinu mocks Rumi for wearing (they\u2019ll only run you a cool $117).<\/p>\n And the movie\u2019s legion of fans will be pleased to hear Kang seems very open to the idea of expanding the KPop Demon Hunters universe. In an interview with ScreenRant<\/a>, she said she was \u201calways\u201d thinking of sequel ideas. \u201cThere are always side stories, and there are things we\u2019ve thought of while making this one,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are a lot of questions that are answered, but not fully. I think there are a lot of pockets that we can explore.\u201d<\/p>\n So it sounds like the phenomenon of KPop Demon Hunters is far from done, done, done<\/a>.<\/p>\n KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix. <\/p>\n Have you seen KPop Demon Hunters? Tell us what you think in the comments below!<\/p>\n![\"Healer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/553dbea6cdd7e486cd651dfaeb8e27492718a064.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Jinu](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2ec06faeec14fb6af20e5d91a02fd197c33a2b88.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Ji-young](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5efe99b22843d1217ac0f617b8930d97d4722f75.jpeg\")
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