It Took Me a While, but I Finally Watched ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Well, I finally watched KPop Demon Hunters and … I enjoyed it. I don’t know why it took me so long.
In case you’re not familiar with the movie, it’s an animated urban fantasy musical about Huntrix, a girl group in South Korea (hence K-pop, or Korean popular music). The threesome actually are demon hunters who use their singing to protect the world against soul-sucking demons.
A new boy band, the Saja Boys, becomes the Huntrix’s biggest competition. It turns out the Saja Boys are demons out to steal the Huntrix’s fans and weaken the protective anti-demon barrier that the women maintain with their music.
Netflix released KPop Demon Hunters in June 2025. Since then, the movie has become a sensation. It’s Netflix’s most-watched original title, with more than 500 million views. It’s won two Academy Awards—for best animated feature and best original song. My friends’ kids watch it on repeat. Heck, my cousin is taking K-pop dance classes so she can dance to “Golden,” the hit song that won the Oscar. According to her, the highly synchronized dance moves are harder than they look.
Now if you’ve read my books, you know I’m all for strong female characters with a low tolerance for demons that prey on people. So I was already predisposed to like the plot for KPop Demon Hunters.
I found the movie fun, fresh and original, with great animation and a very cool art style. I love that it’s set in Asia and all the characters are Asian. It just shows that good entertainment is good entertainment no matter what people look like. I also loved the lighthearted poke at the notoriously manufactured Korean pop scene and its throngs of besotted young fans. I liked the movie’s themes of friendship, loyalty, and being true to oneself.
The songs were catchy enough and I can see why they’re hits. However, they didn’t do a whole lot for me. The music definitely is for a younger audience (in my opinion). I should probably say that my taste in music is esoteric. I like sea shanties, so ... yeah.
I highly recommend KPop Demon Hunters if you’re looking for something to enjoy with your kids or young relatives. It’s good, clean fun, and you may come away humming one of the songs, or looking to sign up for the next K-pop dance class within driving distance.


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