K-POP DEMON HUNTERS DRIVES SUMMER HAIR TREND WITH RUMI’S LAVENDER BRAID

Netflix’s animated film “K-POP DEMON HUNTERS” has gone beyond mere cinematic success to become a leader in global beauty trends. Released on June 20, the film follows the story of the fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x and has been recorded as Netflix’s most-watched animated film to date. It has accumulated 210.5 million views, placing it second among all popular content on the platform. Of particular attention is the iconic hairstyle of the protagonist Rumi. The large, thick rope-like lavender braids embody both her strength as a demon hunter and her elegance, sparking an immediate wave of imitation among fans. According to Google Trends data, searches for “rumi hairstyle” surged by 1,360% in July, making it the top trending hair tutorial during that period. The “dragon braid” style, which resembles dragon scales, also saw record-high search volumes. On TikTok, countless tutorial videos emerged showing how to recreate Rumi’s braids. People of all ages—from children to adult women and even men—are attempting to copy this hairstyle to the film’s soundtrack. Content creator Ryan Turhunn (@GingerSnark) produced a video recreating Rumi’s hairstyle that garnered 9.9 million views on TikTok and 9.3 million views on YouTube. Animated characters have previously influenced hair trends, such as Elsa’s blonde braids in Disney’s “Frozen,” Cruella’s black-and-white short hair in “Cruella,” and Moana’s natural waves. However, “K-POP DEMON HUNTERS” demonstrates a notable difference: it is a work not produced by Disney that has had a widespread impact on mainstream audiences, including parents and children who were not previously interested in K-pop or animation. The film’s soundtrack is also performing exceptionally well. Four songs, including the title track “Golden,” made it into the top 5 of the Billboard Global 200 chart, while the album shows dominant strength worldwide. By combining themes of female empowerment, a fantasy world of demon hunters, appealing characters that viewers aspire to emulate, and highly addictive soundtracks, “K-POP DEMON HUNTERS” has established itself as a powerhouse of pop culture this summer.