Virtual K-Pop Groups Take Over Reality... Netflix Animation “KPop Demon Hunters” Sets Historic Success Records

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has established unprecedented records in the history of streaming services. Released on June 20, the film reached new viewing heights in its fifth week after release, becoming the first Netflix movie to accomplish such a feat. According to Netflix, while most streaming content shows a general trend of declining viewership over time, “KPop Demon Hunters” continued to record steady growth by setting new weekly highs. As of the third week of July, the viewership metric calculated by dividing total viewing time by the film’s runtime reached 25.8 million, and it topped the Netflix charts in 93 countries. The movie tells the story of the three-member girl group HUNTR/X — Rumi, Mira, and Joy — who fight using music against evil spirits that hunt human souls. The core conflict of the film revolves around their confrontation with the male group Saja Boys, composed of those evil spirits. Despite being fictional K-Pop groups, their music achieved results that surpassed those of real K-Pop artists. HUNTR/X’s song “Golden” reached fourth place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and first place on the Billboard Global 200 chart — an unprecedented accomplishment for virtual idols. Netflix has confirmed that it will submit “Golden” for consideration in the Academy Award for Best Original Song category. Other songs from the film, including Saja Boys’s “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop,” also reached high positions on Spotify and Billboard charts. According to the official UK charts, the OST for “KPop Demon Hunters” topped the compilation chart for five consecutive weeks, with streaming consumption increasing each week and currently moving toward platinum certification (60,000 units). At the heart of this success lies music. A positive feedback loop was created: once listeners discovered songs on the charts and learned they were performed by virtual K-Pop groups, they naturally turned to watch the film. This was described as a film that can be viewed repeatedly like a visual album. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos stated in the second-quarter earnings report that “music will continue to grow the fanbase for these virtual K-Pop groups.” The film’s success stems from meticulous research into Korean culture. Canadian-Korean director Maggie Kang explained that she conducted thorough research to ensure every scene and design element gave the film a “strongly Korean feel.” Korean foods such as gukbap, kimbap, and tteokbokki appeared on green plates typical of old snack shops, and real landmarks in Seoul like Namsan Tower and Naksan Park’s Fortress Road were depicted. Traditional medicine shops, K-Pop fandom culture, and other cultural elements were also accurately reflected. In particular, the tiger character “Theppy,” inspired by folk art, attracted attention as an example of modern reinterpretation of Korean culture. Producers from THEBLACKLABEL, especially IDO (Yuhan, Jung-eon, NHD), Vince, and Do Min-sook, participated in the film’s production. Drawing on their experience creating numerous K-Pop hits such as BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom” and BIGBANG’s “Still Life,” they composed music for the fictional animated characters. Actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Byung-hun, and Kim Yoon-jin contributed as voice actors, and the girl group TWICE also collaborated on the musical work. Aiden Cho, the voice actor for the protagonist Rumi, emphasized that this project holds great significance for her career as an Asian actress working in the United States. She said, “Opportunities for Asian female characters to be the main focus in American works are truly rare. I finally feel like I’ve found my place.” She invested over a year in voice acting, carefully embedding Rumi’s complex emotions into different layers of her voice. The film’s success has raised expectations for sequels. Although Netflix has not issued an official statement, it is expected that reproducing this level of quality will require considerable time. At the 2025 K-World Dream Awards, “Golden” and “Soda Pop” were nominated for Best OST, competing alongside real K-Pop groups. The city of Seoul has also paid attention to the film’s popularity. It is promoting “KPop Demon Hunters Background Location Tours” centered around Seoul’s landmarks featured in the movie, such as Bukchon Hanok Village, Naksan Park’s Fortress Road, Myeongdong, N Seoul Tower, COEX, Cheongdam Bridge, and the Seoul Olympic Stadium. This is an example of the impact of cultural content that transforms film appeal into direct tourism demand.