{"id":2468190,"date":"2025-07-29T12:01:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T16:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-netflix-hit-kpop-demon-hunters-went-viral\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T12:07:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T16:07:28","slug":"why-netflix-hit-kpop-demon-hunters-went-viral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-netflix-hit-kpop-demon-hunters-went-viral\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Netflix Hit &#8216;KPop Demon Hunters&#8217; Went Viral"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-netflix-hit-kpop-demon-hunters-went-viral%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2468190&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary discusses the contrasting fortunes of two animated films: Pixar&#8217;s *Elio*, which performed poorly at the box office, and Netflix&#8217;s *KPop Demon Hunters*, which became a viral success. pixar, once known for innovative storytelling and animation, has faced declining relevance due to several flops and controversies. *Elio* notably struggled, earning only $35 million in its opening weekend, and was criticized for removing originally intended LGBTQ+ themes, resulting in a plot perceived as empty.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, *KPop Demon Hunters* captivated audiences, remaining in Netflix&#8217;s top ten for over a month and achieving over 100 million views.The movie earned critical acclaim with high ratings and spawned viral fan engagement, including social media edits and music chart hits. The story revolves around a K-pop girl group fighting demons through thier fan base&#8217;s support, blending action, humor, and a nuanced critique of K-pop culture.<\/p>\n<p>The success of *KPop Demon Hunters* lies in its unique concept, strong execution, and deep understanding of its <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >target audience-primarily girls-offering relatable<\/a> yet aspirational characters without heavy-handed agendas. The film resonates by portraying honest friendships, vulnerability, and identity struggles authentically. It also taps into the growing popularity of Asian pop culture trends in the West, doing so organically rather than forcefully promoting multiculturalism or feminism.<\/p>\n<p>While *KPop Demon Hunters* may not become an all-time classic, its fresh approach and cultural relevance provide a much-needed boost to the animation market, highlighting what Disney and Pixar might learn to regain their footing in children&#8217;s and young adult entertainment.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>While Pixar&rsquo;s <em>Elio <\/em>floundered at the box office, Netflix&rsquo;s original animated movie <em>KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>went viral.<\/p>\n<p>Disney &mdash; Pixar in particular &mdash; used to be the home of unique concepts, heartfelt stories, and groundbreaking animation. Now, the studio is losing relevancy after a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disney-hired-porn-star-in-live-action-remake-of-classic-animated-film-reports\/\" title=\"... reportedly hired a porn star for a live-action remake of a classic animated film.\">box-office flops<\/a>, controversies, and cash grabs, including <em>Elio, Lightyear, Turning Red, <\/em>and <em>Toy Story 4. Elio<\/em>, in particular, only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/elio-pixar-worst-box-office-opening-weekend-2025-6#:~:text=Pixar%20(%20Pixar%20Animation%20Studios%20)%20just,movie%2C%20%22Elemental%2C%22%20was%20previously%20its%20worst%20opening.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earned<\/a> $35 million in its opening weekend. According to an artist who <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/07\/02\/pixar-artist-elio-is-nothing-without-gay-propaganda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worked<\/a> on the project, the movie was originally written with gay themes that were later scrubbed, leaving the plot empty. Days before the movie was released in theaters, Pixar was already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DLaQFO-yad-\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chiding<\/a> its audience for not supporting &ldquo;original&rdquo; animation.<\/p>\n<p>The audience has simply taken its support elsewhere. <em>KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/tudum\/articles\/top-10-july-7-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remains<\/a> in Netflix&rsquo;s top ten movies a month after its release. It has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/entertainment\/animation-movies\/kpop-demon-hunters-has-made-netflix-history-by-breaking-an-unlikely-record-5-weeks-after-its-release\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">viewed<\/a> over 100 million times. Three of the movie&rsquo;s original songs are in the top ten on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/chart-beat\/huntrx-golden-global-charts-number-one-saiyaara-1236031835\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">global charts<\/a>. The movie has spawned a flurry of fan edits and HUNTR\/X-inspired hair tutorials on social media. It has a 97 percent critic score and a 91 percent audience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/kpop_demon_hunters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rating<\/a> on Rotten Tomatoes to boot.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>KPOP DEMON HUNTERS is on course to become Netflix&#8217;s most-watched animated movie in its history. <\/p>\n<p>It has now picked up 80.3M views in its first four weeks in the top 10 and is on track to surpass LEO next week. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iIiMJEy0Kz\">pic.twitter.com\/iIiMJEy0Kz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; What&#8217;s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/whatonnetflix\/status\/1945214224994533867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>This is the kind of cultural phenomenon Pixar needs if it wants to continue to be a viable player in children&rsquo;s and young adults&rsquo; entertainment. So, what did <em>KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>get right that Disney is missing?<\/p>\n<h2>A Unique Concept Well Executed<\/h2>\n<p><em>KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> tells the story of K-pop girl group HUNTER\/X &mdash; Zoey, Mira, and lead singer Rumi &mdash; who protect their world from soul-eating demons by strengthening a magic forcefield called the Honmoon based on how many fans they have. Unbeknownst to the others, Rumi is half demon, and the tell-tale skin patterns that mark her as such are spreading.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the demons hatch a plan to steal the girls&rsquo; fans. Jinu, a human who sold his soul to demon lord Gwi-Ma in exchange for a beautiful voice, proposes to send a group of demons to earth to form a rival boy group. So, the Saja Boys are born.<\/p>\n<p>The Saja Boys are an instant success and steal many of HUNTER\/X&rsquo;s fans, weakening the Honmoon. Jinu and Rumi strike a deal: If Jinu helps HUNTER\/X seal the Honmoon, he can stay on earth.<\/p>\n<p>The plan falls apart when Jinu sends demons to reveal Rumi&rsquo;s patterns onstage, leaving Zoey and Mira feeling betrayed. The Saja Boys stage a final performance to dissolve the Honmoon, but Rumi reconciles with her bandmates, and they interrupt the boys&rsquo; performance. They successfully seal the Honmoon with a new song, and Jinu sacrifices his human soul for Rumi so she can remain on earth.<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s a lot more for the whole family to love &mdash; excellently choreographed fight scenes, loveable minor characters, well-timed humor, and an intelligent critique of K-pop idol culture. However, <em>KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>knows what it is and who it appeals to and leans into that, producing an infinitely better story than if the creators had tried to push an agenda for a quick cash grab.<\/p>\n<h2>Understanding the Audience<\/h2>\n<p><em>KPop Demon Hunters&rsquo; <\/em>chief strength is that it understands its audience and gives them exactly what they want. The movie is unapologetically for the girls, striking a balance between relatability and aspiration that Disney failed to achieve in <em>Turning Red, <\/em>which had a similar target audience of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/netflix-asks-federal-court-to-stop-texas-cuties-child-pornography-case\/\" title=\"Netflix Asks Federal Court to Stop Texas &#039;Cuties&#039; Child Pornography Case\">pre-teen girls<\/a>. However, while that movie&rsquo;s main character had her relatable puberty struggles, these were overshadowed by unnecessary rebellion.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I wanted to portray women the way I&rsquo;ve always wanted to see women portrayed, especially in a superhero movie. I wanted the girls to be funny and silly and goofy and messy, as well as cool and aspirational and sexy,&rdquo; the director of <em>K-Pop Demon Hunters<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.animationmagazine.net\/2025\/06\/the-directors-of-kpop-demon-hunters-take-us-backstage-of-their-netflix-sony-showstopper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Animation Magazine.<\/p>\n<p>The movie delivers on this promise. In addition to strutting their stuff on stage, HUNTR\/X is depicted lounging around in their sweatpants, enjoying a ridiculous number of snacks, doing their makeup during a fight, and collapsing exhausted on the couch after their shows. When they initially meet the Saja boys &mdash; and develop instant crushes on them before realizing they are demons in disguise &mdash; Zoe and Mira&rsquo;s eyes inexplicably begin spouting popcorn, which strangely makes sense in context.<\/p>\n<p>A central message of <em>KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>is that honest, vulnerable friendships are far more valuable than relationships shallowed by secrets. Rumi constantly struggles with the gap between who she really is &mdash; part demon &mdash; and the way her fans and her friends perceive her. For any girls struggling with social media and imposter syndrome, this theme rings true. Rumi&rsquo;s friends are far less upset about her being part demon than they are that she hid it from them. Meanwhile, <em>Elio<\/em>&lsquo;s failure not only&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/07\/01\/pixars-elio-debacle-shows-audiences-dont-want-studios-pushing-sexual-agendas-on-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reveals<\/a>&nbsp;that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/medias-revolting-dishonest-insult-game-ends-with-2024-election\/\" title=\"Media&#039;s Revolting, Dishonest Insult Game Ends With 2024 Election\">audiences aren&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t interested when studios like Pixar push a sexual agenda on children, but it also serves as a reminder that a story&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/07\/02\/pixar-artist-elio-is-nothing-without-gay-propaganda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">void<\/a>&nbsp;of a central theme is no story at all.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Aiding its popularity, <em>KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> is tapping into larger pop culture trends. <a data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/iYA7R\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/iYA7R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">K-pop<\/a>, <a data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2022\/streaming\/news\/korean-dramas-kocowa-viki-asiancrush-kcon-1235344275\/\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2022\/streaming\/news\/korean-dramas-kocowa-viki-asiancrush-kcon-1235344275\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">K-dramas<\/a>, manga, <a data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/whats-behind-the-growing-popularity-of-japanese-comics-and-animations-in-u-s\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/whats-behind-the-growing-popularity-of-japanese-comics-and-animations-in-u-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anime<\/a>, and other pop culture exports from westernized Asian countries are <a data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/2021\/10\/21\/squid-game-bts-k-beauty-why-korean-pop-culture-making-waves\/8437852002\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/2021\/10\/21\/squid-game-bts-k-beauty-why-korean-pop-culture-making-waves\/8437852002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gaining<\/a> popularity is the U.S., especially among girls. However, the movie, despite being about Asian culture and featuring strong female leads, is not obnoxiously pushing the multiculturalism or feminism of Pixar&rsquo;s <em>Elemental <\/em>and <em>Toy Story 4.<\/em> The setting and the characters just <em>are<\/em>, much like in Disney&rsquo;s old, animated <em>Mulan<\/em> movie.<\/p>\n<p>Because of its ties to probably-transient pop culture trends and its hyper-stylized design, <em>KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> is unlikely to become a classic. However, the movie is a much-needed kickstart in a market flailing in the aftermath of <em>Elio<\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jacqueline Annis-Levings is a correspondent for the Federalist. She is a rising junior at Patrick Henry College, where she is majoring in English.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pixar&#8217;s Elio flopped, while Netflix&#8217;s KPop Demon Hunters went viral<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3848,"featured_media":2468191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-15-111024.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[60175,60174,5158],"class_list":["post-2468190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-demon-hunters","tag-kpop","tag-netflix"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-15-111024.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3848"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2468190"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2468194,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2468190\/revisions\/2468194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2468191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2468190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2468190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2468190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}