A new animated movie by Sony Pictures Animation and currently number 1 on Netflix is exciting fans. But how many references to K-Pop culture are actually in the film?
Which film is being discussed? The animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters” is currently the number 1 in the top 10 movies in Germany on Netflix and has a rating of 7.9/10 on IMDb (based on 5,307 reviews), 3.8/5 on Letterboxd (based on nearly 84,000 ratings), and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics (23) and 90% (about 500) from audiences.
While the film is receiving good reviews from audiences outside the genre on Rotten Tomatoes, K-Pop fans are especially thrilled. One fan even admits that the film “truly understands the fans and the industry” (rjcooper14 on Reddit) – but how many references to the culture surrounding the music genre can actually be found in the film?
Here you can see the trailer for KPop Demon Hunters from Netflix:
An animated film that did its research well
What references can be found in KPop Demon Hunters? In a post from the “kpop_uncensored” subreddit, NatureSimple729 mentions various fandom references that appear in the film:
- Fan signing event: At a signing event, fans line up to meet the two K-Pop groups in the film, “Huntrix” and “Saja Boys,” to get autographs.
- Fan wars on Twitter/X: Fans express themselves loudly and in large numbers regarding the rival groups.
- Music shows: The groups compete weekly, with one weekly winner.
- Viral dance challenges: The Saja Boys’ dance to “Soda Pop” goes viral after their first public appearance and starts its own dance challenge on social media.
- A K-Pop idol at the Met Gala: Huntrix member Mira was dressed in a sleeping bag as a guest at the Met Gala.
- “Shipping”: Despite their rivalry, fans start to read and (mis)interpret the smallest signs, leading to Rumi and Juni, as well as other members of the groups, being interpreted as a couple. Shipping (from the English term “relationship”) is used when two people are seen as a couple, or when someone would like to see them as a couple.
- TWICE poster: In one scene, the Huntrix idols walk down a hallway where a poster of the real K-Pop group TWICE hangs.
What influence did the culture have on the character design? In an article from Forbes, the film’s director, Maggie Kang, talks about the design decisions regarding character development. In response to fans’ speculations that the film’s characters resemble real K-Pop personalities, she says the following:
I think I enjoy discussing that there are so many specific archetypes that every group has. It’s fun to see how this conversation evolves, as everyone selects the right member that fits this archetype and this kind of role and look for each group.
Maggie Kang, Director of KPop Demon Hunters (Source: Forbes)
The protagonists of the film, the Huntrix idols, are meant to resemble members of groups like ITZY, BLACKPINK, and TWICE.
For the Saja Boys, inspiration is said to have been drawn from groups like Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, and Monsta X.
KPop Demon Hunters has been available on Netflix since June 20, 2025. If you have seen the film and are also interested in other animated projects from the streaming service, you can read our suggestions for more animated series on MeinMMO here: 5 great animated series for adults that you can currently stream on Netflix
