KPop Demon Hunters Has Taken the World by Storm — and the Real K-pop Royalty are Stepping into Character
The story follows girl group HUNGRIX, who dominate the stage with vocals and choreography while secretly moonlighting as demon slayers. The unexpected genre pairing proved irresistible, propelling the film to become Netflix’s most-watched animated title in history, with 158.8 million views and Top 10 rankings in 93 regions. Its soundtrack is no less triumphant — the lead single “Golden” has surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify and topped both US and Korean charts. The cultural wave is so strong, even top Korean stars are reinterpreting the film’s signature moves, blurring the line between fiction and reality.
The voice acting is another standout. The devil boy band Saja Boys — the film’s formidable rivals — has found fame beyond the screen, led by the biggest surprise: Ahn Hyo-seop, star of Business Proposal, lending his voice as their leader. Delivering flawlessly smooth English dialogue, Ahn stunned fans with his range. Adding to the star power, TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung not only voiced characters but also performed the original track “Takedown”, their vocals perfectly syncing with the film’s dynamic pacing for a complete audio-visual experience.
“Golden” stands out not just for its inspirational theme of self-growth, but also for its technical challenge — a song whose key climbs relentlessly to a soaring chorus, demanding masterful control of range, breath, and tone. Powerhouse idols from Apink’s Jung Eun-ji, IVE’s An Yu-jin, and Mamamoo’s Solar to Super Junior’s Kim Ryeo-wook, Epik High’s Tablo, and ATEEZ’s Choi Jong-ho have all delivered electrifying covers.
Then there’s “Soda Pop” — a viral hit for entirely different reasons. Driven by its addictive choreography, the track sparked a global dance craze led by the fictional Saja Boys. Choreographer Lee Jung’s signature “shoulder dance” became the centerpiece, attracting stars like Cha Eun-woo, RIIZE, BTS’s J-Hope, SEVENTEEN’s DK, and Stray Kids’ Bang Chan. Each brought their own style, charisma, and precision, making the challenge impossible to scroll past. MONSTA X’s Lee Hoseok and BTOB’s Lee Minhyuk even took things a step further, cosplaying the film’s boy band characters for their performances.
The result? A pop-culture phenomenon where the worlds of music, animation, and fashion collide — and where the line between screen and stage barely exists.
