I Watched KPop Demon Hunters Solely For My Daughter, And It Was A Great Example Of Why I Should Get Out Of My Comfort Zone More Often

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

It’s hard to ignore all the hype that has surrounded KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s record-breaking animated musical, since it dropped on the 2025 movie calendar. When I first heard of the movie, I didn’t give it a second thought, since I don’t know anything about K-pop and don’t care much for the fantasy genre. Well, don’t I look silly now, because after watching it with my daughter, I realize this is one spectacular movie, and I need to get out of my comfort zone more often.

I definitely did not think I was going to like KPop Demon Hunters, which centers around the members of the demon-hunting girl group Huntr/x and the big secret Rumi has been keeping from Mira and Zoey. Let me explain why I ended up watching the movie and how it was able to make me question everything I thought I knew about my taste in movies.

My Daughter Loves K-Pop, But I Am Not A Fan Of That Or Animated Movies Or Fantasy

My first impression of KPop Demon Hunters was that each individual word in the title screamed, “Not for you!” I don’t like fantasy, and while I have enjoyed several of the best animated TV shows and movies, they’re not usually my preference. As for K-pop, my knowledge really didn’t extend far beyond “Butter” and watching Blackpink’s Lisa on The White Lotus. So no matter how many times the flick was recommended for me when I pulled up my Netflix subscription, I was not tempted.

However, its arrival on the 2025 Netflix schedule coincided (probably not-so-coincidentally) with my preteen daughter’s sudden obsession with K-pop. It was like she went to bed one night and then woke up the next morning spitting out all these band names and singing along to songs I had never heard.

Now, I’ve watched some terrible movies for my children, and I’ll suffer through anything that has a prayer of holding their narrative interest for longer than a YouTube Short. So I admit that despite my low expectations, I had no qualms with hitting Play on KPop Demon Hunters.

Let’s just say I wasn’t ready for the takedown.

I Do Love Boy Bands And Girl Groups, And The Music Got Me Moving

I may not know my Stray Kids from my Seventeen, but guys, I am a Millennial, and boy bands and girl groups are my bread and butter. So I was admittedly a pretty easy sell once the music started playing. In fact, as the Gwi-Ma mythology was explained and the Saja Boys group was formed, I actually shouted:

Oh my god, please tell me they’re forming a demon boy band!

At which point my kids looked at me like I had six eyes, because why would I put on a movie that I clearly knew so little about? (Of course I hadn’t watched a trailer; I didn’t plan on watching it!)

Whatever, I was thrilled. I also realized that I was already familiar with a lot of the songs, thanks to the Internet’s obsession with the KPop Demon Hunters music and, of course, the younger members of my household queuing up “Golden” and “Soda Pop” every time we got in the car.

The Beautiful Animation Struck Me Immediately, And Then I Got Invested In The Story

It wasn’t the music, however, that was the first thing that struck me as impressive about the Netflix movie. That would be the animation. Apparently inspiration was taken from the Spider-Verse movies as well as anime, music videos and more, and it all worked beautifully, in my humble opinion.

I have to admit I was also dreading the exposition that inevitably comes with a fantasy movie to set up the mythology, but here the Gwi-Ma and the Honmoon were explained in an interesting and succinct way that kept me engaged, especially when Rumi’s connection to the demons was revealed.

You don’t have to be a fan of K-pop or fantasy to be able to relate to the half-demon feeling like she had to hide part of her true self from the outside world. Keeping her patterns hidden could be a metaphor for so many things, and I loved the movie’s message of embracing your truth, inner demons and all.

I Couldn’t Believe How Many Times I Laughed Out Loud

So we’ve got good music and an engaging, relatable coming-of-age story. What more could we ask for from KPop Demon Hunters? How about some comedy? I really didn’t expect this movie to be as funny as it is. From all the gags about Saja Boy Abby’s abs to Mira wearing a sleeping bag to the Met Gala, the laughs are consistent, and they’re smart.

All too rare is a movie that can both appeal to audience members of all ages, but this one does. Younger fans may not have caught some of the quicker jokes, but they definitely noticed what was without a doubt one of the funniest aspects of the animated film — Jinu’s giant blue tiger Derpy and the tiny hat-wearing magpie Sussy.

I won’t spoil any of the fun, but as soon as the tiger knocked over the flower pot, I knew these seemingly scary characters were going to be so much fun.

KPop Demon Hunters Reminded Me That Sometimes You Have To Believe The Hype

Look, I’m still not an expert when it comes to K-pop or movies about demons, and I can’t promise that I’ll ever watch another animated fantasy film in my life — unless KPop Demon Hunters 2 happens, of course. However, sometimes a good movie is just a good movie, and this is a really good reminder not to write something off because it falls into a genre that’s outside my typical viewing preferences.

I really, really liked this movie — so much so that I’m taking my daughters to the KPop Demon Hunters sing-along event in theaters — and I’m thrilled that it’s getting so much attention, especially from people like myself who may not think they’re the target audience. I hope more viewers will believe the hype and step outside of their comfort zones to give it a shot.

KPop Demon Hunters is streaming now on Netflix.