On June 20, two of the world’s largest animation studios released their newest productions: Sony Pictures Animation’s “Kpop Demon Hunters” and Pixar’s “Elio.” And while one of them became a global sensation, topping the charts in 33 different countries and having its success compared to the likes of ‘”Frozen” (2013), the other became the studio’s lowest-grossing opening weekend in history, reporting a worldwide total of approximately $96 million against the movies budget of over $150 million.
If you don’t live under a rock, you have most likely heard of the movie “KPop Demon Hunters.” For weeks after the movie’s release, it felt like I was surrounded by people asking each other the same question: have you seen it yet? It became an unavoidable topic of conversation, as if there was an unspoken categorization of those who had watched “KPop Demon Hunters” and those who had not. So why did it become such a huge success while “Elio,” which was created by a far more critically acclaimed animation studio, became relatively insignificant?
To answer that question, one should first look at each of the movie’s respective plots. “KPop Demon Hunters” is about three members of a KPop girl group, Huntrix, that use their voices to seal the ‘Honmoon,’ or a magical barrier meant to keep the demons out. However, this barrier is threatened when a rival demon boy band emerges, Saja Boys, to try and lure their fans away. Now you can call this movie almost anything, but you can’t call it unoriginal. People have been desperate for an original idea lately, as it seems animation has been in an era of sequels, with the release of “Inside Out 2,” “Despicable Me 4” and “Moana 2” all coming out in a six-month span in 2024. And while Elio is not a sequel, it has followed the same oh-so easily recognizable theme of “I’m different, and that’s okay!” movies released by Pixar in the last 4 years, starting with “Luca” followed by “Turning Red” and now “Elio.”
Furthermore, the story of KPop Demon Hunters comes at the perfect time, a time when so many people’s worlds revolve around a pop star. In recent years, singers like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams have taken over the lives of the youth. Not to mention the recent unprecedented popularity of current KPop groups, such as BLACKPINK and TWICE. KPop Demon Hunters gives such an accurate and insightful representation of what it is to be a fan, in a world where so many of us identify as one.
In 2024, music was at an all time high. Many of the popular artists I mentioned earlier released songs in 2024, and many of those songs became instant hits. Despite this, 2025 has been sort-of a music drought, and this became increasingly prevalent in the summer months, as people were reminiscing about Brat Summer, inspired by Charli XCX’s album “Brat” and “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. All of these factors made it all the more influential when KPop Demon Hunters came out with nine original, catchy songs, six of which have risen to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The movies signature song “Golden” has topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks.
However, maybe the most important factor that led to the success of KPop Demon Hunters was the amazing and innovative animation that was present in every frame. It included both 3D and 2D techniques by using traditional 3D models and polished animation, but then choppier, rough movements and bold, exaggerated facial expressions that are allusive of the 2D anime style. And with these somewhat silly character comportments, Sony Pictures Animation is pushing the limits of what was at some point thought impossible for 3D animation, a pursuit that previously was the primary project of Pixar.
It came as no surprise to me when on Aug. 26, just 10 weeks after its release, Netflix announced that “KPop Demon Hunters” was their most watched movie ever. Just a few days before that, “KPop Demon Hunters” was shown in theaters around the world for a one-weekend-only singalong event. The movie showing attracted an astounding variety of people. Dads were seen belting their hearts out to “Golden” with their little girls, and pre-teen boys could be found bobbing their heads to “How It’s Done.” This movie is a global inspiration, and proven that even in an anxiety-stricken time, people are still willing to go out of their way to support a movie that they believe in.
