Netflix’s original animated feature "KPop Demon Hunters" has been named one of TIME’s 2025 Breakthroughs of the Year, landing the magazine’s year-end cover spotlight.
In its special issue released Dec. 10 (local time), TIME hailed the film as “the new cultural phenomenon to watch in 2025.” The 95-minute adventure, which debuted June 20 on Netflix, follows Seoul-based K-pop group HUNTR/X as they use music to battle demons and save the world. In just three months, the movie racked up 325 million views, becoming the most-watched film in Netflix history and hitting the Top 10 in 93 countries.
TIME pointed to the explosive fusion of K-pop fandom and animation communities across borders as a key driver of its rise. “This success signals a new phase of the Korean Wave,” said University of British Columbia professor Kyong Yoon, noting that while Korean creators are at the center, the storytelling is increasingly diverse and diasporic in spirit.
The film also earned praise for weaving everyday Korean life―like family dining rituals, traditional clinics, and bathhouse etiquette―into its world-building. Arden Cho, who voices heroine Rumi, said the movie brought her to tears as she remembered being embarrassed by Korean food as a kid. “It restored a sense of cultural pride,” she shared.
A sequel is in the works at Netflix for a planned 2029 release. “"KPop Demon Hunters" isn’t just a massive hit―it proved its cultural footprint and room to grow,” Netflix Film chief Dan Lin told TIME, adding that audience appetite for more―sequels, live events, and merch―is “hugely encouraging.”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)