Netflix Animated Film KPop Demon Hunters Named TIME Magazine’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year

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TIME Magazine chose Netflix’s animated musical-fantasy film, KPop Demon Hunters, as its Breakthrough of the Year for 2025. This recognition highlights the film’s widespread popularity and impact on culture and media worldwide.

‘KPOP DEMON HUNTERS’ has been named TIME’s Breakthrough of the Year.

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 9, 2025

Coming out on June 20, 2025, KPop Demon Hunters is a movie about Huntr/x—a K-pop girl group consisting of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—who secretly fight demons to protect the world. The film combines exciting musical performances with supernatural action, and features a unique style inspired by K-pop and animation from around the world.

Why Time Picked KPop Demon Hunters

As reported by TIME, this animated movie quickly became Netflix’s most popular original film ever. It garnered over 325 million views in its first three months and landed in the top 10 charts in 93 countries around the world.

According to reports, KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched original film, a remarkable achievement for an animated movie that resonated with a diverse global audience. TIME magazine highlighted the film’s popular soundtrack, noting that the album topped the Billboard 200 chart and has been streamed billions of times worldwide.

Several songs from the soundtrack, especially “Golden,” performed very well on the charts. TIME noted that “Golden” stayed at number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart for many weeks, demonstrating its lasting popularity around the world.

The magazine highlighted the growing popularity of Korean culture around the world, pointing out that Korean music, TV shows, and movies have consistently attracted international audiences. TIME noted recent successes in Korean dramas and music, and suggested this film’s global appeal is simply the latest example of this ongoing trend in entertainment.

TIME also noted how the film resonated in popular culture, pointing to mentions by famous people and connections to current events. Celebrities shared their thoughts on social media and in interviews, and the film inspired music and character-based content online.

KPop Demon Hunter’s Other Successes

Reviews for KPop Demon Hunters were mixed, but many praised its exciting visuals, music, and story. Industry experts also highlighted the film as an important moment for animation that wasn’t part of an existing franchise, suggesting it could help attract new viewers to original animated content.

Being featured by TIME puts KPop Demon Hunters in the company of films that have truly impacted the entertainment world and sparked important cultural discussions. The magazine specifically recognized the film for its success in keeping audiences interested and engaged across various social media platforms and beyond.

Beyond being a hit with streamers, the film’s soundtrack was also recognized by major award shows, earning nominations for both Grammy and Golden Globe Awards. According to TIME magazine, these nominations show that the music and production of the film were appreciated by both critics and audiences.

Being featured in TIME Magazine shows that KPop Demon Hunters has become more than just a streaming hit – it’s sparked a wider cultural conversation and gained significant media attention. This places the film among the most notable entertainment successes of 2025.

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2025-12-13 01:00