The animated musical movie KPop Demon Hunters has quickly become a massive hit. Since its debut on Netflix in June, it’s broken records as the platform’s most-watched movie ever, earned award nominations, and had its songs climb to the top of the charts. As award season begins, KPop Demon Hunters has received yet another accolade.
TIME Magazine has chosen KPop Demon Hunters as its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year. The latest issue features an in-depth look at the show, with interviews from the cast and crew. The cover showcases a special illustration of the stars – Arden Cho as Rumi, May Hong as Mira, and Ji-young Yoo as Zoey (Huntr/x). You can see the cover image below.
Credit: Illustration by Sony Pictures Imageworks for TIME; Simon Baek and Mingjue Helen Chen; Netflix
According to TIME’s Eliza Berman, the movie’s popularity now makes perfect sense – it features stylish characters in amazing outfits, catchy songs about self-love, and visually stunning scenes. However, its success wasn’t guaranteed, as ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is an original story when many productions are currently relying on established franchises.
Being recognized by TIME magazine places KPop Demon Hunters among other major entertainment figures. This year, TIME also honored A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) as Athlete of the Year and Leonardo DiCaprio as Entertainer of the Year. Taylor Swift was TIME‘s Person of the Year in 2023, and they will announce the 2025 recipient on December 11th.
TIME magazine shares stories from the team behind the movie KPop Demon Hunters, detailing the making of the film and how audiences have reacted. Ji-young Yoo described the surprising reach of the movie’s music, saying, “Whenever I’m out, I almost always hear a song from KPop Demon Hunters playing somewhere—in a shop or a restaurant.” She added, “It feels like things can’t get any more popular, but then they do!”
The brand’s memorable, though admittedly quirky, name actually has an interesting origin story. Director Chris Applehans admits they kept hoping to come up with something better. However, he believes the unusual pairing of words ultimately worked in their favor, immediately making people wonder what the connection could be.
Maggie Kang, one of the movie’s directors, had been developing the story for years, initially envisioning a lower-budget film with a more serious mood and aimed at a slightly older audience. Kristine Belson from Sony Pictures Animation encouraged Kang to revise her vision and brought in Applehans to collaborate. The team is also looking forward to making a sequel to the anticipated KPop Demon Hunters.
After becoming a streaming hit on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters also did very well in theaters. The movie had a strong opening weekend and continued to perform well the following week. Now, KPop Demon Hunters has received nominations for Best Animated Movie and Best Original Song at both the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes.
The film KPop Demon Hunters received its third nomination for a 2026 Golden Globe award, this time for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, joining films like Sinners, Weapons, and Wicked: For Good. While KPop Demon Hunters is expected to be a strong contender, this recognition from TIME isn’t just about winning awards; it acknowledges the film’s significant impact on popular culture.
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2025-12-09 19:58