Feeding into a now well-established hunger for Korean-made or inspired media around the world, KPop Demon Hunters is a slickly animated package of music, drama, and action. Released by Netflix, the film is set in a world where musically gifted warriors have historically used their bardic talents to fight off a demon incursion.
In the present day, these warriors are K-pop sensations HUNTR/X. But their superstar status, which is key to warding off evil, comes under threat when the underworld fights viral fire with fire—a demon boy band. With humour, heart, and a killer soundtrack, KPop Demon Hunters is a celebration and send-up of the genres that inspired it. if you can’t get enough, here are 10 movies like KPop Demon Hunters.
Spider-Verse Saga (2018-)
From the same studio as KPop Demon Hunters, Sony Animation, the Spider-Verse films might have been born from the IP scraps of the shared Sony-Marvel Spider-Man custody, but they stand entirely on their own. Set in a comics-based alternate universe to the mainline Spidey, the film stars Miles Morales as the web-slinger, with a dimensional rift roping in a multiverse of other Spider-People.
The humour and energy of the Spider-Verse series is a strong match with KPop Demon Hunters, even if their breathtaking animation is more experimental. Two films, Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023), have been released so far, with the trilogy-capper Beyond the Spider-Verse expected in 2027.
New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021)
If you like the anime-influenced, 3D CG style of KPop Demon Hunters, this 2021 film offers more of the same. Based on a work of Chinese folklore about gods and demons, which has had countless other adaptations, New Gods: Nezha Reborn follows a scrappy young hero in a retro-future city who is the reincarnation of the titular god.
Not only is it stylistically similar, but Nezha’s dual identity and inherited responsibilities battling otherworldly threats parallel the HUNTR/X girls’ mission. For those who don’t know the mythology, it’s an engaging way to get to know a Chinese classic from its geographical source; for those who do, it’s a refreshing update. A prequel movie, New Gods: Yang Jian, followed in 2023.
White Snake (2019)
Another Chinese animated film based on the country’s folklore, White Snake is historically set and more romance-heavy than Nezhua. In the film, an amnesiac female demon who can take the shape of a giant white snake develops feelings for a human man, but the rediscovery of her true nature creates seemingly insurmountable obstacles to their relationship.
Once again, the 3D CG animation and character designs are very close to KPop Demon Hunters, as is the focus on Eastern demonology and female-fronted action. A more distinctive comparison point to other films on this list, however, is the ‘forbidden romance’ subplot between human and demon. Two sequels are also available: White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake (2020) and White Snake: Afloat (2024).
Blackfox (2019)
Set on the outskirts of a technologically-advanced city, Blackfox features a young heroine not too dissimilar from KPop Demon Hunters’ lead vocalist, whose ancestry from a legendary ninja clan dictates her future as the clan’s next leader. Her interests, however, lie in science and crime-solving, and following a deadly attack on her family, she vows vengeance using her collective talents.
Blackfox’s more traditional animation style is distinct from KPop Demon Hunters, but its young female fighters, friendships, urban setting, and anime action make it similarly empowering and exciting. A live-action spin-off, Age of the Ninja, came out around the same time, based on a ninja predecessor of the main character.
Totally Spies! The Movie (2009)
An oldie compared to others on this list, but still a goodie: the costumes, butt-kicking, secret identities, and close-knit female friendship of KPop Demon Hunters have loads in common with this ’00s anime-inspired French series, which also revolves around a trio of girls moonlighting as costumed heroines.
Totally Spies! The Movie is an origin story for the cartoon, showing how the teen spies first met and went up against an evil but fashionable mastermind. Aimed at a younger audience and without any supernatural elements, it still captures the same bubbly energy and tongue-in-cheek humour as KPop Demon Hunters.
Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie (2023)
Another French production with strong anime flavour, partly thanks to collaboration with a Japanese studio, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie is doubly similar to Totally Spies! The Movie in that it serves as an origin point for Ladybug and Cat Noir. Originating in an animated series, the teen superhero duo derive their powers from mystic relics to fight a villain who uses a corresponding relic, turning Parisians into monstrous minions.
While capturing the same romanticism of the series, picturesque French cityscapes, and sweet flirtation between Ladybug and Cat Noir, the film experimentally adds musical elements to the mix. While the success of this is mixed, it certainly makes it an even stronger pairing with KPop Demon Hunters.
Sailor Moon Eternal (2021)
As a continuation of the revival, Sailor Moon Crystal, the two-part film, Sailor Moon Eternal, may require some prior knowledge to appreciate fully; however, the ubiquity of the classic magical girl franchise it comes from means newcomers won’t be completely lost. The story pits the Sailor Moon fighters against the mysterious Dark Moon Circus, who threaten to cloud Earth in darkness fueled by people’s nightmares.
As with everything Sailor Moon-related, friendship, love, and empathy overpowering evil are at the films’ heart, and the enduring legacy of this landmark property is clear in works like KPop Demon Hunters that put their own spin on the empowering magical girl formula.
Belle (2021)
An Internet-based reworking of Beauty and the Beast, Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle is both a celebratory and cautionary tale about the impact of social media on young people. Its ‘Beauty’ is the titular Belle, whose singing talents make her online persona a virtual celebrity, while its ‘Beast’ is the outcast known as The Dragon. As the two grow close, Belle realises the grim truth of The Dragon’s real life.
Though much of it is set within a slightly convoluted world of digital fantasy, Belle’s grounded portrayal of heroism and connection is its main strength, bolstered by a gorgeous soundtrack that those who’ve had KPop Demon Hunters’ on repeat will love.
Lupin III: The First (2019)
Possibly the biggest outlier on this list, but if you’re after more of the same stunningly fluid 3D CG animation, you won’t be disappointed by Lupin III: The First. One of the latest in a long line of adaptations of Japan’s favourite gentleman thief, the movie is a globetrotting caper worthy of an Indiana Jones plot, wherein the ‘60s-era Lupin races against Nazi agents to find a legendary treasure.
The film’s visual depth enhances the delightful cartoonishness of its action and gags, something present in KPop Demon Hunters; neither takes itself too seriously, while at the right times, delivering surprisingly touching moments demonstrating a real love for their characters and canon.
Sing a Bit of Harmony (2021)
Currently, AI is unable to produce original art comparable to that of any human. This isn’t the case in Sing a Bit of Harmony, in which a tech company plants an AI-powered robot with an incredible singing voice in a local school to see if it can successfully blend in. There, disguised as a female student, the robot befriends some human kids and endeavours to make them happy through song.
Aside from a dramatic third act rescue, the film is much more slice-of-life than the action-oriented KPop Demon Hunters, but its musical elements, exploration of the ups and downs of female friendship, and themes of ‘otherness’ and isolation are good comparison points.
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