Since it arrived on Netflix in June, animated movie KPop Demon Hunters has become a genuine, global sensation.
Though Netflix often keeps tight-lipped on viewing figures, the streaming giant revealed that it surpassed 33 million views in two weeks and it has been sitting at number 1 in their global charts for over a month. Not only that, the soundtrack peaked at number 2 in the Billboard album charts, and the original songs have dominated the Spotify rankings, leading to a real-life battle for the top spot between the fictional bands from the movie, HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys.
The surprise hit focuses on girl group HUNTR/X, K-pop idols who also happen to be badass demon hunters. Their singing voices maintain the barrier that keeps the demons at bay from the real world, but cracks start to appear when rival boy band, Saja Boys, are sent from the underworld to steal their fans and open up the divide that separates evil from good.
While the concept of KPop Demon Hunters is pretty unique — one of the many reasons it has resonated with fans — here are some other series and movies streaming on Netflix that will scratch a similar itch.
Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld
The similarities with KPop Demon Hunters are almost immediate from the opening moments of Netflix animated series Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld. The series focuses on 16-year-old Jentry Chau (voiced by Ali Wong), a teenage girl who learns she has demon-slaying powers, and a powerful demon is out to get her to steal them from her.
Not only are there similarities in the story, but Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld also has a similar neon aesthetic. There’s even a K-pop link, with Jentry being particularly fond of singing songs by Korean mega-idols, BLACKPINK, at karaoke with her friends, and there’s a killer soundtrack as well. Across the series, Jentry has to battle both literal and her own personal demons, in a similar way to Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho) in KPop Demon Hunters.
Sailor Moon Eternal
In addition to the catchy soundtrack and striking visuals, KPop Demon Hunters also has a compelling story about a group of female protagonists who have to save the world. When it comes to a female troupe defeating evil with the power of love and friendship, you can’t go wrong with Sailor Moon, and Netflix has the two-parter movie, Sailor Moon Eternal to fill the gap between rewatches of KPop Demon Hunters.
This movie focuses on the “Dream” arc of the manga and is a continuation from the anime series, Sailor Moon Crystal. In Eternal, the Sailor Guardians face the threat of the Dead Moon Circus, an acrobatic group with strange abilities that use dark energy to manipulate people’s nightmares. While it is entirely possible to go into Sailor Moon Eternal without being fully versed in all things Sailor Moon, a basic understanding of the lore would make it a little less baffling to complete newcomers.
Pop Star Academy: Katseye
You may have already heard of real-life girl group, Katseye, thanks to viral songs such as "Touch" and "Gnarly". However, you might not know the story behind how they were formed, and that is where Pop Star Academy: Katseye comes in.
This docuseries offers a peek behind the curtain, showing how K-pop bands are formed and the rigorous training process involved.
The idea of creating a global girl group in the K-pop mould was the brainchild of music giants Hybe and Geffen, and this compelling reality series shows the incredible commitment that goes into becoming K-pop idols. Pop Star Academy becomes even more brutal when it moves into the “survival” phase, and those who don’t make the cut are taken out of the process.
KPop Demon Hunters delves a little into the highly competitive nature of K-pop with the rivalry between HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, and Pop Star Academy really brings home the toll of being in this industry and the immense talent needed to rise to the very top.
Nimona
Those who were particularly drawn to Rumi’s struggle in KPop Demon Hunters will be pleased to hear that there is another very similar movie already waiting for them to enjoy on Netflix.
Like the all-singing 2025 smash-hit movie, 2023 animated adventure Nimona also focuses on a gutsy female protagonist and a fragile truce that is supposedly keeping evil forces at bay from the real world.
Set in a unique futuristic-meets-medieval world, shape-shifting outcast Nimona (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz) decides to help the exiled former knight, Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed), to clear his name after he is accused of murdering the Queen.
Much like KPop Demon Hunters, Nimona explores what it really means to be a hero — or a monster, for that matter — and the impact of being perceived as a monster on the person in question. The touching friendship between Nimona and Ballister is an unlikely one, but it is one of the many great aspects of this movie.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
It is worth knowing going into it that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is tonally very different to the more light-hearted KPop Demon Hunters, but there are some similarities between Jinu’s (Saja Boys’ lead vocalist, voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop) tragic backstory, and the catalyst for Tanjiro Kamado (voiced by Natsuki Hanae) in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
When Tanjiro Kamado’s family is killed, and his only surviving relative, sister Nezuko (voiced by Akari Kitō) is turned into a demon, he joins the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization that keeps the forces of the underworld under control.
Focused on avenging his family and finding a cure for the afflicted Nezuko, Tanjiro hones his demon-slaying abilities while also struggling to overcome the trauma that led him there. Central to Demon Slayer is the unbreakable sibling bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko — something that is also seen in the found-family HUNTR/X trio in KPop Demon Hunters — and in a similar way to the 2025 movie, Demon Slayer also explores the fine line that exists between humans and monsters.
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