Though it may not have had its own panel, the presence ofKPop Demon Hunterswas still felt at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. While promoting his own new TV series, one of thevoice actors ofKPop Demon Hunterswas asked about the Netflix smash hit, prompting him to reflect on its success.
The animated fantasy adventure movie about a K-pop girl group who double as demon hunters has defied all expectations,to say the least.KPop Demon Huntersis still topping the streaming charts, a month after its initial release, and is being talked about as a contender for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature at the Oscars next year.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with industry icon Daniel Dae Kim about his new action thriller TV showButterflyat San Diego Comic-Con, and asked about the actor’s experience withKPop Demon Huntersas well.Kim, who plays the small role of Healer Han inKPop Demon Hunters, also seems blown away by its successand sees it as part of a growing trend.
Check out Kim’s full comments below:
EXCLUSIVE: ScreenRant: We were talking about K-Pop and I have to ask you, because the biggest thing, it feels like, in the world right now is KPop Demon Hunters. Did you expect that? It’s all I hear about. It’s amazing.
Daniel Dae Kim: We’ve been talking about it.
ScreenRant: Has everyone been asking about it?
Daniel Dae Kim: Well, we were in a signing line today and I saw two women with baseball caps that said “Huntress” on it. And I was like, “Wow.”
When you do, especially an animated piece, it’s not a lot of work in terms of the time you have to put in as an actor. So you’re in and out, you do your thing and you’re like, “Oh, well maybe this will be something, maybe not.” This was definitely something. And when I ended up seeing it on my TikTok feed nonstop and then I’m seeing legit K-pop stars dancing and singing the songs from this movie about animated fictitious K-pop stars, I thought, “This has really hit a nerve.” And it’s actually kind of similar to Butterfly in a way. KPop Demon Hunters was conceived by some Korean Americans about dance and K-Pop in Korea.
Our show was conceived by a number of Korean Americans about going back to Korea and K-drama in the K-drama genre. So this idea now that Korean Americans are now creating a space for themselves and bridging two cultures is something completely new.
What Daniel Dae Kim’s Comments Mean For KPop Demon Hunters
Even The Actors Are Taken Aback By This Phenomenon
Especially for the veteran actors who took on roles inKPop Demon Hunters– includingSquid Game’s Lee Byung-hun as the primary villain Gwi-ma, and Daniel Dae Kim’s longtimeLostco-star Yunjin Kim as Rumi’s adoptive mother Celine –it probably seemed like a minor, passing job that they were able to complete easily,when lines can be recorded almost anywhere.
Kim remarks upon the surprising ways a runaway fandom like this may take shape;he, too, sees the ripples ofKPop Demon Hunterseverywhere. The stars talking about these trends reinforces to fans that they are all taking part in a huge cultural phenomenon which will likely be remembered for years (much like how we all look back on whenFrozenfirst premiered).
Additionally, projects such asSquid GameandKPop Demon Hunters, alongside Netflix’s formidable line-up of fantastic K-dramas, are making Korean projects a staple of pop culture worldwide. But Kim specifically points out the growing space for Korean Americans to bring their ideas to the table, which is helping foster more diversity in Hollywood overall.
Our Take On Daniel Dae Kim’s KPop Demon Hunters Comments
Only More Good Things Will Come Of KPop Demon Hunters
KPop Demon Hunters’popularity isn’t going away anytime soon, a few of the stars are working on exciting new projects, and the demand for a sequel is monumental. With the potential franchise continuing to grow and more Korean American projects getting a chance because of it,the positive long-term effects ofKPop Demon Hunterscould be just as overwhelming as its success.
If aKPop Demon Hunterssequeldoes happen, and it certainly should, it will be interesting to see which other already hugely famous stars like Kim could join the project, now that the franchise has established itself. Along with the breakout stars of the first movie, more famous names will continue to shape the phenomenon that isKPop Demon Hunters.
