Because it debuted final summer time, KPop Demon Hunters has taken over the world. From its good animation fashion to the soundtrack that grew to become an immediate earworm, the award-winning movie has endlessly reshaped animation. As we gear up for the Academy Awards, the place we’re prone to hear its title paired with “and the Oscar goes to,” it is an ideal time to cozy up for a KPop Demon Hunters double characteristic.
We’ve got 10 complementary movies able to go. From movies by Asian filmmakers to fantasy options with comparable themes, these hit films may be seamlessly performed alongside KPop Demon Hunters. Prepare for nonstop golden animation classics!
10
‘Turning Crimson’ (2022)
Disney and Pixar are animation leaders. Their capability to push the boundaries of storytelling has been a motive the corporate has maintained a prime spot on the field workplace and through award season. The place Disney faltered a bit was in foregrounding Asian illustration. After Mulan, there was a little bit of a niche. Maybe the largest Asian-centric hit got here in 2022 with the coming-of-age smash hit Turning Crimson. Directed by Domee Shi, who grew to become the primary sole feminine director of a Disney movie, Turning Crimson tells the story of 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a Chinese language-Canadian scholar who transforms into a large pink panda when she experiences sturdy emotion attributable to a hereditary curse. Actually an enormous metaphor for adolescence and puberty, Turning Crimson was celebrated for highlighting Chinese language traditions inside a North American teen’s life.
A giant a part of the story was about embracing your internal messy facet somewhat than hiding it, identical to Rumi (Arden Cho) learns to do. The message of each movies is actually empowering. Tonally, Turning Crimson is a bit lighter, however one other factor they share is music, particularly on the subject of boy bands. KPop Demon Hunters has the Saja Boys, whereas Turning Crimson has 4*City. Think about each fictional boy bands touring collectively. That could be a sold-out live performance! Although Pixar has given us some main hits up to now, Turning Crimson is an underrated movie that actually is particular.
9
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
Studio Ghibli has been a groundbreaking chief in hand-drawn animation for many years. With so many fantastic movies that seize Japanese storytelling, the catalog runs deep. Although many titles may fill this area, maybe thematically with the supernatural, the most suitable choice is the mainstream hit Spirited Away. Directed by Toshio Suzuki, the distinctive movie is a coming-of-age story about Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi/Daveigh Chase), who, after her mother and father are changed into pigs by the witch Yubaba, should work in a bathhouse for spirits to discover a strategy to free them and return to the human world. Whereas working within the bathhouse, she encounters a wide range of spirits and learns about laborious work, braveness, and the significance of her id and previous. Changing into the highest-grossing movie in Japanese cinema, it made historical past by turning into the primary hand-drawn, non-English-language animated movie to win the Academy Award for Greatest Animated Characteristic.
Whereas there are actually similarities between the themes of KPop Demon Hunters and Spirited Away, their contrasting animation types occur to enhance each other nicely. It additionally shows the evolution of characteristic animation and the way each computer-generated and hand-drawn movies can nonetheless preserve gorgeous storytelling. Each movies characteristic magical spirit worlds and evoke comparable feelings. Plus, each Chihiro and Rumi combat in opposition to darkness by means of bouts of braveness in their very own distinctive methods. Although the spectacle you have come to count on from computer-animated movies isn’t current in Spirited Away, it is nonetheless one of the necessary animated movies ever created.
8
‘Over the Moon’ (2020)
In 2020’s musical fantasy movie Over the Moon, 12-year-old Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) builds a rocket to the moon to show the existence of a legendary goddess, Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), and to persuade her father, Ba Ba (John Cho), that real love lasts endlessly, even after her mom’s (Ruthie Ann Miles), passing. A unprecedented movie about grief, acceptance, and the ability to maneuver ahead, Over the Moon might have been misplaced within the shuffle, however it’s outstanding however.
Using comparable animation types, Over the Moon blends fashionable, high-energy musical parts with deeply rooted, fantastical cultural folklore. Each movies heart on a feminine protagonist navigating loss, magical powers, and track to guard, heal, and join worlds. Over the Moon is a heartfelt journey in therapeutic. Grief is not straightforward, however Fei Fei makes use of her mission to energy by means of the sentiments she’s combating, turning them into energy. It might not have the identical highly effective soundtrack, however “Rocket to the Moon” is a bop. If there may be one factor that Over the Moon has, it is a top-notch voice forged. Extra stars who lend their voices embody Ken Jeong, Sandra Oh, Margaret Cho, and Kimiko Glenn. For those who missed Over the Moon when it dropped on the streamer, now could be the proper time to blast off.
7
‘Ne Zha’ (2019)
For those who actually needed to, we may make this a triple characteristic and pair up KPop Demon Hunters with each Ne Zha and Ne Zha 2, however for the sake of this listing, let’s begin with the movie that took over the world. Utilizing the favored Chinese language mythological character Nezha as the first supply materials, the movie follows a younger boy named Ne Zha (Lü Yanting), who’s the reincarnation of the demon orb, separated from the chaos pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven, Yuanshi Tianzun (Yuxiang He). Destined by prophecy to convey destruction to the world, Ne Zha should select between good and evil to interrupt the shackles of destiny to develop into the last word hero he was meant to be.
With themes of prejudice, self-transformation, and defying future, spectacular animation, and an excellent story, Ne Zha grew to become a record-breaking smash hit. As a great animated characteristic ought to, Ne Zha‘s emotional core drives the motion to nice heights. Jiaozi‘s mix of Chinese language folklore and relatable fashionable storytelling helped make Ne Zha the primary Chinese language-produced animated characteristic to be launched in IMAX, incomes important acclaim past China. Each movies rely closely on the battle of demons and monsters, each inside and outside. The cultural fusion inside each tales helps outline their storytelling and magnificence. The success of Ne Zha allowed for a sequel to be made, and let’s simply say it was much more profitable. Ne Zha 2 grew to become the highest-grossing movie worldwide in 2025.
6
‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)
The early 2000s noticed a large shakeup within the animation sport as DreamWorks not solely threatened Disney’s title because the animation king however often toppled it within the course of. Following the success of Shrek, the following main DreamWorks franchise started with Kung Fu Panda. Once more, you could possibly pair KPop Demon Hunters with all the lot of Kung Fu Panda movies, however we’ll begin with the primary. The motion comedy follows Po (Jack Black), a careless, noodle-slurping large panda, who goals of turning into a kung fu grasp. By happenstance, Po is chosen because the legendary “Dragon Warrior,” a place meant to guard the Valley of Peace. Po should overcome his self-doubt and prepare along with his idols, the Livid 5 — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross), and Monkey (Jackie Chan) — to defeat the evil snow leopard, Tai Lung (Ian McShane).
With physique, thoughts, and spirit on the forefront, Kung Fu Panda is a high-octane thriller that was a family-friendly smash. Mixing humor and coronary heart, each movies are gravity-defying animated action-adventures that ship dramatic, stylized combat sequences that lean into the mythology and strategies of preventing. Additional, Rumi and Po share an identical outsider journey. Rumi is half-human and half-demon, whereas Po is a panda raised by a goose. Kung Fu Panda‘s reliance on Chinese language tradition and Taoist philosophy is a centerpiece of the movie, permitting audiences to find out about tradition as they’re being entertained. With 4 movies within the franchise, Kung Fu Panda has develop into a staple in popular culture, and rightly so.
5
‘Want’ (2023)
If two phrases are generally related to Disney, they’re “dream” and “want.” Nicely, the latter grew to become the spark of a contemporary animated basic. Want tells the story of Asha (Ariana DeBose), a 17-year-old optimistic woman who makes a passionate plea to the celebs in a second of want. She meets a residing, magic fallen star, and collectively, they face the dominion of Rosas’s devious ruler, the sorcerer King Magnifico (Chris Pine), who manipulates residents by controlling their deepest needs. An exploration of private empowerment, the risks of blind belief in authority, and the journey of pursuing one’s goals, Want evokes basic Disney animated movies with its watercolor, storybook fashion.
Like KPop Demon Hunters, music is on the soul of the movie. The songs by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice harken again to the classics that made us all fall in love with Disney films. With a musical-driven narrative at its heart, the magical and fantastical parts make for a wondrous, entertaining viewing expertise. Although Want primarily attracts on basic fairy-tale tropes, KPop Demon Hunters, in a way, is a contemporary fairy story in its thematic sensibility. Want did not seize the identical magic as different Disney movies in current reminiscence, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a superbly heartfelt movie.
4
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
The Academy Award-winning movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse focuses on Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as he positive factors powers and should crew up with alternate-universe Spider-people to avoid wasting the multiverse from Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). With the heartbeat of a comic book guide, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse challenged audiences to imagine that Marvel animated may very well be even grander than its live-action counterparts.
Whether or not demon-hunting or web-slinging, the middle of each movies is a protagonist concealing their identities whereas going through off in opposition to some baddies. The motion sequences are among the many finest components of each movies, particularly in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. They work brilliantly due to the visible aptitude that they uniquely current (although administrators Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans made it their mission to make sure their movie regarded nothing like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). With anime and comedian guide influences, their aesthetics have an identical foundation that makes them distant cousins, however household nonetheless. Ought to KPop Demon Hunters win the Academy Award this yr, it’ll observe within the footsteps of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as one other movie that units a brand new normal within the animation trade.
3
‘Easy methods to Practice Your Dragon’ (2010)
For an animated characteristic a few protagonist who goes in opposition to the grain, look no additional than Easy methods to Practice Your Dragon. Primarily based on the novel by Cressida Cowell, the hit Dreamworks movie that began a franchise is about on the isle of Berk, a legendary Viking village. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), a scrawny, creative teenager and son of Stoick the Huge (Gerard Butler), the chieftain of Berk, finds a strategy to match into his dragon-slaying tribe. When he fails to kill a feared Evening Fury, he befriends the creature, whom he calls Toothless, discovering the reality concerning the dragons and the way their worry of them is misunderstood. A narrative about discovering oneself by means of your personal journey, Easy methods to Practice Your Dragon is a visually outstanding movie with immense coronary heart.
Although the 2 movies differ in how they view the monsters of their worlds, they join by means of Rumi and Hiccup. They’re each people who’re outsiders in a way, who know they’ve a better function. They only want to seek out it first. Discovering your house on the earth may be laborious, however with Hiccup, he simply wanted to go on his journey alone. In fact, as a part of a franchise, you possibly can add the opposite Easy methods to Practice Your Dragon movies to your viewing social gathering. Plus, there’s the acclaimed live-action movie that may merely take your breath away.
2
‘Want Dragon’ (2021)
Fortunately, in case you’re a fan of KPop Demon Hunters, director Chris Appelhans has one other good animated movie underneath his belt: Want Dragon. From Sony Footage Animation, which has been stepping up its sport as of late, Want Dragon tells the story of Din Track (Jimmy Wong), a working-class Shanghai school scholar, who groups up with a cynical, wish-granting dragon named Lengthy (John Cho) to reconnect along with his rich childhood finest pal, Li Na (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). Whereas navigating fashionable, fast-paced life, Din makes use of his three needs to bridge the hole between their social worlds. Reminding viewers concerning the energy of household and friendship over cash, Want Dragon is a pleasant movie that brings a Chinese language perspective to the basic Aladdin story.
With Appelhans on the helm, each Want Dragon and KPop Demon Hunters share an identical animated imaginative and prescient by means of colourful visuals and vibrant, energetic parts. By a contemporary, city lens, each movies rejoice magical and supernatural parts in a fantastical method. Due to the witty humor, high-stakes adventures, and the ability of friendship, Want Dragon pairs completely with Appelhans’ different masterpiece.
1
‘Raya and the Final Dragon’ (2021)
Picture by way of Walt Disney Studios Movement Footage
By far, probably the most underrated Disney film of the Twenty first century is Raya and the Final Dragon. A stunning action-adventure fantasy with a feminine protagonist, Raya and the Final Dragon tells the story of Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior princess of the Coronary heart tribe within the fractured land of Kumandra, who seeks to seek out the final legendary dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina),to reunite her divided world, the place people and dragons as soon as lived in concord. After a betrayal by the hands of Namaari (Gemma Chan) of the Fang tribe, who breaks a sacred gem and unleashes darkish monsters referred to as the Druun, Raya should study to belief others to avoid wasting her father and restore the peace. A world impressed by Southeast Asian cultures, Raya and the Final Dragon is a daring journey such as you’ve by no means seen earlier than.
On the darker facet of Disney heroine movies, Raya and the Final Dragon continues to sharpen the themes of feminine empowerment which have dominated Twenty first-century animated Disney movies. Like KPop Demon Hunters, Raya should endure a journey of self-acceptance and overcoming internal darkness. They each construct a crew to revive stability. For Rumi, she’s joined by Mira (Could Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) to create Huntrix. For Raya, her merry band of misfits consists of younger entrepreneur Boun (Izaac Wang), the large warrior Tong (Benedict Wong), the thieving toddler Little Noi (Thalia Tran), and her band of Ongis. For those who’re searching for one other action-centric animated hit, Raya and the Final Dragon is the proper complement to KPop Demon Hunters.