Japanese Anime Fans React Against "K-Pop Demon Hunters" Golden Globe Win: "No One but Koreans Will Accept This"

Japanese Media: "Disappointed by Demon Slayer's Golden Globe Loss"

The animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which is based on K-pop, made history for K-content by winning two awards at the Golden Globe Awards in the United States on January 11 (local time). In Japan, where there had been high hopes for the globally successful Japanese animation "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc" to win, the reaction was one of disappointment. Local media and fans voiced their dissatisfaction, saying, "It is hard to accept the result, considering that it is not lacking in terms of box office performance and influence."

Animation Demon Slayer (left) and K-Pop Demon Hunters poster. Animax Broadcasting Korea · Netflix

On January 13, major Japanese media outlets such as Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun gave significant coverage to the news that "Demon Slayer," which had been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, did not win. Japanese media commented, "Given its global box office performance, the result is disappointing."

"Demon Slayer" was released in 157 countries and regions around the world and became the first Japanese film to surpass 100 billion yen (approximately 930 billion won) in global box office revenue. It ranked seventh in worldwide box office for films released last year, achieving outstanding results both commercially and in terms of fandom influence. As a result, there were high expectations in Japan for the film to win major international awards. Locally, the prevailing opinion was that "based on box office performance and buzz alone, it was certainly in contention for the award."

'Demon Slayer' Had High Hopes... Box Office Success but No Award

However, the honor of winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature went to the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters." "K-Pop Demon Hunters" won two awards, including Best Original Song for "Golden," performed by the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix featured in the film.

Nikkei introduced "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which won the Best Animated Feature award, as "a music animation produced by a subsidiary of Sony Group and distributed by Netflix," and reported that "it gained explosive global popularity immediately after its release." Nikkei analyzed that the unique concept of featuring a K-pop girl group as the main characters, combined with the strong synergy with streaming services, led to an unexpected blockbuster hit.

Japanese Netizens: "Lost the Game, But Won the Battle"

After the award results were announced, Japanese online communities and X (formerly Twitter) were flooded with mixed reactions of disappointment and dissatisfaction. One netizen wrote, "We lost the 'game' of the awards ceremony, but won the 'battle' in terms of box office and influence." Another user lamented, "Looking at the global box office results, it was more than deserving, so I can't accept the outcome." Other comments included, "I thought Demon Slayer would obviously win," "No one except Koreans would accept this result," and "It was neither fun nor moving."

Some netizens pointed out the differences between the two works, saying, "While many people around the world feel uncomfortable with the distinctive 2D animation style of 'Demon Slayer,' 3D animation like 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is more familiar through games and thus more easily accepted."