I watched the movie KPOP Demon Hunters. That critically-acclaimed and audience-loved hit new kids/teens movie streaming on Netflix.

The reason was two-fold. One was so that I know what the hell my niece is talking about next time I hang out with her. Two is so that I understand why certain things are succeeding as Disney/Pixar keeps floundering in failure.

While Disney/Pixar keeps making flops, Sony Animation has been rocking it with hits like Into the Spiderverse, Across the Spiderverse, and KPOP Demon Hunters. With a lower budget than what Disney/Pixar typically comes in with, Sony makes something that is higher quality and earns more money.

A few thoughts on why KPOP Demon Hunters was so successful:

-It's not the plot; the plot is pretty mid even among the field of kids/teens movies. Unique though.

-Funny/likable characters.

-Great animation.

-Music is way better than competitors. Catchy enough that they're succeeding as singles on their own.

-The writing is self-aware, but resists doing the constant quips that a Marvel movie does.

-The writers focus #1 on entertainment. There are positive themes in there, but unlike Disney/Pixar that recently forgot how to make an enjoyable film and focus so much on some theme, Sony actually makes fun films that also have themes like heroism/authenticity, etc.