The historic win of KPop Demon Hunters at the 2026 Academy Awards has sparked major debate online.
Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle L.M. Wong accepting the win. |Los Angeles Times
The animated film won “Best Animated Feature” during the ceremony on March 16, but not everyone was happy with the result.
| Netflix
Shortly after the announcement, several posts criticizing the win went viral on social media, with some even mocking the film’s title and questioning how it managed to win an Oscar.
I blame EVERYONE who popularized this demon hunters movie. GO TO HELL!
— َ (@odessaswife) March 16, 2026
Kpop Demon Hunters honestly doesn’t deserve it. https://t.co/n7PLS6JaOU
— The Decidueye guy (@GuyDecidue51287) March 15, 2026
all this to lose to Kpop Demon Hunters https://t.co/gqPtSs9den
— Coolcarguy (@iCoolcarguy123) March 16, 2026
The backlash did not stop there. The acceptance speech by the film’s creator, Maggie Kang, also drew criticism from some who accused her of overlooking previous historic Oscar wins by Korean filmmakers, including the success of Parasite.
“KPop Demon Hunters” Creator Sparks Major Controversy With “2026 Oscars” Winners Speech
Following the criticism, one of the film’s stars chose to respond directly.
| Netflix
Rei Ami, who provided the singing voice for Zoey in KPop Demon Hunters, replied to a viral comment that mocked the film’s victory.
In a blunt response, the singer simply told the user to “suck it.”
Suck it https://t.co/WCNQZQ7LRc
— REI AMI (@reiamimami) March 16, 2026
Her short reply quickly spread online, with many fans supporting it and praising her for defending the film amid a wave of backlash following its Oscar win.
Hit ‘em with this pic.twitter.com/Da8gI4rKUW
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) March 16, 2026
Tell em pic.twitter.com/dZ31U5GVGI
— Sean // Hear Tell of Hauntings🥀 (@sean_gause) March 16, 2026
GET THEMMMMM
— ali | rumira #1 truther ✨🪽 (@mirasgirlfriend) March 16, 2026
Meanwhile, the creator crew behind “Golden” — the mega-viral song from KPop Demon Hunters — also sparked controversy after facing massive disrespect following their win for “Best Original Song.” You can read more about it and their reaction below:
“KPop Demon Hunters” Sparks Boos At “2026 Oscars” After Suffering Severe Disrespect