Move over, Elsa. The hottest entertainers at L.A. kid parties are ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

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Amy Tzagournis’ daughter, Hazel, turned six in January and requested a very specific theme for her party: the characters from “KPop Demon Hunters.” The obsession started six months earlier when Hazel and her four-year-old brother were captivated by the show while their mom was away on a trip.

It was so weird! I came back, and suddenly everyone was singing along to all the songs, word for word. I honestly couldn’t believe it – I was completely caught off guard. It felt like they’d learned them overnight, it just came from nowhere!

Tzagournis, who lives in Redondo Beach, booked performers from Funky Divas & Dudes, a Los Angeles company that provides characters for events. They were dressed as characters inspired by the movie ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’ At her birthday party, Hazel and her friends enjoyed dancing to songs from the movie, like “Golden” and “Soda Pop,” along with the performers.

Dana Marie Lazzareschi, a co-owner of Funky Divas & Dudes, says their business has been overwhelmingly focused on ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ parties lately. Almost every event they host is KPop-themed – it’s been incredibly busy! They’ve only had a couple of parties with different themes – one Broadway and one tropical – but otherwise, it’s been KPop parties every weekend, sometimes up to five in a single day.

Awards

The film “KPop Demon Hunters” achieved a historic milestone at the Oscars. Its popular song, “Golden,” was the first K-pop track to win the award for Best Original Song.

I have to tell you about “KPop Demon Hunters” – it’s completely taken the world by storm! When it dropped last June, nobody – not even Netflix themselves – expected this kind of reaction. By August, my daughter stumbled upon it at a friend’s place, and it had already become Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time! It’s incredible, but it didn’t stop there. Just recently, in March, the musical adaptation swept the Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden” – that song is seriously catchy and has become a huge hit. Honestly, it’s a phenomenon!

In the past six months, almost half of the birthday parties her kids have attended have included something related to “KPop Demon Hunters” – either as the party’s theme or with performers. She even hired three Demon Hunters and a Saja Boy for her daughter’s party! These parties are happening so often that parents are now sharing decorations to save money.

The party included Saja Boys-themed party favor bags and “VIP” passes for guests.

You won’t believe this, but when my daughter’s friend had a party a couple weeks before hers, we ended up reusing all their KPop decorations! It was perfect, and after that, I passed them along to another mom. Honestly, those decorations got shared around for at least two or three parties – it was a great way to save money and reduce waste!

Funky Divas & Dudes has been bringing party characters to life since 2002, offering everything from princesses and superheroes to characters inspired by popular culture. For years, Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen” was the most popular choice for girls’ parties. According to company owner Lazzareschi, trends change every decade or so. “First it was Elsa, and now it’s Rumi,” she explains, referencing the lead character from “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Tzagournis noticed a clear shift in what kids were interested in. She remembers that a few years ago, around Halloween, almost every girl her daughter’s age (she was nearly 5) dressed up as Elsa from ‘Frozen’. But this past year, over half the girls in her daughter’s age group chose costumes inspired by ‘KPop’ stars instead.

Funky Divas & Dudes doesn’t just perform at parties; they also teach dance classes at schools around Los Angeles, including the one where Tzagournis’ daughter goes. Lazzareschi noticed how popular the movie was when kids started asking to dance to songs like “Golden” from the soundtrack during these classes. She believes “KPop Demon Hunters” appeals to a wider age range than “Frozen,” which was mostly for younger children. “It’s popular with kids of all ages, from kindergarteners all the way up to fifth graders,” Lazzareschi explains. “The martial arts elements and other exciting parts of the movie really grab their attention, and both boys and girls love it.”

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Party entertainment companies, such as Funky Dudes & Divas, quickly responded to the growing popularity of “KPop” themed parties for kids in Los Angeles. They found costumes by shopping at Halloween stores or online. In addition to performers dressed as the three main characters – Rumi, Mira, and Zoey – Lazzareschi also provides male performers who resemble the Saja Boys (the rivals from the movie) and teach kids how to breakdance.

Honestly, for me, the dance sequences really elevated the film beyond just following the characters’ stories. It added a whole other layer that I wasn’t expecting, and it made the experience so much richer.

Katherine Diaz from Torrance has found a boost in her business thanks to the popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters.” She manages performances by her 18-year-old daughter, Kiara Asiel, and other teenage girls at parties. They specialize in shows for Latino families, with Kiara – who dreams of becoming a professional dancer and performs as Rumi – offering performances in both English and Spanish. Business slowed down last summer after immigration raids made many families hesitant to host parties. However, the recent demand for appearances by the “KPop” characters has created new opportunities for them.

We’ve seen a huge increase in interest. People in our community are requesting our ‘KPop’ show specifically because my daughter can perform it in Spanish,” Diaz explains.

Besides birthday parties, Diaz’s team has also been performing at McDonald’s locations throughout Los Angeles, drawing large crowds of kids and their families eager to get pictures. They were also invited by the city of Gardena to entertain the community at a Christmas celebration in December.

The clients specifically asked for the performers dressed as a ‘KPop’ group. We were surprised, since it was Christmas, but they explained that the children were really excited to see ‘Huntrix’ – a musical group featured in a movie. My performers wore their KPop costumes, but I added little Christmas hats to make it festive.

To stay out of legal trouble, some companies offer similar characters to popular ones instead of the originals. Disney, for example, sued a New York company for offering characters that looked like those from “Star Wars” and “Frozen” at parties, but dropped the lawsuit a year later when the judge rejected most of their trademark arguments. According to Mark Lee, an attorney specializing in entertainment law, it can also be hard for copyright owners to pursue legal action against so many companies – not just in Los Angeles, but globally.

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Lee shared an example from his own experience: a client of his co-wrote a popular song that was uploaded to YouTube without permission 1.2 million times. While it’s possible to request these videos be removed by sending a DMCA Takedown notice – essentially a legal request to YouTube – it would require submitting the notice 1.2 million times, one for each unauthorized upload.

At the same time, these small businesses are helping keep the characters popular.

Lazzareschi and Diaz are planning more events based on the popular “KPop Demon Hunters” theme, but Tzagournis thinks the trend might be losing steam. He predicts it won’t last as long as the popularity of movies like ‘Frozen,’ saying kids are starting to move on from KPop, though future installments could bring them back.

A new “KPop Demon Hunters” movie is already in the works.

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2026-04-29 13:33