K-Pop Demon Hunters, Netflix's latest animated release, follows a K-pop girl group that moonlights as demon slayers.

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and animated by the Spider-Verse team, the film earned generally positive reviews for its bold visuals and unique premise following its release in late June 2025.

But some critics online have latched onto the movie's exaggerated animation style, calling it distractingly expressive or even "meme bait." Nowhere is that irritation more concentrated than in the comment sections of a short GIF showing the character Rumi sniffing a roll of kimbap.

So, what's the big deal anyway? Here's a recap of the meme and discourse making the rounds online over the last two weeks.

What Is K-Pop Demon Hunters, And What's the Context for the Rumi Sniffing Kimbap Scene?

The movie is exactly what the title says: a K-pop girl group that fights demons. It was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Rumi is one of three Huntrix members, and in one scene, the group eats their way through a table of traditional Korean food. Zoey is shown chowing down on some snacks with cartoonishly pointy teeth, while Rumi is shown sniffing the entire length of a kimbap roll, tilting her head back, and sighing with satisfaction.

Tumblr user @sunflower-of-versace posted the first known GIF version on June 21st, pulling in 400 notes in roughly a week.

How Did the GIF of Rumi Sniffing Kimbap Spread?

The GIF began circulating more widely on X after June 28th, 2025, when user @banzoinhakka reposted it without much comment. But it was @hoezayburger’s June 29th tweet saying, "this gif is f--king crazy," that really turned it into a meme.

On June 30th, @GOREJ1RA paired the GIF with the caption, "Springtrap unwashed dih," inexplicably linking it to Five Nights at Freddy's and earning over 6,000 likes.

Singer and internet regular bbno$ also recreated the meme on July 6th, holding up a precarious roll of sushi while dressed in a bright wig. The post gathered over 6 million views and 80,000 likes in just two days.

pre show ritual pic.twitter.com/qLcEqTfDl8

— bbno$ 👶🚫💰 (@bbnomula) July 6, 2025

What's the 'Meme Animation' Debate Around the GIF?

Around July 1st, 2025, the conversation shifted from inappropriate jokes to straight-up complaints. For example, X user @SKULLYtwtt posted, "This movie looks so overly animated as if they're trying to make a bunch of memes and that’s what’s stopping me from watching it 😭," a take that drew over 3,000 likes in six days.

@ArtofSpongebob, a gimmick account that posts goofy SpongeBob screenshots for sport, weighed in sarcastically: "Why is this movie trying so hard to make the next big meme face?" with the Rumi GIF attached. The irony didn't travel very well, but the tweet got 95,000 likes in roughly a week.

@heyimcrib followed up with a more direct post, stating, "Normal people in real life: 'oh this animator wanted to have fun with their scene and make something expressive' / The critically online: 'broooo they tryin to meme brooo like fawwwk bro its so annooying broooo.'" It pulled 71,000 likes in a day and more or less closed the argument.

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For the full history of the Rumi Sniffing Kimbap meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.