Highlights
- The anime x kpop 2025 trend merged global fandoms through massive studio partnerships.
- Stars from Stray Kids, TXT, and ILLIT delivered hit tracks for Solo Leveling, Beyblade, and Pokémon.
- Collaborations expanded into anime series for ENHYPEN and BTS, plus BLACKPINK merch.
The cultural walls between Japanese anime and South Korean pop music have officially crumbled in 2025. What was once a rare crossover has become the year's dominant entertainment trend, with major studios and record labels aggressively pursuing partnerships that merge these two massive fandoms. We aren't just seeing simple marketing tie-ins; we are witnessing deep artistic collaborations, global merchandise pushes, and entirely new animated series built around K-pop identities.
The synergy driving this wave is undeniable. High-energy anime visuals demand equally electrifying soundtracks, and K-pop idols serve as perfect real-world avatars for anime aesthetics. From blockbuster opening themes to digital pet collaborations, here are the top cross-industry collaborations between Anime and K-Pop that are defining pop culture in 2025.
1. LiSA x Felix (Stray Kids) for Solo Leveling Season 2
In perhaps the most explosive musical partnership of the year, Japanese rock heroine LiSA joined forces with Felix of the K-pop group Stray Kids for "ReawakeR." This track serves as the intense intro song for Solo Leveling Season 2, subtitled Arise from the Shadow. Released in early 2025, the collaboration honors the Korean manhwa roots of the series while delivering a soundscape that matches the show’s high-stakes shadow hunter battles.
The combination of LiSA’s powerhouse vocals and Felix’s deep, intense delivery created an immediate viral moment, driving chart dominance and celebrating a significant cross-cultural nod between the Japanese and Korean industries.
2. ILLIT x Pokémon Horizons: The Series
HYBE’s rookie sensation ILLIT scored a massive strategic win by partnering with the biggest media franchise on the planet. The group provided “Secret Quest,” the catchy ending theme for Pokémon Horizons: The Series, a move specifically targeting young fans with their friendly, youthful image.
The song debuted mid-season and was accompanied by a line of character goods that blended ILLIT members with beloved Pokémon designs. KT Genie Music selected the group for their established appeal, and the result was a measurable surge in both streaming numbers and toy sales, placing their music in millions of homes weekly.
3. Tomorrow X Together x Beyblade X
The Beyblade franchise tapped into K-pop star power to fuel its major reboot, Beyblade X. Tomorrow X Together (TXT) delivered the high-octane opening theme "Rise," which premiered on April 4 alongside an ending track by Jax Jones and Ado. The song was chosen to fuel the anime's underdog story of professional blading ambitions. With dynamic performances teased across official accounts, this collaboration marked TXT’s growing footprint in the anime world and successfully reignited childhood nostalgia for the spinning-top franchise among global fans.
Beyblade X
4. (G)I-DLE x Beyblade X
Proving the franchise's commitment to top-tier talent, Beyblade X didn't stop with just one K-pop collaboration. The powerhouse girl group (G)I-DLE performed "Invincible," a high-energy opening song for episode 101, released on Oct 24. Their powerful vocals perfectly captured the competitive battling spirit of the show. Fans and critics alike praised the track for elevating the global hype of the 25-year-old series, marking the franchise's successful integration of K-pop energy following earlier hits.
5. Omoinotake x Jeonghan (SEVENTEEN)
In a move that delighted fans of emotive storytelling, Japanese band Omoinotake partnered with Jeonghan of SEVENTEEN for the track Better Half in early 2025. Omoinotake, known for their anime theme song veteran status, and Jeonghan created an international standalone single dedicated to fans (Carats), with a Korean version released digitally on Jan 27 and a Japanese version on Omoinotake's album Pieces on Jan 29.
The collaboration showcased Jeonghan's versatile vocal color in heartfelt sequences amid his military service, representing a bold expansion for the K-pop artist into the Japanese market through lyrics co-written with Omoinotake's Leo Fujii. The project earned wide acclaim for its seamless fusion of the band's instrumental sound with K-pop vocal stylings, though it remains unlinked to specific anime insert usage.
6. &TEAM x Honey Lemon Soda
Global group &TEAM teamed up with the anime adaptation of Honey Lemon Soda for a vibrant promotional campaign launched in early 2025. With its infectious melody and polished production, Magic Hour has proven that smaller romance anime openings can be just as impactful as mainstream chart-toppers. Its youthful energy perfectly matched the anime's fizzy, feel-good narrative about high school friendships.
IMDb
7. Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Anime Adaptation
This collaboration marks the pinnacle of HYBE's "Story IP Business." The hit webtoon Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, featuring ENHYPEN, has been reborn as a Japanese anime produced by giants Aniplex and TROYCA. The project’s massive scale was showcased on Dec 28 at a Tokyo premiere, where all seven ENHYPEN members appeared onstage alongside the voice cast to greet fans. The 12-episode series officially begins airing on Jan 9 across Japanese networks, with a global release on Netflix and Hulu following on Jan 13.
8. BLACKPINK x Tamagotchi
Moving beyond traditional anime series, this collaboration merged top-tier K-pop with Japan’s retro gaming nostalgia. In late 2025, Bandai Namco partnered with global superstars BLACKPINK to release limited-edition Tamagotchi Nano devices. Users could nurture digital pets styled after the group's members, complete with pixelated K-pop dance animations and exclusive tracks. The concept combines 1990s digital-pet (Digi-Pet) nostalgia with the mechanics of present K-pop fandom.
YG Entertainment
9. K-Pop Demon Hunters
Netflix doubled down on genre convergence with K-Pop Demon Hunters, the 2025 animated film from Sony Pictures Animation premiering on Netflix. The movie features a fictional K-pop girl group—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—as secret demon hunters battling a rival demon boy band, with K-pop stars elevating the musical numbers.
The chart-topping original soundtrack shines with the high-energy anthem TAKEDOWN performed by TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, capturing the film's explosive action and idol charisma.
10. BTS x CloverWorks: 7Fates: Chakho Short Films
In a pioneering move for transmedia storytelling, global icons BTS partnered with acclaimed Japanese studio CloverWorks to adapt their 7Fates: Chakho webtoon. The collaboration produced an 11-minute animated short film released in April 2025, reimagining the seven members as tiger hunters in the dystopian city of Sin-si.
Directed by Shin Wakabayashi with voice acting by Shōya Ishige as Zeha, the short showcased CloverWorks' fluid style from hits like Spy x Family, delivering high-octane action and lore from the webtoon. HYBE's effort bridged the original story to the ARMY fandom effectively. However, it remains a single promotional piece released alongside a paired short for TXT's Star Seekers, rather than a full series.
