KPop Demon Hunters Retrospective

Celebrate your hits and slay your sprint's demons.

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Chart-Topping Hits

What performances and wins should we celebrate?

We shipped the new feature ahead of schedule and the demo got a standing ovation from stakeholders.
Pairing on the tricky integration meant we squashed it in half the expected time.
Our daily standups stayed crisp and focused all sprint long.
Demons We Faced

What blockers and challenges threatened our show?

Unclear requirements meant we built the wrong thing twice.
The staging environment kept going down at the worst possible moments.
Too many context switches between projects killed our focus.
Finding Our Harmony

How well did we collaborate and stay in sync?

Async updates in our channel kept everyone aligned despite time zones.
Decisions sometimes got made without the whole team in the room.
Our retro action items from last time actually got done this sprint.
Our Next Hit

What will we do to make the next sprint even better?

Add a definition-of-ready checklist before pulling stories into the sprint.
Set up alerting so we catch staging outages before they block us.
Schedule a weekly 15-minute sync with the external dependency team.

What is the KPop Demon Hunters Retrospective?

KPop Demon Hunters is the animated film about K-pop idols who secretly hunt demons. This retrospective borrows that setup: your team is the group, the sprint is the show, and the blockers are the demons that tried to stop it. It's a change of pace from the usual columns, and the prompts still lead to an honest conversation about the work. The board has four columns. Chart-Topping Hits is for the wins worth celebrating. Demons We Faced names the blockers and frustrations that slowed you down. Finding Our Harmony looks at how well the team collaborated and stayed in sync, which is where relationship and process problems tend to show up. Our Next Hit turns all of it into one or two actions the team will actually do next sprint. Use it when your retros have gone stale, or after a tough sprint when a lighter tone helps people talk about what went wrong. Nobody needs to have seen the film: each column has a plain prompt, and a one-line intro is enough to set the scene.

KPop Demon Hunters retrospective format

Chart-Topping Hits

What performances and wins should we celebrate?

This is the team's victory lap. Invite everyone to share the wins from the sprint, big and small: a smooth delivery, good collaboration, a personal breakthrough. Ask for specifics so the team knows exactly what to repeat.

Demons We Faced

What blockers and challenges threatened our show?

Every hero faces demons. Use this column to name the obstacles, blockers and frustrations that slowed the team down. Keep the tone blameless and curious, focused on the problem rather than the person, so people feel safe raising the real issues.

Finding Our Harmony

How well did we collaborate and stay in sync?

A group only works when everyone is in tune. Ask how well the team collaborated and communicated: what helped you stay in sync, and where did that break down? This column often surfaces relationship and workflow problems that delivery metrics miss.

Our Next Hit

What will we do to make the next sprint even better?

Time to write the next hit. Help the team turn its reflections into concrete actions with owners. Pick one or two high-impact changes instead of a long wish list, so the follow-through actually happens.

When to use this retrospective

  • When your team's retrospectives have gone stale and you want a themed session to change the routine.
  • After an intense or difficult sprint, when a lighter tone helps the team open up about blockers.
  • For teams that enjoy pop culture and respond well to story-driven formats.
  • As an occasional change of pace between your regular retro formats.

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • If your team were a KPop group, what would your band name be and who plays which role?
  • What's the one 'demon' (bad habit or blocker) you'd most love to slay this sprint?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Introduce the theme at the start and lean into it, so everyone feels free to be playful.
  • Keep Demons We Faced blameless. Talk about the obstacle, not the person, so people feel safe naming it.
  • Timebox each column so the fun doesn't eat into action planning at the end.
  • Ask quieter team members directly for their hit or their demon so every voice is heard.
  • Limit actions to one or two high-impact changes so they actually get done by the next sprint.
  • Start by reviewing the last session's actions to close the loop and keep the team accountable.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a KPop Demon Hunters retrospective take?
A typical session takes 45 to 60 minutes for a team of five to eight, which covers the four columns and action planning. Larger teams may need extra time for grouping and voting.
When should I use this themed retrospective?
Use it when your usual retrospectives feel repetitive, or after a tough sprint when a playful tone helps the team talk openly about what went wrong.
How is it different from a standard sprint retrospective?
It covers the same ground as a standard retro (wins, blockers, collaboration and actions), but frames it as a K-pop group battling demons. The story makes it easier for some people to speak up.
Do my team members need to know KPop to take part?
No. The theme is just framing. Every column has a clear prompt, and you can explain the idea in one sentence at the start.
Can I customize the topics?
Yes. In TeamRetro you can rename, add or remove columns to fit your team while keeping the theme.

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