After 150 Days Acting Like It Owned the Charts, KPop Demon Hunters Crashes Back to Earth

Well, that took longer than anyone expected. After months of acting like it owned Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters finally blinked. The runaway hit slid off the global No. 1 spot and into second place on November 17, per FlixPatrol. Still huge, still everywhere, but yeah — the crown slipped. For something that felt glued to the top, it’s a surprisingly human moment for a movie that turned into a full-on cultural loop: streamed, memed, danced to, repeat.

From invincible to merely dominant

KPop Demon Hunters basically moved into the No. 1 slot and stayed there for close to 150 days. Then, out of nowhere, it got nudged to No. 2. Not exactly a collapse — more like a reminder that even a juggernaut can get bumped. And if you’re wondering who saw that coming? Honestly, no one.

So what is this movie actually doing to people?

The film follows Huntr/x, a fictional K-pop trio who hunt demons while nailing choreography and vocals like it’s a sport. Their rivals, the Saja Boys, are a five-member group of demon dreamboats singing about temptation and seduction. It’s loud, slick, hyper-specific, and kind of irresistible. Kids latched on immediately, teens went all-in, and plenty of adults pretended they weren’t humming along (they absolutely were).

And then a school said: maybe not here

While the movie’s soundtracks were basically colonizing playgrounds, one school in Dorset tapped the brakes. Lilliput Church of England Infant School sent parents a note asking kids not to belt out these songs on school grounds out of respect for families who weren’t comfortable with the themes. Some in the community connected the demon angle with ideas they see as opposed to God and goodness, and the school wanted to be mindful of that.

"Not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith."

Acting head teacher Lloyd Allington later said he’d also heard a lot of positive feedback — parents telling him the songs are upbeat and encouraging — but the staff felt a responsibility to support families who found the material challenging. Translation: we get the appeal, but let’s keep the hallway concerts to a minimum.

Parents outside the gate? Mostly an eye-roll

One parent told the BBC he thought the whole thing was a bit much. His daughter and her friends are deep into K-pop and have been putting on little performances at after-school clubs. To them, it’s just a harmless, confidence-boosting hobby. He called the ban an imposition — unfair and kind of silly — while also stressing he wasn’t taking a shot at the school. If anything, he praised them, but felt they had been nudged into a move they wouldn’t normally make.

Does this hurt the sequel hype?

Short answer: no. The sequel is already locked in and slated for 2029. If a brief dip on the charts and a single school’s no-singing policy could derail this train, we wouldn’t still be talking about a movie that spent ages at the top of Netflix and, by the way, has been treated like the streamer’s most-watched movie for a reason.

• Movie: KPop Demon Hunters
• Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
• Cast: Arden Cho, Liza Koshy, May Hong
• IMDb: 7.6
• Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
• Studio: Sony Pictures Animation
• Where to watch: Netflix
• Sequel: Confirmed, targeting 2029

What do you make of the franchise’s run so far? Drop your take in the comments — I’m curious where you land on the school’s call, the chart slip, and the inevitable sequel victory lap.