Unprecedented Phenomenon in Netflix History as "KPop Demon Hunters" Reaches 325.1 Million Views

Netflix’s original animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” has achieved record-breaking success since its release in June, marking a trend unseen before in the platform’s history. As of 91 days after its debut, it has accumulated 325.1 million views, setting the highest performance ever for any Netflix film or series. The American business media outlet described this as “something that has never happened before in Netflix’s history, even since streaming movies became widespread.” The animation centers on a trio of K-pop idol hunters known as HUNTR/X who fight evil spirits using music, against a male idol group called the Lion Boys who oppose them. It was co-directed by Canadian-Korean director Maggie Kang and American director Chris Appelhans, who created a unique world view by blending Korean Musok beliefs with K-pop culture, seamlessly integrating stunning visuals, action, fantasy, and occult elements. The series also holds impressive ranking records. In the fourth week of October (October 20–26), it recorded 14.6 million views, placing it third in the English-language film category, and thus achieved the remarkable milestone of staying in the “top 10” for 19 consecutive weeks. This surpasses the previous longest record held by “Red Notice” (14 weeks), setting a new benchmark. Although its rankings dropped to third place for the first time last week after previously holding first or second positions, it still remains in the upper tiers, demonstrating its sustained popularity. The soundtrack has also received overwhelming acclaim. The title track “Golden” topped the U.S. Billboard main single chart, the Hot 100, for eight weeks. Though it fell to 13th place due to the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, it rebounded to second place from third. It has accumulated over 700 million streams on music streaming platforms, reaffirming its status as the most prominent hit of the year. The singer behind “Golden,” EJAE, is a 33-year-old songwriter who previously served as a vocalist for BTS and provided the voice for Rumi, the purple-haired character in HUNTR/X who sings the title track. EJAE contributed to both the lyrics and melody of “Golden,” claiming he composed the song while riding in a taxi on his way to a recording session. When sales of the soundtrack album exceeded one million copies, Jimmy Fallon presented EJAE with a glittering golden record during his appearance on “The Tonight Show.” The series continues to generate excitement through theatrical releases as well. When Netflix released a singalong version in theaters, the theater distribution fee alone amounted to nearly $20 million, dominating the box office. In South Korea, special singalong screenings were held at over 100 CGV theaters across the country from the 31st through November 2 for four days. Netflix also uploaded practice videos to its official YouTube channel allowing viewers to sing “Golden” and “Your Idol” in Korean pronunciation. Two days before ticket sales began, the special screenings ranked third in booking popularity with a 9.6% reservation rate and 28,659 reserved attendees. Its impact extends across the entire cultural industry. Food companies such as Nongshim and Paris Baguette launched themed products, while fashion brands like Eight Seconds and theme park Everland conducted aggressive promotions. In particular, Everland saw 150,000 visitors in the month following the opening of its themed zone at the end of September, with lines forming from the very first day. The themed zone offers experiences featuring characters and elements from the series, such as HUNTR/X, the Lion Boys, and K-buns, through photo zones, mission games, videos, and the soundtrack. Driven by this popularity, a new nighttime performance titled “KPOP Demon Hunters Singalong Fireworks Show” was launched, combining hit songs from the film with fireworks and special effects. Demand for experiences related to Korean culture has also surged. The National Museum of Korea exceeded 5 million visitors for the first time this year (from January 1 to October 15), a figure that represents a roughly 70% increase compared to the previous year and the highest record since the museum’s opening. The “Kachi-Tiger Badge” sold through the museum’s merchandise line, “Muse,” sold out quickly due to rumors that it resembled the tiger character Duffy from the series. Netflix has entered into licensing agreements with Mattel and Hasbro to produce toys. Under this partnership, a variety of products will be released, including character dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles, games, and playsets. The cultural influence of this film has evolved beyond mere entertainment to become a phenomenon that drives activity across entire industries.