Swiftly reaching No. 1 on the Netflix Charts in 33 countries, Kpop Demon Hunters has grown into a global sensation. An ingenious plot of a K-pop girl and boy band pitted against each other set to an addictive soundtrack has created another successful Netflix animated film, whilst honing an amalgam of genres such as action, musical, and even a hint of romance.
However, beyond being an enjoyable film for all age groups, throughout the course of watching the film, I recognized that many aspects of the movie were surprisingly analogous to themes related to Christianity.
In many ways, the girl group in the film, HUNTR/X, symbolizes believers of Christ. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey desire to restore the Honmoon – a way to shield people from demons – by sharing their music.
The songs that they perform, like “Golden” and “What It Sounds Like,” can be representative of Christian worship music. In particular, people who listen to HUNTR/X’s music strengthen the Honmoon, similarly to how people’s faith in God is amplified as they listen to more music to praise his name.
In contrast, songs performed by the Saja Boys – a demon boy band in the film – such as “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” are meant to feed on the souls of the people who listen to their music.
The Saja Boys are heavily connected to a major obstacle many Christians face: listening to secular music. Secular music can be defined as music that “often promotes immorality and violence while belittling purity and integrity.” In other words, music with lyrics that promote sins outlined in the Bible can negatively deter individuals’ religious faith and can cause us or our souls to fall astray.
Furthermore, a more apparent connection to Christianity in the film is that the main villain, named Gwi-ma, resembles Satan as he tempts people like Jinu, who is the main member of the Saja Boys, to fall into sin on Earth, ultimately leading to their spiritual death as they become demons.
For example, Jinu was tempted by Gwi-ma to abandon his mother and sister for a life of luxury. In other aspects, Jinu’s ultimate decision at the end of the film to sacrifice himself for Rumi resembles the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross, since Jinu’s sacrifice not only saved Rumi but also sealed the Honmoon as well, likewise to how Christians believe that Jesus’ sacrifice saved us from spiritual death.
In actuality, the aforementioned observations aren’t solely based on speculation. In an interview with Forbes, EJAE, who is a songwriter involved in the film’s soundtrack and is the voice of Rumi, said, “‘I was raised Christian and remembered it’s a sin to idolize something. So, it was like a twist of “I’ll be your Idol.” It was kinda creepy.” Therefore, there is an aspect of the film that is based on Christianity’s view on idols. More specifically, let’s analyze verse two of “Your Idol”:
Don’t let it show, keep it all inside
The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight
Your obsession feeds our connection
So right now give me all your attention
The message of these lyrics completely juxtaposes themes of Christianity, like not presenting one’s worries to God, along with having unhealthy obsessions with things of the world, which are idols. Psalm 34:18 is a direct response to the first two lines of verse two when it reads, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” As for unhealthy obsession outlined in the third and fourth lines, Colossians 3:5 is a fitting retort as it says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Although not everyone may agree with this Christian perspective, these analogies still hold heavy significance to Christians who identify with deeper symbolism that exists in the film. My final remark is in relation to both a notable yet universal concern in the film and a driving cornerstone of Christianity.
In the words of Rumi, “That’s the funny thing about hope. Nobody else gets to decide if you feel it. That choice belongs to you.”
