By Movieguide Freelance
Hi moms,
If your kids and tweens follow online trends, chances are you’ve heard them talking about the anime movie KPOP DEMON HUNTERS. It’s one of those films that goes viral on TikTok and Instagram – it’s slick, flashy and filled with catchy music. I decided to watch it myself to see what the hype was about.
Anime Isn’t Always For Kids
Let’s talk about anime for a moment. The cartoons many of today’s parents grew up with were safe and silly. Some were even educational, like going on an adventure with Ms. Frizzle on THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. Much of the anime marketed to kids and teens today is a different animal altogether. While anime is animated, the content often contains false religion, violence and adult themes.
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS fits that mold and seems like just the thing to draw in kids and tweens. It’s an animated movie about a Kpop girl group, HUNTR/X, who double as magical fighters battling demons with their songs. The costumes are glittery, the musical performances are amazing and the choreographed battles are epic. But here’s the thing: it’s not just a fun movie about girl power. It touches on something even more alarming, including an actual Korean shamanic gut ritual that uses dance, music, and costumes to ward off evil spirits.
If you squint a little bit, KPOP DEMON HUNTERS feels kind of Christian. A group of girls secretly uses their powers to protect the world from evil. They join forces with friendship and teamwork, finding their inner strength and learning to accept themselves to overcome demons – all while dancing under neon lights.
Here’s the problem: demons aren’t something we overcome with a cute outfit or a brutal slamdown. KPOP DEMON HUNTERS says the power within you is all you need to defeat evil. That may sound empowering, but it doesn’t teach the true source of strength – Jesus Christ.
Roots in Korean Mythology
The movie remixes Korean mythology and shamanistic traditions. While Korean culture has many rich and metaphorical aspects, the story is packed with grim reaper guides, shamanic exorcisms and even a demon king. Our girl heroes use actual shamanic tools as spiritual weapons, perform rituals on stage and their songs create a magical seal to ward off evil, which is traditional spirit worship dressed up like pop stars.
This may not strike the casual viewer as something to be concerned about but KPOP DEMON HUNTERS is seductive, blurring the lines of spirituality and potentially exposing viewers to the false, Eastern religion. The ladies of HUNTR/X represent Mudang, or spirit mediums from Korean folklore. The swords they wield are influenced from traditional Korean weaponry, which are often used in Shamanic rituals.
These spiritual concepts could quietly lure kids away from biblical truth. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
While the entertainment industry treats demons as fantasy, we as Christians see beyond the flashy package into the truth of spiritual warfare.
Dr. Baehr says:
Whether consciously or unconsciously, consistently or inconsistently, everyone is influenced by a worldview – their set of presuppositions and assumptions (which may be true, partially true or false). Our worldview consists of those sets of beliefs and presuppositions that we hold about basic realities of our world. Our worldview determines our values, influences how we think and therefore guides how we live.
Every movie and television program you and your child watches has a dominant worldview that informs the themes, values, messages, and lessons in that movie or TV program. Sometimes, the presentation of that worldview is mixed, inarticulate or confusing. Whether or not that is the case, however, it’s vital for you and your child to comprehend and understand the movie or program’s worldview so that you can measure it against the Christian worldview and what the Bible teaches and evaluate the movie or TV program.
Informed parents should know that KPOP DEMON HUNTERS contains false religion and illustrates the power of Shamanism is K-Pop culture. While the songs are catchy and the action is amazing, the movie doesn’t measure up to what the Bible teaches us and may be confusing for younger viewers. Is it the most evil movie ever made? The honest answer is no, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t problematic.
Fight the Good Fight
I get it, though. Anime and Kpop are cool right now. It’s just part of the culture our kids are immersed in. While it may seem harmless, they aren’t aware of what they’re spiritually soaking in. That’s why KPOP DEMON HUNTERS can be an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation between you and your curious tween.
Next time you hear your kid whine, “Mom, why can’t I watch this?” – seize the opportunity to tell them that true spiritual power doesn’t come from within us or from glowing shamanic weapons but from the Holy Spirit. That we, as Christians, call on God to protect us from evil through prayer, not inner magic or mystical performances. Teach them that spiritual battles are real, and Jesus won the victory on the cross.
You’re not alone in this fight. All it takes is a willing heart to lovingly tell your kids and tweens that KPOP DEMON HUNTERS doesn’t line up with the truth.
God put you in your children’s lives for a reason — and you’re doing better than you think.
With you in this,
A Fellow Media-Wise Mama
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