It's so bad. It's so shallow. No, I'm not talking about the 2025 anime movie by SONY that plays on Netflix: KPop Demon Hunters. I'm talking about some Christian takes on it. I'll just use one example for my critics of other Christians' view on this, Allie Beth Stuckey's, as I think at least she's the thoughtful type on issues from a fundamentalist's perspective, I'll draw my criticism of the popular Christian take on this largely from Allie's take:
The other Christians have a mixed love-hate opinions on it which I wouldn't go over too much. Basically they love the fight of good vs. evil, the sacrificial salvation ideology, etc.
But first, my own take on the movie. Two things that strike me as old but not recognized by the majority are 1. worship music, 2. the true value of sacrifice.
- On worship music: This is where many Christians today fail. One side looks for what's popular, pop music, while the other side looks for what's considered obedient, obedient music. They both gone to some sort of extremism, because the true value is in the quality and they do not seek it. In fact, they pursue that which is quantitative, despite their opposition against each other: More hip, more $, more publicity vs. more scriptural verses, more restrictions, more obedience. This aligns very well with the theme and attraction of KPop Demon Hunters. It's boyband vs. girlband, it's makeups, it's who's cooler, it's who has the more fans, it's who hides their flaws better, it's who's less wicked, it's who has more love, etc. Christian music is simply one: It's why we create. It's why beauty matters. And I don't mean just music about Christianity, I mean music in general viewed by the right standard.
- On sacrifice: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. This is a common concept that Jesus affirms. It's common because it's a concept given to Adam and he failed it when he showed his lack of love for Eve. When he did not lay down his life for Eve for her sin. Jesus affirmed it by accomplishing it. Now, Hollywood and Disney used this concept to seduce their fans, because it's the ultimate story, to sacrifice oneself for others. And many Christians have failed to see the point of these stories, because all they care about is being saved by Jesus' cross, not to carry His cross. They told Jesus "it's not my burden, but thank you for your burden."
Rumi, basically the half-demon half human messiah figure. Now fundamentalists would cringe at the coinage of "demon" and "messiah". I don't relate this to the sinless Messiah. Just some main hero. Her demon side can be seen just as human sinfulness, there's no need to analogize this into supernatural involvement. The same goes to Jinu.
Now the idea that bad humans turn into demons (or ghosts/evil spirits) is not a new thing. Nor necessarily a Buddhist/Oriental thing (The Grudge movie, Japanese folklores, etc.), but of Gnostic traditions and Eastern Orthodoxy (viewing sin as a disease).