KPop Demon Hunters has been surprisingly well received by younger generations. Indeed, this animated film has been breaking records since its release. For the uninitiated, “Kpop,” short for “Korean Pop,” is a South Korean music genre that encompasses several styles, from pop to rap. The combination with “demon hunters” seems counterintuitive, but has performed very well at the box office.
If you have children in elementary or middle school, chances are they have seen or heard of the film (and you have too). And for good reason! It’s the most watched film on Netflix since the platform was created, with 236 million views recorded in the two months following its release. Your children may also be singing along to its hit song, “Golden,” which has racked up more than 742 million views on YouTube to date.
Not for small children
Produced by the American studio Sony Pictures Animation, KPop Demon Hunters is an animated musical comedy inspired by Korean culture. It features catchy Kpop songs and the iconic style of manga. The plot revolves around the battle waged by three demon hunters, who are also Kpop singers, against a rival group in the pay of the evil Gwi-Ma, whose goal is to destroy fans by stealing their souls.
The streaming platform lists KPop Demon Hunters with a PG rating in the US, and in some European countries it is rated for children 10 and over. The MPA’s PG rating cites “action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material, and brief language.”
Indeed, several fight scenes punctuate the film, featuring hordes of creepy, monstrous creatures that may frighten younger viewers. The rather trivial allusions to romantic love, heavy-handedly represented by the heroines gawking at the male characters' sculpted abs, as well as by the highly suggestive lyrics of the pseudo-love song “Soda Pop,” are far from edifying for children aged 10-12.
Multiple levels of interpretation
Nevertheless, the film is driven by some good values: the friendship that binds the three heroines, the freedom that comes from accepting one's weaknesses, the fight against evil, the quest for truth, the superficiality of appearances ... all of which can be a source of interesting discussions with teenagers.
Several levels of interpretation are possible, more or less accessible depending on the age of the viewer. Beyond a war between two music groups, it’s also a fight against a demonic power. And it’s this interpretation that divides parents and educators the most.
Recently, a British nursery school, Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, banned its pupils from singing songs from the film, according to the BBC, stating that they are not in line with the school's “Christian ethos.”
Admittedly, KPop Demon Hunters tells the story of how a demonic figure, Gwi-Ma, seeks to bring as many “souls” as possible under his control and relays rather hollow song lyrics -- but this does not necessarily mean that the film itself is “bad.”
On the contrary, although steeped in references to Korean culture, it can almost be interpreted from a Christian perspective. The struggle of the three heroines can evoke the battle that each of us is called upon to wage against the devil to preserve our souls and our freedom.
Good feelings instead of moral goodness
Furthermore, the “Honmoon” -- the shield entrusted to the heroines that protects souls from the demon's attacks -- can be seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit as Paraclete. But the big difference with the Christian struggle is that here, there is nothing spiritual about it. A spiritual battle invites us to choose between good and evil in order to attain holiness. In KPop Demon Hunters, the battle is fought more on an emotional level: the Holy Grail is to “feel good,” even if it means burying “your fears and weaknesses,” while hell is to “feel bad” because of shame and guilt.
It is therefore not the moral and objective values of good and evil that dominate in this film, nor that guide the actions of the heroines, but feelings; sometimes it's more than a little sappy. In short, it’s an aesthetic and musical success for those who love pop, manga style, and kawaii culture; not nasty, but not edifying either.
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