K-Pop Demon Hunters: Fighting Shame with Light

Clare and Candice dive into the powerful themes behind K-Pop: Demon Hunters, exploring how the movie’s message of overcoming shame and darkness mirrors the Savior’s invitation to find hope, light, and forgiveness through Him. 

Show notes (clickable)

The Infinite Power of Hope

Peacemakers Needed by Pres. Russell M. Nelson

Brene Brown quotes

Good, Better, Best by Pres. Dallin H. Oaks

Shame vs Guilt

Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy by Tamara Runia 

K Pop Demon Hunters: Golden music video

watch: K Pop Demon Hunters

Transcript

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The views and opinions expressed in this episode are our own and those of our guests. They do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine, beliefs, or positions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Transcript

Clare: Welcome to Sisters with Latter-day Voices. I'm Clare.
Candice: And I'm Candice.
Clare: And today we're going to be talking about K-pop Demon Hunters, which I'm super excited about.
Candice: We thought it would be a fun Halloween/October theme to do lessons from K-pop Demon Hunters. It might seem kind of silly for a church podcast, but you know what? We're all obsessed with it. You can deny it all you want, but we know you know the songs—at the very least.

Okay, so I think a lot of parents can relate. For me, when I—
 Clare: —When—
Candice: —First—
Clare: —I—
Candice: —Saw—
Clare: —Heard—
Candice: —Just the poster—
Clare: —That.
Candice: For K-pop Demon Hunters, I was like, “Oh, that is so stupid. We are not watching that.” But then all my kids’ friends kept talking about it and were like, “No, you’ve gotta watch it!” So, they really wanted to see it. I finally gave in and watched it with them, and I realized—oh—it’s actually pretty cute! It’s not as bad as it sounds.

We were all together for our niece’s missionary farewell at our sister’s house, and all the little cousins wanted to watch it at night. They kept telling our sister Natalie that they wanted to, but she just heard the title and didn’t know anything about it (probably because her kids are older). She was like, “Demon Hunters? No, you can’t watch that! We’re getting ready for a missionary farewell!” She thought it would be something really bad or inappropriate. And the kids were like, “Why won’t you let us watch it?”
 Clare: Then they secretly watched—
Candice: Oh yeah, they did it anyway! I just thought she didn’t want them to watch it because it would be in the way of people, so I was like, “Oh, you can watch it on the tablet in the room.” I wasn’t trying to be sneaky! Later I asked her, “Why didn’t you want them to watch it?” and she said, “Well… Demon Hunters?” I told her, “Oh no, it’s PG! It’s fine, it’s animated.”
Clare: Yeah.
Candice: Then she was like, “Okay.”

Clare: Before we get into it, I just wanted to give a quick synopsis, just in case someone hasn’t seen it—just so they get the gist of it.
Candice: Oh, and we should say spoiler alert. We’re going to be talking about lessons from the movie, so we’ll definitely be covering the whole thing. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to, maybe do that first. Or if you don’t care, just know—we’re going to spoil some things.
Clare: Like everything, for sure.
Candice: Okay.
Clare: Okay! So K-pop Demon Hunters is a new animated film about a K-pop girl group called Hunter X—but with a twist. When they’re not on stage, they’re literally fighting demons, and their music powers a magical barrier that protects the world from evil.

The leader of the group, Rumi, has a secret—she’s half demon—and she’s terrified people will find out. The other girls don’t know. Then a rival boy band shows up—turns out they’re demons in disguise—and everything starts to fall apart.

The story builds up to a huge concert that doubles as a final battle, where Rumi has to face her shame and accept who she really is. Once she does, honesty and unity become her true power. So that’s the 30-second version of what it’s about.
 Candice: That was a very nice synopsis. Well done. Way to put that together.
Clare: Thanks, ChatGPT.
Candice: (laughs) So, yeah, we’d clean it up for me.

On to the lessons we took away from this. Honestly, before we even start, I think it’s nice when you watch a movie—especially animated ones—to talk about it with your kids. Some people get offended by certain themes, but I think your kids take away what you talk about with them. You can choose what lessons they get from it.

For me, I like to focus on the good parts—the good messages. I’ll say, “Hey, wasn’t it cool when this happened?” You can help your kids find gospel parallels or uplifting ideas just by talking about them.
 Clare: Yeah, for sure. So we’re just going to talk about some of the different themes we noticed. One of them is distraction.

The Soldier Boys—they’re a distraction for the fans. They’re coming after their souls, literally. Their whole job is to steal souls through distraction. Gwi-ma—who’s basically Satan—sends them to create chaos because he knows how close the Hunter X girls are to defeating him.

And honestly, it’s like what we’re seeing today in the world. There’s so much evil and hate. It’s not enough to just have different opinions anymore—you’re expected to hate people who disagree.
Candice: Yeah, I think one of the ways we see that evil today is through hate.
Clare: Yeah. A quick example—not from the movie—but from real life: I was excited to watch The Holy War football game between BYU and the University of Utah. Before the game, they had the coaches come on, and of course, both sides were booing the other team’s coach.

When BYU’s head coach, Kalani Sitake, came on, the announcers tried to get him to say something negative. But he didn’t. He said, “I have so much love and respect for this team—they’re amazing.” The announcers even tried to push him again, but he stayed calm and kind. And I thought that was awesome. Instead of hate, he led with love.
 Candice: That’s such a great example, especially coming from a leader in that situation. Speaking of hate—one of the lines in the movie says, “If hate could defeat Gwi-ma, I would have done it a long time ago.”

Basically, hate can’t defeat anything. It’s love that conquers all. Think of any leader who led with hate—it didn’t end well. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Un… maybe they had power for a while, but they were also among the most hated people on earth.

In contrast, leaders who led with love—like Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.—they’re remembered with respect and admiration.

President Nelson said in his April 2023 talk “Peacemakers Needed,” quote:

“The Savior’s message is clear. His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire. No matter how difficult the situation, true disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.”
 If we could all just remember that—it would make such a difference.
 Clare: Agreed.

Next I want to talk about this fake doctor. Rumi, the main girl, starts losing her voice, and the other girls take her to this “doctor” who claims to have a cure. Turns out, it’s fake—he’s a fraud. The “healing water” was basically grape juice!

That made me think about how often we turn to the wrong sources for help. We need to be careful where we seek truth. We can’t rely on fake or worldly answers when real peace and truth come from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Candice: Yeah, that reminds me—our bishopric talked about this on Sunday. One of them said that what sets our church apart is our belief in divine revelation. We can pray to know what’s true, and Heavenly Father will answer through the Spirit.

Just like the girls didn’t know the doctor was fake, we can be deceived too. But if we’re close to the Spirit, we’ll be guided toward truth.
 Clare: Mhm.
Candice: Okay, the next theme is temptation.

The Saja Boys—the boy band—are very attractive, super charming, and talented. Everyone’s swooning over them. One of the lines in the movie says they’re “easy on the eyes but hideous on the inside.”

That’s such a good metaphor for temptation. Things can look appealing but be spiritually dangerous. Anything that lures us in and takes away our freedom—like addictions or even just constant phone scrolling—can pull us away from what really matters.

It reminded me of Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ “Good, Better, Best” talk. He said sometimes the best option takes more effort, but it’s worth it—like temple attendance. It might not always be convenient, but it brings lasting blessings.
Clare: I think of that talk all the time! It always sticks with me. I’m not perfect at it, but I try to ask myself, “Is this the better option for me right now?” Not that what I’m doing is bad—but could I use my time better? What’s distracting me?
Candice: Such a good talk. Life is just so busy and chaotic now.
Clare: Yeah.

All right—moving on to the Saja Boys. The main singer, Jin Yu, gave up everything to have an amazing voice. But he’s hiding the truth about how he got it. He did something selfish—offered his voice to Gwi-ma—and now he’s stuck as a demon, full of shame and hopelessness.

He’s been that way for hundreds of years and finally says to Gwi-ma, “I want all my memories erased.” That hit me. When we’re weighed down by guilt or sin, it’s always on our minds. What he really wanted was what repentance offers—to be free from that burden.

Candice: So don’t run from it. Take care of it.

Clare: Yeah. And then another character, Aunt Celine — she’s the one who raised Rumi, the main singer, from a very young age. She taught all of the girls in the group. And I quote, “Your faults and fears must never be seen.” So Rumi was conditioned to feel shame at such a young age. She didn’t do anything wrong — she’s half demon because of her parents — but she was conditioned to feel shame, which is a huge underlying theme.

Candice: Yeah, that was one of the main themes that stood out to me, because shame holds people back. And that’s so clear in this movie. One of the messages is that shame keeps you stuck. I think it’s significant that the villain, Gwi-ma, kept the demons down by making them feel shame. He controlled them by never letting them lose it. Similarly, Satan wants to keep us down by getting us to delay repentance as long as possible. He wants you to feel like no one would understand — but hiding doesn’t help.

Honesty reduces shame. I don’t think any bishop would be angry when someone comes to see them for repentance. I think any bishop would be thankful that they’re there — it means that person is ready to change and wants help.

Clare: Yeah. And speaking of shame, there was a conference talk I was listening to by Tamara Runia, and one of the lines that stood out to me says, “Yes, your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ; it brightens His joy because repentance is our best news. When we repent, God forgives without shaming us, comparing us, or scolding us — even if it’s the same thing we were repenting for last week. He delights to forgive us because to Him, we are delightful.”

Candice: We’ve quoted that one before, but it’s such a good talk — really fantastic. I think it’s great about addressing the problem of shame.

Okay, so lying only increases shame. It’s difficult because being honest about something you’re ashamed of can make you vulnerable. And sometimes when people are vulnerable, it can lead to defensiveness or arguments. So it’s important to remember: if someone’s being vulnerable, have honest conversations — but do it with love and respect. That’s the only way those moments become productive.

There’s a really great article on the Church website (we’ll link it in the show notes) that defines the difference between shame and guilt. It says: “In the social sciences, shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. Guilt is a sense of remorse and the desire to make amends. Shame is character-based — ‘I am a bad person.’ Guilt is action-based — ‘I did a bad thing.’ Shame leads you to want to shrink, hide, and disappear. Guilt identifies an action that you regret, prompting you to change for the future.”

Then it adds, “I consider guilt to be the social science synonym for godly sorrow.” I love that. Satan wants you to feel worthless and unlovable, but the gospel teaches that you are a child of God with infinite worth — and you can always repent and change.

Also, I love Brene Brown. She’s a shame researcher and has a great book, The Gifts of Imperfection. One of her quotes says, “True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world. Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”

That makes perfect sense in the movie, because Rumi couldn’t ever feel totally accepted by her friends since she wasn’t honest with them. How could she know they really loved her if she never let them see who she truly was?

Clare: Mhm, yeah. Next is Gwi-ma — the devil. He’s collecting souls and wants everyone to feel shame and hopelessness. At the very end, the Saja boys are singing this song to take away everyone’s souls. One of the lines is, “I’m going to be your idol.”

It made me think — how many things in our lives are distracting us and pulling us away from the light? The things that promise joy but actually drain our hope? It reminded me of Matthew 5:14–16 — “Ye are the light of the world... let your light so shine before men.” Even the smallest light can brighten a dark room, just like our spirits. The devil doesn’t want us to have hope or light, because that’s what helps us fight the darkness.

Candice: That reminds me of another Brene Brown quote: “When you numb the dark, you numb the light.”

This isn’t directly tied to the movie, but I think it’s so relevant. We can all ask ourselves — am I using something to numb instead of feeling and healing? Because if you numb pain, you also dull your ability to feel light and joy.

And with Rumi — she didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t deserve the shame she carried. She just happened to be born with it because of her parents. So if something happens in your life that you had no control over, you don’t need to feel guilt or shame. It wasn’t your fault. Turn to the Lord — He’ll help you feel His love and know your worth.

And then I thought about how the movie measures success. Their manager constantly checks their popularity on social media — at one point, he even says, “The internet is never wrong.” It made me think of the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

If your happiness depends on how you stack up against others, you’ll never be content. There will always be someone doing “better.” True joy comes from lifting others — not comparing. The Prophet and Apostles are constantly serving, and that’s where their peace comes from. That reminds me of missionaries — their schedules are exhausting, but they’re happy because they’re serving and bringing people to Christ.

And one last thing — hope. Because the choice to have hope belongs to us.

Candice: Yes! Like you said, Rumi had so much hope. At the end of the movie, when everyone else gives up, she stands up to her aunt and says, “Love all of me.” She’s learned to love herself — flaws and all — and no longer lets shame define her.

Clare: Exactly. And when we feel like giving up because we’ve made the same mistake again, that’s when we need to hold onto hope the most. Rumi still had hope for Jin Yu, even after he betrayed her. She believed in him.

Candice: Yeah, though with the reminder — except in situations where someone is actively hurting you. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to allow someone to keep hurting you. You can forgive while keeping boundaries.

Clare: Totally agree. But I love that she didn’t give up hope. In the end, Jin Yu’s final act is to save Rumi, and that’s when he gets his soul back. No matter how many times we fall short, it’s never too late to change.

Candice: Love it. We don’t have to be defeated — God will never leave us alone.

There’s a talk by President Uchtdorf called The Infinite Power of Hope. He said, “Despair drains us of all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be.”

That last battle scene in the movie shows this perfectly — everyone’s feeling despair until Rumi chooses hope.

Clare: And one of the best lines in the song Golden is, “No more hiding, I’ll be shining like I’m born to be.”

Candice: So good. I love the songs. Uchtdorf also told a story from his childhood during World War II. His dad was drafted, and his mom had to take him and his siblings to escape. She once got off the train to find bread, and when she came back, the train — with her children — was gone. How terrifying! But she didn’t sit in despair. She acted in faith, and she found them. Uchtdorf said, “Her faith overcame her fear, and her hope overcame her despair.”

It’s such a good reminder that faith requires action. Rumi put her faith into action, too. She didn’t let despair take over.

Clare: Yep. Love that. We know who wins — so let’s be more confident and optimistic.

Candice: I like it. With that, we hope you know God loves you.

Both: Bye!