A religious school in England has recently gained attention after banning its students from singing songs from Netflix’s animated hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, raising concerns that certain lyrics conflicted with its “Christian ethos”.
“Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset sent a message to parents last week, saying some members of the community are ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with references to demons,” the BBC reported.
It said this was because they ‘associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness. In an update, acting head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had since received feedback from parents, highlighting positive messages from the songs, but said the school was seeking to support those who found the themes challenging.
The school initially asked students “not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith,” though some parents criticised the move.
One parent told the BBC, “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it.” Others said the popular songs had positive effects on their children, including encouraging teamwork.
Allington responded, “While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.”
He added that references to demons could feel “deeply uncomfortable” for some Christians but emphasised that the school was not asking parents to discourage their children from enjoying the film. Instead, he said the aim was to help students understand differing perspectives among their peers.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ debuted on Netflix in June and became the platform’s most-watched movie of all time, with more than 325 million views. Its original song ‘Golden’ recently earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Netflix and Sony have reportedly finalised a deal for a sequel scheduled for 2029.
