K-pop: On the Altar of Excellence and Belonging

Author:

So Ri Jung

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Article ID:

JAF0826SJCA

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Updated: 

Sep 2, 2026

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Published:

Aug 26, 2026

Listen to this article (18:08 min)

Cultural Apologetics Column

 

This article was published exclusively online in the Christian Research Journal, Volume 49, number 03 (2026).

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Consider a new global faith that boasts 225 million adherents,1 $8.5 billion in annual offerings,2 and more than 60 billion acts of devotion in a single year.3 While having enjoyed a domestic following for decades, it has gained worldwide attention in the last few years. Its pantheon dominates the popular culture, its chants permeate public spaces, and its believers are unashamed of their allegiance. These staggering statistics belong to the newest religion on the block: K-pop, the global phenomenon of South Korean popular music and culture.

Sociologists and informed laypeople may argue that fandoms are merely a religion functionally and not substantively, if at all.4 I do not claim to settle that debate here. However we classify it academically, the practical reality is that K-pop is actively and effectively capturing human devotion; a domain that was traditionally occupied by religions.

Consider this paradigm shift offered by Netflix: “We earn consumer screen time, both mobile and television, away from a very broad set of competitors. We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO.”5 Christians can similarly say, “We earn seeker soul time, both private and communal, away from a very broad set of competitors. We compete with (and lose to) K-pop more than Islam.”

One may argue that all pop culture or even sports foster intense fandoms, capturing the devotion of the human soul. But what makes K-pop uniquely potent today is its hyper-engineered intentionality, perfectly timed for the digital age. While Western pop culture historically attracted fans passively, K-pop, empowered by the ubiquity of smartphones and social media, actively draws them in and keeps them engaged.

Viewing the K-pop phenomenon as a powerful quasi-religious movement reveals how it actively disciples its followers by satisfying two spiritual desires: instinctive hunger for awe and the deep desire for belonging. It achieves the first through a relentless pursuit of excellence, and the second through artificial intimacy. It also reveals that while K-pop may owe its success to the facets of the gospel it imitates, it fails to provide lasting satisfaction, to the detriment of its priests and pilgrims. Consequently, this presents an urgent case for Christians to thoughtfully engage the culture, offering the real treasure that fulfills their deep longings; a spiritual thirst that cannot be quenched by idols.

ARTIFICIAL AWE: ICARUS’S WINGS

It is widely accepted that experiencing awe is beneficial to the human condition. As psychologists Monroy and Keltner observe, “Awe engages five processes — shifts in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on the self, increased prosocial relationality, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning — that benefit well-being.”6 Traditionally, people sought awe in the grandeur of nature or the divine. In our modern secular age, however, it is increasingly recognized that massive human gatherings, such as K-pop concerts, function as a psychological substitute.7

The Gospel According to K-pop: Excellence at the Cost of Everything. K-pop’s success can partly be attributable to its expertise in evoking a sense of awe. Fans experience transcendence through the industry’s excellence: the beautifully constructed and executed visual effects, the seemingly superhuman vocal feats, and the highly synchronized choreography. The collective chants of the stadium-filled fandom create a shared sense of transcendence. The stars are the objects of this collective admiration and worship, aptly designated idols.

However, humans were not created to worship other humans, nor to be gods in someone else’s religion — their ultimate source of awe. Theologian Cornelius Plantinga Jr. defines sin as culpable breakage of the way it is supposed to be.8 In the K-pop ecosystem, we are witnessing the tragic, natural consequences of this breakage; a system operating in direct contradiction to God’s design for human flourishing.

Instead of Imago Dei, fans long to be made in the image of their idols, striving to emulate their perpetually skinny frames, flawless skin, and perfectly scripted personas, seemingly forgetting the heavy digital editing and public relations machinery operating behind the scenes. Researchers report that constant exposure to these idealized images directly correlates with heightened body dissatisfaction among adolescent fans.9

The toll also extends to those being worshiped. The industry’s demand for absolute perfection, coupled with invasive public scrutiny, creates a suffocating environment.10 In recent years, a disturbing number of idols have had to take sudden, sometimes prolonged breaks to receive treatment for anxiety or panic disorders.11 They have also repeatedly been observed passing out onstage due to exhaustion or battling eating disorders resulting from extreme, industry-mandated weight monitoring.12

Most devastatingly, a string of tragic suicides marks the industry: a grim testament to what happens when human beings are placed in never-ending competition from an early age to be curated, sculpted, and ultimately consumed as commodities within the heartless machinery of the K-pop industry.13 They are like Icarus flying too close to the sun on waxen wings; excellence achieved at the cost of everything.

Jesus’s question rings true: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).14

The Gospel of Jesus: Excellence That Cost Everything. The gospel of Jesus subverts this tragic narrative. When God introduces Himself to Moses, He says simply, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). He does not depend on any descriptors; He is the only one who truly stands independent. He is other. This is true, unmanufactured excellence. God resides in a category entirely His own, infinitely beyond the most impressive sports star, billionaire, or K-pop idol.

World religions often reflect this “God-beyond-reach” by building temples on top of mountains, symbolizing a transcendent deity who demands we climb to them through sacrifices, rituals, and acts of devotion. Similarly, in the gospel according to K-pop, fragile human beings are broken and consumed to manufacture a passing shadow of glory. The idol pays with their health and identity, while the fan pays with their money and self-worth. It is an excellence that demands everything.

However, in the gospel of Jesus, the glorious, blameless Creator voluntarily allowed Himself to be broken for us. True excellence did not demand that we sacrifice ourselves to reach it; rather, Jesus offered His own perfection as a gift of grace. He is the Excellence that cost everything — the true inspiration of awe to which nothing else can compare.

The tragedy for Christians, however, is that many local churches do not take this very human, awe-seeking tendency seriously. Instead, we reduce our corporate worship to mere intellectual exercises or human-to-human interactions, failing to engage the whole person. A. W. Tozer said, “That must be the key to our boredom with Christianity: we have not been keeping in very close touch with our Man in glory. We have been doing in our churches all those churchly things that we do. We have done them with our own understanding and in our own energy. But without a bright and conscious confirmation of God’s presence, a church service can be very deadly and dull.”15

This does not mean we must all adopt an entertainment-driven megachurch mentality, attempting to out-produce the secular world with flashing lights and fog machines. The church cannot compete with the K-pop industry on those terms, nor should we try. But avoiding that trap does not mean we should shun the desire for excellence altogether, using sola fide as a spiritualized excuse for mediocrity. Our liturgy, music, and preaching should be pursued with an intentional, reverent excellence that actively facilitates an encounter with the transcendent, breathtaking glory of the living God, satisfying the God-shaped hole in all of our souls. The grand cathedrals of Europe and the masterpieces of classical art and music were excellent precisely because they were for an excellent God. In its relentless dedication to craft, K-pop reminds us of what it means to strive for excellence: giving our best to the Best.

THE COUNTERFEIT SENSE OF BELONGING

Another way K-pop and its fandom resemble a religion is revealed in the word religion. As with many ancient words, several hypotheses have been proposed concerning its etymology. One suggests that it is a compound word, with the word re- (again) and Latin ligare (to connect), and consequently meaning to reconnect.16

In this view, every religious endeavor fundamentally recognizes human brokenness and attempts to facilitate reconnection — with nature, with oneself, with one another, and with the transcendent. This innate need for connection is strongly backed by scientific evidence, as long-term developmental studies confirm that humans need genuine relational connection to be truly happy and physically healthy.17 As we live through the unprecedented global loneliness pandemic,18 K-pop steps into this void, promising to bind us together.

 

The Gospel According to K-pop: Adoration from Afar

The real relationships formed within K-pop fandoms can be quite healthy and deeply meaningful.19 Individuals who share the same intense interests often develop genuine friendships. In concerts and other gatherings, fans share rituals — custom light sticks, fandom-specific chants, and shared names (e.g., BTS’s ARMY and Stray Kids’ STAY) — solidifying the unity. Within this context, any racial, cultural, age, and socioeconomic differences dissipate. The fandom fosters a real sense of peer-to-peer belonging.

However, this is only a fortunate byproduct of the industry, offering a glimpse of the beauty of the deeper truth reflected in such belonging. Instead, the multi-billion-dollar engine of K-pop relies on monetizing an entirely different dynamic: the parasocial relationship (PSR) between the fans and the stars,20 engineered through photocards, a vast number of behind-the-scenes vlogs and documentaries that emphasize the relatability of the artists, and most directly, interactive platforms like Weverse, Bubble, and other proprietary apps.21

Communication researchers Horton and Wohl characterized a PSR as “one-sided, nondialectical, controlled by the performer, and not susceptible of mutual development.”22 The irony is that this one-sidedness does not deter fans; it is exactly what makes PSRs so appealing as substitutes for normal, everyday friendships. Psychologist Lotun and co-authors said, “PSRs might not be able to directly respond to someone’s personal needs (e.g., they cannot give you a hug, or console you with just the right words), but they are also incapable of rejecting, betraying, or permanently leaving someone.”23

This shows that the parasocial dynamics rely not only on our deepest longings, but also on our deepest shames: if they truly knew us, I would not be loved. An idol on a screen offers the perfect, risk-free illusion, as the consumer hides in the anonymity of the fandom; the warm feeling of intimacy without ever demanding the terrifying vulnerability of being truly known.

Others might point to the “fansigns” (fan signing events)24 as proof that fans do want to be known and desire a real relationship with the stars. But closer inspection reveals this is simply a curated illusion. A purchased, heavily monitored one-minute interaction where an artist is professionally obligated to smile and perform affection involves absolutely no relational risk. The fan also presents a scripted version of themselves, and the idol reflects back transactional adoration. It mimics the euphoria of being seen, while remaining entirely protected from the friction, accountability, and risks of rejection that is inevitable in real human interactions.

Interestingly, studies in the last few decades found no correlation between social deficiencies and PSRs.25 However, more recent studies report medium-dependent correlation between social loneliness and the tendency to engage in PSRs,26 potentially pointing to the amplifying effects of digital platforms, and the compounding effects of post-pandemic loneliness. Whether knowingly or not, the K-pop industry has successfully manufactured a highly lucrative substitute to fill this gap.

To be clear, enjoying a connection with a celebrity is not inherently toxic. Recent psychological studies confirm that parasocial bonds can safely coexist with healthy, real-world friendships.27 The danger arises when these one-sided bonds become a substitute for real community. Consuming a PSR to cure real-world loneliness is akin to drinking seawater to cure thirst. It offers a fleeting, immediate sensation of relief, but ultimately leaves the soul dangerously dehydrated. Worse, relying on them too heavily as a substitute contributes to deeper real-world isolation and loneliness.28

The Gospel of Jesus: Come as You Are. Pastor Timothy Keller wrote, “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”29

When PSRs thrive on the superficial comfort of remaining hidden, the gospel declares that God loves us even though He knows us. As the apostle Paul writes, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus does not demand an idealized version of us. He sees the absolute depths of our brokenness, culpability, and shame, and He chooses to draw near anyway.

If God simply wanted to offer humanity a safe, one-sided relationship, He could have remained comfortably in the heavens, broadcasting His perfection from a distance while demanding our devotion. Instead, the ultimate Other became remarkably near. He is Immanuel: “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Christ did not stay behind the protective barrier of divine privilege. He entered our messy, painful reality.

For Christians walking alongside friends and peers who are retreating into parasocial safe harbors, this incarnational reality is the ultimate resource. When a fan hides behind a screen, emotionally invested in an idol who is unaware of their existence, they may be desperately trying to protect themselves from the pain of being known and rejected. But if the Creator of the universe knows our deepest, darkest shames and loves us enough to bleed for us, the terrifying sting of human rejection loses its ultimate power. In Christ, we are already fully known and truly loved. We no longer need to extract artificial, risk-free acceptance from an idol, because the Savior has securely filled our deepest relational void.

If we hope to see people step out of the illusion, our Christian communities cannot demand curated perfection. We must model the incarnation by being a safe place for messy people. Christ entered our mess so that we might have the courage to enter each other’s. As Paul says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1–2).

Finally, we must also guard against letting our relationship with God degenerate into a spiritualized PSR. It is easy to study Him from a safe distance — marveling at His attributes and His mighty acts in Scripture — without ever truly opening our own lives to Him. We can treat our faith journey like fandom, where we love the star, but never want to intrude or be discovered. When we hide our true selves from God, we forget that He is already fully aware of our deepest shame and, despite this, intensely desires to be active and relevant in our everyday lives.

TWO ALTARS

K-pop is far more than a musical genre; it is a cultural mirror reflecting the deepest spiritual longings of this secular age. The intense devotion it inspires points directly to our innate, God-given desires for awe-inspiring excellence and deep relational connection.

Rather than simply dismissing the K-pop phenomenon as trivial or broadly condemning it as sinful, Christians can recognize it as a powerful apologetic bridge. When we witness the exhaustion of fans trying to keep up with the conflicting and tiring demands of their fandom, or the heartbreak when a human idol inevitably falls short of manufactured perfection, we have the opportunity to gently guide people toward the true source of their longings.

The seventeenth-century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal perfectly diagnosed this human condition:

What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.30

K-pop attempts to fill this infinite abyss with finite, fragile human beings. It is our privilege and duty as Christians to introduce our friends and peers to the infinite and immutable God who alone can bear the weight of our worship.

It should be emphasized that a robust Christian worldview allows us to enjoy the common grace found in K-pop. We can freely appreciate the precision of the choreography, the stunning visual artistry, and the masterful vocal performances as reflections of a Creator who wired humanity to make beautiful things, just as we can enjoy the magnificent feats of athletes, academics, and artists.

However, we must remain vigilant. We can enjoy the art, but we must actively refuse to be discipled by this counterfeit religion. Christian consumers must frequently pause and ask themselves diagnostic questions: Has this occupied the sacred place in my heart? Do I look to these idols and fandom for a sense of awe and belonging that I should ultimately be finding in Christ and His church?31

Answering these questions honestly reveals which altar is truly capturing our devotion. Ultimately, the gospel according to K-pop demands that human beings be consumed on the altar of excellence for a fleeting sense of belonging. The gospel of Jesus declares that the Lamb of God offered Himself on the altar, bearing the crushing weight of our guilt and shame, to secure our eternal belonging in the family of God. In a world exhausted by the pursuit of perfection and starving for genuine connection, that is the only good news that truly satisfies.

So Ri Jung is a Korean-Australian who lives in Sydney. He holds a PhD and an MPH and is undertaking his MA degree in Christian apologetics at Biola University. He is a technologist, evangelist, and the author of The Jesus Way or the Roman Way: Reclaiming Evangelism as Dialogue (Resource Publications, 2026) and Christianity Is Better Than You Might Think: A Fellow Traveler’s Guide to Reconsidering Faith (Wipf and Stock, 2025).

 

NOTES

  1. The Korea Foundation, “Global Hallyu Fans Surpass 225 Million,” The Korea Foundation, March 2024, https://kf.or.kr/kfNewsletter/mgzinSubViewPage.do?mgzinSubSn=27283.
  2. Statista Research Department, “Sales Revenue of the Music Industry in South Korea,” Statista, April 30, 2026, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165896/south-korea-sales-revenue-music-industry/.
  3. Spotify Official Newsroom, “Spotify 20 Data Listening Trends,” Spotify, April 23, 2026, 5, https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-04-23/spotify-20-data-listening-trends/.
  4. Michael A. Elliott, “Fandom as Religion: A Social-Scientific Assessment,” The Journal of Fandom Studies 9, no. 2 (2021): 107–22, https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs_00036_1.
  5. “Q4 2018 Shareholder Letter,” Netflix, January 17, 2019, 5, https://s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc_financials/quarterly_reports/2018/q4/FINAL-Q418-Shareholder-Letter.pdf.
  6. Maria Monroy and Dacher Keltner, “Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health,” Perspectives on Psychological Science 18, no. 2 (2023): 309, https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221094856.
  7. Nikki-Anne Wilson, “How a Sense of Awe Can Be Good for Your Mental Health,” UNSW Sydney, May 4, 2026, https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/05/sense-awe-good-positive-mental-health-nature-art-dancing-transcend.
  8. Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (Eerdmans, 1995), 14.
  9. Valentina Belalcazar Vivas, “Prevalence of Disturbance of Body Image Perception and Engagement in Risky Behaviors for Eating Disorders Motivated by the Korean Wave,” International Journal of Social Psychiatry 71, no. 1 (2025): 109–15, https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640241280719.
  10. For an interview with a K-pop idol discussing this aspect of his profession, see Kang Suyyoung, “DAY6 YOUNG K Says New Song Lyrics Were Based on a True Story, ‘My Friends Got Caught Talking Behind My Back’ [HT Interview ②],” Hanteo News, August 1, 2026, https://www.hanteonews.com/en/article/93396.
  11. See Park Boram, “K-Pop Stars Temporarily Leaving Music Scene over Anxiety Disorders,” Yonhap News Agency, January 13, 2020, https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200113005900315; Yoon So-yeon, “Siyeon of Dreamcatcher to Take Time Off Due to Anxiety,” Korea JoongAng Daily, July 5, 2024, https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/siyeon-of-dreamcatcher-to-take-time-off-due-to-anxiety/12228958; E Cha, “The Wind’s Kim Heesoo to Go on Hiatus Due to Health,” Soompi, May 6, 2026, https://www.soompi.com/article/1838719wpp/the-winds-kim-heesoo-to-go-on-hiatus-due-to-health; Kim Min-young, “ITZY’s Lia to Resume Activities for Band’s New Album,” Korea JoongAng Daily, July 9, 2024, https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/itzys-lia-to-resume-activities-for-bands-new-album/10372643.
  12. See Kim Jae-heun, “Female K-Pop Idols Reveal Struggles with Extreme Dieting on Documentary,” The Korea Herald, December 30, 2024, https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10118222; Park Si-soo, “K-pop Stars in Peril,” The Korea Times, February 17, 2014, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20140217; Hankookilbo, “Is HyunA’s Collapse During Macau Show from Rapid Weight Loss?,” The Korea Times, November 10, 2025, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20251110/is-hyunas-collapse-during-macau-show-from-rapid-weight-loss.
  13. See Justin McCurry, “Deaths of K-Pop Stars Put Focus on Mental Health Taboos in South Korea,” The Guardian, December 2, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/02/deaths-of-k-pop-stars-put-focus-on-mental-health-taboos-in-south-korea.
  14. All Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version.
  15. A. W. Tozer, Jesus, Our Man in Glory: 12 Messages from the Book of Hebrews (Moody Publishers, 2009), 14, Kindle.
  16. Toni Alimi, “Lactantius’s ‘Modern’ Conception of Religio,” Journal of Religious History 47, no. 3 (September 2023): 377, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12928.
  17. Liz Mineo, “Good Genes Are Nice, but Joy Is Better,” The Harvard Gazette, April 11, 2017, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/.
  18. “The Epidemic of Loneliness,” eClinicalMedicine 66 (December 2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102395.
  19. D. A. Laffan et al., “Positive Psychosocial Outcomes and Fanship in K-Pop Fans: A Social Identity Theory Perspective,” Psychological Reports 124, no. 5 (2021): 2272–94, https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120961524.
  20. Alaitz Gutierrez-Jauregi, Maria Elena Aramendia-Muneta, and Irene Gómez-Cámara, “Harmony in Diversity: Unraveling the Global Impact of K-Pop Through Social Media and Fandom Dynamics,” Media Asia 53, no. 2 (2026): 366–92, https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2025.2480451.
  21. Youngjoo Catherine Roh, “Fan Culture, Technology, and the Parasocial: How the K-Pop Industry Advances Relations Between Celebrities and Fans” (master’s thesis, Georgetown University, 2024), https://repository.digital.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/1088588.
  22. Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl, “Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance,” Psychiatry 19, no. 3 (1956): 215, https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1956.11023049.
  23. Shaaba Lotun et al., “People Perceive Parasocial Relationships to Be Effective at Fulfilling Emotional Needs,” Scientific Reports 14 (2024): 8185, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58069-9.
  24. Fan signing events are occasions at which K-pop artists sign merchandise and chat face-to-face or online with fans, who often spend substantial sums for a chance to attend. See KTimes, “K-Pop Fan Events Fuel Costly Race for Face Time with Idols,” The Korea Times, May 10, 2024, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240510/k-pop-fan-events-fuel-costly-race-for-face-time-with-idols.
  25. See Qi Wang, Edward L. Fink, and Deborah A. Cai, “Loneliness, Gender, and Parasocial Interaction: A Uses and Gratifications Approach,” Communication Quarterly 56, no. 1 (2008): 87–109, https://doi.org/10.1080/01463370701839057; and Riva Tukachinsky, Nathan Walter, and Camille J. Saucier, “Antecedents and Effects of Parasocial Relationships: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Communication 70, no. 6 (December 2020): 868–94, https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa034.
  26. See Hannah I. Suozzi, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Social: Investigating the Relationship Between Loneliness, Parasocial Relationships, and Potential Moderators” (master’s thesis, San Jose State University, 2025), https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.6dvt-nuz3; and Zahrotul Bahriyah and Latifa Rena, “The Influence of Loneliness, Need to Belong, Social Presence, and Demographic Factors on Parasocial Relationships Among K-Pop Fans Using the Bubble App,” Promotor 9, no. 3 (2026), https://doi.org/10.32832/pro.v9i3.1715.
  27. Nanditha Ravi and Sairaj M. Patki, “Parasocial Relationships, Social Support and Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Study Among Indian Youth,” International Journal of Adolescence and Youth 30, no. 1 (2025), https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2480712.
  28. Heidi Godman, “Do Parasocial Relationships Fill a Loneliness Gap?,” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, September 30, 2024, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/do-parasocial-relationships-fill-a-loneliness-gap-202409303074.
  29. Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (Hodder & Stoughton, 2011), chap. 3, “The Essence of Marriage,” Kindle.
  30. Blaise Pascal, Pensées, trans. W. F. Trotter (E. P. Dutton & Co., 1958), 113.
  31. These questions are not uniquely applicable to fans of K-pop. Christians sometimes view K-pop fandoms through a harsher lens, yet the exact same diagnostic questions can be introspectively asked by fans of sports, movies, anime, games — anything that has the potential to dangerously capture our heart.
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