Korean fan culture meets religion in Gen Z Buddhism

For 28-year-old artist Gye So-young, who previously admired anime, K-pop idols, and sports stars, the Buddha has become her ultimate favorite. Gye, a Buddhist painter who maintains the YouTube channel "Biguni Yeonseupsaeng" (Buddhist nun trainee), has chronicled her spiritual transformation in her new book, "The Buddha Is My Bias: An Otaku's At-Home Exploration of Buddhism," released on July 30 by Bulkwang Publishing.

Diverging from the typical solemnity of religious texts, Gye's book takes on a lighthearted, Gen Z perspective on Buddhist teachings. Rather than adhering to conventional religious narratives, the book humorously applies Buddhist principles to popular culture. One example is Gye's comparison of the Buddhist concept of impermanence to G-Dragon's song "Crooked" and its line about everything being temporary.

Another instance of Gye's unique approach is her interpretation of karma through the lens of Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball star. Ohtani once likened picking up litter left by others to collecting the fortunate circumstances that others unintentionally bestowed upon him. By drawing these connections between modern pop culture and Buddhist principles, Gye's book offers an intriguing exploration of the intersection between fan culture and religion within Generation Z.