To Kill or Not To Kill: That Is The Question - Dr Han Ki Ju's Existential Crisis Meets World Religions

 

TO KILL

OR

NOT TO KILL

THAT IS

THE QUESTION

 

DR HAN KI JU’S
EXISTENTIAL CRISIS 

MEETS

WORLD RELIGIONS

 

4.3   Episode 4 of Kidnap Game, written by Ken Tate and Kaoru Yoshikawa and directed by Yusuke Kato, confronts some of the most profound and unsettling dimensions of human existence: the intrinsic worth of a human life, the boundaries of mortality, and the profound tragedy of suicide. These are the themes of the series.   The episode centers on Dr. Han Ki Ju, who is tasked with an agonizing mandate: to commit murder. As he navigates this crisis, he confronts the realities of death at every turn. He contemplates taking the life of a dying patient, searches the bustling streets for a target, and considers poisoning a patron at a nightclub.   Yet, bound by his own moral boundaries, he finds himself incapable of taking another human life. Overwhelmed by despair and the weight of his task, Dr. Han Ki Ju turns the violence inward, attempting to end his own life, only to be saved at the final moment by Detective Toshiro Niide.   Dr. Han Ki Ju’s ordeal echoes questions that humanity has wrestled with for millennia. How do major philosophical and religious traditions evaluate the sacredness of life, the nature of death, and an individual's right to end their own existence?     THE VALUE AND SACREDNESS OF HUMAN LIFE   CHRISTIANITY Life as an Inherent Divine Gift. Imago Dei (Image of God): Christianity teaches that every human being is created in the image of God. This bestows an indelible, inherent dignity upon every person, regardless of their health, social status, wealth, or utility to society.   Stewardship, Not Ownership: Life is understood as a sacred trust granted by God, rather than property that an individual fully owns. Consequently, human beings do not possess ultimate authority to destroy human life.   BUDDHISM     The Preciousness of Sentient Life: Buddhism emphasizes compassion (karuna) for all sentient beings who experience suffering.   The Human Condition: A human rebirth is considered exceptionally rare and valuable because it provides the unique capacity to cultivate wisdom, practice the Dharma, and achieve liberation from suffering (Nirvana).   Worth is not dictated by social standing or material achievement, but by the potential for spiritual awakening.     HINDUISM   The Imperishable Self: In Hindu tradition, physical life is part of the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (Samsara). While the body is transient, the Atman, the true inner self, is eternal and indestructible.   Path to Liberation: Human life is of paramount importance because it allows individuals to fulfill moral duties (Dharma), resolve past actions (Karma), and strive toward ultimate spiritual liberation (Moksha).     SHINTOISM   Sacred Harmony Within the Natural Order   Interdependence with the Kami: Shinto views life through the lens of purity, natural flow, and interconnectedness.   The world is inhabited by kami - divine presences embedded in nature, ancestral spirits, and the cosmos.   Preserving Balance: Human beings exist in dynamic relationship with their community, ancestors, and the environment. Value is realized through living with gratitude, ritual purity, and reverence for the natural order, rather than through adherence to a rigid codified doctrine regarding the soul.       THE NATURE OF DEATH   CHRISTIANITY   Death marks the end of earthly life but not the end of existence. Central to Christian faith is the promise of resurrection and eternal life with God, meaning earthly decisions carry eternal significance.   BUDDHISM   Death is not the total annihilation of a permanent individual soul, but a transition within the process of dependent origination. It is the shedding of one form before consciousness takes form again based on karmic momentum.   HINDUISM   As articulated in sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, death is likened to discarding old garments for new ones. The physical vessel perishes, but the Atman moves forward on its journey.     SHINTOISM   The boundary between the living and the dead is fluid, with ancestors continuing to protect and influence the living community. Specific views on the afterlife are less defined in Shinto doctrine and are often integrated with Japanese Buddhist funeral traditions.       PERSPECTIVES ON SUICIDE   Dr. Han Ki Ju’s attempt to take his own life brings a critical ethical dimension to the narrative. The four traditions approach self-destruction with distinct theological perspectives.     CHRISTIANITY   Ethical Prohibition Balanced with Compassion   Moral Principle: Traditional Christian doctrine holds that suicide is morally wrong, as taking one's own life usurps God's authority over life and death.   Pastoral Compassion: Contemporary Christian theology, particularly within the Catholic Church, makes a clear distinction between the objective moral gravity of the act and the subjective culpability of the individual. It recognizes that extreme anguish, psychological suffering, or fear can severely diminish personal responsibility. The Church emphasizes that one must not despair of the eternal salvation of those who die by suicide, entrusting them entirely to divine mercy.     BUDDHISM   The Continuity of Karmic Suffering   Violating Non-Harm: Suicide violates the First Precept (to abstain from taking life) and typically originates from states of deep aversion, delusion, or intense mental suffering.   Unresolved Karma: Because Buddhism does not view physical death as the absolute end of consciousness, suicide does not eliminate suffering.   The underlying karmic states that prompted the act persist into future existences, meaning self-destruction fails to achieve the peace the individual seeks.     HINDUISM   Disruption of Spiritual Progression.   Interruption of Dharma: Ending one's life prematurely disrupts the natural unfolding of karma and the fulfillment of dharma. It short-circuits the opportunity for spiritual growth provided by the current physical life.   Exceptional Contexts (Prayopavesa): While suicide out of despair is discouraged, historical Hindu traditions recognize Prayopavesa - a practice of voluntary fasting unto death by individuals who have fulfilled their worldly duties, possess no remaining obligations, and approach the end of life with spiritual tranquility and renunciation.     SHINTOISM   Cultural Context and Natural Duty.   Lack of Absolute Dogma: Shinto does not feature an explicit, universal commandment forbidding suicide comparable to Abrahamic religions or the Buddhist precepts.   Preservation vs. Sacrifice: Life is honoured as a legacy from ancestors and a gift of nature, instilling a duty to cherish it. However, historical Japanese views on self-sacrifice were heavily influenced by societal obligations, samurai codes of honor (Bushido), and Confucian ethics, rather than a single unified Shinto theological directive.     This framework highlights the gravity of Dr. Han Ki Ju's choice: even when a person feels utterly alone and hopeless, these traditions remind us that every human life still holds real, lasting value.