As of this week, the most popular show on Netflix is a Korean series with an unusual name. Squid Game is a nine-episode sitcom set in a world where children’s games have become deadly. Squid Game is the first Korean drama to reach Netflix’s top place, having done so just four days after its premiere. It’s gory and bloody, but it’s also addicting and binge-worthy.
Here’s everything you need to know about the hugely popular show.
What’s Squid Game about?
It is about a group of folks in South Korea who are deeply in debt. They’re duped into a fatal children’s game tournament, but many of them agree to return since they realise the games are their only chance to gain the money they need to survive. There’s a lot of money on the line: 45 billion South Korean won ($38 million, £27 million, AU$52 million). However, the chances of survival are slim. Consider The Hunger Games with only Red Light, Green Light, and Marbles as contests.
What is the actual meaning of Squid Game?
Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) says in the first episode that Squid Game was a game that kids in his neighbourhood used to play on a squid-shaped court. It’s similar to Red Rover or a more complex form of tag. No spoilers, however, the Squid Game itself appears in the fatal tournament at some point.
Is the show worth watching?
Squid Game is a Netflix original drama from South Korea that has been dubbed into English. And, unlike some episodes where the dubbing is a little lacking, this is excellent work. The voice actors, many of whom are established American voice actors with a Korean background, are fantastic, and viewers seldom forget the show was originally in Korean. When watched in English, the show does not suffer.
It’s unsettling to see children’s activities converted into violent combat, and it’s not for everyone. However, the characters are well-developed, and the action is fast-paced and never stops.
Moreover, the protagonist Seong Gi-hun is a desperate father who is easy to sympathise with, but he isn’t flawless; there is a terrible episode in which his actions result in a tragic death. Other participants include an elderly man who becomes the group’s grandfather, a North Korean refugee, a mobster with a snake tattoo on his face, and a highly educated man who was the pride of his hometown but fell short of his potential.
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