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Squid Game: The Netflix show adding murder to playground nostalgia

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MenInG

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Even if you haven't watched the show or seen the memes taking over the internet - chances are you've probably heard of Squid Game.

Everyone has been talking about the hyper-violent thriller that has become a massive hit ever since it launched on Netflix two weeks ago.

In fact, the Korean series - centred on a brutal survival game - is on its way to beating Regency-era romance Bridgerton to become the streaming platform's biggest original series of all time.

While the genre of the show is hardly new, its striking visuals, relatable characters and disturbing study of human nature have spoken to audiences all around the world.

Playground murders

In Squid Game, a group of 456 people, in debt and desperate, are lured into a bloodthirsty survival game where they have the chance to walk away with 45.6 billion Korean won ($39 million) if they win a series of six games.

The twist? They die if they lose.

The games are simple enough - they are childhood games that the players grew up playing. And that surprising juxtaposition of innocent child's play with violent deaths has caused viewers to sit up.

"People are attracted by the irony that hopeless grownups risk their lives to win a kids' game," Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk said in an interview.

"The games are simple and easy, so viewers can give more focus on each character rather than complex game rules."

There's also the element of nostalgia. For example, the Dalgona honeycomb challenge featured in episode three is one that most Koreans remember playing when they were kids.

In the challenge, players must carefully cut out a shape from a paper-thin sheet of honeycomb candy using a needle. If you get a very intricate shape and the candy cracks, you lose.

One Korean user tweeted: "Squid Game makes me want to eat Dalgona [candy] again. It's been 20 something years…Are they still around? I don't think I can find one."

Characters like you and me

Experts also attribute the show's success to its characters, many of whom are marginalised members of society.

Though they are all linked by huge money troubles, they come from all walks of life.

The lead, for example, is an unemployed man with a gambling problem who struggles to gain respect from his family. Through the game, he meets a young North Korean defector with a tragic background, and a Pakistani labourer who is mistreated by his employers.

Kim Pyeong-gang, a global cultural content professor at Sangmyung University, told the BBC: "People, especially the younger generation, who regularly suffer from alienation and resentment in real life, seem to sympathise with the characters."

Like its East Asian neighbours, the hyper-competitive nature of society in South Korea has left many feeling disillusioned. Despite hard work, it simply is not possible for everyone to get top university spots or good jobs.

The games in the show, however deadly, present an alternative world supposedly based on fair play.

As one gaming official says in the series: "All participants in the game are equal. We are giving people who have suffered unequal treatment and discrimination in the outside world the last chance to win a fair competition."

Red light, green light

Western media outlets have drawn comparisons between Squid Game and Parasite, the Oscar-winning 2019 Korean film that also looked at the wealth disparity and unfairness of society.

But in east Asia, viewers have pointed out how the show bears similarities with the 2014 Japanese film As The Gods Will. The movie is centred on high schoolers but it follows a comparable storyline, and some have even accused Squid Game of plagiarism.

For example, As The Gods Will also features the traditional children's game "Red Light, Green Light". In one of the most famous scenes from Squid Game, a giant robot girl uses her laser eyes to spot players who have lost the game. They are then killed.

However, director Hwang has denied the accusations, saying that there is "no connection" between the two shows, and that parallels were drawn only because of the show's genre.

"I started planning [Squid Game] in 2008 and began writing the script in 2009… the similarities that were pointed out are purely coincidental and there is no copying from either party," he said.

In any case, all the hype surrounding his show has led to calls for a second season. But fans may have to wait a long time for that.

"I don't have well developed plans for Squid Game 2," he told Variety. "It is quite tiring just thinking about it."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58729766
 
Just started watching this.

Looks interesting.
 
Already garnered a lot of hype, however I saw an interview with a Korean lady who was saying the actual subtitles shown on Netflix changed the meaning of the whole programme.
 
Watched 3 episodes now - it's crazy but addictive.

Not for the faint-hearted.
 
Amazing show.

Well worth the watch and it hooks you from start to finish. Probably one of the best originals they've created.
 
Loved it.. Finished it yesterday after following the hype

SPOILER

Didn't understand why the Old Man allowed him to to win the marbles game
 
Really enjoyed it. Interesting twist at the end, bit I feel overall the ending could have been better.
 
Squid Game's "botched" subtitles have changed the show's meaning for English-speaking audiences, a TikTok user says.

The Korean-language drama, about an alternative world where people in debt compete in deadly games, has become one of the platform's most popular shows.

But fluent Korean speaker Youngmi Mayer claims the closed-caption subtitles in English are "so bad" that the original meaning is often lost.

Netflix hasn't yet responded to Newsbeat's request for a comment.

The series has proved hugely popular since its release last month and is on track to beat Bridgerton to become Netflix's biggest original series.

The plot sees a group of people tempted into a survival game where they have the chance to walk away with 45.6 billion Korean won (£29m) if they win a series of six games.

If they lose, they die.

"The dialogue was so well written and zero of it was preserved [in the subtitles]," Youngmi said in a Twitter post.

In a TikTok video that's had almost nine million views, Youngmi gave several examples of mistranslation.

In one scene a character tries to convince people to play the game with her, and the closed-caption subtitles read: "I'm not a genius, but I still got it worked out."

But what the character actually says, Youngmi explains, is: "I am very smart, I just never got a chance to study."

That translation puts more emphasis on the wealth disparity in society - which is also a theme in the Oscar-winning 2019 Korean film, Parasite.

"Almost everything she says is being botched translation-wise… the writers, all they want you to know about her is that," Youngmi said.

"[It] seems so small, but it's the entire character's purpose of being in the show."

Several people have pointed out that Youngmi's comments are about the closed-caption subtitles rather than the English language subtitles.

Closed captions are for people who are hard of hearing and include audio descriptions and sound effects, as well as speech. They're often automatically generated.

Squid Game: How one Netflix show gripped the world
Youngmi has since clarified that the English language subtitles are "substantially better" than the closed-caption ones.

But she added: "The misses and the metaphors, and what the writers were are actually trying to say, are still pretty present."

Newsbeat has asked Netflix to respond to her claims.
 
Netflix says it will edit out a phone number that appears in its hit series Squid Game after a woman said she was deluged by calls to her mobile phone.

The gory South Korean drama sees cash-strapped contestants invited to ring the number to take part in life-and-death children's games for money.

The woman said the number actually came through to her phone - and she had been inundated with requests to play.

Squid Game is on course to become one of Netflix's most watched series.

A businesswoman in Seongju, south-east South Korea, told local media that she had been receiving thousands of texts and calls to her phone "to the point that it's hard for me to go on with daily life".

"This is a number that I've been using for more than ten years, so I'm quite taken aback. There are more than 4,000 numbers that I've had to delete from my phone," she told Money Today.

"At first I didn't know why, but my friend told me that my number came out in Squid Game and that's when I realised."

She is reported to have rejected offers of compensation up to five million won ($4,178, £3,073).

Netflix has not commented on the compensation claims, but it has urged fans of the show to refrain from calling the number.

"Together with the production company, we are working to resolve this matter, including editing scenes with phone numbers where necessary," Netflix said on Wednesday.

The show first aired on 17 September and Netflix says it reached the number one spot in 90 countries in just 10 days.

While the genre of the show is hardly new, its striking visuals, relatable characters and disturbing study of human nature have spoken to audiences all around the world, reports the BBC's Waiyee Yip and William Lee.

BBC
 
Just finished it. Undoubtedly one of the best shows ever made. Amazing!
 
Been watching with English dubbing.

Episode 1 was surprisingly good! I like the well drawn character of the protagonist and how easy his compulsion makes him to manipulate.

The daft green light / red light scenario was tense.

Episode 2 was dull. Though I suppose it was necessary to get the detective on the case. Hope it gets better when they return to the games.
 
Korean drama Squid Game has topped Netflix’s most-watched lists globally since its September release. But this week, a select group of people will be able to try their hand at the Korean playground games that contestants are tasked with in the show, without the deadly penalties.

On Tuesday, two groups of 15 pre-selected participants will take place in the games organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi. In keeping with the show, participants will wear uniforms featuring the Squid Game logo, while staff wear circle, triangle and square costumes.

The Korean Cultural Centre said: “The games seemed a bit brutal in the series to maximise the dramatic element, however, actually all the games in the series are popular games played by Korean children from the past to the present. KCC would like the people in the UAE to learn more about Korean culture by participating in the event.”

Green light, red light, glass stepping stones, the dalgona game, marbles and ttakji will all be played in five different rounds. In the Netflix show, participants die when they fail to complete the games, but ahead of the event, the Korean Cultural Centre stressed: “Regardless of the tournament, the eliminated players can participate in and watch the game separately without returning home.”

Nam Chan-woo, director of Korean Cultural Centre, says of the event: “Amid the global popularity of Squid Game, we have prepared this event to experience Korean play culture with many people in the United Arab Emirates.

“Just as K-pop has gained its worldwide popularity through YouTube in the 2010s, I think Netflix will be a channel for the global spread of Korean video content such as dramas and movies.”

The Korean Cultural Centre’s breakdown of the ‘Squid Game’ events:

1. Green light, red light

“The game is a very popular childhood game in Korea. Personally, I played it a lot during my childhood with my school friends and playmates in my neighbourhood. In Korean we say, ‘The roses of Sharon have blossomed,’ instead of Green Light and Red Light. The person whose movement is detected is eliminated,” says Nam. The KCC will use sponge guns in the game.

2) Glass stepping stones

For the recreation of this round, KCC plans to do the stepping stones on the floor, saying it will “run exactly the same as in the Squid Game series.”

3) The honeycomb toffee game aka the dalgona game

“After school on your way back home, you would see dalgona makers in front of your school. Korean children paid Dh1 or Dh2 10 to 20 years ago, so maybe Dh5 to Dh10 now, for one dalgona game.

“They all gathered together with their friends and try to take out the shapes marked. If you get the shape without any breaks, you get one more for free,” says Nam.

4) Marbles

“Two players will be paired to play a game with marbles, and those who exhaust all the beads will be eliminated. However, KCC will do even or odd game with the marbles,” say Nam. “This is also a very common childhood game among Koreans.”

5) Ttakji

Similar to the game played in the first episode of the show, the player who flips over the other’s paper ttakji first will be the winner.

“This is a traditional Korean game; we play ttakji with friends and family during the holidays, such as New Year’s Day or Thanksgiving,” says Nam. “Koreans use old calendars to make them because they are usually hard enough to make a durable ttakji.”

https://www.thenationalnews.com/art...ased-on-netflix-show-to-be-held-in-abu-dhabi/
 
Awesome.

Concept is so simple; execution brilliant.

Survivial based on the primary weaknesses of humans - money and hunger.
 
Good show. It's very much like battle royale ( BR was arguably better though).

I thought the games were brilliant until
the one crossing over the glass bridge, all the other games had an element of skill to them whereas this one was just plain cruelty as the first players had statically no chance of survival. Added to this - the one guy that showed some skill had the tables turned on him by the front man

Its been nicely set up for season 2.
 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2323679/ahmed-ali-butt-slams-squid-game-makers-for-casting-indian-actor-in-pakistani-role

In nine months, South Korean survival drama Squid Game is on its way to becoming the biggest show in Netflix’s history.

Set in Seoul, its plot revolves around hundreds of desperate, cash-strapped individuals willing to put their lives at stake for money by partaking in a series of traditional-turned-sinister childhood games. Among them is Ali Abdul -- played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi -- a struggling factory worker from Pakistan who’s fighting for his life and family.

While Pakistanis were finally glad to see some positive and prominent representation of them internationally, with a well carved out, gullible but innocent character, actor and rapper Ahmed Ali Butt was not happy with the casting. Despite the fact that Tripathi does complete justice to Ali, Butt feels the actor playing the role should have been Pakistani.

In a recent Insta story, Butt lamented, “It’s so frustrating to see Pakistani characters in big TV series being played by Indian actors. Why can’t these productions cast original Pakistani actors for such roles?” He went on to ask, “Same goes for films. If you’re making a film and it’s about a Pakistani city, why is it always cheated somewhere else?” Butt went onto urge relevant authorities to instill “progressive film policies” that will compel international filmmakers to use actual “locations and talent from our country rather than cheap substitutes.”

Although it is unfair and way off the line for any artist to reduce another to a ‘cheap substitute,’ we can all agree that representation is something Pakistanis have always struggled with in international media. And Tripathi has detailed the same in his recent conversation with VICE, while also speaking about his journey to stardom as an Indian actor in South Korea through Squid Game.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

“I have played mostly migrant worker roles in movies and dramas… Ali was different in so many ways,” the outlet quoted Tripathi as saying. “It was my first full-fledged character… The way he looked, the way he behaved, his background—so many questions were in my mind on how I was going to portray him.”

Squid Game highlights the “widespread” racism towards migrant workers in South Korea, according to the publication. In the show, Ali is insulted and called an “illegal alien” by other players. And as a person of colour, he acknowledges that the odds would always be stacked against him. Especially since the competition entails games only familiar to those who grew up in South Korea.

“I don’t know how to play any of those games,” Ali shares with other players in one scene. But as the show progresses, he emerges as a vital team player and a fair comrade, capable of saving and trusting others. During the anxiety-inducing tug of war, he was tasked with carrying everyone’s weight by standing at the back. And before even knowing anyone, he steps forward to save the protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, from being shot in a violent game of Red Light, Green Light in the first episode.

Not just Pakistanis, Tripathi's character is a massive win for minority representation in South Korea, where foreign actors often only land minor roles, according to the outlet. “For preparation, I met people, I watched documentaries, and read articles about migrant workers in Korea and abroad,” Tripathi shared. “For me, it’s all about portraying Ali to the best of my ability, and in the future, to play a variety of different roles so that we can see more representation across various platforms in Korea, and the world beyond,” he added.

Fans have also drawn parallels between modern-day conflicts hitting out in South Korea and the treatment of Ali in the show. His story arc hints at the alleged exploitation of some 200,000 vulnerable workers from countries like India and Pakistan at the hands of powerful companies in the region. “Ali found himself back at the Squid Game because his boss didn’t pay him for six months,” wrote writer Michelle Rennex. “We don’t see [the character of Ali] for what it actually is: a defense mechanism he probably developed as a poor, brown skin immigrant to deal with the oppression he faces on a daily [basis],” a Twitter user had pointed out.

And like his character in the show, Delhi-born Tripathi had to overcome language and cultural barriers for more than a decade in Seoul. He went onto scored roles in films like Ode to My Father and the hit 2016 K-drama Descendants of the Sun before eventually winning our hearts in Squid Game.
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The sheer desperation of the characters is shown brilliantly in this series.

Shows how humans can become savages when the need arises.
 
Maybe season 2 will be from the perspective of the staff (the red guys) because….

the salesman gave a choice of red & blue envelopes
 
Looks like Parasite has really brought Korean cinema to the forefront and rightly so. Some of us here have watched many great Korean movies… people are finally catching up.
 
I'm up to episode 7 and I'm finding it uncomfortable viewing so far. At times it has me really angry
 
Saj said:
The sheer desperation of the characters is shown brilliantly in this series.

Shows how humans can become savages when the need arises.
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Yes it does which is why I have no sympathy for the contestants
 
I have heard a lot about it (from my daughter who is an avid K-pop and K-drama fan). Seems to be a long series of Korean hunger games
 
Interesting concept.

Watched 3 episodes, decent watch but no brilliant as some are claiming.

I like the humour aspect of South Asian shows/movies.
 
Watched up to episode 3 - it’s entertaining but not top notch. Too much padding.
 
Just finished it.

I'm still undecided.
It certainly got my heart racing at times but not sure in a good way.
 
Will give it one more episode. Once through the initial shock of green-light-red-light it isn’t great.
 
Major said:
Loved it.. Finished it yesterday after following the hype

SPOILER

Didn't understand why the Old Man allowed him to to win the marbles game
Click to expand...

No one wanted to partner with the Old man, except him. And before the game it was assumed that both partners will compete against another team, and the person without a partner will be killed. So because he showed loyalty to the Old Man, he gave him the marbles even though he cheated him in the game.
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
What about the rich men who watch this game for their amusement?
Click to expand...

If you watch the last episode, this question is answered.

What is common between a poor man and a rich man? They do not know what to do with life. The rich just wanted to have fun; but remember, the players returned by their own consent. The rich never forced the poor to play.
 
Technics 1210 said:
If you watch the last episode, this question is answered.

What is common between a poor man and a rich man? They do not know what to do with life. The rich just wanted to have fun; but remember, the players returned by their own consent. The rich never forced the poor to play.
Click to expand...

Yes, but i think this makes the rich worse. They preyed upon desperate people by creating this game for their own amusement. Not to mention over 200 people died in the first episode. Those people had no idea what the game was.

I think the crux of the show was how bad wealth inequality is, that the rich need to be taxed more, and that capitalism is bad.
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
Yes, but i think this makes the rich worse. They preyed upon desperate people by creating this game for their own amusement. Not to mention over 200 people died in the first episode. Those people had no idea what the game was.

I think the crux of the show was how bad wealth inequality is, that the rich need to be taxed more, and that capitalism is bad.
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Yup this is also true, hence the principle of equality within the games. Equal opportunity etc.

When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.

The bedrock of austerity.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Because of poverty. This is the crux of the show. Poverty and hunger bring out the worst in humans.
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I didn't see it like that.
For me it was only about the gambling.
The contestants were by and large gamblers and the rich VIP's we're also gamblers.

This is why I found it uncomfortable to watch and precisely why I can't stand to go into a casino.

I've been brought up to never trust a gambler so maybe everything else just went over my head
 
Robert said:
I have sympathy for 456. He wants to be a good father but his compulsion to gamble prevents him.
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Problem with gamblers is that they take down the people around them, those closest to them.
Only thing 456 couldn't do was to kill another human being otherwise he went back in on his own accord and it was the gambling that got him there in the first place.
 
IMMY69 said:
Problem with gamblers is that they take down the people around them, those closest to them.
Only thing 456 couldn't do was to kill another human being otherwise he went back in on his own accord and it was the gambling that got him there in the first place.
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It was the need to get out of poverty for a better life which is why he entered the games for the mass prize. He gambled his life. After he won, he only pulled out 10000 won; symbolic.
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
No one wanted to partner with the Old man, except him. And before the game it was assumed that both partners will compete against another team, and the person without a partner will be killed. So because he showed loyalty to the Old Man, he gave him the marbles even though he cheated him in the game.
Click to expand...

I actually rewatched the episode after finding out about oh il nam.

My theory is that oh il nam initially would had have 456 killed, becuase if both had marbles both would had been eliminated, thus allowing oh il nam to get away easily and with 456 dieing. No one would had found out.

Oh il nam actually was testing sang gi hun. Sang gi hun made it that far in the game by keeping his morales intact. While as we find out in the finale that oh il nam doesnt believe humans have morality as everyone is selfish according to him.

The marble game was setted as suxh that you have to eliminate the people who you had partner so that in the next two games you dont have that extra baggage with you. Remember, only one person wins not multiple.

Oh il nam wanted to test sang gi hun, thus intially after he took all his marbles he than pretended that his dementia was catching up and wnated to see what sang gi hun would do. At the time all viewers were not happy iwth what 456 was doing, and if oh il nam had any morality he would had also been unappreciative of what sang gi hun was doing. But he kept on testing him and he was satisfied that even a person like sang de hun could be broken thus satisfying his own theory about people.

And just to confirm he did the test one more time when he told 456 he ran out of marbles and if he could borrow one to which he said no. Upon showing he had onre he wanted to see what sang gi hun would do as he went after him begging, to which oh il nam told him he knew what he was doing all along which kid of broke sang gi hun.

Anyways fastforward, he wins the game, but interestingly he still keeps his morality intact as he doesnt spend his money at all and also tries to win the game by making sure that his friend doesnt die but yet he does.

I think in the end oh il nam met him as he was not haopy that sang gi hun's morality did not broke, which is why he plays one final game. Even in that sang gi hun gets proven right that there are good people out there and its you who decided whether to be good or bad. To bad oh il nam died and couldnt see it..

This is my theory though, you may disagree to it but this made.more sense to me
 
IMMY69 said:
I didn't see it like that.
For me it was only about the gambling.
The contestants were by and large gamblers and the rich VIP's we're also gamblers.

This is why I found it uncomfortable to watch and precisely why I can't stand to go into a casino.

I've been brought up to never trust a gambler so maybe everything else just went over my head
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To be honest while everyone there was in heavy debt but everyone had their reasons.

The north korea girl needed money to get her family out of north korea.

And debt has different reasons doesnt have to be gambling debt always.

If you look at the ending, sang gi hun while has all the money yet he doesnt touch it due to learning at what price he got this and what he had lost
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
Yes, but i think this makes the rich worse. They preyed upon desperate people by creating this game for their own amusement. Not to mention over 200 people died in the first episode. Those people had no idea what the game was.

I think the crux of the show was how bad wealth inequality is, that the rich need to be taxed more, and that capitalism is bad.
Click to expand...

One thing i found really interesting was how 456 was different in the outside world while in the game he came accross more nice due to being in a market where everyone is equal.
 
Major said:
To be honest while everyone there was in heavy debt but everyone had their reasons.

The north korea girl needed money to get her family out of north korea.

And debt has different reasons doesnt have to be gambling debt always.

If you look at the ending, sang gi hun while has all the money yet he doesnt touch it due to learning at what price he got this and what he had lost
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Sang Gi Hun's character was spoilt at the end! The mere fact that 455 people had to be killed (plus a few of the guards) shows how narcissist this man was. The fact that he would prefer to play then watch also backs this up.

I agree that not everyone was heavily in debt and that they all had different reasons. But once 200 people had been killed and they decided to participate anyway shows their desperation but also exposes their desire to gamble. The fact that they thought they could survive and win the money shows how much they were prepared to gamble.

456 was a gambler, happy for others to die except for the friends he made inside. The only thing that set him aside was that he wasn't prepared to kill which sets the bar pretty low when it comes to judging a persons humanity.
 
IMMY69 said:
Sang Gi Hun's character was spoilt at the end! The mere fact that 455 people had to be killed (plus a few of the guards) shows how narcissist this man was. The fact that he would prefer to play then watch also backs this up.

I agree that not everyone was heavily in debt and that they all had different reasons. But once 200 people had been killed and they decided to participate anyway shows their desperation but also exposes their desire to gamble. The fact that they thought they could survive and win the money shows how much they were prepared to gamble.

456 was a gambler, happy for others to die except for the friends he made inside. The only thing that set him aside was that he wasn't prepared to kill which sets the bar pretty low when it comes to judging a persons humanity.
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You are also right, and cant really disagree as we all see it with a different lense.

But i think we have to understand the characters situation. Oh il nam points out an interesting thing when he said isnt that the girl who was crying last time that she should be let out as she has a child. Yet she came back. Its just that prize money that is up for grabs that everyone thinks can save them.

But i think 456 was devasted at the end, that he had stoop so low. Even 70 had to kill himself. 456 could had kill the finalist who was his friend but yet a sense of morality stopped him.
After winning all that money 456 didjt really spend it.

I think the stage has been well set for a season 2, and it would be intresting to watch if they make a season 2.
 
So finally it's come to the realisation to some that not all contestants were gamblers, but in financial hardship.

Also I suggest some of you rewatch the series. The winner rules were not the last person standing, but the last players winning the final squid game. It just so happened the final number of players in the 6th game were 2, and remember, 465 was going to SHARE the prize with his childhood friend, who ultimatley killed himself.

Series 2 will be interesting, but I doubt it'll have the same impact as series 1.
 
IMMY69 said:
Sang Gi Hun's character was spoilt at the end! The mere fact that 455 people had to be killed (plus a few of the guards) shows how narcissist this man was. The fact that he would prefer to play then watch also backs this up.

I agree that not everyone was heavily in debt and that they all had different reasons. But once 200 people had been killed and they decided to participate anyway shows their desperation but also exposes their desire to gamble. The fact that they thought they could survive and win the money shows how much they were prepared to gamble.

456 was a gambler, happy for others to die except for the friends he made inside. The only thing that set him aside was that he wasn't prepared to kill which sets the bar pretty low when it comes to judging a persons humanity.
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I don’t think 455 people had to be killed. It was never confirmed that only one person will come out as a winner, atleast that is what I understood. Theoretically multiple people can win all 6 games. Also, in the flashback scenes it’s shown that Squid game is a team game so had 4+ people made it to the finals it could have been played in teams. It seems though that the organizers definitely rigged the system so that there is only one winner.

The main guy was a gambling addict no doubt but was against killing other people and was overall a nice guy as shown on multiple occasions. He voted no to continuation of the game after the first round and even when desperate he was against returning to the games until il nam convinced him when they ‘randomly’ ran into each other.
 
Dot Cafe in Ajman has introduced Squid Game-themed drinks and treats. The specialty cafe not too far from Dubai, has a variety of frappes, iced coffee, and desserts. And now, they have Squid Game-inspired sweets!

Squid Game has taken the world by storm. The 9 episode Korean Netflix series was released in September but recently bumped up on the charts. The show is on track to being the biggest hit in Netflix history, possibly kicking Bridgerton from its most-watched throne.

source= https://www.cosmopolitanme.com/life/theres-a-squid-game-themed-cafe-in-the-uae
 
UAE: Real-life 'Squid Game' comes to Abu Dhabi, without the violence

Want to play the Squid Game in real life? The Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in the UAE Capital is making it possible for fans of the hit Netflix show to try their luck at children’s games — but without facing the deadly consequences depicted in the series.

Nam Chan-woo, director of the KCC, told Khaleej Times that 338 people have already signed up for the games, which are scheduled to take place on Tuesday evening.

src = https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/uae-real-life-squid-game-comes-to-abu-dhabi-without-the-violence
 
The tug of war scene was so good, the Music and direction was perfect!
 
Regarding any future series. How could you improve upon what has been a massive hit?
 
Pupils as young as six have been acting out games from violent Netflix thriller Squid Game, teachers have warned.

Schools around England have warned parents to check their device settings amid multiple reports of children viewing the smash-hit show.

The South Korean series features characters competing in a series of games where failure results in death.

One head teacher said the 15-rated programme was "totally unsuitable" for primary age children.

Gareth Nichols, from Sir Francis Hill primary in Lincoln, said "a small group of pupils within school, aged around six" were discussing the show and "re-enacting some scenes".

Mr Nichols said the class teacher "immediately contacted parents to make them aware".

He added: "[The teacher] also advised parents to check settings on their devices as pupils may be accessing and viewing this show without their parents' knowledge."

Welton Primary School in Brough, East Yorkshire, said it was aware the show was being watched by pupils in Years 3 to 6 and had sent out guidance to parents.

The series, which has has become Netflix's most-watched show in 90 countries, has been rated appropriate for viewers aged 15 and older and has content warnings including sex, violence and suicide.

In it, cash-strapped contestants play games such as marbles, tug of war and red light, green light for the chance to win cash. However, if they fail any of them they are shot dead.

Mr Nichols said: "Although some of the 'games' portrayed could be viewed as adaptations of traditional playground games, the violent consequences of failure are inappropriate for younger viewers and I would wholeheartedly support the 15 rating given to the show.

"I would strongly advise all parents to check and monitor what their child is viewing at home, in order to keep them safe from such material."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-58915851
 
376207_2554336_updates.jpg


:D
 
Peer pressured to watch this, only saw the first season, looks cool & definitely love the main character! Have never binge watched anything in life so far, but probably will watch this.


In case, someones looking for something similar, but only takes an hr or so , can watch this on youtube free, i do recommend …

The circle 2015 the death game, heres the link.

https://youtu.be/JCdBoofErSM
 
Netflix estimates that its latest megahit, “Squid Game,” will create almost $900 million in value for the company, according to figures seen by Bloomberg, underscoring the windfall that one megahit can generate in the streaming era.

Netflix differs from movie studios and TV networks in that it doesn’t generate sales based on specific titles, instead using its catalog and a steady drumbeat of new releases to entice customers every week. But the company does have a wealth of data concerning what its customers watch, which the company uses to determine the value derived from individual programs.

“Squid Game” stands out both for its popularity, and its relatively low cost. The South Korean show, about indebted people in a deadly contest for a cash prize, generated $891.1 million in impact value, a metric the company uses to assess the performance from individual shows. The show cost just $21.4 million to produce -- about $2.4 million an episode. Those figures are just for the first season, and stem from a document that details Netflix’s performance metrics for the show.

The document underscores just how successful this one show has been for Netflix, and offers the clearest picture yet as to how the world’s most popular online TV network judges the success of its programming. Netflix has released self-selected viewership metrics for a handful of TV shows and movies, but it doesn’t share its more detailed metrics with the press, investors or even the programs’ own creators. Guessing the popularity of a given show has become something of a parlor game in Hollywood, even as Netflix has begun to release data in dribs and drabs.

An attorney representing Netflix said in a letter to Bloomberg that it would be inappropriate for Bloomberg to disclose the confidential data contained in the documents that Bloomberg had reviewed. “Netflix does not discuss these metrics outside the company and takes significant steps to protect them from disclosure,” the attorney said.

Some of the figures are self-explanatory, and mirror data that Netflix and other services already report. About 132 million people have watched at least two minutes of “Squid Game” in the show’s first 23 days, smashing the Netflix record set by “Bridgerton.” The two-minute figure is the one Netflix releases to the public for some shows. The company said 111 million people had started the show earlier this month, but that was based on data that is a bit older.

While Netflix has disclosed the number of people who start a show, it has yet to disclose how many people stuck around to watch more of the show (stickiness) or how many people finished the series (completion rate). Linear TV networks report the average number of people who watch a program for its duration, which makes the Netflix two-minute numbers look inflated by comparison.

In the case of “Squid Game,” Netflix estimates that 89% of people who started the show watched at least 75 minutes (more than one episode) and 66% of viewers, or 87 million people, have finished the series in the first 23 days. All told, people have spent more than 1.4 billion hours watching the show, which was produced by closely held Siren Pictures.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-2-series-worth-900-million-to-netflix-so-far
 
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Watched the last three episodes last night.

Ok series. The games were the highlights. Otherwise I felt it lacked pace, and could have been done in a couple fewer episodes.
 
Robert said:
I have sympathy for 456. He wants to be a good father but his compulsion to gamble prevents him.
Click to expand...

I couldn't stand him in the first couple of episodes, but his character development was one of the highlights of the show. I agree it had too much padding, might have made for a better film rather than a tv series. But it was strangely addictive. Even though I was thinking wish they would get on with it, I kept hitting the next episode button every time.
 
Show is pretty solid due to how well it shows the emotional side of the characters, however it's a pretty standard death game show.

I think these shows are more common in other mediums (like anime) but even live action wise I can think of hunger games and battle royale. My main issue is that it was far too predictable, had a weak ending, and the writing kinda falls off after six strong episodes. The VIP characters were a complete joke.
 
Finished watching this today. Wasn't too impressed with the first episode actually but gradually became hooked into it once the cop enters the secret facility. Without a secret mole in the camp narrative, don't think I would've been as interested. The gganbu episode was a really emotional one. The final twist wasn't something I really expected, however the final round was kinda underwhelming and almost made it Bollywoodish with the fight between the protagonist and his friend.

Overall a very good watch, but I think Dark was better.
 
Highly addictive once you get through episode one.

Without giving too much away it tackles social issues as well that have plagued that region in particular.

Some unanswered questions at the end so I hope there is a season 2.
 
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