Squid Game, the Netflix show that took the entire world by storm, is an automatic must-watch after becoming the most-watched show Netflix has ever released. The show involves a group of 456 players that compete in a series of six children’s games to win billions in Korean won. Sounds quite easy, right? Well, there’s one catch: once a player is disqualified from a game, they are killed.
The show really captures the feeling of being in debt and doing all you can to make money. Players are chosen to participate in the games based on their financial instability and the fact that they are in debt. The fact that their lives are on the line if they don’t succeed in the games does not seem to stop many of the players from participating. Although Squid Game may just be an entertaining TV show, I think it also demonstrates how desperate people can become when it comes to financial stability, especially now. The pandemic made it significantly harder for Americans and Canadians to feel secure financially due to job loss and wage cuts. If there was a real-life version of Squid Game, I am almost positive that there would be lots of people more than happy to participate in it.
Not only is Squid Game amazingly written, but it also has some fantastic characters and strong character development. While I believe that all of the characters are astounding (seriously), an honourable mention and favourite of mine would have to be Sae-byeok, played by Jung Ho-Yeon. Her character was mysterious and edgy, while also showing emotions when needed. Jung’s acting was phenomenal. I also really enjoyed the vast variety of characters in the show. Each of the main characters had their own unique personality — not one player was like another. By the time we reach the end of the show, the characters have developed in such a way that they no longer care about winning the money, and they care more about each other.
When the winner is crowned, they go back to how they were previously living — as if they were still poor. The winner even wanted the game to end and have no winner in an attempt to spare the life of the runner-up. The characters went from playing this deadly game out of greed, to actually caring about each other and being genuinely sad if anyone died.
In the past, not many people would have taken a chance on a Korean TV show, mostly because they don’t want to have to watch a show with subtitles or badly dubbed voices. Personally, I don’t mind watching a foreign show. I’m a big fan of anime so I’m used to subtitles or dubs. It’s also a nice change-up to watch a foreign show and be immersed in their world rather than an Americanized one.
Overall, Squid Game is an amazing show and I have never seen anything like it. I’m sure there are other shows that involve playing games to earn money, but this is the first one I’ve watched and genuinely enjoyed. I don’t think I’ve felt this way about a show before, especially because of the distinction between each character and how amazing the production value was. So if you’re still unsure about whether or not to take a chance on Squid Game, hopefully this article will help make up your mind.
Image: Netflix
