Squid Game: Why Is It So Popular?

Betty Bugle

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Still of Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae, and Jung Hoyeon in Netflix's Squid Game.

Squid Game, the most popular series in the world of entertainment right now has its roots in South Korea. The dystopian series that displays how people are struggling with income inequality has blown the minds of Netflix viewers. About 209 trillion Netflix subscribers were convinced to watch the famous piece. In the past, the world has experienced plenty of Netflix shows that have broken viewership ceilings at their release.

However, Squid Game has proved to be an all-time best. The series was written by director Hwang Dong and conceived in 2008 but was deemed unsavory. It was until it landed on Netflix years later and was released on September 17, 2021. Please read the full details below to understand why the survival series has grown popular.

Love for the Korean dramas and culture

Squid Game is a survival series that displays Korean culture. Actors bring out various types of games played by Koreans in their childhood. People across the globe have embraced Korean dramas due to their charming actors and refreshing content. Korean culture is different, and viewers love the sense of something new which Squid Game served them when it was hot.

In the first episode, Gongyoo played Ddakji, where each card was embedded with m and a logo. Gong Yoo said that the album represented Korean Culture, and songs such as Bang3x expressed Squid Game. The folded paper tiles, which are well known as Ddakji, were played by kids in the 90s. The traditional game is traditional and requires a bit of strategy.

Gives psychological twists

The series portrays our authentic selves as, at times, many face debts and struggle to pay them. Others struggle with a gambling addiction that keeps ruining their lives.

It is psychologically disturbing to see how one can gather a group of people with debts and ask them to play games for a big prize of money. As many would suggest, they did not have to die. However, players vote and decide to return to their everyday lives.

Nonetheless, debt collectors keep chasing them, leaving them with no option but to get back to an unknown place and compete in various games. Many come back due to frustrations that make them make wrong decisions. Back to playing the game, some characters turn to be betrayers and destroyers. The situation worsens where players compete against each other and face them die.

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Addressed social issues

The series-connected well with the audience as characters joined to win and settle their debts in the outside world. Actors did their very best to survive by playing games where the best would walk home with a piggy bank of money.

Every time a player was eliminated, the prize money would increase. The audience is moved by how Young-Soo, dying of a brain tumor, survives through the obstacles and even helps his team win the tug of war.

The climax takes place during the Ggnabu, where viewers get heartbroken after seeing the devastated faces of Gi-hun, Young-Soo, Sae-byeok, and Ji-Yeong compete against each other. It comes when players are no longer interested in money and competes with whom they trust the most. Viewers are moved when Young –Soo tells Gi-hun that he knew he was cheating. The older man sacrifices and dies to save Gi-hun.

Violence and bloodshed

Participants have to do their best to survive or die. The games require strategy. Whenever a player has been eliminated, the bag of money is loaded with more. In the beginning, players are given rules where they play green light, red light. Viewers witness gunshots as many die in the first game.

Cheating is noted, and one of the players is caught and hanged for everyone to see.  Fights erupt, and players have to gang up to survive. There is a lot of blood shed as losers die by the bullets. The audience saw bloodshed throughout the episodes. Viewers were moved when characters died, such as the older man who was shot on the head during the marble game.

Word of Mouth

When the survival series was released, everyone talked about it. Some went ahead to make costumes and mimic games in the show. Word of mouth played an enormous role in making the series famous. People engaged in social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok about Squid Game.  Memes flooded the internet as people shared their favorite actions.

Soon, the world embraced the new thriller and rushed to Netflix to get the original act. When something is talked about through social media platforms, everyone would like to have a glimpse. Tycoons such as Jeff Bezos composed a tweet praising the success of the series. Viewers admire an association with billionaires, and if they have watched Squid Game; Who are you not to?

The script was a perfect hook that did wonders in the entertainment industry. People across the world have created attires similar to those in the movie and mimicked their favorite actions. Social media played a part in making Squid Game hit its unprecedented heights. The audience was moved as the steps unfolded, and the elements resonated strongly in and outside Korea.

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Betty Bugle

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