A game in which you die if you lose, but you will get high prizes if you win. The South Korean series “Squid Game” uses a gripping shock, intertwined with infinite horror and sorrow. “Squid Game,” which was launched more than a month ago, can be said to have taken the world by storm. It set a record for the number of viewers in a single day. Its story and discussion of human nature tug at the heartstrings of viewers.
The plot of the South Korean series “Squid Game” tells that 456 players are invited to participate in the mysterious survival game, and the cash prize is up to 45.6 billion won (about 38.6 million dollars). They must compete with each other in 6 childhood games such as red light green light, tug of war, marble games, and so on. Only the final winner can win the attractive and life-changing high rewards, and the losers will be killed. The bloody reality, horror plot, delicate and dark depiction of human nature, and South Korean local games that are very fresh to foreign audiences have made the discussion of “Squid Game” continue to be hot since it was released.
Why is the brutal fictional drama “Squid Game” so popular?
- Similar themes but has great new ideas
There are many movies or dramas such as the Japanese series “Alice in Borderland” and the American psychological horror film “Escape Room” that have similar themes as “Squid Game.” These films focus on games where you get a chance to survive by breaking through levels, or die trying. However, “Squid Game” involves unexpected new ideas on the same theme. It not only has twists and turns in the plot, but also forces the viewers to think about profound human nature. It is not mind-twisting. Most of the levels in the game have simple rules and do not require intelligence. But such a simple and crude setting highlights the motivation and human nature of the characters; the shock of death at any time and abandoning all self-esteem in order to survive, it uses a difficult test to verify the nature of selfishness. Everyone has a chance to pass the game, but in order to survive, how much are you willing to pay? When everything returns to the original survival instinct, the fetters of human relationships seem to be insignificant.
- Word of Mouth in the era of social media
“Squid Game” did not have much advertisement in European and American countries before its debut. The six levels in the show are all traditional South Korean childhood games. After the series was launched, some interesting elements in it were used by users of social media as meme materials. For example, the huge girl robot in the game “Red Light Green Light” and the graphics on the “Dalgona” candy can be humorously applied to the presentation of many issues. Those memes not only spread quickly on Instagram and Twitter but also become popular challenges on TikTok (such as baking puffy sugar yourself). The hashtag #SquidGame has even exceeded tens of billions of views. In the era of social media, having good material that can resonate with people and attract users to repost, reproduce and share, is even more significant than official publicity. “Squid Game” has shocking artistic scenes and impressive components, which quickly spread on social media, attracting audiences who may not have been exposed to South Korean dramas in the past.
- Reveal the selfishness and helplessness of human nature and the cruelty of real society
From the movie “Parasite” to the series “Penthouse,” many recent South Korean films and dramas have directly addressed the problem of extreme wealth disparity. The 456 players in the game come from all walks of life and all classes, but they are all deeply in debt.
The protagonist Seong Gi-hun (acted by Lee Jung-Jae) is unemployed, divorced, and addicted to gambling, while his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo (acted by Pak Hae-Soo), seems to be the whole package, has lots of debts due to misappropriation of customer deposits and investment. The two unexpectedly met each other in the game. In addition, there are a foreign migrant worker, a defector, a gangster, a doctor caught in medical disputes, and various people who have been forced to the edge of the cliff of life in the game. Therefore, the most real thing about this drama, and the biggest difference from other survival games, is that the contestants are “voluntary” rather than forced to participate. As long as there are desperate people in the outside world, there will be an endless stream of new players.
The director’s writing on human nature and the desire to survive focuses on the personalities of different characters. They represent the bottom-level figures of society who work hard to find opportunities to stand up for their lives. Whether it is the organizer of the contest, a gambler who invests a large sum of money for entertainment, or a contestant who is forced by life and debts and is at a loss for life, these characters all gather together for money. Yet, their mentalities and moods are completely different. In order to survive, how selfish will you be? In order to win the game, what price are you willing to pay? In the cruelty of life and death, what kind of helplessness will each person face? “Squid Game” takes you on a journey to find out the answers to those questions.
References:
- Rosenblatt, K. (2021, October 13). Netflix’s ‘squid game’ is a sensation. here’s why it’s so popular. NBCNews.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/netflix-s-squid-game-sensation-here-s-why-it-s-n1280646.
- Lawler, K. (2021, October 3). ‘squid game’: Why everyone is obsessed with Netflix’s brutal South Korean horror series. Click here to refresh. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.aol.com/entertainment/squid-game-why-everyone-obsessed-200604786.html
Author: Esa Chen
