What Is Squid Game?
Squid Game is a South Korean survival thriller created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and released on Netflix in 2021. It quickly became a cultural phenomenon, amassing over 111 million views within a month — making it Netflix’s most-watched series at the time.
In the show, 456 financially desperate contestants compete in deadly versions of childhood games like Red Light, Green Light and Tug of War for a chance to win ₩45.6 billion (about $38 million USD). If they fail, they die.
Squid Game’s Real Message: Not Just Entertainment
What sets Squid Game apart isn’t just its bloody gameplay. It’s the harsh social commentary it delivers:
1. The Brutality of Capitalism
Every player voluntarily joins the game — highlighting how modern capitalism can make people feel more trapped in real life than in a death match. The contestants represent real-world struggles: debt, discrimination, inequality.
2. Psychological Warfare
Games like Marbles tear friendships apart, forcing players to choose between survival and morality. The show constantly challenges the viewer to ask: What would I do?
3. Exploitation for Entertainment
The VIPs (wealthy elites watching for sport) parallel how modern media can turn suffering into spectacle. Reality TV, gambling culture, and even viral content all feed into this critique.
How Squid Game Took Over the World
🧥 Fashion: The green tracksuits and pink guard uniforms became viral costumes.
🧠 Memes & TikToks: The “Red Light, Green Light” theme became an internet trend.
🌍 Global Influence: Opened the floodgates for international audiences to embrace K-dramas like Hellbound, All of Us Are Dead, and Sweet Home.
📎 Want more Korean shows like this? Check out Netflix’s Korean Drama Collection.
Key Characters That Drive the Show
Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) – A struggling father with a gambling addiction
Cho Sang-woo (218) – A disgraced investment banker, torn between greed and guilt
Kang Sae-byeok (067) – A North Korean defector risking everything for her family
Ali (199) – A migrant worker seeking fairness in a system stacked against him
The Front Man – Mysterious and cold leader of the games, played by Lee Byung-hun
What’s Next: Squid Game Season 2 Is Coming
Netflix officially confirmed that Squid Game Season 2 is on the way, with the return of Gi-hun and a deeper look into the secret organization behind the games.
📢 Want updates on Season 2? Follow the Netflix Official Twitter or set notifications on the Netflix app.
Final Thoughts
Squid Game shocked the world not just with violence, but with truth. It holds up a dark mirror to society — one where debt, desperation, and inequality aren’t fiction.
In a world obsessed with spectacle, Squid Game reminded us:
💀 “The real game is life — and the system is rigged.”
1 Comment
Pingback: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Anime - What to Expect