The Popularity Behind Squid Game: What’s So Special about It?
No. 1 in 94 countries, Squid Game is Netflix's most-watched release to date. According to CNN, the thrilling series–released on Netflix on September 17, 2021–has been viewed by 111 million accounts, surpassing other shows like Bridgerton (82 million accounts) and Sex/Life (67 million accounts). The first Korean show to reach No. 1 in the United States, Squid Game continues to make history, but what makes the show so distinctive?
Squid Game's plot is unique
The show centers around Seong Gi-hun, a man in debt and desperate for financial gain. Along with 455 other players in major financial debt, Gi-hun takes part in a series of South Korean children's games with a twist: If you lose, you die. But the reward for completing all six games is immense; 45.6 billion won immense (approximately 38 million dollars), and Gi-hun decides to take his chances at winning big. Gi-hun survives all six games and wins the money, but at a cost. His participation in the deadly games scars him, and he experiences a tremendous loss of friends, family, and his wellbeing. We've never seen the likes of a plot like this before; the show promises thrills, heartache, and major plot twists that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
The show highlights a real problem in South Korea (and all over the world)
While fiction, Squid Game is based on some truth. For many South Koreans and international viewers alike, the show hits close to home. In recent years, South Korea's household debt has skyrocketed; many people take out massive loans as income gaps, youth unemployment, and housing market prices continue to increase. According to Lee In-cheol, the chief executive of Real Good Economic Research Institute, "The total amount of debt run up by ordinary South Koreans exceeds GDP by 5 percent. In individual terms, it means that even if you saved every single penny you earned for an entire year, you would still be unable to repay your debt. And the number of people with debt problems is rising at an exceptional rate." A similar problem exists in the United States; the current U.S. debt is 28.8 trillion dollars as of October 2021, which comes out to 86,760 thousand dollars per person. The show's universal theme of desperation in times of crisis sits with viewers and gives us something we can relate to, as well as think on as we watch.
It features characters you'll form unique connections with
Not only does Squid Game feature an outstanding ensemble cast, but the characters the cast play are ones that viewers can't get enough of. Gi-hun (player 456) is a lovable man who wants to support his mother and daughter. He makes friends with some of the other players and shows humility, empathy, and remorse as he advances in the games. One relationship of importance is the one he has with Oh Il-nam (player 001), the eldest player and–as viewers learn in the last episode–the mastermind behind the games. Il-nam "dies" in episode six but returns in the final episode to reveal to Gi-hun that he created the whole thing; this act of betrayal is one of many in the show. Player 218, Cho Sang-woo, is the cunning head of an investment team who is on the run from police for stealing money from his clients. In each episode, he deceives fellow players so he can advance; his ultimate act of betrayal occurs in episode six when he tricks Abdul Ali (player 199) into losing a game of marbles. This loss results in Ali's death–crushing viewers–for Ali is the show's most kind, caring, and lovable character. Sang-woo goes on to murder Kang Sae-byeok (player 067), a North Korean defector who enters the Game to retrieve her mother from China and save her brother from a Seol orphanage. Besides contestants in the Game, viewers are obsessed with Hwang Jun-ho, a police officer who sneaks into the Game as a guard to find his missing brother, Hwang In-ho. Jun-ho finds In-ho; it just so happens that In-ho is the Front Man, the man in charge of the Game and the winner of the Game in 2015 (in fact, the Game has been running for over 30 years). Viewers are left shocked and upset when In-ho shoots Jun-ho off a cliff in episode eight, seemingly killing him. Other notable characters include Jang Deok-su (player 101), Han Mi-nyeo (player 212), and Ji-yeong (player 240), all which viewers get to know and form connections with.
The elements of action, suspense, and emotion are realistic
Each episode is a whirlwind of emotions, providing watchers with back-to-back scenes of action, suspense, and thrills. As the show progresses, it gets more intense, and viewers watch as their favorite (and not-so-favorite) characters compete in more high-stakes games, betray each other, and do the unthinkable to win. These behaviors are all too human; many viewers place themselves in the characters' shoes as they make important decisions regarding their safety, power, and standing.
Squid Game continues to wow the world; the show has received critical acclaim and has viewers begging for more. There has yet to be a confirmation of a second season but–given the show's popularity and its open ending–we doubt that this is the end for Squid Game.