Everything you need to know about Netflix’s frightening breakout hit Squid Game.
In the Korean series that is currently number one on the streaming service, innocent children’s games turn deadly.
Desperate and in terrible debt, the Squid Game players risk their lives to play lethal children’s games in the chance of a large payment.
The most popular show on Netflix right now is a Korean series with an unusual name.
Squid Game is a scary nine-part series about a world where children’s games become lethal.
Squid Game is the first Korean drama to debut at No. 1 on Netflix, achieving the feat just four days after its initial release and becoming the company’s largest series launch ever.
It’s brutal and vicious, but it’s also addictive and binge-worthy.
Here’s everything you need to know about the massively popular show.
Minor spoilers ahead, however I’ll only go over the basics of the program, not who survives or dies.
What is Squid Game about?
Squid Game, which began streaming on September 17, focuses on a group of people in South Korea who are deeply in debt. They are initially duped into participating in a lethal tournament of children’s games, but many of them volunteer to return, realizing that the games may be their only chance to gain the money they require to survive. The stakes are high: 45 billion South Korean won, or $38 million US (£27 million, AU$52 million). However, the chances of survival are slim. Think The Hunger Games, but with Red Light, Green Light, and marbles as contests.
More on Squid Game
Squid Game will certainly remind you of The Hunger Games, and there are some echoes of Hostel and other horror films when a bunch of masked affluent VIPs arrive to bet on, and cheer on, the killings.
But Squid Game isn’t a knockoff; it’s a well-executed drama/horror series.
Rich backstories are created not just for desperate contestants, but also for those in charge of the game.
Make sure you don’t miss the final episode, which is a great thrill ride.
What Does the Name Squid Game Mean?
Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) recounts in the first episode that Squid Game was a game that kids in his neighborhood used to play on a squid-shaped court.
It’s similar to Red Rover or a more sophisticated version of tag.
No spoilers, but the Squid Game finally appears in the fatal tournament.
Why Should you Watch Squid Game?
Without a doubt, the show has a gloomy subject, and blood flows freely.
It’s unsettling to see children’s activities converted into violent combat, and it’s not for everyone.
However, the characters are well-developed, and the action moves rapidly and never stops.
Seong Gi-hun, the main character, is a desperate father who is easy to root for, but he’s not faultless; there’s a devastating moment in which his actions result in a wrenching loss.
Other participants include an elderly man who becomes the group’s grandfather, a North Korean refugee, a mobster with a snake tattoo on his face, and a highly educated man who was the pride of his hometown but didn’t live up to his potential.
The characters are swiftly and cleanly introduced, and then the games begin.
After watching one episode, it’s difficult not to want to watch more, even if it’s merely to see who survives the next twisted game.
Then there’s that ending.
How Can You Watch Squid Game?
To watch the nine-episode series, you’ll need Netflix.
Squid Game is a Netflix original drama that was produced in South Korea but has been dubbed into English.
And, unlike some episodes where the dubbing falls a little short, this is excellent job.
Viewers will never forget that the show was originally in Korean, but the voice performers, many of whom are veteran American voice actresses with Korean ancestors, are great.
When viewed in English, the show does not suffer.
However, you should read our post on why you should change the subtitle settings on your TV for the optimal experience.
Some of Squid Game’s frightening guardians have their own storylines.
Will Squid Game get a season 2?
Squid Game has all nine episodes available on Netflix, so if you have nine hours to kill, binge it.
People die, often terribly, when they lose these innocent children’s games.
It’s up to you whether you want to watch it in a nine-hour binge or if you’ll need to space it out and take mental health breaks.
(The marbles episode is particularly heinous.)
If you’ve finished the series, don’t hold out hope for a second season.
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the writer/director, told Variety that he may return to big-screen films before considering a Squid Game sequel.
“I don’t have solid plans for Squid Game 2,” he told Variety.
“It’s exhausting simply thinking about it.”
But if I had to do it, I would not do it alone.
I’d think about using a writers’ room, and I’d want several experienced directors.”
The competition format of Squid Game is similar to that of The Hunger Games.
It’s also reminiscent of Battle Royale, a Japanese film from 2000 in which junior high students must battle to the death using random weaponry.
It’s also similar to the 2014 film Snowpiercer, in which humans battle for survival on a never-ending train chugging through a freezing apocalyptic world.
(Snowpiercer was later adapted into a television series.)
In the three-part Japanese series Alice in Borderland, pupils are transferred to a parallel world where they must play games in order to survive.
Some argue that Squid Game is remarkably similar to Takashi Miike’s 2014 Japanese film As The Gods Will.
The film is based on Japanese comics.
It’s likewise about a death competition employing childhood games and appears to feature some very similar moments, such as a spinning doll that tries to catch players moving.
What Real-World Events Influenced Squid Game?
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show’s creator, told IndieWire that he came up with the concept in 2008, inspired in part by real-world occurrences.
“At the time, there was the Lehman Brothers crisis; the Korean economy was adversely hit, and I was also struggling financially,” he explained.
“There have been numerous difficulties throughout the last ten years:
There was a cryptocurrency boom, in which people all over the world, particularly young Koreans, would go all in and put all of their money in cryptocurrencies.
And then there came the rise of IT behemoths like Facebook, Google, and, in Korea, Naver, all of which are reshaping our lives.
It’s inventive, but these IT behemoths are also extremely wealthy.”
In 2016, a fresh international event inspired Hwang to expand the show.
“And then Donald Trump became President of the United States, and I think he looks like one of the VIPs in the Squid Game,” he explained.
“It’s almost as if he’s running a game show rather than a country, as if he’s torturing people.
After all of these challenges, I decided it was past time to release this show into the public.”
How Did Squid Game Make Its Way Into The Real World?
People wish to recreate parts of the events in Squid Game, but without the murder. The show’s deadly competition was reinvented for a real-life event at the Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi. Two teams of 15 played Red Light, Green Light, the Dalgona sweets challenge, marbles, and the paper-flipping game Ddakji while wearing T-shirts with the show’s emblem.
That might be entertaining, but things got bleak at a Belgian school. Kids who allegedly watched the show despite the fact that it is intended for adults played Red Light, Green Light and beat up those who lost.
The school notified parents and is taking action against this behavior.
The game is still permitted, but not the subsequent bouts.
Expect to see plenty of sweatsuit-clad candidates and red-clad guardians on the streets and at Halloween events this year.
Because there wasn’t enough time for the big costume makers to prepare, people are putting together their own ensembles or going to Etsy and other creative marketplaces.
Season 2 of ‘Squid Game’: What We Know About a New Season of the Netflix Hit
Prepare to meet Cheol-su, the frightening Red Light Green Light doll’s “lover” from season 1.
Young-hee, the creepy doll, was a notable feature of Season 1 of Squid Game.
Season 2 will, however, feature her “lover,” Cheol-su. They must be a fun couple.
We knew you weren’t done with us yet, Squid Game. The smash Netflix program about a deadly tournament of children’s games did not end neatly, and a second season is almost certainly on the way.
On June 12, Netflix issued a brief but affirmative tweet: “GREENLIGHT instead of REDLIGHT! Squid Game is officially returning for Season 2!” In a subsequent tweet, Netflix teased what fans of the show may expect.
“Gi-hun has returned. The Front Man is back “Hwang Dong-hyuk, a director and writer, took to Twitter. “The man in the suit with ddakji could return. You’ll also meet Young-boyfriend, hee’s Cheol-su.”
You may be wondering who Young-hee is. She’s the frightening doll from the Red Light Green Light game who spins around and tragically identifies participants who continue to move after being ordered to stop. It appears that a male counterpart of her will play a similar position in another game in Season 2.
There is no indication on a release date, and Netflix has not provided any other information.
Red light… GREENLIGHT!
Squid Game is now returning for Season 2!
But we had a pretty solid notion this was going to happen. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged the need for a second season in January, adding, “The Squid Game universe has just begun.”
That was followed by Hwang, who is also the show’s creator, pointing us in this direction.
“You leave us no option,” Hwang said in a November video posted by the Associated Press, stressing that there has been “so much pressure, so much demand, and so much love” for a second season from the millions of viewers who have helped it become Netflix’s most popular show.
Squid Returns
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director, creator, and writer of #SquidGame, has announced that the show will return with more Gi-hun adventures.
November 9, 2021 — AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment)
“There will be a second season.”
“I’m thinking about it right now,” Hwang remarked in November.
The second season is still in the works.
It didn’t look good at first.
Hwang told Variety in late September that he may return to big-screen movies before considering a Squid Game sequel.
“I don’t have solid plans for Squid Game 2,” he admitted.
“It’s exhausting simply thinking about it.”
But then Squid Game became a massive success, and when the filmmaker spoke to The Times in October, he seemed more upbeat.
“While I was writing season one, I was thinking about the storylines that could be in season two if I got to do one — one of which would be the narrative of the Front Man,” Hwang explained.
“I believe the problem with police officers is not limited to Korea.
I’ve seen on the news that the police force can be quite slow to respond to situations, resulting in more victims or a worsening of the situation.
This was an issue I wanted to bring up.
Maybe I’ll be able to talk about it more in season 2.”
Then, in October, Hwang began to sound more optimistic.
“Of course, there’s chatter about a second season,” he told The Guardian.
“It’s unavoidable because it’s been so successful.”
I’m thinking about it.
I have a high-level picture in my head, but I’m not going to start working on it right immediately.
I really want to make a movie.
I’m debating which to do first.
I’m going to speak with Netflix.”
When Will Season 2 Be Released?
Don’t make any plans just yet.
Netflix has yet to announce a launch date.
One thing is certain: It won’t take as long as the first season, which lasted a decade.
What May the Season 2 Plot Be?
We know we’ll see Squid Game champion Seong Gi-hun again. In the November video, Hwang stated that Gi-hun would return and “do something for the world.” He reaffirmed this in a tweet on June 12.
What happened to our hero? At the end of the first season, Gi-hun has shown no inclination to spend his massive riches, understandably distraught after witnessing his friends’ deaths. But he was about to board an aircraft to Los Angeles to see his cherished daughter when he realized the game was still going on, and he got off the plane with plans to stop it.
The manner in which he returns to the game will definitely play a significant role in the second season.
It doesn’t appear that he’ll be able to compete again, but will he sneak in as one of the red-suited guards?
Meanwhile, Hwang In-ho won the game in 2015 and elected to become the Front Man, overseeing the tournament for the mysterious host (spoiler), who turns out to be the elderly.
In-ho did shoot his brother, police officer Hwang Jun-ho, but we never saw his body, and the sibling rivalry would make for a compelling season 2 narrative.
What if Jun-ho lives and the two brothers decide to take the game down?
Which characters could make a comeback?
Seong Gi-hun
So, who isn’t dead? Seong Gi-hun is the only survivor from the first round. I’m betting the second season, like the first, will revolve around him. And perhaps his wife, daughter, and his wife’s new family will return from the United States to participate.
Will we see Cheol, Kang Sae-younger byeok’s brother, again?
Kang Cheol and Sang-mother woo’s
Many viewers were saddened by the death of North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok. But Gi-hun found her younger brother, Cheol, and gave him to Sang-mother woo’s to nurture, with the help of a large sum of won. It would be interesting to observe how Cheol is coping to his new environment (and perhaps other family members will appear).
It’d also be intriguing to see if Sang-mother woo’s ever finds out the truth about her adored son taking money from his clients.
Hwang In-ho and Hwang Jun-ho, brothers
As previously said, Jun-fate ho’s may not be sealed.
He could still be alive, and even if he isn’t, his brother will have to face with the fact that he attempted to murder him.
Perhaps viewers will see a flashback to the 2015 tournament that In-ho won, which may explain why he stayed with the game rather than taking his piggy bank full of winnings and leaving.
And if we know anything about filmmaker Hwang Dong-potential hyuk’s plans for a second season, it’s that he’s fascinated by South Korean police and how swiftly or slowly they respond to crimes and situations.
He told The Times of London that he can see himself researching these themes.
The Game Recruiter
We don’t know what his character’s name is, but South Korean actor Gong Yoo portrays the handsome man who recruits indebted people yearning for money into the game.
What motivates him?
What is his background?
Season 2 may reveal why he is involved and who he is.
New Squid Game characters
Squid Game created several fantastic characters only to have them killed off in the game.
A second season could go into their pasts.
Here are only a few of the characters who could appear.
Ali’s spouse
We briefly met Ali’s wife, a young Pakistani mother.
What if she comes looking for him or ends up playing the game?
Or perhaps Ali has a sibling out for vengeance?
Oh Il-nam Son
Oh, Il-nam mentioned his son; may he make an appearance in some way?
He’s likely as affluent as his father, thus he may not need to compete in the games but may be involved in the tournament’s administration.
Or perhaps he spent all of his winnings and now needs to recoup them.
Associates of Jang Deok-su
Jang Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae), a gangster, was one of the least likeable characters, although he seemed to know and be known by everyone in the criminal world.
Perhaps some of his friends will find their way into a new competition.
The family of Kang Sae-byeok
Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) was a fan favorite; her brother, Cheol, is mentioned above.
Unless the second season is scheduled far in the future, Cheol is too young to compete in the lethal event (we hope).
But, despite his youth, Cheol is wealthy now; perhaps he can bring his mother over from the north, and we can discover more about their family.
Han Mi- nyeo’s mystery
What should we trust about Han Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryoung)?
She had a brief toilet encounter with Jang Deok-su before challenging him to the glass bridge game.
She pretended to be a new mother, but never addressed it again.
Her life before the game is a big blank, so anyone could turn in and claim to be in a relationship with her.
They’d be a welcome addition if they were half as interesting as she was.
VIPs who are creepy
Late in the series, a group of wealthy individuals is invited to wager on the games and watch them live.
(One tries to sexually abuse Jun-ho, which goes disastrously wrong for the rich man.)
They’re evil people, but it’s feasible that they, or a different group of rich people, will appear in a second season.
Which games could be included in Season 2?
In the first season, the players faced deadly conflicts with red light, green light, tug-of-war, and marbles; carved Dalgona sweets out of a tin without destroying its shape; crossed a glass bridge with breakable panels; and eventually confronted the title’s squid game.
However, many additional games were mentioned in the series.
Gi-hun wondered if one of the sports would be something the female participants were better at, rather than tug-of-war or anything favored by men.
It would be interesting if a female-centered game appeared in season 2 and the ladies suddenly had an advantage over the male participants.
Elastics appears multiple times.
This is known as Chinese jump rope in the United States, and it includes wrapping elastic ropes over two players’ legs so that a third person can jump in and out.
Hopscotch is mentioned, although the glass bridge game could be interpreted as a more dangerous form of hopscotch.
Gonggi, which is similar to jacks, was also mentioned.
Gi-hun was especially intrigued by the games tag and frozen tag.
Hwang mentioned two other games in a Korean-language article: Dong, Dong, Dongdaemun and Why Did You Come to My House?
The former is similar to London Bridge Is Falling Down in that participants construct a gate with their hands and catch a player at the end of the song. The latter is similar to Red Rover in that participants form a line by holding hands and others attempt to break through. It’s feasible that he’ll return to those games for fresh episodes.
A big robot doll will almost probably be in charge of one of the games. Netflix confirmed in mid-June that Cheol-su, a male version of Young-hee, the Red Light Green Light doll from season 1, will appear in season 2. “You’ll also be introduced to Young-boyfriend, hee’s Cheol-su,” the network stated. This will undoubtedly be a fantastically scary addition. Young-hee was one of the season’s most unforgettable images.
Whatever games are picked, a second season would almost probably not repeat those from season one, as the thrill of discovering the new game was a large part of each show.
FAQs
Is there going to be a true Squid Game?
Netflix approved “Squid Game: The Challenge,” a reality competition series based on the popular South Korean drama that, thankfully, does not feature people killing each other “Hunger Games” style and will provide a cash reward of $4.56 million, yesterday.
What is the Squid Game challenge?
Squid Game: The Challenge will provide 456 English-speaking contestants from all over the world the opportunity to compete for a life-changing sum of money, just like on the show.
Will there be a sequel to Squid Game?
According to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game will return for a second season.
Why is Squid Game so bloodthirsty?
The violence in the show appears to be real, but it is symbolic and allegorical. It represents those who have reached a dead end after failing to survive in a competitive society. If there are any teenagers that watched this show, we can address current societal issues with them.
Is Squid Game safe to play?
“Squid Game contains repetitive intense violence throughout, whereas other shows may just feature one or two scenes,” Dr. Cowan explains. “Repetitive violence has been demonstrated to increase children’s violence and aggression.” Furthermore, for others, watching this content might be distressing, leading to heightened anxiety.
