People all over the world have recently been paying attention to a South Korean series that airs on Netflix. Yes, it’s Squid Game!

No, this series is not about a game played by squid. Squid Game is a survival genre drama that had shocking plot twists in every episode since it premiered on September 17, 2021. Perhaps this is one of the reasons behind Squid Game's worldwide popularity.

Basically, Squid Game shows a deadly battle between 456 people who participate in a mystery game. This game offers a massive grand prize of 45.6 billion Korean won (about Rp 500 billion). However, the size of the reward will inevitably bring with it a high level of risk, which is death.

Everyone who took part was in a terrible situation. They are desperate. One thing they don't realize is that those who lose in every game will face death. So, for those of you who enjoy the gore or sadistic genres, it appears that this Squid Game series will meet your expectations.

Before you start binge-watching Squid Game, you might want to know everything you need to know about the 9-episodes series.

1. It’s a traditional Korean game

Squid Game was actually a popular children's game in South Korea throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It featured games such as ‘Mugunghwa has bloomed', which is similar to the game ‘What is the time, Mr. Wolf?'.

2. The idea has been there since 2008

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of the Squid Game, has written the script since 2008, or almost 13 years ago. He was inspired by his own childhood favorite toys and comic collections.

Dong-hyuk used to play the Squid Game in the schoolyard and on the street in front of his house when he was a kid. This series follows people who return to play the game, only to discover that it is not what they expected.

However, he had a hard time finding investors willing to work on his project. The plot is considered to be overly complicated and uncommercial. Until Netflix came along and decided to help Dong-hyuk realize his dream.

 

 

 

 

 

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3. A different kind of survival game

Squid Game is not your typical survival game show. It turned out to be a lot more. Dong-hyuk said that Squid Game focuses more on how the characters react and behave. The anticipation of who will die next and how they will die is one of them, making this series suspenseful. The focus of this series will be on people who lose and die. After all, if there are no losers, there will be no victors. Not to mention the plot twist, which has increased the suspense for the game itself.

4. Every character is different

The Squid Game has a total of 456 players. You will be able to observe the dark side of humans depicted in each of the participants because every one of them is different. Everyone came from a different background yet share the same goal of winning 45.6 billion won in cash. Some people are dealing with family issues, debt issues, and other life challenges.

Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), for example, is a widower whose business has failed and is in debt. Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) is in a terrible predicament, and there’s Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), a North Korean defector who is attempting to reunite his family. While Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) is a gang member, and Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) is a police officer who discovered the game while searching for his missing brother. This is what makes Squid Game both brutal but also humane.

5. It’s a humanist series

The Squid Game clearly reflects humankind in today's society, where social competition is increasing. Humanity is becoming increasingly dreadful. This can be seen in the innocent nature of children's games, which can quickly devolve into a horrific battle against death.

This encompasses modern civilization and capitalism's never-ending conflict. The director appeared to illustrate the irony of capitalism's good intentions to improve people's lives, only to create a vicious competition that destroys human life. This series contains a lot of symbolism and complex meanings.

 

 

 

 

 

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6. Amazing visual aspects

In a survival genre series with so much death, you'd expect a flood of blood. However, the creators did not overlook the audience's ability to enjoy a visually appealing experience. You'll be able to see vintage children's games as well as enjoyable music from the 1970s and 1980s.

7. The locations were made as real as possible

You'll notice that the game's setting is rather unique and appears to be very real. The shooting location for this series was, as it turned out, purposefully created as realistic as possible. The structure, as well as several other locations, were built specifically for filming.

Everything was constructed from scratch, including the large settings and enormous dolls. To give each scene a realistic feel, director Dong-hyuk used as few computer effects as possible. Not only is the site was made as real as possible, but all 456 people who took part in the first round were also there at the shoot.

8. The Masked Man symbols

There are a lot of symbols in this series. The Masked Man, a collection of masked individuals in charge of the Squid Game, is one of them. The Masked Man was reportedly inspired by the ant kingdom, according to the director. The circle mask is the symbol for worker ants, the triangular mask is the soldier's symbol, and the square is the manager's symbol.

9. Its initial title is not Squid Game

The title of 'Squid Game' was not originally 'Squid Game.' Netflix announced in September 2019 that they would be releasing a Korean original series called "Round Six".