After succumbing to the nagging of friends and the influence of online ratings and constant advertising, I have watched Netflix’s Korean drama series Squid Game. 

Now, I will admit, at first I was thinking along the lines of, “this kind of reminds me of The Hunger Games.” I don’t think I was the only one who originally thought that, and thinking back on the two plots, although there are minor similarities, these two shows aren’t really alike at all. 

The director Hwang Dong-hyuk apparently thought of the idea for Squid Game all the way back in 2008, which means that it took 11 years to be created and released. These 11 years must have been well spent, considering the production and originality of the show. 

This show is basically about strangers (456 players) competing against each other in extremely deadly games for one winner to ultimately walk away with a huge sum of money (45.6 billion won or $38,603,828.21). 

The games are based on children’s games, but with a deadly twist. The children’s games include: red light green light, tug of war, a marbles game and more. Each game results in the deaths of a large number of contestants.

Squid Game focuses on the stories of two characters who were childhood friends, Ki-Hoon and Sang-Woo. They lead different lives but both fall into troubles, which causes them to reunite at the games. 

Besides the main characters, there are also some spectacular secondary characters such as Sae-byeok, Ali, Hwang Jun-Ho and more. Each character has their own backstories as to why they choose to join the game. After the true horrors of the game become apparent, the hidden agenda (murdering a bunch of people for the entertainment of the VIPs) of the secret survival game is also revealed. 

This series is incredibly thought-provoking. In my opinion, the players are not really victims or pawns in the situation. No one is forced to participate and fight to their deaths. If the majority of the competitors wish to end the game without anyone winning the prize money, they can. 

The contestants’ desire to continue the game demonstrates their greed: they are willing to risk their own lives and those of other competitors for the chance of becoming rich. Is money really that important to risk your entire well-being for? It made me so frustrated to see how many of the players are willing to continue to play this life-risking game, all for a miniscule chance of actually winning. 

Also (as I saw mentioned by online commentators), it’s really interesting to see the juxtaposition between the innocence of the children’s game and the harsh reality of adulthood. 

When I watched Squid Game I felt conflicted. It is a great show, but parts of it are frustrating. This show brings forward a lot of depressing truths about life: wealth disparity and its emotional impact, as well as how some people in life get abandoned while others travel on. This mood is further exemplified by the greed, selfishness and betrayal the characters display. 

The plot of Squid Game is easy to follow, but it is still complicated enough to make me think. The costumes are creatively simple, the sets are incredible, the actors extremely talented and the storyline is undeniably unique. 

I will admit, it feels a bit slow during the first episodes. But don’t let that fool you. As you continue to watch, it is easy to get way too invested in the show. Overall, reasons to watch this show outweigh the reasons not to. Additionally, it is iconic in many different ways. For example, dalgona candy, which is featured in one of the games, has attracted a lot of attention. 

The contestants have to remove a shape from a delicate piece of candy. If they break the shape? They die. After seeing this candy in the show, viewers are busy making it in their own kitchens. It’s extremely simple to make, requires very few ingredients and tastes pretty decent. I suggest you try it.

If you are easily disturbed and scared of blood, perhaps Squid Game is not the best choice for you, since it does include bloodshed. Otherwise, if you are looking for a new show to watch or rewatch, I suggest watching Netflix’s Squid Game.