Squid Game (2021)

The finish is not up to the mark!!

The start was so exciting and the story was going good. Each game way shown very well and was waiting to know what would the next game be. Till 8th episode everything was going well but in the last episode many things are still mystery What happens to Hwang Joon Ho (the police officer) and what happens to his brother Hwang In Ho (Front man)? And what was the reason he became a front man? Who was continuing to conduct the games? These questions remains un answered even though the drama ended. This ending is not what I was excepting. The expectations were high from episode 1 but the last episode was not satisfactory.....

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Overhyped

Look, I really liked visuals, bright and recognizable costumes, colourful design, cute ost, but the story is nothing special. Whining about capitalism first episodes was too excessive, but i held on and the middle part was quite interesting despite it being too dragged out, but the ending just killed it off completely.
I am that kind of person who never skips any part of movie and I like different arthouse movies with camera being settled down for indefinitive period of time, but this show really challenged me. Especially the ending, god, I just literally skipped it. Such a disappointment.
It was ok to watch it once, but if you saw "13 tzameti", "The platform", "Cube" or "Battle royale" then Squid game won't surprise you at all, you would just easily guess the next moves and mysterious characters and after completing the show you would feel like just wasting 485 minutes of your life.

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I wish I could give more stars to this series, but it’s a huge no. 6,5 is more than enough to this silly what-they-called-game!

Why?

Here’s my opinion:

From the second episode I tried to guess every detail about what could happen in every episode, and all (like every one of them) of the guessing are correct. :(
Oh man, that’s not funny. I was thinking “should I continue watch this series?” and yet, here I am writing this review.

Another biggest problem that occurred to this series was the acting of some characters that really annoyed me every time they talked.

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Look for the deeper message

- A beautiful allegory on the effects of capitalism. It was so exhilarating that it literally kept me up at night! Some portions seem quite predictable, but i feel that it was on purpose. It is fiction, but a metaphor for real life experiences. Anticipating what may happen next is its beauty because that means it is relatable in some aspects. Given that it ended on a cliffhanger, I am really looking forward to another season.

- The production is absolutely insane. The details, the colors, the music choices, etc. are all spectacular. I applaud the team behind all of the sets!

- The actors did a really great job immersing themselves in their characters. I was really opinionated on all the characters, which is a sign of great acting!

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I don't really think I can write something about it. It was really, really intense, but I will try to write as much passive as I can.
The story is nothing new, is a type of Hunger Games more or less, the plot even the whole building of the characters and their relationships. But actually it is a analogy to our world, where a lot of people believe that they can step in the bodies of others to succeed and they do it. But in the end, if you are poor, you have to stay like that and the rich dectate your life... Maybe this is my own interpretation. This analogy, this absolutely crazy story is trying, with the most horific way, to tell that this isn't the solution. Even if you step on everyone, this system is designed for you to fail or to became on of them.

Ok, in the more prominent staff. Exceptional shots, photography, scenery (the colourful stairs, oh my god). And also amazing music and acting. At last, I really don't think it needs a season 2 (nothing official, just the way it ends it surely gives that vide). Some stories need a final end. And it is enough. But, with all this success (do you know how huge is for a k-drama be no1 in Greece? Here, they don't even acknowledge BTS' success), I'm almost sure they will continue. And I really, really don't want that.

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Brilliantly Brutal

"Squid Game" is a tough watch. Really tough. If you don't like extreme violence, or seeing blood, this drama is not for you. What I loved about "Squid Game" is that it isn't just mindless violence. In this case, the violence is important to the story, and the story is much more than the brutality of all of the games. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will avoid talking about the games specifically, but the childish and cutesy presentation of each game juxtaposed to how anxiety-filled and traumatizing they were is definitely a highlight of this season, and probably the main reason for its popularity. It is definitely what initially sucked me in, but it was the characters that kept me watching.

The main lead is Lee Jung Jae as Seong Gi Hoon (or #456). We get to know him as a likable screwup with a gambling problem and a divorced father of a young daughter. He is easy to root for from the start even when his choices are frustrating. I love that through him we can see how good people can make bad, damaging, and even selfish decisions, and it helps that he is extremely relatable. He is approached by Gong Yoo in a brilliant cameo that leads to him joining these mysterious games.

The games are where we meet the majority of the rest of the cast. They are a random group of people desperate for money that we soon learn to love and hate. Yes, many of the players are the equivalent of the "red shirts" on Star Trek, but there are also many memorable players. Besides the obvious leads like Park Hae Soo as Cho Sang Woo (#218), Gi Hoon's childhood friend now turned desperate failed small-town success, or Jung Ho Yeon as Kang Sae Byeok (#67), North Korean refugee turned master thief, there are quite a few characters that stand out and kept me invested while watching. I absolutely loved Anupam Tripathi as Ali Abdul (#199) and Oh Young Soo as older and wiser Oh Il Nam (#1). I think of them as the main squid-squad.

I do think the thug characters were a bit stereotypical but also well played. especially the dynamic between #101 & #212. Of course, I can't forget Wi Ha Joon as Officer Hwang Joon, who I also liked and I appreciated that on his obligatory quest for the truth he didn't make many silly decisions, and was clever instead of going for the too emotionally invested to be smart trope. Then there is Lee Yoo Mi as #240 who is another amazing standout player. The only characters that were bad... really bad... were the spectators. Their scenes were so long for the acting was so terrible. Distractingly terrible. I know English-speaking characters in KDramas are usually pretty bad but I wish for such significant roles that they could have been better.

Would I watch this again? Definitely, and that's saying a lot considering the extreme violence. It's insanely popular for a reason, and I'm sure I will pick up things I missed when watching it again. I am also curious about watching the dubbed version (Which I never do normally). There are a few times when the script's pace slows, but being such a short series it's easy to just binge watch in a day or two. I was intrigued and engaged the whole time and only took a break from watching when the episodes became more emotional (episode 6 had me ugly crying), but was also my favorite episode. There are also countless theories to explore to keep you viewing some things very differently.

The suspense is consistent throughout this drama, even if some parts of the story felt stronger than other parts. There was one major plot twist that I expected from the beginning, and another that took me by surprise until the moment it was revealed, but either way, it was entertaining watching how it would all be revealed. I do wish they gave it a more definitive ending than just leaving it open-ended, possibly for a season 2, or maybe just to keep us thinking. The lack of a neat ending made it a more haunting story which works too. You can definitely say that the plot isn't perfectly neat, or even completely original... (you know the comparisons already "Hunger Games"..."Battle Royale"..."As God Wills"...), but the execution of the plot (No pun intended lol) is where it excels. Just the idea of us watching the games just like the VIP observers in the show is very meta and disturbing. This drama is disturbing.

Overall, "Squid Game" is a great dystopian spin on capitalism and greed, and human nature/survival instincts. I love stories that explore the good and bad of humanity, and this takes those questions to the extreme. I also love stories that make the viewer question what they would do if the stakes were extremely high, and that's where this drama more than succeeds. Plus it's visually iconic. The sweatsuits, the guards, the giant girl at the tree, those stairs... so many images are now permanently a part of pop culture because of the brilliant direction. I'll never look at shapes the same way again!

I still don't quite understand how you play the Squid Game... it looked kinda like full contact hopscotch gone sumo on a mini baseball field lol! Now that I think about it, children's games can get pretty rough! But I do know that as far as dramas that live up to the #1 on Netflix hype goes, this one definitely wins a spot on my KDrama favorites list!

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Strong Start, predictable end!

So I watched this show because I wanted to watch smth similar to Alice In Borderland And Die Now, and I watched this. I'll try not to give spoilers and just write generally.

Watched the trailer, gave me alot of expectations but I wasn't disappointed. First few eps are really good, but then towards the middle and end it kinda stops your hype. It's like, you'll be able to predict what happens next. Now alot of people compared this show to Alice in borderland. I'll tell you what's the difference. Alice In Borderland plays with your mind, you'll be playing with the characters and trying to solve with them which makes it quite interesting. SG games are also good, but you'll just figure it out quickly.

Acting wise is good. All of the actors have done a good job. So i think that's ok.

For me, i think i expected alot after watching AIB and Die Now (chinese drama, really good. If you have time do check it out) But ig that hype died down as i was watching further eps. If this is your first time in this kind of genre or if you just want to watch it, go for it. This show is not all bad, you might be disappointed at some parts but overall its good. But personally for me, Japan will always take the cake for this types of genre.

Hope you have a great time watching!

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How far are you willing to go to satisfy your dreams

The concept of the drama is nothing new, but the team did a great job in executing this drama to almost a perfection. Even though some parts of the drama was somewhat predictable there were some great twists and turns too. There were games to play and mysteries to uncover. And there was also the heartwarming or heartbreaking backstories and interactions to balance the whole thing. What is one willing to do survive? How much is one willing to change in times of crisis? And who or what were controlling things behind the scenes? The story progressed very smoothly with no dragging and flashbacks to slow it down.
The atmosphere created in the drama along with the somewhat childish but eerie music was a huge part of the drama. The attention to details was a pretty good touch from the production team. The casts were very good and did an amazing job in my opinion.
Overall it was very refreshing and fun to watch. If you don't mind some gores and deaths in drama then it is one of the best dramas of the year for sure.

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Poor and Greed can distort a human.

When my significant other told me: Hey, Squid game top number one ranking in US on Netflix. I was like, okay let’s watch it.
Now, having heard mix reviews that It is plagiarized from Battle Royale or Alice in Borderland, but since I have not watched any of those mentioned, I tune in with the least expectation, though knowing dark theme is unavoidable.
After more than 9 hours of cursing, screaming, and hiding inside my blanket, here is my review:

The story begins with Gi Hoon, a man hit his low end due to some failed business decisions, in bad debt, leaching off his mother’s bank account , gambling days by days and cab barely afford finance for him and his daughter.

Then one day, he was chosen to play the game in which he could win millions of dollars.
There were 456 players selected to play 6 rounds of game which resembled childhood game; however, the difference is that if one makes mistake or luck is not with him, he/ she would end with brutal death.


Each main character had their backstories and reasons for entering the game. None was righteous nor skillful, in the end they need to take all desperate measurements in order survive.

This is Netflix original series and thus the quality production is top notched. The casting is phenomenal, and I’m very impressed and surprised with model turns actress Jung Ho Yeon. Her acting is raw and real and you wouldn’t know this is her first debut series. Wowww, such a talent..
There are also two big cameos Gong Yoo and Lee Byung Hun. Their appearances only few minutes on screen; however, their exceptional acting really elevate the series to another level.

What I do not like is the character of Gi Hoon, it’s unconvincing and unrealistic to me for him to make a turn at the end. Also the twist of the master behind the game and the reasons
is just plain boring and predictable.
Overall, Hwang Dong Hyuk has successfully conveyed his message to the audiences: this society is full of unfairness and divided, there are the poor struggling to live while the rich, after meeting their physical needs, what made them happy is nothing but toying with the lowest class.

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glorifying violence?

Hear me out. I know, it's a high-quality show. It's very well-acted, the sets are interesting, and the storyline is somewhat intriguing. I'm not saying anything against the quality of the production. What I am saying is that there are some seriously grotesque moments of violence against women before glorified at the end of this 1st season. Like, ummmmm. How is that even filmable to say? You're going to kill an injured woman for her organs but before you do, you're going to have a little fun with her first? I'm . . . I don't even really know what to say to that. I knew the show was violent, m'kay. I knew that and I was fine with it going in, but I wasn't expecting THAT. It's just ick on a whole nother level of ick and I must have been numb by the end of the series to actually be able to finish it. And by the end, I literally didn't care. Oh, okay, we finished, and here's the result and . . . am I supposed to be feeling something because I'm feeling absolutely nothing other than sorta sick and destabilized and depressed. Was the purpose of this to say that men are scary? Maybe it was, I don't know, but to have that happen just in passing, as part of the story, and not even really be fully addressed, just made me sick. So yes, watched the whole thing, have no beef with the quality of the production, but I do have a beef with the reality that men continue to be pigs and women continue to be victims. When is that ever going to turn around and why is it still being represented as a thing? Surely society is actually better than this. Or maybe it's just SK that has the problem because out of all the Jdoromas I've watched (and there have been MANY), they have never given me this kind of ick.

You can downvote my review if you want, that's fine. But, please, if you feel the need to comment, just be respectful about your position and allow me to have mine.

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