Netflix’s hit Korean series has been a great success with the show now number one in 90 different countries. But what is the hype all about?
I watched ‘Squid Game’ solely because of the hype it’s receiving all around the world. Everyone is watching it! The series revolves around Seong Gi-Hun, (played by Lee Jung-Jae), and the consequences on his life by entering the game.
Debt and money:
The theme of money and debt is consistent throughout this series. For me, it’s more than that. Why is it that the players came back after they saw numerous people die? Human greed is highlighted through the killings in the series and in a way the series is asking its viewers, what is the most you would do for money? In today’s world as many people believe that money is the answer to all. In the case of all the characters, it is.
For the character of Cho Sang-woo(played by Park Hae-soo) paying off his debt was more important than the lives of his friends. Earlier in the series, we see him figure out what the next game is and keep the information to himself. We see his moral compass kicking in, but lose all hope for his redemption later on. By the end of the series, we see that he is driven by his greed and by the mistakes he has made in the first place to build up all this debt.
Strong female characters:
Netflix has begun introducing strong female leads into their series, Squid Game is an excellent example of this. Gender norms and stereotypes are mentioned throughout the series but there are strong female characters such as Kang Sae-Byeok (played by HoYeon Jung), Han Mi-Nyeo (played by Kim Joo-Ryung) and Ji-Yeong (played by Lee Yoo-Mi). The three women fight for their lives and get extremely close to the finale.
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Kang Sae-byeok is a young girl trying to get her brother out of a shelter and her mother across the North Korean border. We see her struggling from the very beginning of the series. She seems to have been a part of Jang Deok-Su’s gang on the outside, as we see them go eye to eye in the players’ room. She outlives him and goes onto the final of the games. Sadly, she does not make it but her character lives on through her little brother at the final episode of season one.
Han Mi-Nyeo is also a strong female character, even though she is deemed to have mentally unstable qualities. She shows the themes of persistence and resilience throughout. She never gave up and always kept fighting for what she wanted. We see her lose herself mid-way through the season when she joins Jang Deok-Su’s gang, but later on, shows the audience that no one can doubt her power when she kills herself and Jang Deok-Su in the semi-final game.
I would argue that Ji-Yeong’s character is one of the bravest. She is powerful and confident in her abilities and after everything, she gives up her life for the life of Kang Sae-Byeok. She realises that she hasn’t got a lot to live for and makes the selfless choice to die so her friend can live.
All the women are underestimated throughout the series by the men participating in the game. Female empowerment and toxic masculinity are prominent throughout the series showing us how much men underestimate a woman’s power.
The Ending:
Many loved the ending of ‘Squid Game’ and many were unsatisfied. I think the ending could have been a lot better. However, I liked how Oh Il-Nam’s story ended. I knew from the beginning there was something with his character and now I look back at it there were many clues that suggested he was behind it all. I think it was quite poetic how he died as Seong Gi-Hun proved to him people could be good. I also found the way that Seong Gi-Hun leaves Il-nam’s eyes open after he passes poetic. After all the years he’s spent entertaining himself with human lives, he isn’t letting him have peace . The scene after, when the Front Man comes in, leaves Il-Nam’s game mask and closes his eyes is foreshadowing the beginning of something new. Just because this game master is dead does not mean the game doesn’t go on.
Watch the trailer here: