interesting storyline, not the best under this category
overall, the plot was mildly interesting to me. i was not too excited or nervous to keep watching throughout the show. i loved how this show represents real life problems. but, if you like the concept of survival shows; watch alice in borderland instead.the games were extremely boring and pointless to me. it did not feel or seem like they were fighting for their life and i did not enjoy the concept of taking kids games and turning them into life or death games.
i would recommend to watch this show as a time-killer, since i personally did not get attached to it that much.
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A Somehow Refreshingly Cliched Twist on the Battle Royal Trope
I never imagined my first review on this site would be for Squid Game.I've been a fan of the battle royale trope for as long as I can remember. Battle Royale, the Hunger Games, Alice in Borderland, all are my favorites. I first came across Squid Game through Netflix's Youtube channel and expected to dislike it - at the time, the trailer looked childish with its colorful uniforms and funky looking game regulators with shapes on their helmets. Nevertheless, it stayed on my to watch list, and as the days passed, so did its position on the Netflix Global Top 10 charts. I decided to give it a go.
THE GOOD
What made this drama compelling was its non post-apocalyptic setting, something I'm used to in battle royale, as well as the games. Utilizing games from cherished childhood memories as modes of death was an eerily fresh take. I found the majority vote as a means to an end creative as well, leaving the illusion of choice to both the characters and to us the audience. It's true that actual participation isn't "forced", rather, the preexisting circumstances of each character made the reward money all the more incentivizing. I loved its economic class commentary, moral ambiguity, as well as cinematographic ties to art pieces. Visual artists and fans of thriller like me will definitely enjoy.
THE OK
I found myself persuaded by the acting despite being impartial to the screenwriting. I don't know if this was on purpose, but Gi-hun's face was quite punchable at times. Maybe it was an attempt to portray his gullibility? Not sure, but actor Lee Jung Jae did as well as he could balancing the pathetic yet sympathetic role. I was impressed by Jung Hoyeon's role as Kang Saebyeok (though I'm a little biased since she's been one of my favorite models <3) especially since the idol/model to actress pipeline is so saturated. I wasn't expecting much though. Objectively speaking, her microexpressions really allowed 067's vulnerability to shine through. Stoic characters are surprisingly hard to portray - I'll remember hers for quite a while. Wi Ha Joon makes a pretty officer, but other than a look into the "villain" side of the story, he wasn't offered much substance. Park Hae Soo's role as Sangwoo was memorable and convincing! I kept expecting him to be more morally gray so being caught off guard was pleasant.
THE BAD
This is where I feel most conflicted. Certain deaths were highly predictable just based on screen time and backstory alone. Unfortunately the screenwriting left little room for emotional connection. Sure, deaths were sad, but most of the time they were empty since I barely knew anything about the characters. Halfway through the show the games started to lose meaning. I even think one of them towards the end wasn't a children's game? I was left hoping for something more strategy-based or just a little more depth. Killing occuring outside the games added another level of chaos, as did the small game regulators' scenes, impacting the pacing negatively. The screenwriter didn't do the best job with the masked leaders either; choosing familiarity destroys suspense if not done well, and unfortunately that was the case here for me since I guessed correctly. 9 episodes was not enough. It's obvious to me that this many loose ends means a preplanned second season, which I'm not too enthusiastic about considering the sloppiness towards the end.
In conclusion:
Did I love this show conceptually? Very much yes. Would I recommend watching it? Still, yes, please give it a shot. Do I think it's worth the hype/critical acclaim its been receiving? Not exactly, but it's a major move for a Korean show so I'll celebrate that.
Regardless, Squid Game has left a lasting impression.
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The man who thinks he can get revenge but really can't but, only if the writers make it be.
This year the K-drama called Squid Game came out and, it became number one on the Netflix charts. I read a lot about how good this drama was so I watch the drama out of curiosity to the end and, to be honest this drama is boring and predictable to me. I liked the first game red light green light and, how it showed us the viewers that the contestants was in a death game trying to win money. Then when I watched episode 2 that episode was super boring and, slow because, that episode was just a filler episode when they showed all the main characters problems and, they could have used all that was on episode 2 as flashbacks for episode 3 to show us that. When it came to the rules of the game I hated how they said if they leave only the families of the contestants that died will get the money. I said to myself that don't make any sense because, how are they going to reward the families of the dead contestants the money. That money is for the people that survive playing the games until the end. I found it funny they let the contestants have control with being able to leave the game by voting to let them think they have freedom of choice to leave when they really don't because , it was predetermined from the beginning when they was picked. When it got to the vips episode that was episode 7 I laughed when one of the extras was asking to be number one because, no one in their right mind would ask for that spot and, when I got to the last episode and, they told us the viewers why the contestants was picked I already knew the answer to that so, the conclusion didn't really shock me and, by the end when he goes to get revenge that was obvious that he would want to do that but, I said to myself how is he going to do that by himself? They're always watching him that's how he ended up in the games in the first place! They can get him any time they want and, just kill him.Was this review helpful to you?
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Lofty intention but the story writing was not strong enough to truly deliver anything memorable.
It's too serious and preachy to be enjoyable. There is no one to root for. No favs. No OST to make me cry. No love story to make me smile. No jokes. Moral of the story: humans are greedy, people are willing to do a lot of bad things to get what they want when they are pushed into a corner. There is a lot of luck involved in our life outcomes. Gi hun going back? Doesn't even make sense. He barely scraped through the games. lolThe ending is like when you get a meal you have been anticipating then the meal is just average. It's Meh...
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Good Enough
Korean Drama "Squid Game" is bloody, but, somehow, hopeful.It has a nice cinematography, with, sometimes, overused gore, but well executed action scenes. The background stories, moreover, set the drama apart from the rest of the survival game series, and it gives a more 'Korean Drama' feel to it. It makes the story more believable, as it helps the viewer relate to the characters and understand them. It also gave a more humane twist to the story and made it more dramatic, when the settings and the costumes were more on the childish side.
Finally, the performances were great by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 7 out of 10.
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started better than it ended .. a shame
ok so i tried to go into watching this with no expectations but was hard due to the hype it was getting , but regardless i gave it a watch and i did really enjoy it at first , however towards the final few episodes it started to lose its momentum - for me personally. i think the final episode was awful tbh… i hate how the police guy was just killed by his bro with no explanations, his story was acc the most interesting tbh but they wasted a good opportunity with his storyline, also i hate how ali was made to be so gullible in the show, altho maybe im biased since he was my fave character. none of the plot - except the old man’s connection to the game - surprised me at all , i never felt i was on the edge of my seat unsure of what will happen next cuz its all pretty obvious , regardless it was a nice watch and it does deserve to be given such a great attention, just a shame how rushed the ending seemed , i understand the ending dont get me wrong, i just think it sucked lolanyways, the acting was incredible though! it made me keep going regardless of the boringish plot
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Here’s What You’re Not Missing, spoiler Alert: Nothing New
I normally take many months or years before I review shows and movies. This peculiar routine has allowed me to objectively think and analyze shows better. Although it's only been a few months, I can't help but want to either save someone from wasting their time or help someone discovers what will soon be one of their favourite shows.Squid Game is a thought-provoking television show on the one hand. It was all around made with wonderful cinematography, frequent violence, occasional sexually explicit, and contains a caustic caricature of income inequity.
On the other hand, it is a widely used theme across the world. Wealthy and privileged people play games with the lives of those who are less fortunate. You can definitely see it as catering to its audience's twisted inner child. The vividly coloured, massive playground (both theoretically and literally). I didn't find anything remotely fresh and innovative in this plot.
The show tried too hard and failed horribly to persuade its viewers that everyone is evil simultaneously ( the wealthy gamblers and/or the less fortunate players). As I previously indicated, it attempted to shed light on a topic that we have all encountered and are all too familiar with: when their lives and money are on the line, all human beings become morally corrupt barbarians.
Despite the large ensemble, the premise is glaringly obvious and plain. And the failed comedic portions about the terrible billionaires who come to wager on the game have the personality and dialogues I would come up with as an elementary student when imagining the lives of the top 1 per cent—blatantly laughable and unrealistic. The drama attempted to be more meaningful than it was. It tried desperately to squeeze the viewer's perceptions of individuals and circumstances into overused cliches—restricting itself with its inane jargon, particularly at the climax.
In its attempts at distorting and layering the audience's perception of characters, only around five or six characters were developed decently out of hundreds. The rest of the hundred could have led to great possibilities but they simply remained as food for powder. At first, you may think that some characters appear to be well-developed, but you'll easily find them inexpensive pawns for conveying the drama's fundamental theme.
An example of that being, the covert police officer plot feeling unessential. I will give it the positive recognition of it being thrilling in its own particular manner. However, his only purpose in the drama is to give the audience a peek of the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes. His sole purpose, in the end, was to provide the audience with an inexpensive perspective to look through.
In conclusion, it's a show you should only watch once if you've run out of things to watch. Although director Hwang Dong-hyuk has announced a season 2, I might watch it if it contains a different cast, but it's not necessary. It was terrifying, but not in the conventional sense of a Korean drama that delves into philosophy and morality. Like justice and equality.
If a show that supposedly wishes to contain true philosophical, psychological, and morality v.s. values themes, that show must challenge me in all those aspects and mentally as well as emotionally. That being said, Squid Game definitely did not do any of that. As my last attempt at holding a candlelit for this disastrous show, I will watch the second season and form an opinion that is un-bias and not affected by my opinions of this season.
My final words to you as an audience is to watch at your own risk. You'll either gain dissatisfaction or attain satisfaction.
X0X0 <3
---Taemangi
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A+ Set Design
I'm not wild about the story - it's a relatively straightforward "murder game" take, though I think for me one of the most interesting elements plot wise is the pseudo informed consent of the participants. A lot of murder game takes - from Most Dangerous Game to Battle Royale - have unwilling participants. But these participants (barring the ones in the first game who did not entirely know the stakes) continued to play willingly. In fact, that seemed to be part of the point.There's no particular reason to stress the anti-capitalist messaging in this. If you have read anything about Squid Game it's probably about that. It's interesting, but also to an extent deeply nihilistic in a way that I find a bit unengaging. while accurate, hopelessness in the face of death like experiences just feels....pointless. I know that I'm likely to go bankrupt if I suddenly get cancer, and I know that there are people who have so much money that they could easily wipe my debts but instead build a (probably fictional) massive murder island so they can sit on human furniture and take bets on whether I'll off myself after she dies. Bleak af.
For me, the thing that stands out the most about Squid Game is the set design. There's a real story in the way that each of the sets is designed from the bright yellow piggy bank floating like a light in a casino above the room to the childrens's school yard at the end. The performances - specifically newcomer Jung Ho-yeon - were also really solid.
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This review may contain spoilers
YIKES! Okay.....☠ °Excellent°
SPOILERS ARE SEPARATE AT THE BOTTOMSG is a foray into the callused debauchery of which humans are capable. It builds on 'The Most Dangerous Game' w/ a twist. Here, bored positive-balance-sheeted rustlers devise a game that enables them to entice poor souls in financial straits to come out & play. The key is what the players weren't told, not what they were: 456 competitors may enter, but only one will exit alive at the end. The fulsome 1%-ers won't participate. Preferring to spectate from the comfort of their private luxury boxes or big screens, they wager while the "horses" perform... & die. SG showcases the mutual annihilation pact we enter when it's "every man for himself." It illustrates that if there's no umpire, people will always run out of their lanes.
lt challenges the viewer with the question: ‘Do you believe humans are good?’ Not quite, right? “Open your eyes!” “Wake up!” “Dig up your inner skeptic!!!” “Work on the word NO!“ “Augh!” I was yelling at the screen like I was at, well, the races. It's not that the players are horror-movie-inept. It's their failure to timely process how the race was degrading, at a frenzied gallop, into barbarism. Pleading w/ them has no effect. All viewers can do is watch in dismay as if neutered. In time, the players do comb it out: The rules specified by the referees are the ONLY rules applicable. The penalties for running out of the lines are, umm... Severe.
The violence is lurid, but not gratuitous. Author Hwang Dong-hyuk stated his purpose: "I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life." He was poaching from the gauntlet of his own fiscal hardships.
The first two eps focus on the wild swings our ML/#456 is subjected to when his psychotropic journey begins. We watch him enter a limo, awake in the surreal, lofty dorm of horse stalls (300ft high, maybe?) & finally exit into the calamitous onslaught of Game 1.
For those of you🇺🇲 who are new to Kdramas: Hey! We've been waiting for you;) Relax, Most viewers achieve subtitle fitness immediately. The whole world is watching our entertainment deposits that way. If you can't diversify, they win! Kdramas excel at extracting every possible wince & whinny out of the viewer. The writing, directing, acting, & overall play are consistently supplying ROI (returns) due to the high quality of execution. So much so, that they're in danger of their stats being overlooked. Korea's got an excess of talent.
More of the same, SG is superb dressage, or pageantry, particularly in the horror genre, which is loaded with dumbed down characters & script, lots more blood & guts, & an extraordinarily evil feel to the substandard works. SG blows the whistle on those foul circulations for which a de-worming & muck-out is prescribed. Yes, the violence is jolting, and yet it's not gratuitous or meaningless. It posts warnings of dangerous conditions.
Notwithstanding, KDramas, like Simone Biles, can twist with wondrous strength. They routinely spiral the knife into the viewer's psyche w/ disciplined follow-through. An example is the demented sickness of using "innocent" colors like pink & leafy green that also resemble medicines, such as Pepto Bismol. Along w/ the kiddie trappings, it's all dread multipliers. It's nauseating.
In the opening eps, Kdramas also tend to trot out players before the audience that are an extreme version of themselves. Ten+ hrs allows ample time to invest in talent, improve performance, & yield gains. Just remember, most of the people you see on the screen will either dramatically transform or the audience's appreciation of them will change as the series matures. You may squander your currency backing a failing commodity, while another's performance might lead your fantasy team to victory.
Scouting 456 exposes a pathetically & painfully substandard performer of the most contemptible sort: over 40, living w/ mom, swiping her money to gamble on horses... Relegated to the penny stocks, has he ever been bullish? Not likely. Has he ever pitied the horses? Nayyy! Nary a concern. The projection that he will gain any interest is dubious. The thought of up to 9 eps/laps monitoring his performance isn't appealing in the opening derbies.
Competing "horses" are numbered. If Kdrama writers assign #s to competitors, it's likely the #s have a commodity backing their values in Numerology. Utility players who can slip into many positions, Numerology definitions, like astrology, tend to be generalized in order to broaden the application. Having said that, let's see if any of the numbers assigned by Mr. Hwang have any credit values.
☂456 is slacker-protagonist Seong Gi-hun, & signifies effort & patience. A mentor is needed who will teach working on self-improvement as a priority. Hard work will add value to life.
✔Check. It's applicable.
☂218 is for Cho Sang-woo, 456's friend from the 'hood.' The number 218 symbolizes manifesting one's biggest & seemingly impossible desires into reality, often related to 💰.
☂001, the old man's # is at its most positive when in the realm of work. It's assigned to winners indicating 1st place. It represents independence, but this can also mean loneliness, isolation, or being single.
☂199 is Abdul Ali. 199's are self-reliant & comfortable pursuing their agenda, which, for Ali, is providing for his family on his own. #199's goals virtually never conflict with long-term human survival & well-being.
☂067 is NK native, Kang Sae-byeok, who strives to protect her family. No surprise: #067 signifies home, family, unconditional love, responsibility, sacrifice & service. Creating a solid foundation for the future, & protection of family & possessions is a #067's priority.
☂244, the pastor: Spiritual advancement can be phenomenal in a #244's life. He must keep wrong at bay & not offend the inner energy installed by his maker.
Finally, upon the runners' return in EP3, 187 players re-enter the stalls: The US police code for murder.
✔, ✔, ✔, again. And on it goes. There's more in the spoiler section. Getting chills?
If not, you probably haven't seen the show yet. Don't forget this when you do. The strategy trotted out is medal-winning. Just be woke about what the show is about. It is not about displaying incidental, cheap, & meaningless horror for the purpose of titillation. SG is a metaphor for the writer's own hardships in a cruel, uber competitive & heartless society. The players all represent the downtrodden, like geldings in irons. Most of their backstories, if posted on GoFundMe, would grab attention. I'd be tempted to contribute to a few of them. Even the criminals are subtly shown to have been wedged into their life choices. Delving into one gangster's number (101) exposes his basic needs that clearly weren't met. It all contributes to his projected gains & losses.
Oh, these "poor," rich, hacked-up GOONS. Their lives are so empteee. Sigh. Studies show around 21% off CEOs are psychopaths. It's not a stretch to guess that some of these fulsome degenerates are in that club, given their heightened sadism. We all know that money isn't everything, but it certainly fills in divots allowing the race of life to run smoothly. These coasting reprobates can't seem to notice, through all the haze of pride, that people are most gratified when we help others.
Kdramas are also wont to lob deferred options that the viewer didn't account for into the works. Expect that everything is not what it seems to be. Avoid being roped in by Ponzi Schemes.
This is not over. We need S2. The question has not been answered yet. #456 is sequential ~> moving forward. To the extent that 456 accomplishes anything, true to form, he will barely get his neck over the line. Here's my ante-post bet & hope: In S2, he'll be stallion #789 who tramples out this ghoulish fraternity of gamers.
Apologies for mixing up the monetary, equestrian, & sports metaphors. I'm not good with rules either.
QUOTE📢 Good rain knows when to fall. ~Du Fu~
〰🖍 IMHO
🎭8 🎬8 🤔8⚡8🎨7🔚9
For age 15+
In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
My Only Love Song 8.7 ~ excellent comedy,
Racket Boys-8.3,
Mr. Queen 8.5, Love to Hate You-8.9, Glitch-8,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9, Misaeng-9.1, Law School-8,
My Mister 9.5,
The King's Affection 8.3,
Mr. Sunshine-9,
Mother-8.8
Action/Crime/Sci-fi -
K2 8,
Private Lives 8.1,
Sisyphus 8, Inspector Koo-8.4,
Iris-8,
Tunnel 8.5,
Signal 8.6, Blood Free-8.5,
Beyond Evil-7.4, D.P. -8.4,
The Cursed 8.3,
Flower of Evil 8.9,
The Man from Nowhere 8.9,
Black 9,
The Wailing-8.8,
Kingdom 8.3,
Sweet Home 8.4
originally 📝 10/2021
⛔️SPOILERS FOLLOW⛔️
⛔️
⛔️
⛔️
🚦218 is Cho Sang-woo, 456's 'friend' who worked his way up from 'hood-rat’ to white-collar hood. To a point, he mirrors 001. This loathsome in-runner surprisingly gave up the fight, but not before becoming a murderer. #218 is for manifesting one's biggest & (on the face) near impossible desires into reality. Business, duality, & serving humanity must coexist. 218 failed in his run to win that 💰, but he found redemption in his last moments. 218 knows that 456 will serve his mother AND humanity w/ the 💰.
🚦101 is gangster, Jang Deok-su. A #101's primary function is romance, w/ importance of relationships right behind. At first blush this doesn't fit w/ the character, though he did get involved in a quasi romantic trist. Let's flesh it out further:
A #101 needs coexistence. Without it, a #101 is alone. People w/ that # can feel lonely & lost just thinking of being alone. 101 obviously grew up w/o basic needs & training, leaving him consumed w/ bitterness & ill-prepared for rigid competition. #101 also points to eternity & the journey that is about to begin w/ all its uncertainties. It's a reminder that we are not in control of our destiny. God is. So #101s should follow the course & learn before their time on this plane is over. It's sad to think that 101 didn't get emotional support or the care needed for success. He is still responsible for his infractions, but it's sad, nonetheless. He parallels the VIP who was attracted to the cop. They each had the same expression of shock, disbelief, & the beginnings of acceptance when facing death.
🚦199 is Abdul Ali, one of the worst upsets of the show. #199s are independent & comfortable pursuing their agenda. For Ali it's providing for his family - independently. A #199's goals virtually never conflict w/ humanity's survival & long-term well-being. We see that Ali is good, albeit naive, & foolish to be so independent that he'd wager his life on a long shot ih an effort to provide.
🚦212 is Han Mi-nyeo, the 'crazy Mare' who brought down 101. #212s frequently chase curiosity, adventure & ALL new, shiny objects ~ often on a whim. #212s can be good team members. Their energy can be sensual. Enroute towards goals, they can face harsh obstacles. Jumping the fence may lead to negative outcomes. As with 101, only the negative interpretations are exhibited by them. Their harsh lives had severed them from the positive elements w/in themselves. They portray ruthlessness, but there is a forlornness about them, too.
🚦111 is the doctor. A #111 won't let himself be slotted into a team member role unless the role is real leadership. They haven't been broken. If #111's thoughts are negative, it could attract toxic situations & people.
🚦240 ('phillie' Ji-yeong) is just released from prison for putting down her abusive 'sire'. #240 is about nurture & mutual support w/ a high focus on security & the future; all provided w/o expectation of return. She went underfoot for 067 & thus negated the lie the VIP's tell themselves about human nature. Having already sacrificed her freedom to deliver justice to her mother, 240 is the moral center of the show.
🚦The husband/wife duo is portrayed in #69, or two identical digits facing & complimenting each other to make a whole. If we squeeze 6&9 together we can make an 8, which toppled, is the eternity sign. In addition, the visual aspect of the # is related to ying&yang. The energy of #69 is best when involved directly w/ family or team as an equal. Freakily, #069 symbolizes the closure of a chapter in life & encourages one to be prepared for a traumatic phase. Whether ending good or bad, it is bound to bring a huge change. Be prepared for it, b/c the manner in which it's dealt with will affect one's future.
The players aren't the only losers. The police Officer's story is grim. Hwang Jin-ho went there to save his brother. Seduced by the power of the dark side, the frontman won't let /anybody/ move in on /him/. So he brought his own brother down. That's pain. Frontman actor, Lee Byung-hun, aced an expression of curtailed grief tinged with guilt + overt resolve to cantor forward. After all, it was his brother or him.
001 didn't get what he wanted by hosting SG, which was a panecea for loneliness & boredom. It seems he & the VIPs justify their actions by deluding themselves that they are conducting a social experiment. Insistence that everyone is as cutthroat as they are leads to pitting people against eachother. This enables them to inveigle their own selves that those people deserve to die: 'Just look at who they really are! It's voluntary... they all get a fair chance.'
In the end, the old man had the whole world, but was utterly unsatisfied. Craving the camaraderie he'd had while growing up poor, he felt that kinship w/ 456, even though 456 eventually betrayed him. At the time, 456 had a 2nd chance. He could have done the all-or-nothing, but refused. That plot point of betrayal, while needed, was his worst moment. The old man was playing him all day to tempt him, but he meant it when he called 456 his gganbu, or close buddy.
The kinship manifests itself when the old man wants to see HIM at the end of his life. 456 is there, bedside, when #1 dies. Where's his wife? Where's his kids?? Where's his grandkids??? Can I get a mistress? Nope. Just 456 & an aid were there. Next, 001 saves 456's 'life' a 2nd time by jerking 456's bit toward /living/, rather than merely existing.
456 is who he is. He wins 3x's in the show's run, but even when he wins, he's a pathetic loser that barely stumbles over the line. In winning, his soul was put-down. When he went to see the old man in the penthouse he won their game, but he didn't get what he wanted once again, as 001 died before 456 could kill him. It did wake 456 up. He no longer has to feel guilty about flashing a laser in the old man's eyes during the race: His regret is not shipping 001 off to the dog food plant himself.
The red hair broadcasts that he's now either on fire, or starting to blaze his trail. Finally. This is not over. We need a S2. The question has not been answered yet. #456 is sequential & shows progression, or moving forward. Here's my ante-post bet & hope: In S2, he'll be stallion #789 who tramples out the ghoulish fraternity of gamers.
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Very engaging, but disappointing ending.
I have to say the strongest parts of this drama are the acting and writing. There are some great performances by the talented ensemble cast and the writing is very good with a few minor implausibilities. The drama is fast paced and keeps you at the edge of your seat. You grow to care for the characters and feel for them when they face tragedies. There are some strong messages of compassion and responsibility for your fellow man in the face of the most horrifying circumstances and how those circumstances changes the contestants for good or evil.The drama seemed to be going in a good direction, but suddenly derailed with some plot twists that changed the perceptions I had already formed based on the previous episodes. I felt disappointed and manipulated. ML seemed to have a split personality. He was irresponsible and apathetic in the outside world, while compassionate and protective in the game. The over the top violence and gore may not be suitable for some viewers.. I guess it adds a certain sensationalism to the drama and attracts younger viewers given its Hunger Games qualities.
Guest performances by Lee Byung Hun and Gong Yoo give the show an even greater star power and their performances notable, albeit small. I wouldn't be surprised if this show has a second season. The last episode seems to set it up that way. However, I am not sure wether I want to continue on with this story based on its wrap up.
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Good for its genre, weak ending!
It is definitely overrated but the actors are good, the production quality is high enough and especially the middle episodes are very stressful and anxiety-inducing, which is the exact goal of this show. The 'lessons' are very on-the-nose but ultimately - very real. Some of the characters are very very well-written and well-acted and you wish you could be with them a bit longer than you actually are.If you like survival-style shows, definitely watch this! at least that way you'll know what everyone else is talking about it! Especially all the memes lmao.
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Brutal survival game that represents how hungry the society for money
For a super trending series, I tend to lose interest watching it (just my personal thing) but a lot of my friends keep recommending this one for me so I ended up watching the show too late that I've been exposed to a lot of spoilers from social media, that somehow affects my enjoyment from watching. I've seen a lot of the same kind of genre and Squid Game is a "just fine" drama, not that great but also not that bad.Money, the root cause of why the players gathered in one place. The show explicit fairness and honestly in the game rule, which is something new for a survival-of-the-fittest environment. Except for the first game, it was a big surprise to the players that elimination brings death to them. It was unfair for those who died in the first game because they had no idea that they will end up killing from participating in the game. Unlike those who chose to comeback even after witnessing too many people that has been killed in front of their eyes. This shows how such people will be unethical in times of needs. They're afraid of being killed but they're also afraid of living life with too much debt. Personally speaking, if I'm one of those lucky player who survived the first game, I don't want to return obviously but I have a different life situation than with those characters who chooses to return. Good thing that they highlight the reason of the main characters on being in the game.
The bad thing about the series is that they let players kill each other outside the game. It isn't just fair for those who lacks physical power to fight back, and also a will to kill a person. It is really hard for me to watch such brutality presented in it. I also read some of the feedback that they disappointed with the ending. I kind of agree with them because the show really started as an absolute shock but during the last few episode, the tense are keeping lower and lower.
Anyways, the show deserves the recognition from the viewers. My favorite yet most painful part of the story is during the marble game. I cried for the sacrifice, I cried for witnessing betrayal, and I cried for losing someone's precious life by playing a child's game.
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