The 8 Show

Offers a gripping and thought-provoking experience

>>>Story and Themes

"The 8 Show" centers on a reality competition where eight participants endure harsh conditions for a significant cash prize. The show's premise initially draws comparisons to survival games, but it sets itself apart by focusing more on psychological and moral dilemmas than on physical violence. The series explores themes of greed, desperation, and the impact of money on human behavior, offering a nuanced look at how different personalities cope under extreme stress.

>>>Characters and Performances

The characters are diverse, each bringing unique backgrounds and motivations to the game. Ryu Jun-yeol's portrayal of Bae Jin Soo and Chun Woo-hee's performance as Song Se Ra stand out, providing depth and relatability. The actors deliver strong performances that help the audience empathize with their struggles and moral conflicts. The character development throughout the series is compelling, showing a broad spectrum of human emotions and reactions.

>>> Direction and Cinematography

Directed by Han Jae-rim, the show is visually striking with a high level of artistic direction. The use of classical music as the background score adds an unexpected yet effective layer to the storytelling, enhancing the overall atmosphere. The cinematography captures the bleakness and intensity of the game, making viewers feel the isolation and pressure faced by the contestants.

>>> Pacing and Structure

With only eight episodes, "The 8 Show" is tightly paced, ensuring that each episode is impactful and contributes to the overall narrative. This concise structure is a strength, as it avoids the common issue of unnecessary filler episodes. The series wraps up its storyline effectively, providing a satisfying conclusion without dragging on.

>>> Critique

While the show excels in many areas, some viewers might find its focus on psychological tension rather than action to be a drawback if they were expecting more traditional survival game elements. Additionally, the moral and ethical questions posed by the show might not resonate with everyone, particularly if one prefers more straightforward storytelling.

>>>Overall Impression

Overall, "The 8 Show" is a standout addition to Netflix's Korean drama lineup. It combines strong performances, a thought-provoking narrative, and high production values to create a memorable viewing experience. It's a must-watch for fans of psychological thrillers and those interested in stories that delve into human nature and morality.

In conclusion, "The 8 Show" is not just another survival game drama; it’s a deep dive into the complexities of human behavior under pressure. Its unique approach and artistic execution make it a notable series worth watching.

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Seriously: why so many haters?

I honestly don't catch the reason for some people rating so lowly this show (I even found a 1/10 - lol!).
Is it for the violence? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the scenes of tortures? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the sadism? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the madness of some? Again, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Some should look at the quality of the product, without approaching it expecting a fairy tell or a romance...
That said, this show is good, even if not a masterpiece. The characters are well sorted for being part of this sort of psychological experiment, showing different kind of personalities and their evolutions alongside the development of their prisoning. According to literature based upon similar experiments really happened, the story is coherent, to include also the devolution toward violent and sadist behavior till the use of torture (with scenes inspired to The Orange Clockwise). What you watch is disturbing, disgusting, cruel, insane, perverted, sick. Which are exactly the feelings that any normal (?) being should feel. This is not a show exploring the good feelings, instead the obscure insanity which can unexpectedly show up even from people apparently sane when in specific contexts. Which is not specifically tied to a confined, I might say prisoning space as in the show, but generically to extreme conditions, the same that a hard crisis (because of a war or similar e.g.) can bring or the same where the social order is based on a strong inequality, where those managing power can easily turn to psychos, showing sick behaviors. Situations within which the humanity of each can be overwhelmed by the insanity. And actually this is what happens in the show. On a side an audience made of an elite of superrich psychopaths looking for extreme sensations. On the other side a team of assorted human beings and personalities, all together ending up to insanity in the end. Only the death is able to break this sort of collective enchantment, bringing all of them to a more normal condition (but actually: what can be considered "Normal"?).
To be honest, an ending that I found weak, since it still relates too much on the humanity of the people in general, and that in our reality is looking like a too much benevolent approach: just watch a news...
This is not the only thing I did not like a lot. Another one relates to the exploration on the past life of each of the eights. Only for "3" the reasons which pushed him to take part to the show were better explained, while the others were just roughly outlined.
All in all, it's a good show, with a well casted assortment of nice actors, a good direction, an original and effective setting.

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Very Interesting perception of society

This show was well written.
I don't understand other people how they say boring, disappointed etc etc, even tho I respect their opinions.
I found this very interesting because, they portray how society works. I mean upper floors(which were richer) controlled lower floors (poor people)
as the dhow goes on, we see how money changes people, how they control people and anything you would do for money. It's really sad, touched hearting to see that out there is just how the world is, how selfish, inhuman, animal, psychotic human can be for living, money, health, time etc. etc.

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IGNORE THE RATING, READ THE SYNOPSIS AND WATCH IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IGNORE THE RATING, READ THE SYNOPSIS AND WATCH IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This show is really good contrary to the ratings. The Lead actor Ryu Jun Yeol and is girlfriend of almost ten years broke up last year and he somehow started "dating" actress Han soo hee leading to cheating and affairs rumors so people are still a little cold towards him and his work.

(IMO it's soo obvious he had no serious relationship with her since he didn't even wanted to confirm they were seeing eachother, furthermore her company also did not want to either but was left with no choice when Soohee did so herself. Jun Yeol is no way faultless but I just think he came from a long relationship and wanted something casual base on his attitude and Hansoohee and the media play turnt it into a cheating rumor. making it more than what it was).

HOWEVER While I don't agree or disagree with what people may think of him personally I think this show is really good and deserve its props so ignore the ratings and watch because you want to and find the story compelling.

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Boring

The show was boring, I expected something more entertaining at the level of squid games but it failed. Some characters passed without pain and glory, they were boring and the main protagonist (floor 3) did not fulfill his function as the main character. Overall, if you like just the sadistic and watching them kill each other, it's nice to watch... however, it was quite unfair when so much favoritism appeared for the upper floors by so many chapters (like it's very predictable if those who suffer were always the same characters). I think I'd rather stick with what already exists than see something like this again, a reality show where people should be entertained? Being locked in a building? It's not for me.

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A Spectacle of Disappointment

Rarely does a television program manage to deliver such an unrelenting assault on the senses as The 8 Show. Marketed as a groundbreaking series promising innovation and thrilling entertainment, it instead reveals itself to be an insufferable amalgamation of lazy writing, uninspired performances, and downright baffling production choices. By the end of its interminable runtime, one is left questioning not only the judgment of those who greenlit this disaster but also their own decision to endure it.

The most glaring flaw of The 8 Show is its sheer lack of identity. What does it want to be? A drama? A comedy? A surreal experiment in avant-garde storytelling? It attempts all of these without mastering any, resulting in a tonal Frankenstein’s monster that lumbers aimlessly from scene to scene. The plot – or what one generously calls a plot – is an incoherent mess riddled with gaping holes and unresolved threads. Characters are introduced only to be discarded moments later, and any semblance of a central narrative is buried under layers of needless subplots that go nowhere. Watching it feels less like following a story and more like wandering through a labyrinth designed by someone actively trying to get you lost.

Adding insult to injury, the acting is uniformly atrocious. It’s as if the casting team deliberately sought out performers with the least charisma and emotional range. Lead actor - whatever his name was - delivers his lines with the enthusiasm of someone reading a grocery list, while the supporting cast alternates between overacting and looking visibly confused about what they’re supposed to be doing. Chemistry between characters is nonexistent, which is especially damning in a show that tries (and fails) to rely on relationships and interpersonal drama as its core.

The show’s visual and auditory design does nothing to salvage the experience. The cinematography oscillates between pretentious slow-motion shots and amateurishly framed scenes that look as if they were filmed on a whim. Lighting choices are often inexplicably harsh, lending everything a cheap, soap-opera aesthetic.

Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of The 8 Show is its pretension. It struts around as though it’s the pinnacle of artistic achievement, but beneath its flashy exterior lies a hollow core. The dialogue is riddled with pseudo-intellectual drivel that attempts profundity but only achieves self-parody. Its "bold risks" are less daring leaps and more missteps into creative quicksand, dragging the entire production down with them.

The 8 Show is not just bad – it’s offensively bad. It’s the kind of entertainment black hole that sucks time, energy, and goodwill from anyone unfortunate enough to encounter it. There’s nothing redeemable here, no silver lining to be found. For the sake of your sanity, avoid this calamity at all costs. Just do yourself a favour and skip this garbage.

Final score: 1/10. Even that feels generous.

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The most frustrating shit you will ever watch

Honestly I don’t even wanna review this. This was beyond frustrating, not even a moment of satisfaction in here. Granted I liked the first few episodes, even when things got ugly. But the amount of times things happened where I just wanted to scream…Not one likable character in there.

Reminded me of squid game but a clear replica of it. It isn’t bad but it pissed me off more than anything, and I hate Ryu Cheol so he was an eye sore throughout the show. Continued just out of curiosity and Chun Woohee my babygirl.

Everything else? Yeah. Nah. This was just pure rage show. Pissed me off so much that I disliked it. I didn’t even know it was possible to piss me off this much. Smh.

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"The 8 Show" tells the story of 8 people who decide to participate in a strange and secret reality show that will pay them only for their time. At first, it all seems like a dream, since each of them has a huge debt to pay off, so it seemed like a good idea to earn money just by spending time there... but the reality is much darker than that.

The players discover that each room earns money at different rates, dividing people into two classes: the upper apartments and the lower ones, and the real problem begins when they choose a place to be the bathroom; this is the turning point. The chosen room is number 8, since it earns more money and basically does nothing, but the crazy woman simply cannot stand it, and this marks the change in the atmosphere of the group and in the entire story.

It was obvious that the people in the upper rooms would use the lower ones to do all the work, but I could not imagine the crazy and horrible things they would do to these people. They discover that the time they earn outside their rooms depends on the spectators, on what they find interesting and funny and what they think of doing? Torture them. The four players invented little games and the fun was to see the others get hurt, in various ways, and they also took away their phones and created a system for them to eat, turning them into slaves.

When number 6 was in control, the others were tortured physically, but when number 8 takes over, this changes drastically, since the torture is now psychological. She basically turns them into an experiment, putting them into a depraved sleep and showing them videos over and over, trying to break their minds, and the most shocking thing is that number 8 was not doing this for the viewers, but for herself, she liked to see the suffering and it turned her on. Yes, she is that level of psychopath. HAHAHA'

The drama is clearly a critique of society, how money rules our lives and how our greed can be our downfall. This is the case with number 1: if he had been satisfied with the money he earned and never tried to change rooms, he wouldn't have lost all his money and wouldn't have done that crazy thing that killed him in the last episode. It's really sad because he said exactly that, that he shouldn't have been greedy, but since he had always been on the bottom, he wanted to see what it was like to be on top.

Honestly, I wanted to see revenge for numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5, they deserved it. Number 8 getting arrested at the end wasn't enough, and number 6 being okay after almost killing them didn't seem right. Number 5 should have done more than just castrate him.

For me, this drama was more intense and violent than "Round 4". It's easier to kill people, especially by imposing rules that take away the guilt, but breaking a person's spirit, making them want to kill themselves, especially because you don't know when it will end, the endless waiting, that's pure torture.

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Squid Game's less interesting sister

I'm mixed about this one…Intriguing start but it gets slow and even a little gimmicky at times.Shit got real in ep 4. I think it's safe to say this show did the capitalism/hierarchy commentary better than Squid game. No matter what advantage you think you have, there will always be others in better predicaments or those who manipulate the system to work in their favor. Since comparisons are running wild I’ll go ahead and say the shock factor here wasn't nearly as engaging as Squid Game. Another thing SG did better was getting me invested in most of the main characters. Also fyi, this isn’t nearly as violent as people are making it out to be.

The acting was good but it was difficult to care about anyone, even the main guy. Tbf no one person was super likable but by the end I wasn’t rooting for anyone. 8 was pretty obnoxious but she had all the personality. The music choices were nice. I really dug the intro song.

The concept is interesting enough to justify finishing this but half the show is waiting for something to happen. This was an ok watch but it's missing something to make it next level.

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amazing plot and execution, went a little offside at the end

i am not a qualified person to write honestly and objectively about anything, these are just things i felt from my experience. it was a very good show that kept me interested until the end, i binged all episodes. one thing i wil l say is it definitely started losing its effect at the end. i was very impressed and engaged the first half of it, but by the time the teams were formed and the “evil” characters took charge it felt a little off to me. i started questioning the validity of character like 4th floor and when are even her motives, since she hated 8th floor at the beginning, and now she’s in the evil squad? some characters choices and action just didnt have an impact on me, like when 5th floor let the evil ones free and the whole “sleep torture” and then how it all ended with such a stupid action that could’ve been done since episode 2. i also hated how character 1 ended up. he was one of the most dynamic characters to me and possibly my favorite, and they had a chance to actually show us how he turns and how his daughter drives him to commit the actions he committed, but they didnt. which made the whole thing meaningless to me, how he just turned and died was not well executed in my opinion. 8th floor is an interesting character that i felt like they could’ve utilized in actually impactful ways. 2nd floor was my favorite . 3rd floor was obviously in love with 7th floor and the bl could’ve been so good if they weren’t cowards. overall i really enjoyed watching this, while it could’ve been better it’s certainly well done and made me feel the emotions (mostly)

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Waited for so long and… IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT !

I BINGE WATCHED IT (IN 3 DAYS) AND WOULD TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT !
I already knew the series before even knowing it because I’ve read the webtoons from which it was adapted (money game and pie game by bae jin soo and both available on the WEBTOON app if y’all want !). I’ve waited for so long for that series to be released and two days ago, on the first day I started watching and immediately recognized the essence of these WEBTOONs : I clicked when I saw the money counters in the rooms.
But in this review I won’t deal with whether it’s a loyal adaptation or not !

I love the concept of showing us rough yet realistic things using this series because eventhough everyone knows a group of people can’t stay still for a long period of time especially when money is involved, writers found a way to make it entertaining AND realistic. They showcased how people would grow greedy and the toughests will ended ruling and that’s what the show demonstrated ! We saw gradually, as each episode went by, the downfall of the serenity, the downfall of each character !

(Btw I loved how each episode -the intro and the first minutes- was always dedicated to one character, to getting to know them better, their lore).

The fact that the levels of the flats and the space of which each person disposed of was a reflect of society is even more deep in my opinion.

The characters winning time from being progressively violent to each other (they quickly went from the ´cute ´ version of the king game to tasering each other then hitting each other with bats…) was also accurate considering humans under pressure and with the illusion of gaining money would do anything.

Also, don’t get fooled by the synopsis that might make you think of squid game ! I’ve watched both and they have nothing in common except them showing humans being greedy, being guided by their will of money, to escape their debts !

Besides, I might sound weird or psycho but a few parts in the show really made me smile or giggle out of nowhere 😭

Before I break down why I did like or not each character, I would like to say the intro and especially the song used is such a good idea. And that part where it speeds up is genuinely addicting, I don’t know why !

The acting/ the cast : I loved them all. Every one did such a good job, for example floor 1´s actor playing the pitiful character, floor’s 7 playing the intelligent one and helper to turn his back afterwards or even floor’s 8, who really embodies the apparently naive yet very controlling and manipulative character ! I also saw people boycotting ryu Jun yeol because of what’s going on with Han so hee and tbh I still don’t get the goal of this (I don’t support him dating shortly after breaking up especially if it’s to date Han so hee tho) but I respect your choices .

The characters :
- Floor 1 : I don’t know why but I adore him so much and from the beginning ! He is so sweet and caring but he also knows why and how to step up for himself ! I was gladly surprised by his performance during the talent show lol ! 😭
He is so talented as a clown and mime ! May he rest in peace because even when he lost it, he stayed human in a way !
I loved him so much 😭❤️.

- Floor 2 : That woman is so badass and doesn’t let someone else decide for her (ex : before the vote for to decide about who will get to keep in their room everyone’s feces). Maybe once or twice she would lightly lowers under the pressure but she always knows how to bounce back.

- Floor 3 : He seems rather realistic and by that I mean he always let what others will think of him and how he might looks like to them rule how he acts (ex : when he helped floor 1 during the days they had to go up and down the stairs to gain time or even when they had to write down the amount of pieces they want and the only condition was them receiving the amount they were willing for if the addition of what everyone wrote made the number they would have to partake from the beginning. Another example would be him choosing to get tasered to not look like a depraved or even him refusing floor 8´s favors for the same reason).

- Floor 4 : I hate that woman so much I swear ! Her trying to sound ´cute ´ with this voice really pisses me off to be fair… As well as floor 8. It feels too unnatural to me.
Then her character in itself is so much self-centered ! She acts like a clueless and naive character but when the leaders stand out she would willingly follow them and harass the others ugh.
- Floor 5 : I don’t know what to think of this woman to be honest lol. She felt like if we had to choose a not-so-well-written character, it would have been her but she was cute among all those people. It was funny seeing her always hitting at not being bothering doing spicy things etc..
She might looks stupid, naive etc… but she’s actually the most human among them ! And her avenge against floor 6 was so good !

- Floor 6 : This man is so exhausting. He is one of the reasons of why everything went downhill… He thinks with his d!ck and his knuckles to put it down mildly… I really hate him. BUT at least he paid tribute to floor 1 by sending flowers and not coming to his funeral after all he did to him !

- Floor 7 : I had faith in him is all I can say… BUT he still is my favorite character because even when we thought he would continue betraying he would end up helping. Overall he was a really good character, loyal even when he was threatened with a gun by floor 6 for example. The only time he deceived me was a moment of weakness compared to other characters (esp 6,4,8 that will always be the real villains to me !).
- Floor 8 : Even if I hate this woman I have to admit SHE is the QUEEN here. She controls everything eventhough she might seems naive and stupid at first sight (what the actress really embodied !) !
For example, when she got them changing the politics after they voted her off to be the one keeping everyone’s trash and then she punished them and got them waiting for food and water for days. Or even escaping the taser’s sentence and then with the help of inferior floors (7,6 and 4), taking the lead other the others.

I loved her duality despite her being a really despicable person in herself. Maybe the system of winning money being different (the sound of money won per minute being different from a floor to another) etc… but once again the series reflects society and it’s difficulty !

The 8 that is a number really present in the series even in the title is really symbolic to me. It is showed as the number of the power (floor 8 is in a way the powerful one here) but also symbolizes how this game is made for no one to get out. They are stuck in for infinity (if you turn the 8 to the side it looks like the infinity sign ♾️) since there will always be someone who will want to stay in due to their greed (like floor 1 did and really disappointed me on this eventhough I always had the feeling he was the one who did these horrible things to elongate the time they will have to stay in). There will always be also the powerful one deciding and stopping everyone to get out just for their interests as floor 8 did. I was genuinely scared and horrified by how far she went for her own pleasure (depriving many from sleep and forcing floor 5 and 4 to heal everyone and keeping them ´enough ´ alive to keep the game going on)….

At ep 6, I remember how I was so glad floor 2 said louder what I always thought of, leaving since everything was for once going on good but then floor 1 destroyed everything for what ??? Changing room. My jaw dropped at him explaining why he always wanted those 1 billion just to change room 😬.

I loved their revolution otherwise because the whole time (approx. 160 hrs) by themselves without those toxic leaders, they were genuinely enjoying each other’s company and living life ! I was so relieved at first when they were 10 hrs from the liberation but guess what 😭💀.

Btw something doesn’t click : weren’t they not supposed to not be out of their rooms from midnight to 8 in the morning ?? because at the end (from ep5/6 to the end) they kept doing that 😭.

Watching the show made me feel like those psychos that were watching from behind the cameras. Idk the way it’s filmed, the POV we had in each single of those episodes made me feel that way.

The end got me so emotional and everything ended ´well ´ in a way. May Floor 1 rest in peace !
Would have liked to see floor 7 at the funeral but he did something really important on his side as well !

To sum up, my faves were floor 1,2,3,5 and 7 !
The question is why didn’t they buy something after the two first months they decided to stay ? They could have used the amount of time the creators kept adding so that at one point the time would have came to 0 yk…

I know I wrote so much. If someone has read that much then congrats lol !

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