kokokolo

some aspects are actually nearly identical so i imagine they used it as a source of inspiration + bonnie & clyde. still loved it to bits though

yes, but it isn't explored that much due to the run time

(note: sorry if this is long, i'm typing on my phone so i have no idea how long this actually is)

oh yeah for sure, though i would think aib would be more popular for that "weird asian" side of things. i didn't really find squid game that centered around its asian culture besides the traditional children's games, which is also why i think it's been doing so well worldwide. a lot of the times when i watch a drama with a non-drama fan i have to be like "dw this is how it usually is" because they aren't used to that "drama feel." for example, overacting in comedies or the typical innocence in romances. for squid game i felt that it was pretty realistic? therefore easily accessible to a wider audience. that could've also been why aib didn't grow to this level (because of the overacting and odd supernatural elements though i still loved it). at least imo, the squid characters felt quite real and reacted similarly to how i think i would act in those situations. none of them felt very forced nor gave long unnecessary monologues

and besides all that, it's CRAZY marketable because of the geometric shapes, iconic masks, jung hoyeon, and its colorful palette. they've really been capitalizing on all of these aspects everywhere you look. i can't get away lmao

this series was really great. even if you might think it's overhyped, it doesn't really take away from the actual quality of the show. and even if you hate the ending, at least the first half was incredible. i can't really see how people can objectively OR subjectively call this a "bad" show tbh

i think it exploded in popularity compared to others kdramas BECAUSE it's not censored. like people enjoy the brutal aspect of it whereas obviously most kdramas aren't about death and most certainly don't outright show it in that way? i imagine a lot of foreigners don't like dramas because of that yk kdrama "feel" where they don't necessarily feel real. that's just my theory though + on netflix ofc

currently missing you dayeon, xia yan, doah, hyerim, and jia like crazy T^T

this is exactly what i've been noticing since like ep 5. somehow in EVERY group, especially with the last round 3, the chinese member "sucks," or the japanese member struggles and the korean member comes to save the day. of course the korean trainees are talented, but why do they never highlight the talents of the other girls? only their downfalls??? (with a few exceptions ofc) then of course, there's the chinese villains of the show etc etc.

and it's SO obvious they've been manipulating the votes like this since ep 1. the same girls get screen time over and over again...and guess who's in the top9?!?! it's no wonder there's only like 4 popular japanese trainees and maybe 3 chinese, with 38718371827 popular korean trainees. their favortism is so clear and it's almost clearer who mnet want in their final group istg. for example, ayana being a top9 candidate, yet them not even SHOWING her performance. you can easily tell they never intended for her to gain any traction whatsoever. i'm so sick of this biased voting manipulation, and they can get away with it easier because it's not direct :///

okay rant over lol

I HATE IT!!! i knew exactly what i was going into when starting, but nonetheless it still freaking got me ugh i can stop shaking or sobbing. they didn't have to crank up the tragedy THAT hard T^T

sorry but the tag "erectile dysfonction" has me roLLING LMFAO

i just came to comment this lmao

it's a really good watch, but more predictable if you've watched a lot of mystery movies/dramas already. i still recommend watching for the ending and the acting :D

i didn't think much of dayeon before, but after ice cream and rewatching pop/stars and hylt, i really want her to debut!!! she's so talented and supportive. i could def picture her as a lead dancer and lead rapper, or possibly even leader (depending on which other girls make the final). she has my vote now ♡

oh how i wish this were a series or at least a full movie T^T

i do think they complement each other very well, but idk if this is ANYTHING near long-lasting. i already found myself frustrated just watching, but i guess riichi may be looking for something different than i am ://

i just finished the series rn and i'm laughing so hard from your review

i would absolutely love more jsports dramas. there's a lot of sports anime so i always wondered why there weren't more jsports dramas? i guess because sports is a little more difficult to capture and it can be hard to make exciting? but there have definitely been a lot of unexciting plot ideas that have made great dramas so i really don't know why

i would really love to see more sports dramas focused on the team aspect as well. obviously there are many sports team stories out there already, but i rarely ever see it in the realm of dramas which is surprising because i feel like it would be the perfect medium for it. the slice of life, friendship, family, competition, and lifelong bonds. i can already imagine how emotional dramas could make it. something like the reply series but with sports (no romance) would sound so perfect to me. racket boys was a really nice step.

oh yeah, i think my comment was for the op who said jdramas have a "low fanbase" on mdl lol

i believe majority of the jdramas with less than 1000 viewers on mdl are mainly due to a lack of subs, not necessarily popularity (ofc that's also a factor)

i'm glad you enjoyed it lol.

no, it wasn't that they slept together. it was more of how they like fell in love out of the blue? i don't mind romance being unrealistic, i just like a basis of why someone falls in love with someone else in the first place. tbh i think i would've preferred there being no romance at all because the plot is already so intriguing itself. the romance kind of felt unnecessary to me which is also probably why i felt it was forced.