Since its inception, Netflix has made a name for itself with the inclusion of foreign dramas that have brought an international culture to viewers worldwide. From shows like “Kingdom” to “Lupin,” Netflix has released a wide variety of cultural hits.
However, in the last few weeks, a brand new Korean drama called “Squid Game” has taken the streaming service by storm. But what is this new addition to the Netflix catalog? And why has it become so popular in such a short time?
“Squid Game” stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, Oh Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung and Wi Ha-Joon. The show details Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, who struggles with a gambling addiction while struggling to support his daughter. He and 455 other players with a similar debt agree to play a series of children’s games — all with a fatal twist.
The show was released on Sept. 17, and in just a few weeks, it has already made a commercial and critical mark on the streaming world. Multiple reviewer sites have cited the story’s intense tone and drama while commenting that the original idea makes it intense and worthy of praise.
“STREAM IT,” said Joe Keller of Decider in his review of the show. “‘Squid Game’ takes a fresh idea and spins it into a thrilling drama; we hope it continues to build the tension we saw in the last 20 minutes [of the first episode] throughout the season.”
The worthy praise of the show made it a smashing success. In just a few short weeks, it topped Netflix’s top 10 weekly most-watched TV show charts in over 90 countries. Even though Netflix did not invest heavily into the show, it became a smash hit because it became a viral sensation. Multiple users across Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram have commented on watching the show.
“Just putting it out into the universe that I am free this weekend and the next weekend, and so on, to be slapped by any of these actors,” said one Twitter user @Isha_Bassi, the text of the tweet accompanied by images of several of the “Squid Game” characters.
Fans have praised the actors of the show, especially the roles of Seong Gi-hun, Cho Sang-Woo, and Kang Sae-byeok, played by Lee, Park and Jung, respectively. It has become a smash hit on Netflix, and the life-like action of the drama and horrifying story sequences have made it an iconic new series for viewers.
“I just finished watching ‘Squid Game,’ and this image sums up what I feel about everything,” said Twitter user @floatyghast, the tweet accompanied by an image of the show’s character Oh Il-nam in a fetal position while looking on in horror.
Another thing that made the show an intense success was the shock factor in each episode. The reactions felt raw, and the challenges excited viewers from all walks of life. The games in the show are kids’ games and were turned fatal for the challenges in the series’ canon.
One example is the popular kids game “Red Light, Green Light.” The show uses a creepy animatronic doll to call out the titular game phrase, and if someone moves when she says “Red Light,” they are shot on sight by automatic guns.
These shock factors made it a viral meme sensation across the platform TikTok, with viewers making memes and reaction videos that feature the content of the game.
The show has become a major success story on the hit streaming platform, as it continues to dominate streaming charts. “Squid Game” has started to pave its way towards becoming one of Netflix’s greatest hits, and it will continue to do so as more and more people are drawn into the shocking new K-drama.
