Squid Game - Wikipedia

Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. Its cast includes Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, ... SquidGame FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch 2021SouthKoreansurvivaldramatelevisionseries ThisarticleisabouttheNetflixtelevisionseries.FortheKoreanchildren'sgame,seeSquid(game).Forthevideogame,seeSquids(videogame). SquidGameKoreanpromotionalposterHangul오징어게임RevisedRomanizationOjing-eoGeimMcCune–ReischauerOjingŏKeim Genre Survival Thriller Horror[1] Drama Action CreatedbyHwangDong-hyukWrittenbyHwangDong-hyukDirectedbyHwangDong-hyukStarring LeeJung-jae ParkHae-soo WiHa-joon HoYeonJung OYeong-su HeoSung-tae AnupamTripathi KimJoo-ryoung ComposerJungJae-ilCountryoforiginSouthKoreaOriginallanguageKoreanNo.ofseasons1No.ofepisodes9ProductionCamerasetupMulti-cameraRunningtime32–63minutesProductioncompanySirenPicturesInc.[2]DistributorNetflixBudget$21.4millionReleaseOriginalnetworkNetflixPictureformat 4K(UltraHD) DolbyVision AudioformatDolbyAtmosOriginalreleaseSeptember17,2021 (2021-09-17) –present SquidGame(Korean: 오징어게임;RR: Ojing-eoGeim)isaSouthKoreansurvivaldramatelevisionseriescreatedbyHwangDong-hyukforNetflix.ItscastincludesLeeJung-jae,ParkHae-soo,WiHa-joon,HoYeonJung,OYeong-su,HeoSung-tae,AnupamTripathi,andKimJoo-ryoung. Theseriesrevolvesaroundacontestwhere456players,allofwhomareindeepfinancialhardship,risktheirlivestoplayaseriesofdeadlychildren'sgamesforthechancetowina₩45.6billion(US$38million,€33million,orGB£29millionasofbroadcast)prize.ThetitleoftheseriesdrawsfromasimilarlynamedKoreanchildren'sgame.Hwanghadconceivedoftheideabasedonhisowneconomicstrugglesearlyinlife,aswellastheclassdisparityinSouthKoreaandcapitalism.Thoughhehadinitiallywrittenitin2009,hewasunabletofindaproductioncompanytofundtheideauntilNetflixtookaninterestaround2019aspartoftheirdrivetoexpandtheirforeignprogrammingofferings. SquidGamewasreleasedworldwideonSeptember17,2021,tocriticalacclaimandinternationalattention.ItisNetflix'smost-watchedseries,becomingthetop-viewedprogramin94countriesandattractingmorethan142millionmemberhouseholdsandamassing1.65billionviewinghoursduringitsfirstfourweeksfromlaunch,surpassingBridgertonforthetitleofmostwatchedshow.Theserieshasalsoreceivednumerousaccolades,includingtheGoldenGlobeAwardforBestSupportingActor–Series,MiniseriesorTelevisionFilmforOYeong-suandtheScreenActorsGuildAwardforOutstandingPerformancebyaMaleActorinaDramaSeriesandOutstandingPerformancebyaFemaleActorinaDramaSeriesforLeeJung-jaeandHoYeonJung,respectively,withallthreemakinghistoryasthefirstKoreanactorstowininthosecategories. InJune2022,theserieswasrenewedforasecondseason,whichisslatedtobebroadcastbylate2023orearly2024.NetflixisalsodevelopingarealitycompetitionprogrambasedonSquidGame,featuring456playerscompetingforalargecashprize. Contents 1Overview 2Castandcharacters 2.1Maincast 2.2Recurringcast 2.3Guestcast 3Episodes 4Production 4.1Development 4.2Writing 4.3Casting 4.4Costume,setdesign,andfilming 4.5Music 5Marketing 6Reception 6.1Criticalreception 6.2Viewership 6.3Accolades 6.4Publicresponseandimpact 7Themesandanalysis 7.1Capitalismandeconomicdisparity 7.2Othercommentary 8Sequelandrelatedworks 9Seealso 10Notes 11References 12Externallinks Overview SeongGi-hun,adivorcedfatherandindebtedgamblerwholiveswithhiselderlymother,isinvitedtoplayaseriesofchildren'sgamesforachanceatalargecashprize.Acceptingtheoffer,heistakentoanunknownlocationwherehefindshimselfamong455otherplayerswhoarealldeeplyinfinancialproblem.Theplayersaremadetoweargreentracksuitsandarekeptunderwatchatalltimesbymaskedguardsinpinkjumpsuits,withthegamesoverseenbytheFrontMan,whowearsablackmaskandblackuniform.Theplayerssoondiscoverthatlosingagameresultsintheirdeath,witheachdeathadding₩100milliontothepotential₩45.6billiongrandprize.[a][b]Gi-hunallieswithotherplayers,includinghischildhoodfriendChoSang-wooandNorthKoreandefectorKangSae-byeok,totrytosurvivethephysicalandpsychologicaltwistsofthegames.[4][5] Castandcharacters Mainarticle:ListofSquidGamecharacters Maincast ActorsLeeJung-jae(SeongGi-hun,Player456)ParkHae-soo(ChoSang-woo,Player218)WiHa-joon(PoliceOfficerHwangJun-ho)HoYeonJung(KangSae-byeok,Player067) Numbersinparenthesesdenotethecharacter'sassignednumberintheSquidGame. LeeJung-jaeasSeongGi-hun(성기훈,[sʌŋgihun](listen),456),[6]adivorcedchauffeurandgamblingaddict.Heliveswithhismotherandstrugglestosupporthisdaughterfinancially.Heparticipatesinthegametosettlehismanydebts,andtoprovehimselffinanciallystableenoughtohavecustodyofhisdaughter,whoistoleavefortheUnitedStateswithhermotherandstepfather. ParkHae-sooasChoSang-woo(조상우,Koreanpronunciation: [tɕosaŋu],218[c]),[6]theformerheadofaninvestmentteamatasecuritiescompany.HewasajuniorclassmatetoGi-hun,andstudiedatSeoulNationalUniversity.Heiswantedbythepoliceforstealingmoneyfromhisclients,andrackingupmassivedebtsfrombadinvestments. WiHa-joonasHwangJun-ho(황준호,Koreanpronunciation: [hwaːŋtɕunho]),[7]apoliceofficerwhosneaksintothegameasaguardtofindhismissingbrother. HoYeonJungasKangSae-byeok(강새벽,Koreanpronunciation: [gaŋsɛbjʌk],067),[8]aNorthKoreandefector.Sheentersthegametopayforabrokerwhocanrescueherparentsacrosstheborder,andbuyahouseforherreunitedfamilytolivein. OYeong-suasOhIl-nam(오일남,Koreanpronunciation: [oilnam],001),[9]anelderlymanwithabraintumorwhoprefersplayingthegameasopposedtowaitingtodieintheoutsideworld. HeoSung-taeasJangDeok-su(장덕수,Koreanpronunciation: [dzaŋdʌksu],101),[10]agangsterwhoentersthegametosettlehismassivegamblingdebts,includingmoneyhestolefromhisbossandunderlings. AnupamTripathiasAliAbdul(알리압둘,199),[9]amigrantworkerfromPakistanwhoentersthegametoprovideforhisyoungfamilyafterhisbossrefusestopayhimformonths. KimJoo-ryoungasHanMi-nyeo(한미녀,Koreanpronunciation: [hanminjʌ],212),[11]aloudandmanipulativewoman.Herreasonsforenteringthegameareleftunexplained,butsheboaststhatshewaschargedfivetimesforfraud,whichimpliesthatsheisaconwoman. Recurringcast YooSung-jooasByeong-gi(병기,111),[12]adoctorwhosecretlyworkswithagroupofcorruptguardstotraffictheorgansofdeadparticipantsinexchangeforinformationonupcominggames LeeYoo-miasJi-yeong(지영,240),[13]ayoungwomanwhohasjustbeenreleasedfromprisonafterkillingherabusivestep-father KimSi-hyunasPlayer244,apastorwhorediscovershisfaithduringthegame LeeSang-heeasDoJung-soo(도정수,017),[14]aformerglassmaker KimYun-taeasPlayer069,aplayerwhojoinsthegamewithhiswife,Player070 LeeJi-haasPlayer070,[15]aplayerwhojoinsthegamewithherhusband,Player069 KwakJa-hyoungasPlayer278,aplayerwhojoinsDeok-su'sgroupandactsashishenchman ChristianLagahitasPlayer276,[16][17]aplayerwhojoinsSeongGi-hun'sgroupintheTugofWarround KimYoung-okasOhMal-soon,Gi-hun'smother[18] ChoAh-inasSeongGa-yeong,Gi-hun'sdaughter KangMal-geumasKangEun-ji,Gi-hun'sex-wifeandGa-yeong'smother[18] ParkHye-jinasSang-woo'smother ParkSi-wanasKangCheol,Sae-byeok'syoungerbrother Guestcast GongYooasasalesmanwhorecruitsparticipantsfortheGame[19] LeeByung-hunasHwangIn-ho,TheFrontMan,overseeroftheSquidGame[20] LeeJung-junasGuard[21] JohnDMichaelsasVIP#1[22] DanielCKennedyasVIP#2[22] DavidLeeasVIP#3[23] GeoffreyGiulianoasVIP#4[22] StephaneMotasVIP#5[23] MichaelDavisasVIP#6[23] Episodes SquidGameconsistsofoneseasonwithnineepisodesataruntimeof32to63minutes.AllnineepisodeswerewrittenanddirectedbyHwang.ThefullserieswasreleasedinallNetflixworldwidemarketsonSeptember17,2021.[24][25] No.TitleDirectedbyWrittenbyOriginalreleasedate1"RedLight,GreenLight" (무궁화꽃이피던날;MugunghwaKkoch-iPideonNal)[d]HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) SeongGi-hunisdownonhisluck,havingaccumulatedenormousdebtswithloansharkswhilebecomingestrangedfromhisdaughterandex-wife.Inasubway,awell-dressedmanaskshimtoplayagameofddakjiformoney,andoffersanopportunitytoplaymoregameswithmuchhigherstakes.Gi-hunaccepts,issedated,andawakensinadormitorywith455others,identifiedonlybynumbersontheirgreentracksuits.Agroupofmaskedguardsinpinkjumpsuitsarriveandexplainthattheplayersareallindirefinancialstraits,butwillbegivenbillionsofwoninprizemoneyiftheycanwinsixgamesoversixdays.ThegamesareoverseenbytheFrontMan,whoismaskedanddressedinblack.Gi-hunbefriendsPlayer001,anelderlymansufferingfromabraintumor.Healsorecognizestwootherplayers:ChoSang-woo,achildhoodclassmatewhobecameaninvestmentbroker,andPlayer067,apickpocketwhostoleGi-hun'smoneyafterhewonahorseracewager.ThefirstgameisRedLight,GreenLight,whereanyonecaughtmovingisshotdeadonthespot,revealingthesadisticnatureofthegames.Halfthecrowdpanicsandattemptstofleeuponrealizingthis,turningthegameintoamassacre.WithhelpfromSang-wooandPlayer199,Gi-hunfinishesthegamealive. 2"Hell" (지옥;Jiok)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) Withoverhalfoftheplayerskilledinthefirstgame,manysurvivorsdemandtobereleased.Usingthegame'sthirdclause,theynarrowlyvotetocancelthegameandsendeveryonehome,butwithoutanyprizemoney.BackinSeoul,Gi-hungoestothepolice,butnoonebelieveshimexceptDetectiveHwangJun-ho,whosebrotherreceivedthesameinvitationcardandhasrecentlydisappeared.Theplayersareinvitedtore-enterthegame,andmanyreturnoutofdesperation.ThisincludesGi-hun,whosemotherneedssurgery;Sang-woo,whoisabouttobearrestedforfinancialfraud;Player001,whodoesnotwishtodieintheoutsideworld;Player067,whowishestorescueherparentsfromNorthKoreaandgetherlittlebrotheroutofanorphanage;Player199,aPakistanimigrantworkerwhoattackedandgravelyinjuredhisbossforwithholdinghiswages;andPlayer101,namedJangDeok-su,agangsterontherunfromgamblingdebtsandhisex-bosses.Jun-hosecretlyfollowsGi-hunwhenheispickedupbytheguards. 3"TheManwiththeUmbrella" (우산을쓴남자;Usan-eulSseunNamja)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) Jun-hosuccessfullyinfiltratesthegamesbydisguisinghimselfasamaskedworker,anditisrevealedthatthelocationisaremoteisland.Theplayersarenowmorepreparedandstartformingalliances.Gi-hun,Sang-woo,Player001,andPlayer199teamup.Player067exploresanairventandwitnessesworkersmeltingpotsofsugar.ThesecondgameisrevealedtobePpopgi,whereeachplayermustperfectlyextractastampedshapefromadalgona(honeycombcandy)undera10-minutetimelimit.Sang-woolearnsofPlayer067'sdiscoveryandrecognizesthegamebeforehand,butdoesnotwarnhisteammatesandchoosesthesimplestshapeforhimself.Gi-hunendsuppickingthemostdifficultshape,anumbrella,butisabletocompletethegamebylickingthebackofthehoneycombtomeltit.Player212,arowdyandmanipulativewoman,helpsDeok-sucompletethegamewithasmuggledlighter.Aplayerabouttobeexecutedtakesaguardhostageandforceshimtounmask.Shockedthatthestaffmemberisayoungman,theplayershootshimself,andtheguardiskilledbytheFrontManforrevealinghisidentity. 4"SticktotheTeam" (쫄려도편먹기;JjollyeodoPyeonmeokgi)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) Player111,adisgraceddoctor,secretlyworkswithahandfulofguardstoharvestorgansfromdeadplayerstosellontheblackmarket,inreturnforinformationonupcominggames.WhenDeok-sukillsaplayeraccusinghimoftakingextrafood,theguardsdonothingtostophim,andtheprizemoney'svalueisincreased.Realizingtheycouldfreelykillotherplayerstoincreasetheprizemoney,Deok-suandhisgangstartamassiveriotafterlightsout,resultinginplayersattackingeachother.Gi-hun'sgroupsurvivesandexchangenamestobuildtrust:Player199isAliAbdul,andPlayer067isKangSae-byeok.Player001,becauseofhisbraintumor,hastroublerememberinghisname.Player212,namedHanMi-nyeo,hassexwithDeok-su.Inthethirdgame,playersaretoldtoformgroupsoften.ForGi-hun'steam,Sae-byeokrecruitsPlayer240,agirlclosetoherage.Thegameisrevealedtobetugofwarontworaisedplatforms,whereateamwinsbydraggingtheopposingteamofftheplatformtotheirdeaths.Deok-su,havinglearnedofthegamefromPlayer111beforehand,picksonlystrongmenandrejectsMi-nyeo,whojoinsGi-hun'steam.AfterDeok-su'steamwinstheirmatchhandidly,Gi-hun'steamstrugglesagainstanotherall-maleteam. 5"AFairWorld" (평등한세상;Pyeongdeung-hanSesang)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) Gi-hun'steamwinstheirtug-of-warmatchwithPlayer001'sstrategyandSang-woo'squickthinking.Anticipatinganotherriot,theybuildabarricadeandspendthenighttakingturnsonguard,butDeok-su'steamdoesnotattack.Gi-hunreminiscesonasimilarsituationfromtenyearsago,whenheandmanyotherworkersfromanautomobilefactoryprotestedamasslay-off,whichcausedthefailedtrajectoryofGi-hun'slife.Player240attemptstobefriendSae-Byeok,butshedoesn'treciprocate.Jun-howitnessestheorganharvestingracket,astheguardwhoseidentityhestoletookpartinit.ExceptJun-ho,everyoneinvolvedintheracketiseventuallykilled,includingPlayer111.TheFrontManbeginsafacility-widemanhuntforJun-ho,whobreaksintotheFrontMan'soffice.Jun-holearnsthatthegamehasbeenrunningforover30years,andthathiselderbrotherHwangIn-howasthewinnerin2015. 6"Gganbu" (깐부;Kkanbu)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) TheplayersseethebodiesofPlayer111andhisco-conspiratorsstrungupforcheating,andareassuredthatthegamesaredesignedtogiveeveryplayerafairchancewithoutdiscrimination.Forthefourthgame,playersaretoldtopairup,butdiscoverthatinsteadofworkingasateam,theywillhavetoplayagainsttheirpartnerinamarblegameoftheirchoice.Whoevergetsalltheirpartner'smarbleswithin30minuteswillwinandsurvive.Sae-byeokandPlayer240,namedJi-yeong,sharetheirlifestories;Ji-yeongseesSae-byeokhasmoretoliveforandsacrificesherself.Sang-wootricksAliintogivinguphismarblesandwins.Deok-suwinsagainsthispartnerandhenchman,Player278.Gi-hunexploitsPlayer001'sdementiatodefeathim,onlytodiscoverthattheoldmanwasawareofthedeceptiontheentiretime.Player001,whoremembershisnametobeOhIl-nam,allowsGi-huntowinanyway,asheishisgganbu(trustedfriend).Gi-hunandSae-byeokaretraumatizedbythedeathsoftheirfriends. 7"VIPS"HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) TheplayersreturntofindMi-nyeo,whodidnothaveapartnerforthemarblesgame,stillalive.ForeignVIPs,whohadbeenwageringonthegamesremotely,arrivetowatchandwageronthenextroundslive.Jun-ho,posingasoneofthemaskedservants,issexuallypropositionedbyoneofthem.Inaprivateroom,heattackstheVIP,recordshisconfession,andescapestheisland.Meanwhile,thefifthgamehasplayerscrossingatwo-panelwidebridge,wherethepanelsareeachmadeofeithertemperedorregularglass,thelatterofwhichcannotsupporttheirweight.Theplayersatthefrontofthelinefalltotheirdeathsastheyprogressivelytestthepanels.Deok-surefusestomovedespitetheclockticking,daringotherstopasshim.Mi-nyeograbshimand,asrevengeforbetrayingher,pullshimdownwithhertotheirdeaths.Player017,DoJung-Soo,aseasonedglassworker,isabletodeterminewhichpanelsaresafeuntiltheFrontManturnsoffthelights,removinghisadvantage.Withtimerunningout,Sang-woopushesJung-Sootohisdeath,revealingthelasttrickpanel.OnlyGi-hun,Sang-woo,andSae-byeokcompletethegame;atitsconclusion,explosionsshattertheremainingpanelsandinjurethethreeplayers. 8"FrontMan" (프론트맨;Peuronteumaen)HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) Asfinalists,Gi-hun,Sang-woo,andSae-byeokaregivenachangeofoutfittoformalclothes.Sae-byeokhidesaseverestabwoundshereceivedfromtheglassbridgeexplosion.Aftereatingdinner,eachplayerisleftwithasteakknife.Gi-hunsuggeststoSae-byeokthattheyshouldallyagainstSang-woo,realizinghewillgotoanylengthtowin.Sae-byeokinsteadbegsGi-huntopromisethatwhoeverwinsthegamewilllookaftertheother'slovedones.Gi-hungoestokillSang-woowhenhefallsasleep,butSae-byeokstopshim,tellinghimheisnotamurderer.Sae-byeok'sinjuryworsens,promptingGi-huntocallforhelp.WhenGi-hunisaway,Sang-wookillsSae-byeokandtheguardsarriveonlytocollecthercorpse.Furiousandheartbroken,Gi-huntriestoattackSang-woobutispreventedbytheguards.Meanwhile,Jun-homakesittoanotherislandbutisquicklytrackeddownbytheFrontManandtheguards.ToJun-ho'sshock,theFrontManrevealshimselftobehisbrother,In-ho,whotriestorecruithim.Whenherefuses,In-hoshootsJun-hointheshoulder,causinghimtofallbackoveracliffedgeintothesea. 9"OneLuckyDay" (운수좋은날;UnsuJoeunNal)[e]HwangDong-hyukHwangDong-hyukSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17) InthefinaleponymousSquidgame,Gi-hundefeatsSang-wooafterabrutalfightbutrefusestokillhim;hebegsSang-Wootostopthegameusingthethirdclause.Sang-wooinsteadstabshimselfintheneck,andasksGi-huntotakecareofhismotherbeforedying.Gi-hunisreturnedtoSeoulwithabankcardtoaccesstheprizemoney,butdiscovershisownmotherhasdied.Ayearlater,Gi-hunremainstraumatizedandhasnottouchedhisprizemoneyoutofguilt.Hereceivesaninvitationcardfromhisgganbu,andfindsOhIl-namonhisdeathbed.Il-namrevealshecreatedthegametoentertainboredwealthypeoplelikehimself.Hechosegamesheplayedasachild,andparticipatedinGi-hun'sgroupoutofnostalgia.Astheytalk,Il-namwagerswithGi-hunonwhetheranunconsciousmanlyingonastreetcornerwillbehelpedbeforemidnight.Themanissaved,andIl-namdiesshortlyafter.Gi-hunretrievesSae-byeok'sbrotherandhashimlookedafterbySang-woo'smother,alsogivingthemashareoftheprizemoney.AsGi-huntravelstotheairporttoreconnectwithhisdaughterinLosAngeles,heseesthesamegamerecruiterplayingddakjiwithanotherdesperateplayer,butmanagesonlytogetthatplayer'sinvitationcard.Hecallsthecard'snumberbeforeboardinghisplane,demandingtoknowwhoisrunningthegames.Thepersonbehindthephonenumbercurtlyordershimtogetontheplane,butGi-Hunendsthecallandreturnstotheterminal. Production Development SeriescreatoranddirectorHwangDong-hyuk. Around2008,HwangDong-hyukhadtriedunsuccessfullytogetinvestmentforadifferentmoviescriptthathehadwritten,andhe,hismother,andhisgrandmotherhadtotakeoutloanstostayafloat,butstillstruggledamidthedebtcrisiswithinthecountry.[27][28][f]HespenthisfreetimeinaManhwabang(SouthKoreanmangacafe)readingJapanesesurvivalmangasuchasBattleRoyale,LiarGameandGamblingApocalypse:Kaiji.[30][31][32][33]Hwangcomparedthecharacters'situationintheseworkstohisowncurrentsituationandconsideredtheideaofbeingabletojoinsuchasurvivalgametowinmoneytogethimoutofdebt,leadinghimtowriteafilmscriptonthatconceptthroughout2009.[33]Hwangstated,"Iwantedtowriteastorythatwasanallegoryorfableaboutmoderncapitalistsociety,somethingthatdepictsanextremecompetition,somewhatliketheextremecompetitionoflife.ButIwantedittousethekindofcharacterswe'veallmetinreallife."[34]Hwangfearedthestorylinewas"toodifficulttounderstandandbizarre"atthetime.[30]HwangtriedtosellhisstorytovariousKoreanproductiongroupsandactors,buthadbeentolditwastoogrotesqueandunrealistic.[35]Hwangputthisscriptasidewithoutanytakers,andoverthenexttenyearssuccessfullycompletedthreeotherfilms,includingthecrimedramafilmSilenced(2011)andthehistoricaldramafilmTheFortress(2017).[33] Inthe2010s,NetflixhadseenalargegrowthinviewershipoutsideofNorthAmerica,andstartedinvestinginproductionsinotherregions,includingKorea.[36]TedSarandos,co-CEOofNetflix,statedin2018thattheywerelookingformoresuccessesfromoverseasproductions:"TheexcitingthingformewouldbeifthenextStrangerThingscamefromoutsideAmerica.Rightnow,historically,nothingofthatscalehasevercomefromanywherebutHollywood."[37]NetflixhadopenedupadivisioninAsiain2018,andwhiletheywerestilloperatingoutoftemporaryleasedofficespaceinSeoul,Hwangbroughthisscripttotheirattention.KimMinyoung,oneofNetflix'scontentofficersfortheAsianregions,recognizedHwang'stalentfromTheFortressandhisotherfilms,anduponseeinghisscriptforSquidGame,knewtheyneededitfortheservice.Kimsaid"[W]ewerelookingforshowsthatweredifferentfromwhat'straditionally'madeit,'andSquidGamewasexactlyit".[38]NetflixformallyannouncedinSeptember2019theywouldproduceHwang'sworkasanoriginalseries.[35][39]Netflix'sBelaBajaria,headofglobaltelevisionoperations,saidthatoftheirinterestinHwang'swork,"weknewitwasgoingtobebiginKoreabecauseithadawell-regardeddirectorwithaboldvision",andthat"K-DramasalsotravelwellacrossAsia".[36]Regardinghisreturntotheproject,Hwangcommented,"It'sasadstory.ButthereasonwhyIreturnedtotheprojectisbecausetheworld10yearsfromthenhastransformedtoaplacewheretheseunbelievablesurvivalstoriesaresofitting,andIfoundthatthisisthetimewhenpeoplewillcallthesestoriesintriguingandrealistic."[30]HwangfurtherbelievedthattheongoingCOVID-19pandemicimpactedtheeconomicdisparitybetweenclassesinSouthKorea,andsaidthat"Allofthesepointsmadethestoryveryrealisticforpeoplecomparedtoadecadeago".[35] WiththeNetflixorder,thefilmconceptwasexpandedouttoanine-episodeseries.Kimstatedthattherewas"somuchmorethanwhatwaswritteninthe120-minuteformat.Soweworkedtogethertoturnitintoaseries."[38]Hwangsaidhewasabletoexpandthescriptsothatit"couldfocusontherelationshipsbetweenpeople[and]thestoriesthateachofthepeoplehad".[40]Initially,NetflixhadnamedtheseriesRoundSix,ratherthanSquidGameasHwanghadsuggested;accordingtoNetflix'svicepresidentforcontentinAsiaKimMinyoung,whiletheyknewthatthename"squidgame"wouldbefamiliartoKoreanviewersfromthechildren'sgame,it"wouldn'tresonatebecausenotmanypeoplewouldgetit",andoptedtouseRoundSixasitself-describedthenatureofthecompetition.Asproductioncontinued,HwangpushedontheservicetouseSquidGameinstead,whichKimsaiditscrypticnameandtheuniquevisualshelpedtodrawincuriousviewers.[39][41]AtthetimethatHwangwrotetheseries,hisgoalwasforhavingtheseriesreachthemost-watchedshowinNetflixintheUnitedStatesforatleastoneday.[27]Hwanghadinitiallywrittentheseriesaseightepisodes,whichwascomparabletootherNetflixshows,butfoundthatthematerialforthelastepisodewaslongerthanheplanned,soitwassplitintotwo.[42] Writing Hwangdescribedtheworkas"astoryaboutlosers".[43]Thenamesofthecharacters-SeongGi-hun,ChoSang-woo,andIl-nam-wereallbasedonHwang'schildhoodfriends,aswellasthecharacternameHwangJun-ho,whowasalsoachildhoodfriendinreallifewithanolderbrothernamedHwangIn-ho.[33]ThetwomaincharactersGi-hunandSang-woowerebasedonHwang'sownpersonalexperiencesandrepresented"twosides"ofhimself;Gi-hunsharedthesameaspectsofbeingraisedbyaneconomicallydisadvantagedsinglemotherintheSsangmundistrictofSeoul,whileSang-wooreflectedonHwanghavingattendedSeoulNationalUniversitywithhighexpectationsfromhisfamilyandneighborhood.[33][43]Further,Gi-hun'sbackgroundwasinspiredbytheorganizersoftheSsangYongMotorlaborstrikeof2009 [ko]againstmasslayoffs.[44] Shapespunchedintodalgona,aKoreansugarcandytreat,basedontheshapesusedinthesecondgameoftheshow.Withintheshow,playershadtoextracttheinnershapesintact. HwangbasedthenarrativeonKoreangamesofhischildhoodtoshowtheironyofachildhoodgamewherecompetitionwasnotimportantbecominganextremecompetitionwithpeople'slivesatstake.[31]Additionally,ashisinitialscriptwasintendedforfilm,heoptedtousechildren'sgameswithsimplerulesthatwereeasytoexplainincontrasttoothersurvival-typefilmsusinggameswithcomplexrules.[40]Thecentralgameheselected,thesquidgame,wasapopularKoreanchildren'sgamefromthe1970sand1980s.[39][45]Hwangrecalledthesquidgameas"themostphysicallyaggressivechildhoodgameIplayedinneighborhoodalleysasakid,whichiswhyIalsoloveditthemost",andbecauseofthis"it'sthemostsymbolicgamethatreflectstoday'scompetitivesociety,soIpickeditoutastheshow'stitle".[46]Thecolorsoftheddakjisintheinitialgame,whichareblueandred,wereinspiredfromtheKoreanurbanlegend"bluepaper,redpaper".[47][g]The"Redlight,Greenlight"gamewasselectedbecauseofitspotentialtomakealotoflosersinonego.Regardingtheselection,Hwangsaid,"Thegamewasselectedbecausethescenefilledwithsomanypeoplerandomlymovingandstoppingcouldbeviewedasaridiculousbutasadgroupdance."[31]Hwangjokedthatthedalgonacandygametheychosemayinfluencesalesofdalgona,similartohowsalesofKoreangats(traditionalhats)bloomedafter thebroadcastofNetflix'sseriesKingdom.[48]LickingthecandytofreetheshapewassomethingthatHwangsaidthathehaddoneasachildandbroughtitintothescript.[46]HwanghadconsideredotherKoreanchildren'sgamessuchasGonggi,Dong,Dong,Dongdaemun,andWhydidyoucometomyhouse?(우리집에왜왔니?,aKoreanvariantoftheHanaIchiMonme).[31] Hwangwrotealloftheserieshimself,takingnearlysixmonthstowritethefirsttwoepisodesalone,afterwhichheturnedtofriendstogetinputonmovingforward.[34]Hwangalsoaddressedthechallengesofpreparingfortheshowwhichwasphysicallyandmentallyexhausting,sayingthathehadforgonedentalhealthwhilemakingSeason1andhadtohavesixteethpulledbyhisdentistafterproductionwascomplete.[30][42]Assuch,Hwangwasinitiallyunsureaboutasequelaftercompletingtheseepisodes,[34]thoughhewrotetheendingtokeepapotentialhookforasequelinmind.[27]HwanghadconsideredanalternateendingwhereGi-hunwouldhaveboardedtheplaneafterconcludinghiscallwiththegameorganizerstoseehisdaughter,butHwangsaidofthatending,"Isthattherightwayforustoreallyproposethequestionorthemessagethatwewantedtoconveythroughtheseries?"[49] Casting DirectorHwangrequestedthatactorsGongYoo(pictured)andLeeByungHun(pictured),withwhomhehadpreviouslyworked,appearastherecruiterandtheFrontMan,respectively,inSquidGame. HwangsaidhechosetocastLeeJung-jaeasGi-hunasto"destroyhischarismaticimageportrayedinhispreviousroles".[50]HoYeonJungwasrequestedbyhernewmanagementcompanytosendavideotoauditionfortheserieswhileshewasfinishingashootinMexicoandpreparingforNewYorkFashionWeek.Althoughthiswasherfirstauditionasanactorandherexpectationswerelow,Hwangsaid,"ThemomentIsawherauditiontapefromNewYork,Iimmediatelythoughttomyself,'thisisthegirlwewant.'Myfirstimpressionofherwasthatsheiswildandfreelikeanuntamedhorse".[51][52][53]OncastingAliAbdul,Hwangsaid,"ItwashardtofindgoodforeignactorsinKorea."HechoseAnupamTripathibecauseofhisemotionalactingcapabilitiesandfluencyinKorean.[54]BothGongYooandLeeByungHunhadworkedwithHwangduringhispreviousfilms,SilencedandTheFortressrespectively,andHwanghadaskedbothtoappearinsmallroleswithinSquidGame.[51]TheVIPswereselectedfromnon-KoreanactorslivinginAsia;inthecaseofGeoffreyGiuliano,whoplayedtheVIPthatinteractedwithJun-ho,hispriorrolefromTraintoBusanPresents:PeninsulaledtohiscastingforSquidGame.[22] CastingfortheserieswasconfirmedonJune17,2020.[55] Costume,setdesign,andfilming ExternalvideoSquidGame-BehindtheScenes,fromNetflix ProductionandfilmingoftheseriesranfromJunetoOctober2020,includingamandatorymonthbreakduetotheongoingCOVID-19pandemic.[56]CitysceneswerefilmedinDaejeon,[57]whiletheislandsetpieceswerefilmedonSeongapdolocatedinOngjin.[58]TheshapesofOjingo(Squid)playedheavilyinthegraphicdesignoftheshow.AsNetflixwastargetingtheworkforaglobalaudience,thevisualswereemphasizedandsomeoftherulesofthechildren'sgamesweresimplifiedtoavoidpotentialissueswiththelanguagebarrier.[35]Thecolorfulsetsandcostumesweredesignedtolooklikeafantasyworld.Theplayersandsoldierseachwearadistinctivecolor,toreducethesenseofindividualityandemphasizethedifferencebetweenthetwogroups.[31]Thegreentracksuitswornbytheplayerswereinspiredby1970sathleticwear,knownastrainingbok(Korean:트레이닝복).[59]Themaze-likecorridorsandstairsdrewinspirationfromthe4-dimensionalstairdrawingsofM.C.EscherincludingRelativity.ProductiondesignerChaeKyoung-sunsaidtheseseeminglyinfinitestairwaysrepresented"aformofbondageforthecontestants".[60]Thecomplexnetworkoftunnelsbetweenthearena,thedorm,andtheadministrativeofficewasinspiredbyantcolonies.[31] ChaewasalsoinspiredbytheSaemaulUndongpoliticalinitiativeofthe1970saimedtomodernizeruralKoreanvillages.[61]ThemintgreenandpinkcolorthemethroughouttheshowwereacommonthemefromKoreanschoolsinthe1970sand1980s,andfurtherreflectedthemesthroughouttheshow,withthegreen-suitedplayerstocomeinfearandconsideraroundthecolorpinkwhentheyareexposedtothisthroughtheguardsandthestairwayroom.[62][60] Theplayers'dormitorywasenvisionedwiththeconceptof"peoplewhoareabandonedontheroad"accordingtoChae;thiswasalsousedinthetug-of-wargame.[62]Theroomwasdesignedusingwhitetilesandthecurvedopeninglikeavehiculartunnel.Thebedandstairsinitiallywerelaidouttolooklikewarehouseshelves,butastheepisodesprogressedandthesefurnishingusedasmakeshiftdefenses,theytooktheappearanceofbrokenladdersandstairs,implyingthewaytheseplayersweretrappedwithnowayout,accordingtoChae.[62]ThedinnerscenethattookplaceintheeighthepisodewasinspiredbytheartinstallationTheDinnerPartybyJudyChicago.[60]WallsofmanyoftheareaswherethegamestookplacewerepaintedinskiesinspiredbyTheEmpireofLightseriesbyRenéMagritte.[60] ThecrewspentthemosttimecraftingthesetfortheMarblesgame,creatingamixofrealismandfakenessastomirrorthelifeanddeathnatureofthegamesthemselves.[63]Chaestatedthatthissetwasdesignedasacombinationofsmalltheatricalstages,eachstagerepresentingpartsofPlayer001'smemories.[62]TheVIProomwasoneofthelastpiecestobedesigned,andChaesaidthattheydecidedonananimal-basedthemeforboththecostumesandroomforthis;"TheVIPsarethekindofpeoplewhotakeotherpeople'slivesforentertainmentandtreatthemlikegamepiecesonachessboard,soIwantedtocreateapowerfulandinstinctivelookfortheroom."[62] Mostsetswereacombinationofpracticalsetsandchromakeybackgrounds.Forexample,intheGlassSteppingStonesscenes,theset,designedasifinacircustentfortheplayersperformingfortheVIPs,wasonly1.5metres(4.9 ft)offtheground,usingchromakeyscreenstosimulatetheheightinpost-production.Infilming,thiswasfarenoughfromthegroundtomaketheactorsnervous,whichcontributedtothescene.[63][62]Thetug-of-warsetwasactuallysetmorethan10metres(33 ft)offtheground,whichfurthercreatedanxietyforsomeoftheactorswithfearsofheights.[62] Therobotdollinthefirstepisode,"RedLight,GreenLight",wasinspiredbyYounghee,acharacterwhoappearedonthecoversofKoreantextbooksChul-sooandYoung-heeinthe1970sand1980s,[60]andherhairstylewasinspiredbyHwang'sdaughter's.[59][62]Thedollsingsongs,inKorean,"MugunghwaFlowerhasBlossomed",referringtothehibiscussyriacus,thenationalflowerofSouthKorea.[46]Theuseofthisfamiliarcharacterwasmeanttojuxtaposememoriesofchildhoodandunsettlingfearintheplayers,accordingtoChae.[62]Similarly,thesetforthedalgonagame,usinggiantpiecesofplaygroundequipment,weretoevokeplayers'memoriesoftheirchildhood,andwasacommonplacewhereKoreanchildrenwouldhaveplayeddalgonawithfriends.[62]Thedalgonausedin"TheManwiththeUmbrella"weremadebyastreetvendorfromDaehangno.[64] TheKoreanandEnglishlanguagetitlelogosincorporatedthecircle,triangleandsquareshapesintotheirdesign. Throughouttheseries,thetrioofcircle,triangle,andsquareshapesappearfrequentlyonthecardsgiventorecruitplayers,ontheguards'masks,andinsidetheshow'stitle.Theseareshapesassociatedwiththeplayingfieldforthechildren'sgameofSquid(Ojing-eo).Theyarealsousedtorepresentthehierarchyoftheguardswithinthecomplex.Followingfromthecomparisonwithanantcolony,theguardswithcirclesareconsideredtheworkers,trianglesasthesoldiers,andsquaresasthemanagers(seealso:Koreanhonorifics).Further,intheKoreanalphabet,Hangul,thecirclerepresentstheromanizedletter"O",thetrianglerepresentspartoftheletter"J",andthesquarerepresentstheletter"M";together,"OJM"aretheromanizedinitialsofOjing-eoGeim,theKoreantranslationofSquidGame.[65] JungJae-ilcomposedthescorefortheseries. Music JungJae-il,whohadpreviouslycomposedthesoundtrackforParasite,directedandcomposedSquidGame'sscore.[66]Topreventthescorefrombecomingboring,Jungaskedthehelpoftwoothercomposers:ParkMin-juandKimSung-soo,amusicdirectorformusicalswhousesthestagename"23"whenworkingasacomposer.[67] Twoclassicalmusicpiecesarealsousedthroughouttheshowaspartoftheroutinefortheplayers:thethirdmovementofJosephHaydn's"TrumpetConcerto"isusedtowaketheplayers,whileJohannStraussII's"TheBlueDanube"isusedtoindicatethestartofanewgame.[66]LudwigvanBeethoven's"FifthSymphony"isalsousedforbackgroundmusicintheVIPlounge.[66]Acoverof"FlyMetotheMoon",[h]arrangedbyJungandsungbyKoreanartistJooWonShin,wasusedoverthe"RedLight,GreenLight"gameofthefirstepisode;accordingtoJoo,Hwangwantedacontrastbetweenthebrutalkillingoftheplayersinthegameandthe"romanticandbeautifullyricsandmelody"ofthesong,suchthatthescene"embodiestheincreasinglypolarizedcapitalistsocietythatweliveintodayinaverycompressedandcynicalway".[68] Forthesong"WayBackThen"thataccompanieschildrenplayingSquidGame,Jungwantedtouseinstrumentsthathepracticedinelementaryschool,suchasrecordersandcastanets.[67]Therhythmofthesongisbasedona3-3-7clappingrhythmthatiscommonlyusedinSouthKoreatocheersomeoneon.[67]Therecorder,playedbyJunghimself,hadaslight"beep",whichwasunintentional.[69]Thesong"RoundVI"wasplayedbytheBudapestScoringOrchestra.[70] ThesoundtrackwasreleasedonSeptember17,2021.[71] SquidGameSoundtrackalbumReleasedSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17)GenreSoundtrackLength71:35LanguageKoreanEnglishLabelGenieMusicStoneMusicEntertainment SquidGametracklistingNo.TitleMusicArtistLength1."WayBackThen"JungJae-ilJungJae-il2:312."RoundI"JungJae-ilJungJae-il1:193."TheRopeIsTied"JungJae-ilJungJae-il3:184."PinkSoldiers"23230:385."HostageCrisis"23232:226."IRememberMyName"JungJae-il 3:137."Unfolded..."JungJae-il 2:388."NeedlesandDalgona"ParkMin-ju 3:449."TheFatandtheRats"ParkMin-ju 1:5210."ItHurtsSoBad"JungJae-il 1:1311."Delivery"23 4:5512."DeadEnd"23 5:2513."RoundVI"JungJae-il 5:5414."Wife,Husbandand4.56Billion"JungJae-il 4:2615."MurderWithoutViolence"ParkMin-ju 1:5316."SlaughterhouseIII"JungJae-il 8:1617."Owe"JungJae-il 2:2618."Uh..."JungJae-il 3:3819."Dawn"JungJae-il 6:4120."Let'sGoOutTonight"JungJae-il 3:2721."PoorBoy"JungJae-il 1:46Totallength:71:35 Marketing ApromotionaleventforSquidGameinShibuya. InthePhilippines,areplicaofthedollusedintheepisodeoneoftheserieswasexhibitedonOrtigasAvenueinQuezonCityinSeptember2021.[72] ASquidGamedollwasinstalledinOlympicPark,SeoulonOctober25,2021.[73]AreplicaofSquidGame'ssetwasexhibitedattheItaewonstationinSeoulsinceSeptember5,2021.[74][75]However,theexhibitwasprematurelyclosedduetoCOVID-19quarantineregulationconcerns.[76] ASquidGamepop-upstoreopenedinParisonOctober2and3,andapersoncouldwinafreeone-monthNetflixsubscriptioniftheymanagedtogettherightshapefromthedalgonainoneminuteand30seconds.[77][78] IntheNetherlands,NetflixhosteditsownSquidGamewherepeoplewereabletoplaythegameRedLight,GreenLightinbothMaastrichtandRotterdam.Areplicaofthedollwasexhibitedandstaffweredressedasguards.WinnerswereawardedwithSquidGamememorabilia.Theeventattractedhundredsofpeople.[79][80][81]Similareventsfeaturingreplicasofthedollhaveoccurredacrosstheworld,includingSydney[82]andtheUnitedKingdom.[83] InOctober2021,theHollywoodReporterinterviewedNetflixAsia'sexecutiveKimMinyoung,whosaidthatthecompanywaslookingintoapossiblevideogameadaptationoftheseries.[41] NetflixhaslicensedSquidGameformerchandising.AYoung-heevinylfigurewasreleasedinJanuary2022.[84]FunkoplanstoreleaseasetofSquidGamethemedFunkoPop!figurinesinMay2022.[85] Reception Criticalreception Theshowreceivedcriticalacclaim.[86]OnthereviewaggregatorRottenTomatoes,theserieshasanapprovalratingof94%basedon63reviews,withanaverageratingof8.20/10.Thewebsite'scriticsconsensusreads:"SquidGame'sunflinchingbrutalityisnotforthefaintofheart,butsharpsocialcommentaryandasurprisinglytendercorewillkeepviewersgluedtothescreen–evenifit'swhilewatchingbetweentheirfingers."[87]OnMetacritic,theserieshasaweightedaveragescoreof69outof100basedon13critics,indicating"generallyfavorablereviews".[88] JoelKellerofDecideropinedthattheconceptoftheshowwascreative.Whenwritingaboutthenarrative,hedescribeditas"atightnarrativeandastorythathasthepotentialtobetenseandexciting."Kellerconcluded,"STREAMIT.SquidGametakesafreshideaandspinsitintoathrillingdrama;wehopeitcontinuestobuildthetensionwesawinthelast20minutesthroughouttheseason."[89]PierceConranoftheSouthChinaMorningPostratedtheserieswith4.5outof5starsandwrote,"Overall,thisisstillasavagelyentertainingslamdunkfromNetflixKorea,whichislikelytobeembracedaroundtheworldasitspredecessorswere."[90]HidzirJunainiofNMEratedtheserieswith4outof5starsandopined,"Thematicintelligenceaside,SquidGameisalsoawhite-knucklewatch,thankstoitsvisceralcompetitionelement."[91]JohnDoyleofTheGlobeandMaildescribedtheseriesas"abrave,dark,ambitioustale,attimesmovingandattimesterrifying"andadded,"Itspowerisinitsunderstandingthatmoneyissurvival.ThisisnotsomedystopianfantasylikeHungerGames.Thisispresent-daylifeinallitscomplexawfulness."[92] KarlQuinnofTheAgedescribedtheseriesas"enormouslyderivative",butwrote:"therearetwotensionsthatelevateSquidGame.Oneiswithinthenarrative,wheretheprimacyoftheindividualisindirectcombatwiththenotionofcommunity,andwheretheillusionof"choice"justifiesallmannerofexploitation."[93]S.PoorvajaofTheHinduwrotethat"thenineepisodesmanagetoleaveitsviewershorrified,yetinvestedintheshow,thankstotherazor-sharpwritingandcompellingperformancesbyitsensemblecast."[94]AbhaShahoftheEveningStandardwrotethattheserieswas"tightlywritten,eachepisodepackedwithenoughpacetomakeittrulybingeworthy",andpraiseditsthemesasbeing"universallyengaging".[95]HugoRifkindofTheTimesdescribedpartsoftheseriesasbeing"glaciallyslow",butstatedthatitwas"definitelyinteresting",andwrote:"Behinditall,there'sanalmostLovecraftiansenseofhorror,todowithnormallivesbeingunliveable,andhuge,unknowablepowersinthebackgroundthatwillsmirkwhileyoudie."[96] WritingforTheNewYorkTimes,TVcriticMikeHalefoundSquidGametobean"utterlytraditional,andthoroughlypredictable ...melodrama"with"eye-catching"but"notespeciallyinteresting ...productiondesignandcostuming".Healsothoughttheseries'"pretenseofcontemporarysocialrelevance"failedtojustifyits"morethanmildlysickening"violence,andthoughtitscharacterswere"shallowassemblagesoffamilyandbattlefieldclichés".[97]DanielD'AddarioofVarietywrote:"LikeJoker,there'sahaving-it-both-waysinsistencethataculturethatcouldcreateviolenceisinherentlysickandderanged,whileplayingoutawildlyoverstatedversionofsickderangementinamannerdesignedtobemaximallytenseandamusing."[98] DuetothepopularityofSquidGame,Singapore'snationalnewspaperTheStraitsTimesnamedtheshow'sdirectorHwangasTheStraitsTimesAsianoftheYearinDecember2021.[99] Viewership TheseriesbecamethefirstKoreandramatotopNetflix'stoptenweeklymost-watchedTVshowchartsglobally.Itreachednumberonein94countries,includingtheUnitedStatesandtheUnitedKingdom.[100]NetflixestimatedthatSquidGamehaddrawnover111millionmemberhouseholdsworldwideafter17daysofavailability,[101][i]andover142millionmemberhouseholdsafter28days,[102]surpassingthe82millionthatBridgertonhadreceivedinitsfirst28daysinDecember2020,andbecomingtheservice'smost-watchedseriesatitslaunch.[103]AfterNetflixrevampeditspublishedmetricsofviewershipinNovember2021basedontotalhourswatchedoftheseries,SquidGameremainedthemost-watchedshowontheservice,withover1.65billionhourswithinitsfirst28dayscomparedtoBridgerton's625millionhours.[104]AlthoughNetflixisnotavailableinmainlandChina,piratedversionsofSquidGamehavebeenwidelycirculatedontheChineseInternet,makingtheshowapopulartopiconChinesesocialnetworkingsites.[105] OutsideofAsianregions,itspopularitywasdrivenprimarilythroughwordofmouthandviralspreadonsocialmedia.Vulturealsoclaimedthattheshow'swidespreadlocalization,withsubtitlesin37languagesanddubbedversionsin34languages,helpedtocaptureaninternationalaudience.[37]Hwangbelievedthatthepopularitywasdue"bytheironythathopelessgrownupsrisktheirlivestowinakids'game",aswellasthefamiliarityandsimplicityofthegamesthatallowedtheshowtofocusoncharacterization.[106]ThediversityofthecharactersthatplaytheSquidGame,drawingfromdifferentwalksoflower-andmiddle-classlife,alsohelpsdrawaudiencestowatchasmanycouldfindsympathyinoneormoreofthecharacters.[106] SquidGamehadnotbrokenintotheNielsenratingsforstreamingmediaonitsfirstweekofavailability,butfortheweekofSeptember20through26,2021,itwasthemost-viewedshowonstreamingservicesintheUnitedStates,withover1.9billionminuteswatched.[107]Itremainedthetop-viewedprogramonstreamingmediafromSeptember27toOctober3,2021,reachingover3.26billionminuteswatchedintheU.S.Theseratingsmadeitthemost-viewedstreamingprogramtodatein2021,andthesixthsuchprogramtoreachover3billionminuteswatchedinasingleweeksincetheintroductionofNielsen'sstreamingmediaratings.[108][j]ThisistheonlyrecordachievedinasingleseasonwithoutCOVID-19lockdowns.[109]SquidGameremainedthemost-watchedshowaccordingtoNielsenfortheweeksstartingOctober4and11,2021,[110][111]butwasoustedbyYouinthefollowingweek.[112]Forfourconsecutiveweeks,SquidGameremainedasthemostwatchedseriesonTVtrackingserviceTVTime,whereitalsobecamethemostfollowedKoreanseriestodate.[113]OnYouTube,SquidGamerelatedcontentgenerated17billionviewswithineightweeks,thehighestforatelevisionshow,surpassingtheviewershipgeneratedbyGameofThronesrelatedcontentintenyears.[114]NielsenreportedthatSquidGamewasthesecond-mostwatchedoriginalseriesintheUnitedStatesonstreamingservicesforallof2021,followingLucifier.[115] AccordingtoBloombergNews,byOctober2021,NetflixestimatedthatSquidGamehadgeneratednearlyUS$900millioninvaluebasedonextendedviewerdata;[116]itcost$21.4milliontoproduce.[117]DuetoSquidGame'ssurprisingsuccessforNetflix,operatorsofotherstreamingserviceswithoriginalcontent,suchasDisney+,Paramount+andAppleTV+,havebegunlookingtofollowNetflix'smodelofdiscoveringregionalcontentbeyondHollywoodandfindingsimilarlysuccessfulworksfortheirplatforms,withoneexecutivecallingthisanareaof"unlimitedpotential".[118]BesidesbringingnewideasandveeringfromcommonthemesoftypicalHollywoodproductions,suchforeignproductionsaretypicallylessexpensivetomake,withtaxbreaksorincentivesbythehostcountryforfilmingandproduction.[119]Severalproducersofnon-USTVseries,whohadlittleluckinpitchingtheirshowstoUS-basedstreamingservicesinthepast,werehopefulthattheseserviceswouldnowseriouslyconsidertheirworksasaresultofSquidGame'ssuccess.[118] Accolades Mainarticle:ListofawardsandnominationsreceivedbySquidGame OYeong-su'sGoldenGlobewinmadehimthefirstKorean-bornactortowintheaward.Theshow'sfourSAGAwardnominationsalsomadehistoryinitbecomingthefirstnon-EnglishseriesandfirstKoreanseriestobenominatedforOutstandingPerformancebyanEnsembleinaDramaSeries.Individually,LeeJung-jaebecamethefirstmaleactorfromAsiaandKoreatoreceiveanindividualSAGAwardnominationandHoYeonJungbecamethesecondactressofAsianaswellasKoreandescenttodothesame.[120]Withbothperformerswinning,theshowmadehistoryinbecomingthefirstnon-EnglishlanguagetelevisionseriestowinattheSAGAwards. Publicresponseandimpact Peoplecosplayingasguardsfromtheseries. CosplayofSquidGameplayersforHalloweeninTokyo,2021 SquidGamewasconsideredoneofthelatestexamplesoftheKoreanwave,thegrowingtrendofpopularSouthKoreanmediatogaininternationalattentionsincethelate2010s,similartopopularKoreanpopbandslikeBTSandKoreandramasandfilmslikeParasite.SuchworkshaddrawnmoreattentionduetostreamingserviceslikeNetflixandYouTubemakingSouthKoreancontent,traditionallycontrolledbythecountry'snationalbroadcasters,availableacrosstheglobe.Further,accordingtoChoeSang-HunofTheNewYorkTimes,SouthKoreancreatorshaveawayoftakingideasfromforeignworksandapplyingtheirownculturalspinonitthatdrawsinmoreaudiences.[121] WhilealloftheactorssawincreasesinfollowersontheirsocialmediaaccountsintheweeksafterSquidGamepremiered,HoYeonJungsawoneofthelargestincreases,goingfromabout400,000toover13millionfollowersinthreeweeksafterSquidGamepremiered,[122]andreachingover23.5millionbyNovember2021.[123]InOctober2021,thefashionbrandLouisVuittonannouncedJungastheirnewglobalambassadorforfashion,watches,andjewelry;creativedirectorNicolasGhesquièresaidhe"immediatelyfellinlovewithJung'sgreattalentandfantasticpersonality"fromherperformanceonSquidGame.[124]OYeong-su,whohadamodestcareerinKoreantheaterandfilmpriortoSquidGame,wassurprisedbyhisnewfoundfamefollowingtheshow,makinghimfeellikehewas"floatingonair".Lackingacastingagent,hehadtoturntohelpfromhisdaughtertohandlethevolumeofcallsaskinghimtoappearinvariousroles.[125]SeveralmajortalentagenciessoughttosignHwangandtheleadactorsofSquidGameinthemonthsafteritsdebut,withJungbeingthefirsttosignonwithCreativeArtistsAgencybymid-November2021.[123] InSouthKorea,thepopularityofSquidGameledtoasurgeofnetworktrafficwhichcausedSKBroadbandtofilealawsuitagainstNetflix,seekingmonetarydamagestopayforincreasedbroadbandusageandmaintenancecostsassociatedwiththeprogram.[126]Oneofthephonenumbersusedintheshowbelongedtoaprivateresidentwhoreportedreceivingupto4,000callseachdayfrompeople,severalofwhomdesiredtoplayareal-lifeversionofthegame;[127]Netflixstatedtheywouldedittheshowtoremovethenumber.[128] Vendorsofdalgona,thehoneycombcandyfeaturedinthesecondgame,bothwithinKoreaandinternationallyfoundasignificantincreaseinsalesaftertheshow'srelease.[129][130]Everydayclothingitemsmatchingthosewornintheshowsawlargegrowthsinsalesintheweeksaftertheshow'sinitialbroadcast,suchasVansslip-onshoeswhichspikedby7,800%.VarietyattributedthissalesincreaseinparttopreparationforHalloweencostumesinspiredbytheshow.[131][132][133]Vendorsofothercostumepropsthatmirroredthoseintheshow,suchastheguards'masks,alsosawsalesspikesinadvanceofHalloweenfollowingtheshow'spremiere.[134]ThegarmentindustryinSouthKoreasawabriefresurgenceasdemandforgreentracksuitsbasedontheshowgrew.[135] NetflixclaimedthatSquidGamehad"piercedtheculturalzeitgeist"andbecameapopularInternetmeme,withover42billionviewsofvideosrelatedtoSquidGameinthefirstmonthafterbroadcast.[102]AnalyticsfirmVobilestatedthatbyNovember2021,viewsofSquidGame-relatedvideosonYouTubehadsurpassed17billionviews,surpassingthatforGameofThrones.[136]OnOctober16,2021,anepisodeoftheAmericanlate-nightlivetelevisionsketchcomedyandvarietyshowSaturdayNightLive,featuringguesthostRamiMalekandcastmemberPeteDavidson,parodiedSquidGamebysingingacountrysongabouttheseries.AsofNovember5,2021,thesonghasover9.6millionviewsonSaturdayNightLive'sYouTubechannel.[137][138]InNovember2021,AmericanYouTuberJimmyDonaldsonakaMrBeastrecreatedSquidGameinreallifewith456peoplecompetinginsimilarbutnon-lethalgamesastheshowfora$456,000cashprize.[139]Thevideodrewmorethan137.9millionviewsasofDecember2,2021,makingitoneofthemost-watchedYouTubevideosof2021.[140]SeriescreatorHwanghasreactedpositivelytotherecreationsandparodies.[141]GooglereportedthatSquidGamewasthemost-searchedtelevisionshowonsearchenginein2021,[142]whileTwittersaidthatSquidGamewasthemost-tweetedabouttelevisionshowof2021.[143] Shortlyaftertheshow'srelease,usersofsocialmediaadaptedsomeofthegamesfeaturedinSquidGameasInternetchallenges,includingthefirst"RedLight,GreenLight"gameandthesecondhoneycombcookiegame.[144]Usersofvideogamessupportinguser-createdcontent,suchasRoblox,FortniteCreative,andGrandTheftAutoOnline,creatednumerousgameswithinthesesystemsthatwerebasedononeormoreoftheSquidGamechallenges.[145][146][147]AvideogamenamedCrabGamewasalsocreatedinresponsetoSquidGame'spopularity.[148]Somegroupsalsoworkedtoorganizesafe,mockSquidGameeventsforfansoftheshow.[149][150]Concernshavebeenraisedaboutchildren'sexposuretoSquidGamefromeitherwatchingitorthroughitsviralpopularity,asitisconsideredtohaveahighlevelofviolenceforthatagegroup.[151]AnumberofschoolsaroundtheUnitedKingdomobservedthatdespitetheshowbeingaimedatmatureaudiences,youngchildrenwereemulatingsomeofthegamesfromSquidGameduringschoolrecess,andwarnedparentsabouttheseactivities.[152]ParentsandschoolboardsinQuebec,CanadaandintheFayetteville-ManliusCentralSchoolDistrictofNewYorkhavealsoobservedyoungchildrenemulatinggamesfromSquidGameandtakenstepssuchaswarningparentsandbanningsuchactivitiesfromschoolgrounds.[153][154] ChineseonlinevideoplatformYoukuannouncedplansinOctober2021tolaunchtheshowSquidVictory(鱿鱼的胜利,YóuyúdeShènglì)in2022.Theupcomingshow,initiallynamedVictoryofSquid,washeavilycriticizedbyChinesenetizensafteritwasdiscoveredthatithadplagiarizedtheplotandthemesofSquidGame.Afterfacingcriticism,thecompanyapologizedandstatedthattheshow'sposterandthetitlewereabandoned.Youkulatersharedanewposterandannouncedthattheshow'snamehasbeenchangedtoGame'sVictory.[155][156][157] SquidGamehasbeenaccusedofplagiarizingthe2014JapanesemovieAstheGodsWill,asbothinvolvechildren'sgameswherethepenaltyforlosingisdeath.However,writer-directorHwangDong-hyukclaimedhewroteSquidGame'sscriptin2009(5yearsbeforeAstheGodsWillwasreleased),saying"thesimilaritiesthatwerepointedoutarepurelycoincidentalandthereisnocopyingfromeitherparty."[158] Theshowwasusedasthebasisforanunaffiliatedshort-livedcryptocurrencyscamnamedSQUIDwhichhadstartedtradinginlateOctober2021.ThecurrencywaspoisedtobeusedeventuallytobackasiteforonlinegameswhereplayerwouldbuytokenstoplayingamesinspiredbySquidGame,withthosebuyingthecurrencyhelpingtosupporttheinvestmentofthesite,withthecurrency'svaluetoincreaseasmoreplayersusedthesite.Thecurrencyhaddrawnenoughbuyerstoincreaseinvaluebyover2,300%withinadayoftrading,butnewsorganizationsliketheBBCidentifiedthattheschemeappearstobea"rugpull"scamduetoseveralredflagsintheproposition.[159]ByNovember1,2021,thebackersofthecurrencycompletelypulledout,crashingthecurrencyandeffectivelymakingoffwith$2.1million.[160] YouTuberandmemberoftheYogscastnetworkLydiaEllery,whohadusedthehandles"SquidGame"and"SquidGaming"for11years,wasrefusedworkbecauseofherhandle'sperceivedassociationwiththeshow.ShehasalsobeensubjecttoharassmentbyfansofSquidGamewho"thought[she]tooktheaccountfromtheshow.",withsomefansattemptingtohackintoheraccounts.[161] Themesandanalysis Capitalismandeconomicdisparity HwangwroteSquidGamebasedonhisownpersonalexperiencesandobservationsofcapitalismandeconomicclassstruggleswithinSouthKorea.[34]Hwangalsoconsideredthathisscriptwastargetedtowardsglobalissuesregardingcapitalism,stating,"IwantedtocreatesomethingthatwouldresonatenotjustforKoreanpeoplebutglobally.Thiswasmydream."and"Idobelievethattheoverallglobaleconomicorderisunequalandthataround90%ofthepeoplebelievethatit'sunfair.Duringthepandemic,poorercountriescan'tgettheirpeoplevaccinated.They'recontractingvirusesonthestreetsandevendying.SoIdidtrytoconveyamessageaboutmoderncapitalism.AsIsaid,it'snotprofound."[27] Commentatorsagreedthatthesethemesappliedtocapitalismacrosstheglobetoday.[92][162][163][164][165]TheGuardian'sNemoKimandJustinMcCurrydescribethatthesituationthatmanyoftheplayersinSquidGameleadingtotheirdebtreflectstherealityoftheSouthKoreanpersonaldebtcrisis,whichhadexceeded100%ofthecountry'sgrossdomesticproductatthetimetheshowfirstbroadcast.Risingdebthadledtothegovernmentplacingrestrictionsonborrowingpracticestotrytopreventpeoplefromfallingfurtherindebt,butthisitselfhadtheimpactofmakingotherborrowersfindingthemselvesunabletopaybackloanswithouttakingouthigher-interestloans,creatingarapidcascadingeffect.[166]ManyKoreansinthesesituations,oftennamedasthe"dirtspoon"class,turntoriskypropositions,suchashigh-riskinvestments,cryptocurrency,orgambling,anticipatingabigpayoffbutendupfurtherindebtandexacerbatingtheproblem,accordingtoTheAssociatedPress'sKimTong-Hyung.[167][168]Theuseoftrainingbokoutfitsfortheplayerswassaidtoalludetotheirconnotationwithbaeksu,roughlytranslatedas"whitehands",peoplethathavenotbeenabletogainfinancialindependenceanddiscriminatedbysocietyastheyoftenspendtheirdaysidleanddoingnowork,accordingtoIndianaUniversityprofessorJooyoungShin.[61] BrianLowryofCNNwrotethattheseries"presentsavisuallyarrestingvariationonthemesseenplentyoftimesbefore,whichincludetappingintotheclassdivide–andtherichessentiallypreyingonthepooranddestitute–atamomentwhentheaudiencemightbemorereceptivetothatmessage."[169]HenryWongofTheGuardiancomparedtheshowfavorablytothe2019SouthKoreanfilmParasite,andsaidthattheshowusedthe"present-day,veryrealwealthinequality"inSouthKoreaasabackdroptokeeptheviewerinterestedinitscharacters.[170]CaitlynClarkofAmericansocialistmagazineJacobinalsocomparedtheseriesfavorablytoParasiteandsaidthatit"shredsthecapitalistmyththathardworkguaranteesprosperity".[171]MelanieMcFarlandoftheAmericanliberalwebsiteSalon.comdescribedtheseriesas"anexcellentdistillationofhowpredatorycapitalismworks."[172]E.TammyKimofAmericanprogressivemagazineTheNationwrote:"SquidGameisnotasubtleshow,eitherinitspoliticsorplot.Capitalismisbloodyandmeanandrelentless;ityells."[162]MorganOmeofTheAtlanticwrotethattheseries"fitsintoacategoryofSouthKoreanworksthatgrapplewitheconomicanxietiesandclassstruggles,whicharerootedinthecountry'sconcernsbutresonateglobally",addingthatit"indictstherichforpropagatingafalsesenseofupwardmobilityandthepoorforbuyingintoit."[173] ZachWeissmuellerofReasonarguedagainstananti-capitalistinterpretationoftheseries,sayingthat"SquidGameisn'treallyaboutcapitalism,properlyunderstood.It'saboutdevelopingstrategiesforunderminingandresistingauthoritariancontrolandretainingyourhumanityunderasystemdesignedtostripitallaway."[174] Astheserieswasintroducedaheadofthe2022SouthKoreanpresidentialelection,severalofthecandidatesbeganusingsomeoftheSquidGameimageryintheirpoliticaladsandchallengingopponentstosimilargames,[35]aswellasusingthethemesoftheseriesrelatedtoeconomicdisparityaspartoftheirpoliticalplatform.[175]TheKoreanConfederationofTradeUnionsusedoutfitsandimagerybasedonSquidGameaspartofitsmessaginganddemonstrationsagainstthecurrenteconomicdisparityinSouthKorea.[176]Closertotheelection,thecampaignhadbecomedrownedinmoremudslinging,withthevariouscandidatescallingoutothersthroughinsultingnamesandassertingthatthosethatlostwouldbesenttojail,andasaresult,thecampaignperiodbecameknownasthe"SquidGameCampaign".[177]ANorthKoreanstate-runwebsite,'ArirangMeari',usedSquidGametocriticallymocktheeconomicsituationinSouthKorea,sayingthatitexposesthe"beastly"natureofthe"SouthKoreancapitalistsocietywheremankindisannihilatedbyextremecompetition,"anddescribesSouthKoreaasacountrywhere"corruptionandimmoralscoundrelsarecommonplace".[178][179]AdiplomaticcableoftheUnitedStatesDepartmentofStatesaid,"Attheheartoftheshow'sdarkstoryisthefrustrationfeltbytheaverageKorean,andparticularlyKoreanyouth,whostruggletofindemployment,marriage,orupwardmobility—provingthatgrimeconomicprospectsareindeedatthecenterofKoreansociety'swoes."[180] Othercommentary SeveraljournalistsobservedthatSquidGameeffectivelyusedforeshadowinginalludingtothedeathsofthemajorcharactersandotherelementsoftheseries.[181]Forexample,Ali(Player199)isshowninthesecondepisodetobetrickedbyhisemployeroutofhiswages,whilehisdeathcomesafterheistrickedintogivingSang-woohismarblesinthesixthepisode.Similarly,thegangsterDeok-su(Player101)evadesaset-upbyhisunderlingsinthesecondepisodebydivingoffabridge,whilehisdeathingamecomesfromtheseventhepisodeSteppingStonesgamewhenpulledtohisdeathfromtheglassbridgebyMi-nyeo.[182]Sae-byeokhasascaronherneckandholdsaknifetotheneckofthemanwhoswindledheroutofhermoney;laterherthroatisslitbySang-woo.[183]SeveraladditionalscenesinearlyepisodesalsoweresaidtohavehintedtowardsIl-nam(Player001)beingspecialandnotjustanormalplayerofthegame,includingbeingtheonlyoldpersonamongtheplayers,havingthe"001"playeridentification,andkeenawarenessofallthegamessincetheywereofhisdesign.[184] Theseriesdrewsomecriticismforitssimilaritytothe2014JapanesefilmAstheGodsWill.Likethemangauponwhichthefilmwasbased,SquidGamefeaturesdangerousversionsofchildren'sgamessuchasDaruma-sangakoronda,theJapaneseversionofRedLight,GreenLight.Respondingtoallegationsofplagiarism,directorHwangDong-hyukstatedthathehadbeenworkingonthescriptsinceatleast2008andthatsimilaritiesbetweenthetwofilms,ofwhichhehadbeenmadeawareduringtheprocessoffilming,werecoincidental.[185][186]HeacknowledgedthathehadbeeninspiredbyJapanesecomicsandanimation,includingBattleRoyaleandLiarGame.[34] SomebilingualviewershavedebatedthequalityofNetflix'stranslations,observingthattheEnglishclosedcaptioning,whichwasbasedontheEnglishdub,changedthemeaningofsomedialoguewhencomparedtotheoriginalKorean.BilingualperformersfortheEnglishdubacknowledgedthatthereweresometranslationissues,andnotedthatthistypeofworkischallengingduetolimitationsonhowcaptioningcanbepresentedtoviewers.[187]JinhyunCho,aseniorlecturerintranslationatMacquarieUniversity,statedthatparticularlyintheKoreanlanguage,therearewordsthatare"untranslatable"suchasaegyo,aswellashonorificsusedinKoreanculture.Becauseon-screentranslationsarelimitedtoasmallspace,thereisnoroomfortranslatorstoprovidethenecessarycontextforthesewords,andthustheyareoftenleftoutoroverlysimplified,frequentlysointhecaseofSquidGame.ChogavetheexampleofSang-wooaskingAlitocallhimhyung,aKoreanhonorifictermusedtorefertooneasanolderbrotheroranoldertrustedfriend,ratherthanthemoreformalsajang-nim(companypresident)thatAlihadbeenusingsincetheyfirstmet.However,duetothecomplexitiesofthemeaningofhyung,theEnglishtranslationsimplified"Callmehyung"tojust"callmeSang-woo",losingtheimplicationofthisrequest.[188]ThequalityofthesubtitlesofSquidGameopeneddebateaboutNetflix,andotherserviceslookingtoexpandtheirlibrarieswithinternationalworks,togivemoreefforttothesubtitlesandclosedcaptioningqualityinordertobettercapturemeaningoftheoriginallanguage.[189] Theshowreceivedsomecriticismforitsportrayalofwomen.[190][191]Haeil,afeministorganisationinKorea,saidthattheshowwas"neitherarepresentationnoracriticismoftherealityofanti-feminisminKorea"andthatitdemonstratedan"exclusivelymalegaze."[192]TheshowwasalsofoundtohighlighthowmigrantworkersfromotherAsiancountries(inthecaseofAli'scharacterbeingfromPakistan)aretreatedandattimesexploitedassecond-classcitizenswithinSouthKorea,thoughsomefoundAli'scharactertobetoonaïvetotherealitiesofthesituationandacaricatureofsuchmigrantworkerswithinthecountry.[193][194] Sequelandrelatedworks Duetothestressofwritingandproducingthefirstseriesofnineepisodeshimself,HwanginitiallyhadnoimmediateplanstowriteasequeltoSquidGame.Hedidnothavewell-developedplansforafollow-upstoryandsaidthatifheweretowriteone,hewouldlikelyneedastaffofwritersanddirectorstohelphim.[34]Withtheimmensepopularityoftheshow,Hwanglateropinedaboutthepossibilityofasecondseason,tellingCNN"There'snothingconfirmedatthemoment,butsomanypeopleareenthusiasticthatI'mreallycontemplatingit."[43]HwangsaidinaninterviewwithTheTimesthatasecondseasonmayfocusmoreonthestoryoftheFrontManaswellasincorporatingmoreaboutthepolice.Hwangsaid"IthinktheissuewithpoliceofficersisnotjustanissueinKorea.Iseeitontheglobalnewsthatthepoliceforcecanbeverylateinactingonthings—therearemorevictimsorasituationgetsworsebecauseofthemnotactingfastenough.ThiswasanissuethatIwantedtoraise."[195]HeaddedhealsowantedtoexploretherelationshipbetweenthecrypticFrontManandhispolicemanbrotherHwangJun-ho,aswellasthebackgroundofthesalesmancharacter(portrayedbyGongYooincameo).[196] InlateOctober2021,HwangstatedhewasindiscussionswithNetflixregardingasequel;[27]hefurtherstatedheandNetflixwerealsoindiscussionsforathirdseasoninDecember2021.[197]HwangwantedtoproduceanotherfilmfirstaswellaslookingtosecureacontractwithNetflixtoshowadditionalfilmshemaycreatealongsideanyfurtherSquidGameseasons,astoavoidbecomingknownonlyforbeingtheSquidGamecreator.[27]HwangconfirmedthathehadbegunconceptualizationworkonasecondseasonduringapresseventinNovember2021,withplanstobringbackLeeJung-jaetoreprisehisroleofGi-hun.[198]NetflixstatedinresponsetoHwang'scommentsthattheyhadnotyetofficiallygreenlitasecondseason,butwereindiscussionswithHwangtowardsone.[199]DuringanearningscallinJanuary2022,Netflix'sSarandossaidwhenaskedaboutasecondseason"Absolutely...theSquidGameuniversehasjustbegun."[200][201][202]HwangsaidinApril2022thathepresentlywasworkingonKillingOldPeopleClub,anadaptionofaworkcalled"PapeSatanAleppe:ChroniclesofaLiquidSocietybyUmbertoEco(Korean:미친세상을이해하는척하는방법;"Thewaytopretendtounderstandthecrazyworld"),andanticipatedthatthesecondseasonofSquidGamewouldbecompletedandbroadcastby2024.[203]NetflixconfirmedthatthesecondseasonwasgreenlitinJune2022.[204][205]HwangconfirmedthatthecharactersofGi-hunandtheFrontManwillreturnforthesecondseason,andwillintroduceCheol-su,Young-hee'sboyfriend.[206][204] HwangalsohadworkedwithNetflixtocreateamockumentaryinspiredbySquidGame'ssuccess,currentlytitledTheBestShowonthePlanet.HwangsaidthecomedywasbasedonhisownpersonalexperienceofbeingpushingintothespotlightduetotherapidsuccessofSquidGame.[207] Netflixannouncedarealitycompetitionseries,SquidGame:TheChallenge,inJune2022alongwithanopencastingcall.Theten-episodeserieswillsee456playerscompetingforaUS$4.56millioncashprize,withchallengesbasedonthoseintheshow.[208] Seealso Battleroyal Notes ^Atthetimeofbroadcast,₩45.6billionwasapproximatelyUS$38millionor€33million. ^InaninterviewwithVanityFair,Hwangrevealedtheoriginalnumberofparticipantsforthegameintheoriginalscriptwasaround1000,buthelaterreducedthenumbersduetobudgetissues.TheamountoftotalprizemoneyfortheshowwassetsimilartothelargestamountofprizemoneyevergivenforlotteriesinSouthKorea.Gi-hunwasallocatedthelastnumber,456,toreflecthissocialstatusintheshow.[3] ^HwangDong-Hyuksaidthenumberwasactuallyapunusingthefactthat218inKoreanispronouncedinthesamewayastheKoreanswearword"ssibal"(씨발).[3] ^lit.Thedayhibiscusbloomed.TheEnglishtitlereferencesthegameRedLight,GreenLight.TheKoreantitlereferencestheKoreanversionofthegame. ^Thetitleisareferencetothe1924Koreannovelwiththesamenamethattellsthestoryofarickshawmaninitiallybeinghappyearningalotofmoneyfromhavingalotofcustomersonarainyday,andthrilledtobuyhiswifesomesoup,onlytofindhiswifedeadinherhouse.[26] ^FollowingthebankruptcyofLehmanBrothersinSeptember2008andaspartofthefinancialcrisisof2007–2008,banksinSouthKoreahadtriedtohelpprovideexternalinvestmentstostabilizeforeigncurrencyrates.Asthecrisisworsenedinto2009,thesestabilizationattemptshadfailed,causingareversingofmoneyfromthecountry,andforcingbankstodrasticallyincreaseinterestratesandseekhigh-riskshort-termloansmadetocitizenstotrytorecover.[29] ^"Bluepaper,redpaper",alsoknownbyitsJapanesename"Akai-Kami-Aoi-Kami",isanurbanlegendthatstartedfromjapanthatwaslaterspreadtoSouthKorea.Thelegendisaboutaghostthathauntsthetoiletsandisknowntoaskthequestion,"Doyouwantbluetoiletpaperorredtoiletpaper?".Eitheroptionwillresultinthedeathoftheperson.UnliketheKoreanversions,theghostoftheJapanesestoryhasanamecalled"AkaManto". ^Hwangrevealedthatthemusicfiguresusedfortheprojectweretheonesinthegasstationwherehewrotethescript,andthattheywereplaying"FlyMetotheMoon",andthisiswhyheusedthemusicfortheshow.[3] ^One"viewer"isdefinedbyNetflixasasubscriberhavingviewedanyportionofaworklongerthantwominutes.[101] ^Theotherfiveprogramsthathadreached3billionminutesviewedinaweekareYou,TigerKing,Ozark,TheUmbrellaAcademyandTheCrown,allNetflixseries.[108] References ^"SquidGame:thesmash-hitSouthKoreanhorrorisaperfectfitforourdystopianmood".theGuardian.September30,2021.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonOctober26,2021.RetrievedOctober27,2021. 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^JangAh-reum(June2,2020)."[단독]위하준,넷플릭스오리지널'오징어게임'합류...이정재와호흡"[[Exclusive]Ha-JunWijoinsNetflix'soriginal'SquidGame'...BreathingwithLeeJung-jae](inKorean).News1.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonSeptember29,2021.RetrievedSeptember29,2021–viaNaver. ^KimHyun-rok(June2,2020)."[단독]톱모델정호연,'오징어게임'여주인공...본격연기데뷔"[[Exclusive]TopmodelJeongHo-yeon,thefemaleleadin'SquidGame'...full-fledgedactingdebut](inKorean).SpoTVNews.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonOctober3,2021.RetrievedSeptember29,2021–viaNaver. ^abKimYu-jin(August26,2021)."'오징어게임'오영수·위하준→허성태·김주령,목숨건'일촉즉발'서바이벌참가"['SquidGame'OhYoung-soo,WiHa-joon→HeoSeong-tae,KimJoo-ryungparticipateinthelife-threatening'one-touch'survival](inKorean).X-sportsNews.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonSeptember29,2021.RetrievedSeptember29,2021–viaNaver. ^Jang,Ah-reum(June2,2020)."[단독]허성태,넷플릭스'오징어게임'합류...대세신스틸러행보ing"[[Exclusive]SeongtaeHeojoinsNetflix's'SquidGame'...Trendingscenestealer](inKorean).News1.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonSeptember29,2021.RetrievedSeptember29,2021–viaNaver. 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Externallinks SquidGameonNetflix SquidGameatIMDb SquidGameatRottenTomatoes SquidGameatHanCinema SquidGameatDaum(inKorean) vteSquidGameCreatedbyHwangDong-hyukGames Ddakji RedLight,GreenLight SugarHoneycombs Tugofwar Marbles GlassBridge Squid Relatedmedia Listofcharacters CrabGame AwardsforSquidGame vteGothamIndependentFilmAwardforBreakthroughSeries–LongForm Mr.Robot(2015) CrazyEx-Girlfriend(2016) Atlanta(2017) KillingEve(2018) WhenTheySeeUs(2019) Watchmen(2020) SquidGame(2021) vteSatelliteAwardforBestTelevisionSeries–Drama TheX-Files(1996) NYPDBlue(1997) Oz(1998) TheWestWing(1999) TheWestWing(2000) 24(2001) CSI:CrimeSceneInvestigation(2002) TheShield(2003) Nip/Tuck(2004) House(2005) House(2006) Dexter(2007) Dexter(2008) BreakingBad(2009) BreakingBad(2010) Justified(2011) Homeland(2012) BreakingBad(2013) TheKnick(2014) BetterCallSaul(2015) TheCrown(2016) Vikings(2017) Homecoming(2018) Succession(2019) BetterCallSaul(2020) SquidGame(2021) vteScreenActorsGuildAwardforOutstandingPerformancebyaStuntEnsembleinaTelevisionSeries 24,season6(2007) Heroes,season3,partI(2008) 24,season7(2009) TrueBlood,season3(2010) GameofThrones,season1(2011) GameofThrones,season2(2012) GameofThrones,season3(2013) GameofThrones,season4(2014) GameofThrones,season5(2015) GameofThrones,season6(2016) GameofThrones,season7(2017) GLOW,season2(2018) GameofThrones,season8(2019) TheMandalorian,season2(2020) SquidGame,season1(2021) vteNetflixoriginalcurrentseriesSince2015 Chef'sTable MasterofNone Since2016 TheCrown Elmarginal StrangerThings WordParty Since2017 TheKindnessDiaries BigMouth Since2018Live-actionEnglish TheNewLegendsofMonkey Other Elite LuisMiguel:TheSeries Perfume Non-fiction CarMasters:RusttoRiches Dogs Haunted MagicforHumans MyNextGuestNeedsNoIntroduction... 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