Jocul Calamarului (2021)

Absolutely recommend this show

This show was amazing but sad we lost Byeok near the end and it does show that people will do anything for money even if it involves death and playing games, not only this but it also shows how close people become near the end and it made me cry to see Ji Yeong sacrifice herself to Byeok in the marble game and for Byeok to get stabbed by Sang Woo. Yeah it might be bloody and gory, but it was amazing and I cannot wait for season 2 and hope we get to see the actress for Byeok but maybe she plays a new character and also the actress for Ji Yeong too please, I knew it was a popular show and my mum never allowed me to watch it until I watched it secretly on KissAsian website, now I don't regret watching it because I loved it.

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Gripping Story & Compelling Characters

All hail the show that first got me interested in k-dramas!

❤ If you're looking for an action-packed story with a grim dark setting, you've come to the right place. Squid Games is not for the feint of heart - it's gruesome, visceral, and haunting with lots of on-screen violence and gore.

❤ OMG, the characters were utterly unforgettable. Some will break your heart; some will betray you; and some will make you want to scream and laugh all at the same time. The characters are multi-faceted with understandable motives. It can be quite unnerving to understand why a character is acting a certain way even as their actions put others in dangerous or perilously situations.

❤ All of the actors gave powerhouse performances, but I have to give an extra amount of credit to Lee Jung Jae as Seong Gi Hoon. I disliked him so much during the first episode, but he somehow managed to turn me into his fan by the end of the series.

❤ The setting, music, and general vibe was atmospheric and haunting. No expense was spared on the production, and it showed. It had such a polished look and feel as to make everything feel very, very real.

❤ This has a lot of social commentary looking at the problems and challenges people face in a society that has pretty much ignored or cast them off. It certainly is thought provoking.

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A legacy of its own

Squid Game is among the best series to come out. This is an ode to not only the fantastic storyline but to also the uniqueness of it. Thrillers often blur the line of society as a complex and evolve to become just hollow spheres of action and melodrama which happens with a lot of mainstream world class production level thrillers.

Squid Game with its rootedness in the idea of childhood games evolved into the run for money as a rat race tells a story that will transcend the boundaries of psyche and human nature. It answers and tells a story that will forever remain attached to its viewers. Watching the series is a difficult task with its triggers but it is also thrilling and not possible to be left midway with how addicting it is.

Flawed yet fulfilling characters, storylines for each of them that take place in varied senses, the emotive value of it, all of it is masterfully done.

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Overrated doesn’t mean it is bad

It is overrated and overhyped but overrated and overhyped doesn’t mean it is bad. It is actually good and more than just good. Then, in my personal opinion it is far to be the best series or concept ever made and flaws in the plot and directing process can be spotted.

Tho the top review to me shares a very pertinent sum up of the series with their pros and cons. Even if reviews are always subjective, this one gives I think a very unbiased idea of how good and how bad it is.

I have nothing more to add truly but review length must meet a certain number of words.

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best series

I stayed up all night watching it and I'm a little groggy now. The movie is roughly sixteen-years long, but well worth it! It's a twisty psychological-thriller and black-comedy that keeps you guessing as to what will happen next. Chan Wook-Park keeps the momentum going with his breath-taking cinematography, shocking twists and gleefully black humor. I watched it until well after midnight and had no idea how much time had passed until it was over whereupon I collapsed on my bed only then realizing how sleepy I was. I didn't noticed at any point during the movie. Thanks again, Mr. Park for blessing us movie fans with your mad genius!

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So good..but so many questions!

Having watched one episode of Alice in Borderland and not watching that again, Squid Game hooked me in with the interesting plot of debt, desperateness, and weird masked people in suits.

The more you watch, the more hooked you will get. Each episode has different games, in addition to new discoveries. I never had a drama that had me cry this hard before, but this one did it. You also really need to analyze every scene as the director/writer/whoever planted a lot of tiny details in this, which is amazing.

The big letdown for me was definitely the last episode. Ending an amazing show is tough. I didn't expect a happy ending, but I expected a better last episode that answered some questions. So much is still left unanswered, and the ending didn't really hook me in like "Hey, watch season 2 to find out!"

Still a good show, and worth the hype. Every actor did an amazing job.

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My thoughts on Squid Game

This drama started out really strong. I was definitely gripped by the first episode but then it kind of got boring.

•My favourite game was obviously Red Light, Green Light, although that giant doll was the most creepiest thing for me to witness. I also enjoyed watching the one where they had to step on the correct piece of glass.
•The honeycomb challenge was disgusting - all that sweat and licking was ew!
•The marble game was boring and the tug of war game made me too tense. I didn't like to see them dangling on the rope waiting to fall to their death. It was better in the glass game because it was more instant rather than dragging it out.

I was a bit upset when Sae-byeok died, but we know she had to go as the main guy was obviously going to win. That's the thing I don't like about these shows, is when you know that the main lead has to get through the challenges, needless to say I was never worried about him.

The old man was weird and the ending confused me.

It would be good to know why the 'triangles', 'squares', and 'circles' were all in on it. Which reminds me - I loved the scene where Mi-nyeo really needed the bathroom (aka her cigarette) and she said to the triangle that she wanted to see their superior i.e. the square, and then out popped its head. The only funny part of the show in my opinion.

I can only give the acting a 9.0 because the Americans were so terrible. Their acting really brought down the overall production quality of the show.

The music was creepy which was fitting so I thought that was good.

In the end it just fizzled out into nothing really. A guy won a ton of money because he got through challenges whilst everyone else died. What happened with his daughter? Like we need answers but weren't given any.

If there was a second season I really doubt I'd bother to watch it.

-E

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Extremely High Execution of a Very Used Concept

I watched this on the spur of the moment after having 0 intention of watching it previously, because tbh how many times have manga/anime fans seen this survival game concept? Growing up with Japanese entertainment, NOTHING about this show was new at all, but I still loved it. I suppose for Westerners it might be new, but for me the shock factors or disturbing qualities didn't stand out from originality but from the pure execution. I could say the majority of the plot turns were predictable as well but the pacing and performances were SO good, that it kept me on the edge of my seat. The violence/gore wasn't emotionally or mentally straining and was easy to get to used to after the initial shocks of the first two episodes.
I LOVED the detective. Passionately :D and not just because that man is incredibly fine, but his character addition really added to the quick pacing of the show, mixing in another storyline so as to almost give us a breather from the dirty inhumane warehouse feeling the other characters endured. I believe that the alternations of character/story focuses was what was really done well because it always kept you rolling and focused. A "next, next, next action" experience.
The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because I really felt that the ending of some characters was rushed. Episode 8-9 definitely lacked the full emotional appeal of loss for me and I was mildly disappointed but I understand there was a time crunch.
I've never stayed up all night to watch a show before, but I did for Squid Game. I was absolutely groggy the next day but it was worth it. I'm currently rewatching it with my mom, and it is still an incredibly crisp viewing. The camerawork and colors were executed very, very well and I look forward to watching Hwang Dong Hyuk's other works.
The "novelty" of Squid Game that's all over media is 100% Western hype in my opinion, but tbh with how well done this show was, it probably deserves it.

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Interesting concept, though nothing groundbreaking

Was interested in the concept of the game when I decided to watch even though I'm more of a rom-com guy. Definitely an entertaining watch. The cast did a fantastic job portraying their roles. Lee Jung-jae did a great job playing his character, although it took a little getting used to his character given his personality at the beginning of the show. Heo Sung-tae did a great job as the thug guy as I wanted him to die a very gruesome death very early on. Jung Ho-yeon as Kang Sae-byeok was definitely my favorite out of all of them. Her character was intriguing and I found myself rooting for her the most.

The show focuses on the greed of individuals and the power money can have over a person. The motivations behind the creation of the game and the leaders who control it didn't really stick with me, and there really isn't any clear punishment for those running the game by the end of the show (probably setting up for a season two). A lot of gruesome deaths, annoying people making stupid choices, and some heartfelt moments where I actually teared up a few times. The game itself is rather straightforward and isn't anything particularly interesting or thrilling to watch, although it is enough to make you continue watching to see what happens next. The main "game" is really the relationships between the characters and their greed versus morality.

Overall, an fun and exciting show that's worth a watch. You may need to look past the absurdity of the game itself, as it could never happen in real life, but the show still provides entertaining situations and characters who you'll be rooting for.

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Bit of more spoilers so if you dont like to spoil dont read..

When red light green light start i feel thrilling and i like the way ali help to gi hun even other playes paniced and cant think of anything... From the 1st episode i hated mi nyeo she is really irritating woman 'itz good no one choose her in 4th game'. tht is how i thought but she did not killed in that time but it also for good ( you can found why in last 2 episodes)
Sang woo i dont like him becoz when 2nd game honey comb hapenning why he did that to others?? Itz not one to one game.. i felt he is selfish man and he prove it in 4th game he choose ali becoz he thought it was game like 3rd one, that is why he choose ali and he is completely play unfairly, ali won the game but he tric him.. poor ali try to help him even the end i hate sang woo
And when marble game start and gi hun going to loss old man help him when he ask wht did u say.., n he try to help him but wht gi hun did he trick him... but gi hun is actually not bad and selfish guy like sang woo he thought, no one going to choos old man then he will die, so he choose him but game happend to be like that but anyhow Old man going to give winning to gi hun he should have play fair then old man not going to dead in heart break..
I think in 4th game we saw real humanity and new friendship between 2 girls.. ji yeong wants to give winning place for sae byeok without playing fairly.. she choose her as frnd only for gratitude to asking her to come thier group in 3rd game.. and sae byeok also did not want to get winning place without playing fairly.. i want her to win in the end i rute her completely

Whole thing i wrote up thire is things i wrote while watchng it but in the end episode somthings are changed but until the end sae byeok is really good girl with humanity n sang woo is selfish... but about gi hun somthing was changed but i am not going to write it here becoz even who likes to read spoilers , it would be better not known who was behind this ? it is somthing and someone you never thought.. itz not too strong drama from first episode but it has bit of strong feeling but i feel it become weak n weak when it closed to end.. i think it has lack of emotions not actors fault i think itz script fault

All the cast members really gave there best for characters

Background is very cool all the places are like candy to my eyes

Overall not best but good drama

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The Extreme Measures for Money

Whether you live in a capitalistic environment or not, the universal term money is globally acknowledged as a main trade item for any kind of purchase. The interchangeable item is powerful enough to let anyone gain ownership of any item from miniscule stuffs to gigantic objects. With human’s eagerness of ownership, people could take extreme measures to reach their goals including being massively in debt thanks to their countless loans. Logically, for the boundless pledgees those loans can be hardly repaid. However, by stepping out of reality, if they were offered to earn an insanely huge amount of cash by playing several rounds of childhood games, perhaps they would like to give it a shot.

Welcome to Squid Game, players are welcomed to play six rounds of folk games in a span of six days. The winner is granted cash prize worth 45.6 billion won. Players are recruited unbeknownst of themselves by an anonymous company (that has a circle, triangle, and rectangle logo) at their lowest moments (in terms of debts). But at what cost? No one told them initially until it was revealed that losers of each rounds will be eliminated by literally being shot to death.

Squid Game has 456 players and many other extras. The show centers around Seong Gihun, a divorced man without proper occupation nor custody of his 10 year-old daughter. Additionally, Gihun has a high attraction for bettings. The ironic life Gihun was living depicted a harsh condition that perhaps a lot of people has ever experienced. Despite that, his humanity nature is delightful and brought a realistic touch to the character. His clever and notorious best friend, Cho Sangwoo, also happened to be in the game due to his business activities. From the short narrative alone, it is hardly surprising that Sangwoo turns out to be a sly, opportunistic, and egoist individual. Both characters are executed immensely by the actors.

On the other side, the supporting characters added dynamics within the players and the story in general. Kang Saebyeok, a North Korean defector with cold-yet-alluring persona was excellently performed by Jung Hoyeon (an impressive acting debut). The manipulative Han Minyeo, trustful Ali, thug-like Duseok, and the old man are some of other characters that made Squid Game interesting. Another important character, Hwang Junho, instantly became viewer’s favorite due to his fearless personality. Several other players noticeably added more fascinating elements to the drama.

Onto the story, Squid Game delivered a relatively slow yet thorough buildup from Gihun’s back story, player recruitment process, until the game itself. Some people might not enjoy the slower approach but I do think it gives the viewers a better idea in understanding the game, character’s emotion, and situations in which they were facing. Even though we must note that the main games are brought with rather sudden, thrilling, and sadistic approach. Within the tight span of 9 episodes, the 6 games and plots are generally distributed properly that it could raise many questions by the end of each episodes, leading to a binge-watching experience. Another point worth mentioning is Junho’s subplot. Although his character can be considered as an outlier, his infiltration to the game as a worker provided a nice different point of view of the game’s system in general.

While I do enjoy most of Squid Game, the series couldn’t hold its thrilling journey for the whole 9 episodes. It sort of wore off after the fifth game. Personally, I do think Squid Game was mostly carried by the dynamics and interactions of each characters. As soon as they kill the important roles, the excitement of this series began to let loose. Each episodes automatically have more gaps to be filled in. With a mountain-like structure, the Kdrama reached its climax on the sixth episode (fourth game) as it jumbled a mixture of vulnerability and moral dilemma that generated an emotional chaos for the viewers.

Another standout point of Squid Game is the fine extra attention to the details. Almost every single frame/scenes have its own symbolism or implicit messages. There are many moments worth mentioning but foremost it was in the dynamics of the players. During the team selection processes, the players depict several examples of discriminations—that can be generalized to communities across the globe. Whether it be racism to those who doesn’t look like a majority (in this case Ali for not looking like a Korean), sexism to women for being labeled as weak, or ageism (which only happened to the old man). Additionally, the VIPs being mostly old white man is a nice touch as to the picture of being colonized by white people or even their arguably terrible-yet-great acting in thinking they own “the world”.

The details didn’t stop there. Some people may or may not have noticed but the Squid Game creators actually dropped some hints ever since the very beginning of the drama (hence why I wasn’t really shocked for the twists). Gihun had been inescapably affiliated to the number 456: from his player number, until the amount of money he won from the horse betting (4.56 million won). He also gave his daughter a gun-shaped lighter as a present present inside a black box tied with pink ribbon—pretty similar to the “coffins” in the game. The old man was suspicious for numerous times including being excited on the first game, able to stop the night fight, and not wanting to switch shapes during the second game with Gihun—but he wrapped it perfectly with the dementia excuse.

The excessive details are honestly compelling yet some of them fell short and was left unfinished. Saebyeok climing arc was an interesting take with the screw not being attached properly. However, they just left her action the way it was—a wasted subplot there. Some questions were also left unanswered such as: how the workers get there, why Junho’s brother played such an important role and can remain MIA for over 5 years, The VIPs back stories, Junho and the police whereabouts. While those questions might bait the existence of a second season, I honestly pointed those out as Squid Game felt finished in general and it didn’t really have the necessity to continue especially if they are going to keep it centered around Gihun. Instead, if they decided to resume, it would be better to switch it into a spinoff about the workers.

A further point that made Squid Game distinguishable and attractive is the production. Having childhood games as the main theme, the series brought such sadistic and thrilling stories wrapped in colorful sets. The ironic contrast definitely left an eye-catching impression for all the viewers and even those who have only seen the short clips circulating on the internet. The consistency of the costumes also marked a strong point for Squid Game. Though the red jumpsuits of the workers might be similar to the ones in Spanish TV show Money Heist, the other styling still felt original and has its points of being iconic (that perhaps could be recited sometime in the future).

The viral sensation Korean Netflix Series, Squid Game, has an enormous amount of points to be remarkably acclaimed in the contemporary TV Shows landscape. Although, I must admit that the show wasn’t a completely perfect journey. Regardless of the decision whether the creator of Squid Game would like to continue onto the next seasons, the standalone 9 episodes (so far) are worthy to be the talk of the public.

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