Money Game (2024)

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

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

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

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

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

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Boring

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

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The most frustrating shit you will ever watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A doable weekend sitting binge if you like survival shows.

If you like survival shows then you might enjoy this. It felt predictable and I definitely went in expecting this to be no different than Squid Game. The story doesn't really have a takeaway for the audience. I guess it doesn't need one since this theme of human greed and flaws is repeated in every survival show. I think the characters are pretty interesting to watch and what made me want to get through it. In reading the comments, everyone seems to have connected with a different character for different reasons which might make the show feel relatable to viewers. I thought the game rules were solid for the most part and easy to remember. It's not rewatchable though. I don't think survival shows have a lot of rewatch value unless there's a second season, then you'd rewatch to remember. It is bingeable if that's what you're in the mood for.

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STORY LINE GREAT BUT ENDING...

It started off so good!! like it had everything, from amazing characters to toe- curling plot, it had all of it. also had brilliant casting and build-up. I bing watched the first 5 -6 episodes. And honestly it should have just ended there only. It felt like a drag. The show could have been a 9 if it ended around 5-6 episode.
it is similar to big boss if you really think about it
It is a one time watch.
pretty interesting...
should give a try

PROS
Acting
Storyline
triller

CONS
Ending execution
Not for someone looking for rom

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Everyone who didn't like the show clearly didn't understand it AMAZING SHOW

This show is a much better version of squid game with amazing social class elements like that from the movie "The Platform".
The 8 Show clearly illustrates the struggle of those from low social classes and how despite moving to a completely different environment people are still impacted by their habits and social constructs from society as a whole. The revolves around the social dynamics of 8 people living in a communal building and clearly show the terrible effects of wealth based caste system in a social environment. Despite having strong mental skills and some physical skills the lower level players are constantly at a disadvantage due to the power trips the floors above them are able to hold against them. Their only hope is gaining aid from someone in a high position than themselves to escape their living hell. While money is the things that brought all of these people together it also is the reason for their division. Money plays a huge role in the social standing of individuals but in reality money plays an almost insignificant role in the most basic needs of the players such as food, water, excretion and waste removal.
There are some cinematography choices also to note. The show starts out focused on the ML and the screen is blocked off into a square viewing space. Then once he enters the game its widens trying to depict the dynamics between when the ML felt trapped due to his financial situation compared to when he is in the game and is financially free, but physically trapped. At the end he returns to the square film set up.

I think a good comparison would be to movies like The Platform which plays with floor levels and food as a social class system. Also Parasite because of the depictions of how hard it is for low social classes to escape their position in society without the help of those in higher social classes. Social class is almost like a habit.

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off the wall unconventional and i couldnt stop watching

aspects I enjoyed:
- directing/editing (especially the ratio change and even the theme intro bit changing every episode)
- acting (5th floor heolll so good)
- characters (mostly) (8th floor is just so evil which shocked me)
- storyline (similar but not too similar to squirt game, though i'm not sure when the webtoon came out)
- ending (mostly)
- cliffhangers
- intensity (plus didn't follow standard kdrama tropes mostly)
- length (of series and each episode, i'm known for not finishing kdramas more than 8 eps)
- lee jooyoung (i need you)
- the ambiguity of who is watching all of this and how that's left open-ended

aspects I did not enjoy:
- some of the character tropes are just a bit overdone for me. 8th floor being annoying and ditzy (but her evil side was entertaining), 7th floor being the genius who thinks he knows everything the entire time and figures out the plot (idk, mostly didn't bother me because who the fuck would have thought of the fibonacci sequence but still), 4th floor being 6th and 8th floor's minion
- how rushed the last episode was as far as trying to include a piece of everyone's storylines... i feel like some of their motives weren't exactly clear. assuming that everyone was suicidal when they were given the 8 show opportunity, 4th floor was really going to kill herself because she ran into some girls from her hs? and she didn't become an idol? besides 1st floor, 3rd floor, and 5th floor, we really didn't get much context on everyone's lives and why they were drawn to the show (they were all down on their luck, sure, but idk). i get that this was just due to timing and webtoon adaptation issues im sure. but i wouldve liked more background in general, how did the producers find out these people needed money?
- i didn't love how they changed the intro pattern in the 7th ep, i will say it was an intense episode tho
- ending was peaceful, i appreciated it, felt like they got the happiest ending with their circumstances. enjoyed that the audience couldn't see 1st floor's last moments. 3rd floor was a well-rounded character and the last episode exemplified that
- but why couldn't they think of shooting the cameras earlier? is it because they all desperately wanted to continue the show??
- i feel like something more should have happened when 1st floor destroyed the projector in the ceiling

overall i am going to recommend it to people but those were my thoughts

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Unexpectedly Captivating

This drama is definitely something but it's not the genre I typically go for. It had its flaws, but one thing it nailed was the pace. Seriously, each episode left me wanting more, always curious about what was going to happen next. The story unfolded nicely, building up tension without dragging it out, which kept me hooked.

why you SHOULD watch this drama
1. What stood out most was how neatly they wrapped everything up in just eight episodes. They didn't leave loose ends or rush the ending. I wouldn't say I wasted my time watching this, especially since it was only 8 episodes.

2. People keep comparing it to Squid Game, but they're totally different. Sure, they're both thrillers, but this show stands on its own. It has its own vibe and story that's separate from Squid Game.

3. Extremally good acting , Props to the actress who played 8, she nailed the crazy role. Seeing her in a different role after this would be trippy.

Why you SHOULDN'T watch this drama:

1. It contains graphic scenes and themes that may not be suitable for all viewers, so consider the content rating before watching.

2. Some characters' morally ambiguous actions might not resonate with those who prefer straightforward/likeable protagonists.

3. Despite being a thriller, it has its own vibe and story, so don't expect it to be similar to other popular shows like Squid Game.

4. The series has received mixed reviews, so it might not vibe with your taste, depends on what you're into.

5. It's got some deep ideas, but it doesn't always dive super deep into 'em. More about the thrill than the think.

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