What Exactly Is ‘Squid Game’? A Full Breakdown of Netflix’s Hit Drama Series

Credit: Noh Juhan | Netflix

What Exactly Is ‘Squid Game’? A Full Breakdown of Netflix’s Hit Drama Series

Win or die trying. Netflix’s Squid Game hooked fans in with its high-stakes twist on classic Korean children’s games from the moment it dropped on the streaming site in September. “Squid Game was the most physically aggressive childhood game I played in neighborhood alleys as a kid, which is why I also loved it the most,” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said at a South Korean news conference the same month of the show’s title and premise. “In a way, it’s the most symbolic game that reflects today’s competitive society, so I picked it out as the show’s title.” Beginning in episode one, 456 players fight for their lives — and a cash reward that starts at $38 million dollars but increases into the billions — after accepting an ominous invitation to play a series of children’s games. Each round is monitored by masked guards wearing pink suits as the Front Man oversees it all. The nine-episode series quickly takes a dark turn when the contestants realize that every challenge brings the possibility of injury or death. Amid the bloody games, fans learn more about each player, including Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who lived with his mother after getting divorced before participating in the intense competition. The question of which players — who have all been given a number and a matching uniform in their isolated bubble — can be trusted and which ones will do anything to survive is something viewers must ask themselves week after week. According to Dong-hyuk, 50, the deadly challenges and high-risk outcomes also serves as commentary on the world over the last decade. According to Arabic-Casinos, professionals show The relationship between the Squid Game series and the world of betting and gambling. Which it's one of the reasons that people loved to watch it, especially in the Middle East. And soon Season 2 will launch on Netflix.   [jwplayer tV7N8JYT-zhNYySv2] “I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life. But I wanted it to use the kind of characters we’ve all met in real life,” he told Variety last month. “As a survival game it is entertainment and human drama. The games portrayed are extremely simple and easy to understand. That allows viewers to focus on the characters, rather than being distracted by trying to interpret the rules.” The showrunner, who has also written Silenced and The Fortress, noted that he began working on the project as a film in 2008. The idea that the rich just get richer — in the show the wealthy are called the VIPs and they watch and bet on the contestants — and the poor people are stuck with very few options only increased during the last 10 years. "The concept itself was not realistic at the time 10 years ago. It was too bizarre, and people thought it wouldn’t be a money-making film, also because it was violent and there would be some issue with ratings and the target audience would shrink," Dong-hyuk told IndieWire in October. "But 10 years had passed and for Netflix, their distribution system is different from films; they have less restrictions, so I could go about my own way of making this film and I felt less pressure about these issues." Squid Games was an overnight success for the streaming service, climbing to the No. 2 spot on Netflix’s top streams one day after it premiered. It was No. 1 two days later. Scroll down to learn more about the survival drama: [podcast_block]

Credit: Netflix

When Did It Premiere?

The drama series dropped on Netflix on September 17.

Credit: Netflix

Who Are the Big Stars?

Jung-jae plays Seong Gi-hun, the series’ protagonist who is a chauffeur with a gambling debt. The other main characters include Seong’s childhood friend Cho Sang-woo (played by Park Hae-soo), police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-Joon) and North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok (Hoyeon Jung).

Credit: Netflix

Are There Comic Book Ties?

“I freely admit that I’ve had great inspiration from Japanese comics and animation over the years,” Dong-hyuk told Variety in September after some fans compared the series to The Hunger Games or Battle Royale, as well as 2014’s Japanese film As the Gods Will. “When I started, I was in financial straits myself and spent much time in cafes reading comics including Battle Royale and Liar Game. I came to wonder how I’d feel if I took part in the games myself. But I found the games too complex, and for my own work focused instead on using kids’ games.”

Credit: Netflix

What’s the Premise?

Throughout the show, hundreds of desperate, cash-strapped players are invited to compete in a series of children’s games. If they win, they will walk away with billions of dollars. What they don’t know, however, is that every game has a deadly twist and not many will make it out alive.

Credit: Netflix

Is There a Real Squid Game?

The show’s title is based on a childhood game that exists — and is named for the squid-like drawing that is made on sandy fields. In the real game, players are split into two teams that battle to reach the “land” or home base while attackers try and push and pull their opponents outside the lines.

Credit: Netflix

Which of the Children’s Games Exist in Real Life?

Episode one depicts a game of Red Light, Green Light, but instead of starting and stopping when competitors hear “green light” or “red light,” the players were only allowed to run when they heard “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed.”

Episode four’s juldarigi challenge is similar to that of tug of war in the U.S. The Korean version, however, is very traditional and originated as a way to bind communities together and bring about bountiful harvest according to NBC News.

Ddakji appeared in two separate episodes and is somewhat similar to America’s Pog game. The goal is to turn over your opponent’s folded paper tiles, or ddakji, and make them pass a fixed line to win.

Credit: Netflix

Will There Be a Season 2?

"I don't have well-developed plans for Squid Game 2," the show’s creator told Variety last month. "It is quite tiring just thinking about it. But if I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I'd consider using a writers' room and would want multiple experienced directors."

Credit: Netflix

What Was the Show’s Initial Title?

While ojingeo (which translates to “squid game”) is a real kids’ game in Korea, it’s not very popular with kids today, so the series creators almost went in a different direction.

“So, initially, we knew we wanted this show to travel but we were worried the title Squid Game wouldn’t resonate because not many people would get it,” Netflix VP of Content in Asia Pacific Minyoung Kim told the Hollywood Reporter in October 2021. “So we went with the title Round Six instead, wanting it to be more general and helpful for telling people what the show is about — there are six rounds to the game.”

Kim explained that Dong-hyuk later suggested returning to the original title since it’s a “unique show and this game is the essence.”

“I think the more authentic title has actually played really well,” Kim told the outlet. “The title, Squid Game, together with the eye-catching artwork, really capture interest within our service — especially for audiences who have never watched a Korean show before but are looking for fun things to watch.”

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Does Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Stand by the Ending?

After Lebron James told teammate Anthony Davis that he didn't like the ending of the hit Netflix series, Dong-hyuk hit back at the criticism.

"Have you seen Space Jam 2?" Dong-hyuk responded during an interview with The Guardian in October 2021. "LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series, but I wouldn't change my ending. That's my ending."

The writer also suggested that the athlete should "make his own sequel" for Dong-hyuk to watch so he could respond with, "I liked your whole show, except the ending."

Credit: Noh Juhan | Netflix

Season 2 Is on the Creator’s Mind

“So, there’s been so much pressure, so much demand, and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice,” creator Dong-hyuk said during a November 2021 red carpet appearance via the Associated Press. “But, I will say there will indeed be a second season. It’s in my head right now. I’m in the planning process currently. But I do think it’s too early to say when and how that’s going to happen.”

Credit: Netflix

A Possible Season 2 and 3?

“I’m currently in the midst of discussions with Netflix about season 2 and season 3 [of Squid Game],” director Hwang Dong Hyuk told Korea’s KBS in December 2021 about future seasons of the popular Netflix hit. “I think we’ll be reaching some sort of conclusion [to our discussions] soon … we know that many people are waiting, so everyone is working hard to prepare for the next season with a positive outlook.”

Hyuk also teased the focus of the second season will be on Seong Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) as he pieces together the game’s origins, telling the outlet, “The overarching plotline of Season 2 will be the story of the people that Gi Hun meets and the people he chases after.”