Squid Game: How the World Became Addicted to the Game of Death

I'm sure you've encountered Squid Game before reading this article, thanks to its popularity all over the world. Let's take a closer look for why is this Korean show taking over Netflix.

🟥 Squid Game popularity growth: Squid Game is a Korean TV show, which first aired on Netflix back in September 2021. After 3 years of waiting, we finally got the second season and the marketing, which included collaborations with well-known brands and ads all over the world, definitely paid off. Season 2 became the first Netflix show to chart #1 in every country. 

🟦 The plot: In Korea, broke individuals are invited to compete in a game that promises 46.5 billion won to the winner. They must play childhood games, where losing means death. Players form alliances, betray one another, and fight to survive, even at the cost of their morals. Season 2 follows Gi-hun, the protagonist and winner, as he returns to the Squid Game to stop further deaths, while revealing more about the origins of the deadly competition.

🔴 Reason for Popularity: I would say that a big reason this show is so popular is how it keeps you hooked, making you eager to see how people will react and play the games. There are plot twists everywhere, you don't know who to trust, you get attached to the characters and root for their survival. 

But let's be honest—how many of us didn't want the games to end when the players had the chance to vote to leave? I didn't. What does that say about us? 

It's unsettling, but in some ways, we're like the VIPs (rich people who watch the game and the goal of the games is keeping them entertained). Watching from the safety of our homes, we're captivated by the chaos, hoping for more deadly games, drama, and conflict.

🔵 Message: This series shows what are people able to do for money and survival. At the start, there are hundreds of players, all carrying the weight of their struggles and debts. Their desperation is obvious—they were willing to trust a stranger offering them a chance in some mysterious game. But as the competition goes on, you see how different people handle the pressure. Some stick to their morals, while others will do whatever it takes, even betraying friends or killing to stay alive.

I highly recommend watching this show, if you haven't seen it yet. You will surely love the characters, story, and message it delivers. Until next time, 안녕.  

SM