By ABBY GROFF
Staff Writer
It seems like everyone and their mother has seen Squid Game by now. The latest Netflix original has been dominating people’s conversations all around the globe. Squid Game is already on track to becoming the streaming service’s most watched show despite only being released for under one month. Other popular shows such as Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and 13 Reasons Why will soon become shows of the past as Netflix’s marketing team puts its full focus on this highly praised K-drama. How was this possible? Who is responsible for the sudden Squid Game craze?
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game follows a variety of characters from different walks of life that all share one thing: they are in crippling debt. The show’s protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, a divorced father who’s lost custody of his ten year-old daughter, is looking for any possible way to make the money he needs to keep her in South Korea. He’s offered a chance at winning 45 billion won (roughly 38 million in the US dollar) by participating in a series of children’s games along with 455 other competitors. What the participants don’t know, however, is these games will turn fatal. This concept has been very intriguing for audiences everywhere, making the show easily bingeable. There are nine episodes included in its first season, each running from 32 – 62 minutes. Many fans have reported going into Squid Game blindly, only to end up watching hours of content in a single night, coming out a changed and maybe even traumatized person for some.
Social media plays a huge role in contributing to Squid Game’s sudden popularity. My first time hearing of the show was when its title was trending on Twitter. Many, including myself, had mistaken Squid Game for the popular third-person shooter, Splatoon, a game of course involving squids. That was all the show was to me. Just a funny name. After going into the show I was immediately captured by everything about it, as were many others. Memes quickly began to circulate on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. A lot of the challenges in the show can easily be recreated in real life (obviously excluding the violent aspects), allowing for fans to spread word about the show even further.
The first two games out of six seem to be the most prominent online. The show’s deadly version of Red Light, Green Light has been parodied on social media the most, with users acting out how their attempt at the game would go. You may have seen pictures of the giant Korean doll that acts as a motion detector in the game as well, another contributor to Squid Game’s rise to the top. The second game involves players cutting out shapes from sugar honeycombs, which must be done so precisely to avoid an inevitable death. Fans, again, have recreated the challenge by making their own at home to see if they would be able to survive.
Squid Game has been an extremely engaging series for millions. It’s even become Netflix’s first foreign TV show to hit number one. The show has certainly opened up a lot of people’s eyes, helping them to realize not every great series has to be exclusively in English. Its interesting concept and challenges have allowed for fans to spark political conversations, create beautiful fan-made art, and maybe even dress as the characters for Halloween, conveniently coming up very soon. All of these factors specifically are responsible for Netflix’s surge in Squid Game viewers universally. It won’t be long before its second season is highly requested worldwide.