Round 6 (2021)

Great start, weak ending

The actors did a great job very strong performance. Then the further it went the worse it got. With some questionable decisions that didn't make much sense.

Also the biggest plot hole. They put around 38 million dollars in a person's bank account. A person who doesn't even have a job. The account would be frozen. And the tax Investigations special unit will get involved. Money has to be laundered correctly I learned that from Breaking Bad Lol

And this blood game has been played many times before. Money can be traced it's not bitcoins. With this much money involved, we are talking about serious crimes that the police and special unit don't take lightly to

In the end even with this huge plot hole. It had some interesting characters with good backstories s. Even if the ending was stupid overall I enjoyed it

I give it 6/10.

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An interesting watch

(This is my first review so please bare with me) Squid Game is the first K-Drama that I had ever watched and looking back at it i do not regret it. What I liked the most about the show is the character dynamics and the characters themselves were interesting to watch. The games the player participated in were also fun to watch with perfect shock value to look forward to and the show perfectly balanced humour and emotion in my personal opinion. What I didn't like about the show was probably how sort it was. Fortunately season 2 might able to help that out in my interest to see how the story progresses. Overall Squid Game is a good show with an interesting concept and I am looking forward to season 2. :)

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Murderous children's games of the highest quality.

Are you in the game - Can you endure the game? The contestants of the hit series Squid Game may have thought that children's games were a simple match, but it turned out to be a delicate balance between life and death - Depicted in an absolutely brilliant way in this nerve-wracking Korean series.

If you have everything to lose, well, you might as well lose everything. The almost 500 participants in the mysterious Squid Game are all hand-picked because they have one thing in common - They are all so destitute that they barely have anything to live for. Above their heads hang literally millions of won and herons, which in their situation and opinion could solve all their problems. The crux is that they have to get through a number of challenges - But they also have to win over the other participants.

Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) is one of them - A daydreaming loser obsessed with gambling, something that has put him at odds with both his aging mother and his neglected 10-year-old daughter. When the chance in the form of a chuckling businessman (Gong Yoo, superstar from, among others, Train to Busan) appears, he quickly seizes it. Child's play, it can be very easy to get through and it is as planned so that he can grab the many well-pressed bundles of bills.

But if you lose in the games, well then you lose your life too. What begins with a chaotic Red-Green light soon leads to increasingly complicated games, and even behind the colorful backdrop of the game, trouble begins - Both with the participants but also within the other closed doors behind this giant puzzle land. Parallel to the bloody exciting games going on, we get to follow a detective (Wi Ha-Joon) who tries to uncover what is really happening - And why.

The entire world's Netflix audience seems to have opened their eyes to the mildly nerve-wracking and stress-filled massacres of children's games in the Korean Squid Game. Seasoned viewers of Korean K-dramas will see the usual depth of character mixed with thoughtfulness and a light dose of sentimentality. There is a moral to everything that happens on our screen - Nothing is really just a coincidence. At times it can be predictable, but how the story is told and how detailed it is can be at least as important as the result.

Psychological games and who we really are under pressure, we've seen that before. But rarely has it been done in such a charged, heartbreaking, and well-written way as in Squid Game - Which is also heavily sprinkled with social criticism. Is it our fault – Or is it the system's fault? Stay far away from the Hollywood of capitalism - No paws at a remake of Squid Game, then you have missed the point.

The disputes and thorns in Squid Game are many, and nerve-wracking. The series will keep you curled up and as if on pins and needles, throughout all of the series' nine clever and well-made episodes. Follow the k-hype with Parasite, Burning and Minari - But whatever you do - Skip the unnatural dubbing!

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When you play the squid game, you win or you die, there's no middle ground

Easily one of the best dramas, if not the best, of the year, so far. This drama just has the perfect mix of drama, suspense, mistery and action while still delivering social criticism regarding specially human nature and how crushing the capitalistic system is for the ones at the bottom.

The pacing of the drama is pretty good, it'll keep you at the edge of your seat and the chiffhangers will just make it almost impossible to stop watching. The reduced amount of episodes also help make the drama binge-worthy, while sparing it the same fate of many dramas that feel bloated because of many useless filler plots and characters. I think Squid Game just has the right amount of run time.

Besides that, the acting is really great. The cast is very convincing and I enjoyed a lot that the writers still managed to delve into the characters backstories and conflicts, otherwise this could've been a huge failure, cause you wouldn't care about any of the characters if they were so shallow. The only portrayals and parts of the script that felt weak were the ones related to the non-asian, english speaking characters, but I've yet to see an english dialog in a korean drama that isn't cringy, so I wasn't really surprised or disappointed.

Another strong suit of this show is the soundtrack. It's simply phenomenal, alternating between complementing the mood perfectly and contrasting with what's being shown to the point of being jarring, which was obviously the intention. In the end, I think the songs fit the scenes perfectly and truelly help you immerse into the story. And I have to say, Squid Game is very good at pulling at your heartstrings, it was the first time where I was at the verge of tears watching a drama.

Now I see that a lot of people seem to have a problem with the ending, and while I can understand it to some extent, I can't agree with it at all. I don't think this show has a good or a bad ending, but rather a very fitting one. It was more of a reflective ending and I think it was a fair conclusion to the events that ocurred.

Overall, Squid Game is an amazing experience to go through. It's a drama that's not afraid of doing what it has to do to tell you a story. I won't comment much more on it, because I honestly think it's best to go into it without knowing much, and spoilers could really ruin your experience, so I'll just recommend this drama to everybody (except maybe for people who can't handle graphic violence or gore) because I really think it's something you have to see for yourself.

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it was worth the hype that it got

the show is so good, very well done compared to many other netflix series. the plot is so full of mystery and creativity, while i know many people did guess about who the cop's brother is etc but there is also things that you cant guess, for exemple it was surprising about how in ep 2 they went back to their old life before going back again in the game that was not expected. the games were really entertaining and horrifying in the same time as its childhood games used like that

the whole hiarchy about the pink soldiers too is really cool, about how the circle ones are the workers, the triangle ones are the army and the square are the managers,then the front man then the host which is on top.there is also a lot of hidden signs in the serie that you cant find easily ,about how the old man is behind it all and how the games are on the wall and its really cool.
now lets talk about the cast, i dont think there is a better cast than this, the acting is really on top. ep 6? seriously you cant stop the tears, you find yourself so attached to the characters which is something you dont find in every serie. it shows you as well how humans behave when they are desperate so you see a lot of different behaviors from those who sacrifice themselves to those who trick others to survive and its true that every one deal with those situations differently depending on their mental health and their personality. the only thing to criticize here is the vips acting,its cringy and doesnt look realistic to me but again its a korean show so they probably werent aware of it, also if the vips are full of foreign people who dont all speak english fluenty then it could turn cringy, i just dont think that all of them are american.

the last thing i want to mention is the music, its so so goooooood, the "pink soldier" song is so addicting and there is other songs that are also so cool.
overall the show deserve the hype and you can feel that there is a lot of effort behind it im happy when people who worked so hard got what they deserved, for now i can only wish that season 2 dont be rushed, i want them to take their time and make a good plot i dont want it poorly done because season 1 really give high expectations

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it was heart clenching and gut wrenching and simply devastating. it's devastating how on point it is. how the rich controll everything. how it has always been like that and always will be.

it was devastating to see someone lose their friend. it wasdevastating to see someone lose their spouse. it was devastating to see someone lose their new-found gganbu. it was devastating to see someone lose their sister. it was devastating to see someone kill their brother. it was devastating to see how much someone has to do in order to survive.

I'm sickened and saddened and just out of words. and it's not only because I witnessed so much acted suffering, it's because it's real. because it's my, your, our reality. and there's no way of changing it.

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Impactante, bem-escrito e merecedor de todo o reconhecimento

Já é notícia velha que as produções sul-coreanas são INCRÍVEIS, ainda mais quando se trata de gêneros mais complexos, como suspense, terror psicológico, entre outros. Este drama é simplesmente muito bom em passar o medo que os personagens vivem através da tela. A cada episódio pude sentir como se estivesse dentro do jogo. Atuação impecável, desenvolvimento dos personagens muito bom - embora não possamos nos aprofundar na vida deles, já que o foco é o jogo da lula -, tudo perfeito.

Há alguns poréns, como sempre: já sabíamos que apenas um dos principais iria viver, óbvio. Também estava na cara que seria o Seong Gi Hun. Entretanto, o final foi se mostrando fraco e em aberto à medida que se aproximava. A reação do ganhador é compreensível, obviamente ele se sentiria culpado, entraria em depressão profunda ao ver que o preço daquele dinheiro todo na conta foi a vida de centenas e além de tudo, a da própria mãe, que ficou sozinha enquanto ele estava fora. O problema mora no momento em que o final é focado demais nele. O que ocorreu com o policial? Não vimos seu corpo, logo ele poderia estar vivo. E os familiares de outros protagonistas, como o Ali? Há perguntas demais sem resposta, e adoro que os doramas terminem assim, deixando teorias no ar, mas acredito que poderíamos ter recebido mais respostas.

Não tenho plena certeza de que Sae-byeok e Ji-yeong possuíam alguma química romântica, embora ache adorável a ideia de que elas poderiam ser um casal fora dali. Acredito que elas tiveram uma espécie de identificação muito profunda, mas nada além disso dá para ser confirmado em tão pouco tempo de tela, certo?

No fim, creio que a crítica central do dorama foi bem passada. A forma como os ricos brincam com a vida dos pobres assim, apenas por diversão, e em troca de uma falsa "caridade" - o próprio líder chega a dizer que quer dar uma chance justa para aqueles que estão ali, e isso sinceramente é puro sadismo, já que ele não está dando chance alguma, deu apenas uma falsa sensação de que quem estava ali poderia ter saído e não retornado após a parada do jogo por votação. Ninguém que retornou poderia ter escolhido não participar, já que ficou óbvio como suas vidas estavam destruídas. Esse é possivelmente o ponto mais bem trabalhado na trama.

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Predictable storyline saved by exemplary production value and acting

Truly on-the-edge of your seat production. While it's not difficult to predict what'll happen in Squid Game, it's the journey that makes this show such an enjoyable watch. The games themselves are suspensful and keep your eyes glued to the screen; the characters are well-done and three-dimensional. Personally I didn't see too much philosophy and discourse on the social gap that the games address (on-screen), but like another review I've read online say, you can engage in this show in whatever level you're comfortable with, whether as a superficial battle-to-the-death or a more in-depth analysis on the social state of society.

PROS
❀ Action was well done, cinematography was on point, and in general the production was top notch | I think this is the highlight of what makes or breaks a familiar storyline that hinges on emotion and action. The camera work allows the characters' faces (and subsequently, emotions) to shine, and the sets and costumes are attention-grabbing. I'm especially a fan of the green tracksuits vs. pink solider outfits, as well as the stairs that model Escher's relativity.
❀ Cool easter eggs that keep you guessing | I love that the writer/director (I believe the same person) added little hints throughout the episodes that watchers can latch onto. It keeps us engaged despite using predictable plotlines as we keep watching to find out if those hints we found had a basis. (The feeling of victory when you had the correct guesses>>>)
❀ Characters... wow | I think the acting took the cake in this drama. I like that we see both familiar faces (like the cameo from the crowd popular Gong Yoo as well as Lee Jung Jae as the MC), as well as rising stars (Jung Ho Yeon that became a fan favorite as well as Anupam Tripathi - a win for South Asian casting in S. Korea). It felt like each player gave it their all and you really end up cheering for them. Personally I liked every player - even the underhanded ones like No. 101 and 218. Each of them are on the spectrum of morally gray whether it's their background, personality, or both that galvanized them to join the squid games. I also enjoyed No. 456's journey from ep 1 to 9; he does have a little of that protagonist glow/armor going on towards the latter episodes (as well as the mentality of a shounen anime MC), but I like that it gives a bit of light to an otherwise rather morose and dark show. The hopeful note the show ends on (as well as the hint of another season) can only be met by such a character.
❀ Music that fits the scenes SO well | I'm in love with the soundtrack. Even as I'm typing this, I'm listening to dubstep remixes of the Pink Soldier theme. The OSTs are paired perfectly with the eerie roboticism of the workers, secret motives of the players, and mysterious powers of the frontman. This ties in, again, with the excellent production and attention to details that the cast and production team focused on.
❀ Tight writing that doesn't drag despite being more character-focused | I think the writer did an excellent job in keeping Squid Game concise yet emotional. We go through character backgrounds, but those scenes are a help rather than a hindrance to the story as we begin to empathize with them. For characters that got less screen time (ex: the player with the nose ring), their acting/actions were more than enough to make them grow on you. Anything more would have lessened my engagement.

CONS
✕ The plot is a lil been there, done that | When it comes to human psychology and the huge wealth gap, the show doesn't offer too much to the conversation. (Interesting exception: pointing out the injustices of foreign workers in S. Korea, which is a topic I've never seen in media before.) Otherwise, like I mentioned in the title of this review, the messages aren't shocking or revolutionary. No. 456 goes down a familiar path that well-liked MCs have gone through before while sustaining his humanity and a (generally) positive outlook on society.

OVERALL
Not going to lie, I was sweating buckets while watching some of the episodes. Squid Games is suspensful, well-produced, and features a diverse cast of characters that'll grip you from start to finish. One of the best parts is that season 1 is relatively short (9 1-hour episodes) and once you start, you won't want to stop. (It took me 2 weeks to even start after prodding from friends and family, and after the games started I was all in.) Recommended for a thrilling watch with a little gore, a lot of death, and the characters that really make the show shine.

(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)

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Don't throw yourself at big money because you can die

There are too many characters to speak about them all so I will just say that each of them did a great job and I am full of admiration for the team. The series was not easy, rather hard to digest. Productions that are based on human morality are always difficult and can backfire on producers. Fortunately Squid Game was a hit😅

I don't know who came up with the idea to turn children's games into a bloodbath, but applause for him/her. He/she totally ruined it for the next generation 😂 In principal the "players" suppose to be equal as they were stripped down from outside connections, money and sanity. But still some managed to cheat and the "organizers" intentionally exposed players with lower numbers to the first fire. NOT NICE! 😒

I don't know if you can say that the drama has its message because what would it be "don't throw yourself at big money because you can die"? I do not think so. Because is it one of the first Korean Netflix production it has a lot of american vibe. This is also why it is so widely propular around the world. When you would start to compare it to Goblin or It's Ok Not To Be Ok in a minute you would notice how mediocare Squid Game is. I am not denying the actors' talent because they were very good just the style was a bit off for me for korean market. So I rate this drama 6/10 but despide the odds still recommend it to watch as it is a great fun 😁

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