Squid Game Star on Why the Show's Popularity is "Bittersweet"
Squid Game presented viewers with a world that saw poor unfortunate souls dragged into a game of life and death in an effort to pay off their life-crushing debts. Following the success of the original Netflix series, a "Squid Game Universe" was confirmed by the streaming service, though in a surprising interview, the main star of the South Korean series took an opportunity to share his thoughts. While the series has resonated with countless viewers, the show's star wonders if this might be "bittersweet".
Squid Game first arrived on Netflix in 2021, presenting a world in which regular folks who had debts hanging over their heads put their lives on the line to win an obscene amount of money. As a result of the series' first season, the only man left standing was Seong Gi-hun, who had to make some difficult choices in order to win the major funds, but found himself feeling quite conflicted as the winner of this life-or-death battle.
The Surreal Squid Game
In an interview with IndieWire, the actor who portrays Seong Gi-hun detailed how the lessons of Squid Game might have resonated a little too well with viewers that witnessed the childhood games that were transformed into life-or-death trials for those who were drowning in debilitating debt:
"I'm happy about it, of course, but it's bittersweet. Yes, it's great that audiences are consuming Korean content around the world. And they appreciate it. But if you think about the themes of 'Squid Game' – how far are we willing to go to accumulate personal wealth, the lengths people are forced to go to – the fact it resonated with so many around the world is worrying."
As it stands, Netflix has yet to confirm when we can expect the second season of Squid Game to arrive, but it's clear from the show's runaway popularity that the streaming service is going all-in on the series, though it would be interesting to hear Jung-jae's thoughts on the reality competition series in the works.
Do you find the reception to Squid Games to be bittersweet? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of this life-or-death universe.