entertainment

'Squid Game' characters drawn from director's life

17 Comments
By Claire LEE

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17 Comments
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I'm too cheap to subscribe to Netflix.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

For some South Korean women’s voices, this article was an eye-opener.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/10/27/why-some-korean-women-are-boycotting-squid-game

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

In Japanese: https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/88425

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

He still have yet to tell he is influenced by Japanese series and anime but he will never.

Typical Japanese reactions to Squid Game, which become a target of worldwide derision, but they still do grasp what happens outside of Japan. For example: https://www.facebook.com/229023931411/posts/10160462911686412/

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

He still have yet to tell he is influenced by Japanese series and anime but he will never.

I have yet to see Squid Game but it sounds extremely similar to Battle Royale and Kaiji. Here's a direct quote from the director on how he developed the story and how he sees his storytelling approach as different:

“When I first came up with the ideas in 2008, I was into the Japanese survival comics – Battle Royale; Liar Game: Reborn; Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji; to name a few,” he said.

“As I read on, I thought about making the survival genre in Korea. The Japanese game-based comics focused more on the games than its characters. While the games were elaborate and complex, the players were less carefully treated.

“I wanted contrarily to show more of the characters playing simple games. I have watched The Hunger Games and Black Mirror, which did not affect me for this work. I have not watched As The Gods Will. Only later, when I heard that the first game was the same, I looked up that particular scene.”

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

He still have yet to tell he is influenced by Japanese series and anime but he will never.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

On another news site I was surprised to read how many women in SK are disgusted with the traditional one-dimensional female stereotypes portrayed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@In_japan

Only the blood splattering part is little too much.

I am not quite sure, but it is probably related to the unique, violent and tragic modern Korean history, which most aged Koreans still remember. Many innocent civilians, including children, were arbitrarily selected and then massacred without any trial. Some notable examples:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_uprising

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geochang_massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising

https://img.khan.co.kr/news/2010/05/09/20100510.01300104000001.02L.webp

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

5 Episodes so far... Its really entertaining, thrilling, exciting and sometimes funny. Good work to the squid team. Only the blood splattering part is little too much.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

But when I visited the UK at age 24, a white staff member at airport immigration gave me a dismissive look and made discriminatory comments. I find it truly shocking to this day. I think I was someone like Ali back then.

sigh.. if only that was the only thing non Asians had to deal with in Asia

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

"But when I visited the UK at age 24, a white staff member at airport immigration gave me a dismissive look and made discriminatory comments. I find it truly shocking to this day. I think I was someone like Ali back then."

Of all the things that never happened, this never happened the most.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@Joe Blow

As if Koreans never do the same to foreigners.  

He added "I think I was someone like Ali back then", admitting it also happens in Korea. He is straightforward and honest.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

"But when I visited the UK at age 24, a white staff member at airport immigration gave me a dismissive look and made discriminatory comments. I find it truly shocking to this day. I think I was someone like Ali back then."

As if Koreans never do the same to foreigners. No wonder the VIPs was just a not-so-thinly veiled swipe at White people with a token Chinese character thrown in for good measure.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

That Korean filmmaker shows a depth in his productions that is not matched by his Japanese counterparts

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

But, most Japanese people are not interested in Squid Game at all.

For Japanese, K-dramas and K-pops should look fanciful, featuring extremely beautiful performers. Squid game is simply too realistic with ordinary-looking Korean actors and actresses. This also explains why Gangnam style in 2012 was exceptionally unpopular in Japan, generating the conspiracy theory of F5 key. Japanese people and their government tend to hate exposing or watching something too realistic, but love anime and manga of fantasy. Chinese people also traditionally love fantasy (e.g., Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经) and My Love from the Star (來自星星的你)).

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Karma is coming at last...for capitalism in Korea (and beyond).

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Many characters in Netflix sensation "Squid Game" are loosely based on its South Korean director's own life and he believes its theme of economic inequality has resonated with viewers around the world.

The director has tapped into the zeitgeist with his Kubrickian touches and the theme of his story.

Just look at the front page with articles about raising taxes on billionaires and an election where one of the main issues are calls for a new capitalism to address the hoarding of the fruits of gains in production by a very few.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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