Squid game : A k-drama review

Squid game is a show about a group of people- gamblers, or anyone in dire need of money who join a game in which you complete a series of challenges that get you one step closer to the prize money. The catch, along with many other catches, is that if you fail to complete a game or fail the game, you die.

I think it started off on such a good note. I was captivated for the first 6 episodes. I do feel like it dwindled towards the ending, the fact that the detective died in such a quick way was a bit out of place to me, kinda like what was the point of everything? Call me crazy, but I have hope that there’ll be more to that story if there is a next season. The fight between Gi-hun and Sang-woo was anti-climatic to me, I expected it to be more intense, doesn’t mean it wasn’t, it just wasn’t for me.

I had so much hope for Sae-byeok, she really added a certain element to the show, and for this being the actress's first acting job, she went above and beyond all expectations.

I think the fact that Gi-hun decided to go back to the game was both needed and frustrating, I had hoped for him to finally have a proper good relationship with his daughter, and just as he was about to, he didn’t. I understand why he couldn’t go, he is a good man, and whether it’s a year or 5 after the games, he would always carry the guilt of everyone dying. They were people he bonded with and cared for, and then to have basically their blood money as his reward would do things to anyone. The red hair was...very red, but I mean whatever makes him happy. I'm happy that he managed to find Sae-byeok's brother and join two people who would forever have that uncertainty about where their loved ones went. At least they now have each other.

Speaking of where their loved ones went, Ali's death killed me. He really was one of a kind, and unfortunately, that was his demise. That's the bad thing about bingeing, you don't give yourself a chance to grieve, and the show just carries on. Sometimes I'll be doing the most random things and suddenly feel sad because I imagine the pain his wife and child would go through from never knowing what happened to him. Yes, I know it is just a show.

I assume that if there is going to be a season 2, it would be new players, I really do hope there is one, there were so many unanswered questions.

The twist about the old man being the game master really shocked me but at the same time really didn’t. In a show where the graphics and gore aren’t censored, it was out of place for them to not visualize the old man being killed.

After he confessed to being the game master I lost any and all respect for him. Doesn’t matter why he did it, doesn’t matter that the players did it on their own accord, killing people and then watching for your pleasure is inhumane, so yeah, not mad that he died.

It may sound like I have all these qualms about the series, but I truly did like it. Amazing visuals, good storyline, good actors, the Gong-Yoo cameos. I would recommend it.

Ironically, a few weeks ago I thought about ‘Alice in Borderland’ and how I wanted to rewatch it. And then Netflix gave us this, but needless to say, if you like ‘squid game’ chances are that you’ll like ‘Alice in Borderland’

Rating: 8.5/10