Binged 2021 - Squid Game (Korean: 오징어 게임; RR: Ojing-eo Geim)

Squid Game (Korean: 오징어 게임; RR: Ojing-eo Geim) is offically the biggest TV show on the planet!

South Korean TV again is killing it right now with the survival drama series streaming on Netflix. 

Starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung. The hit series was released worldwide back in mid September.

The series revolves around a contest in which 456 players, all drawn from different walks of life but each deeply in debt, play a series of children's games with deadly penalties if they lose for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion prize.

Hwang had conceived of the idea based on his own economic struggles early in life as well as the class disparity in South Korea. Though he had initially written it in 2009, he was unable to find a production company to fund the idea until Netflix took an interest around 2019 as part of their drive to expand their foreign programming offerings.

Squid Game received critical acclaim and attracted international attention. Within a week of its release, it became one of Netflix's most-watched programs in several regional markets. At launch, it attracted more than 111 million viewers, surpassing Bridgerton as the network's most-watched series to date.

Seong Gi-hun, a divorced and indebted chauffeur, is invited to play a series of children's games for a chance at a large cash prize. Accepting the offer, he is taken to an unknown location where he finds himself among 455 other players who are also deeply in debt. 

The players are made to wear green tracksuits and are kept under watch at all times by masked guards in pink jumpsuits, with the games overseen by the Front Man, who wears a black mask and black uniform.

The players soon discover that losing a game results in their death, with each death adding ₩100 million to the potential ₩45.6 billion grand prize.[a] Gi-hun allies with other players, including his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo, to try to survive the physical and psychological twists of the games.

This is honestly one of the most addictive, original (if you remove the Hunger Games comparisons) series I have seen this previously lockdown. Whilst superhero, cop, medical and fire fighting series are here in huge numbers. A real study into inequality in our modern society in wealthy countries is lacking.

Yeah I love me a bit of 9-1-1 and Station 19, but this series is truly exciting. Every episode was edge of your seat stuff. A second season is honestly a must. Netflix (like with Money Heist) are onto an international winning series.

I can't wait for a follow up as if you have watched the series, One Lucky Day (Unsu Joeun Nal 운수 좋은 날) left you on a real cliffhanger.

So do yourself a favour, get onto Netflix, lose yourself in nine hours of gripping TV on the cooler October nights we are still experiencing. Bring on summer baby!