Well, if you want to start a new conversation with someone but don’t know how, ask if they’ve watched “Squid Game”. The answer will probably be yes and then you can start talking for hours about the show, because there is a lot to talk about. “Squid Game”, which has taken its place among the most watched TV series, has captured us all, although very little time has passed since the release of the show. It’s almost impossible to find someone who didn’t watch or hear of “Squid Game” now. And those who say they didn’t watch the show are probably busy being in the game itself. So, when a new show becomes this popular in such a short time, we wonder how and why. What did “Squid Game” do that other shows didn’t? How come did “Squid Game” manage to become a topic that everyone talk about in such a short time? How did it become the most watched show in 90 countries? In this article, we’ll look at these questions and try to answer all of them. Just a warning, this article includes some spoilers! So, are you ready to join the game?
What’s Squid Game?
Apart from the name of the show, squid game is actually a game played by Korean children. It’s called squid game because the game is played on a squid shape drawn on the ground, and defense and offense teams play to win. As a children, I’m sure it’s a fun game to play, but in the series, it couldn’t have been more terrifying.
In the series, we see that hundreds of people who agree to participate in a game for money kept in a secret place. The red jump suited army, which are kind of like guardians of the place, make these people play games, and these games are traditional Korean games that every children love to play. But in this place, the outcome of losing the game is death. When someone dies, huge amount of money is added to the bank in order to be given the last winner and there are 456 people who are in this place, agreeing to play the games. So, as you can see, it’s a very interesting production with a very interesting theme. But does this alone can be enough to make the show so popular? I don’t think so.
How did it go viral?
We know that the executives play the biggest role in promoting Squid Game. However, these commercials were only made for South Korea and other Asian countries, and no one expected that the show would be such a big hit around the world. So, we can say word of mouth has a big effect on making this show so popular. It’s a fact that social media has an incredible effect on people, and people now even follow the news on social media. This madness started when people who first watched the show started posting and tweeting with the hashtag #squidgame. And then, the show started to become incredibly popular.
Another reason why Squid Game is so popular is because its accessibility. Although the show is filmed in Korean, Netflix provides subtitles in 37 languages and dubs in 34 languages. So anyone from anywhere could easily enjoy the show.
If we’re discussing the reasons of show’s popularity, we must consider the messages that lies in the show. In the series, we see people from all socio-economic classes as examples, and more people are being able to empathize thanks to this. Also, The Squid Game depicts capitalism’s dominance over society. We’re seeing that money and power rule the world, and anyone who watched the show remembers that there is still a significant wealth gap between the rich and the poor. As a result, we see a terrifying version of people who do anything to become financially independent. Another focus of the show is gender inequality. In the games, we’re constantly exposed to men acting superior to women. This alone, proves us that the show actually touches on a lot of social issues.
The main thing social media has jumped on from the series though, is the Dalgona Candy. Mentioned in our Top TikTok Trends in October 2021, Dalgona candy videos have taken over TikTok and Instagram respectively, with people creating videos in which they are trying to break the candy with a proper shape. The Dalgona Candy trend itself was enough to bring a huge attention to the series.
@erictriesit why is this so difficult to make?!? #squidgame #squidgamenetflix #dalgona #korea #korean #dalgonacandy #netflix #fail
To summarize, there are lots of reason why everybody is talking about “Squid Game”. But, we are the main reason why the show is so popular. The power of social media shows itself here as well, and it proves that any social media content can have a huge impact on something. In this case, this something is “Squid Game” and we, together, made it so popular.
Have you watched Squid Game? If yes, what are your thoughts on the show and its popularity? Leave a comment down below and don’t forget to hit us up on our socials!