Squid Game and the 10 Things You Should Know About the Game

Squid Game is a survival drama thriller with 9 episodes written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. This South Korean masterpiece still holds the top spot on Netflix not only in the Philippines but in more than 90 countries in the world, to date. This show is trending across all media platforms and is believed to be the most popular series that may overtake the top-rated programs on Netflix. Just four days after its September 17, 2021 premiere, it ranked no. 1 in the U.S.

People are obsessed with the controversial concept of the show. Not only it's socially relevant but emotionally intriguing to the viewers' imagination. The game is a child's play but the intense adaptation is in no way appropriate for kids ages 12 and below because of extreme violence and sexual content. But youngsters have easy access to the internet so, parental guidance is suggested.

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT  THE SQUID GAME

1. The Recruiter - played by Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul, dressed in a suit with an impressive irresistible offer. If you're slapped, multiple times by this handsome salesman, you probably lost to him in the Ddkaji game but if you're lucky enough, you receive your cash prize and a game card. 

2. The Game Card - a brown business card handed out to a prospective participant. It has 3 different shapes, circle, triangle, square, and a contact number at the back. If you have this mysterious card, you are practically broke or cash-strapped.

3. The Game Players - 456 participants in identical evergreen tracksuits with their respective player numbers fight for each other to survive in the series of six brutal games  Overwhelmed by their willingness to compete and desire to win without realizing the deadly circumstances they're about to face. They are desperately hungry. Hungry for a debt-free life.

4. The Prize Money - a total of  45.6 billion won or nearly 39 million dollars await the winner. A giant, glass piggy bank fills up with stacks of bills. One player is worth 100 million won. 

5. The Front Man - played by Lee Byung-hun as Hwang In-ho is the mysterious man with an all-black outfit, from his geometric black mask to his long hooded coat and leather gloves. He appeared to be in charge of the whole operation. He oversees the competition through several monitoring screens as the games unfold.

6. The Staff Members - dressed in hot pink hooded jumpsuits with shapes on their masks. Circle-shaped masks are worn by straightforward workers. Triangle-shaped masks are for armed soldiers while square-shaped is worn by managers, who have the most power.

7. The Games - There are 6 traditional Korean children's games that the players should win. When you lose, you die. Red Light, Green Light, Sugar Honey Combs, Tug of War, Marbles, Glass Stepping Stones, and lastly Squid Game.

The number 1 game is the most popular. A giant animatronic doll sings the Korean phrase for “Red Light, Green Light” (mugunghwa kkochi piotsseumnida). Players in evergreen tracksuits have the length of the jingle to move forward and stop before the doll turns.

8. The Undercover Cop - played by Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho is a police officer who sneaked into the game and act as one of the soldiers only to find out that the Front Man is his missing brother. 

9. The Big Winner - played by Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun is player number 456. He is unemployed, broke, and desperate to earn money at any cost. In order to resolve his financial distress, he voluntarily accepted the offer to play the mysterious game. He survived and emerged as the last man standing. But his victory meant nothing to him because the huge amount of money he won is tainted with blood.

10. The Mastermind - In the latter part of the show, Gi-hun received a gold game invitation card and headed to the 7th floor of the Sky Building. There he found Il-nam or player 001 alive but on a ventilator inside a huge isolated room. The two men who used to be too close turned out to be total strangers because Gi-hun discovered that Il-nam is the mastermind of the game. 

I must agree that this show is phenomenal. It may be brutal, violent, inhuman, cruel, and barbaric but the lessons are clear and significant. People have choices in life that may eventually affect their future. We make choices based on emotions, situations, values, or beliefs. The decisions we make will have a tremendous impact on our lives. We all have dreams to fulfill. A wish or desire to obtain in our lifetime. The journey may take us to bumpy roads and crooked paths but with determination and perseverance, we will reap success and true happiness.

"Money is worthless if tainted with blood."