Why Was Squid Game Successful?

Sorry for the hiatus, was watching telly.

Speaking of telly, have you heard of Squid Game? Probably not as it’s pretty underground and niche, being only the second most popular Netflix show of all time and soon to be first.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil it here for you, although if you haven’t watched it yet, just what have you been doing? Living a varied, social and fun-filled life I bet, you loser.

What is Squid Game about?

It’s a South Korean show about people competing in deadly children’s games for cash. That's a pretty simplistic breakdown of a show shaping up to be a modern artistic masterpiece, but that's just how I roll.

Squid Game's bleak outlook on modern economic life combined with stunning visuals and uncomfortable gore has captivated the world, but there’s an even more interesting story that took place behind the scenes of the now infamous show.

Why is Squid Game called Squid Game?

"Squid Game" is named after a Korean children's game that resembles a squid in its layout. The title symbolizes the show's blend of childhood nostalgia and brutal survival, reflecting the contestants' struggle in the deadly competition.

When was Squid Game written?

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote Squid Game an astonishing 13 years ago, in the hazy days of 2008 but couldn’t find a production company for it until 11 years later when Netflix picked it up in 2019, looking to expand their program schedule to include shows from foreign markets.

Let me regale with you with stuff that was happening when Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the most popular show of 2021.

• Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot during his first stint with Manchester United.
• Fidel Castro was still President of Cuba, and also alive.
• The Hadron Collider was activated in Switzerland, and may or may not have ended the world, the jury is still out.
• Barack Obama was elected for his first term.
• Breaking Bad was written, picked up by a production company, filmed, released and completed in between the time Squid Game being written and picked up.

That’s mental.

Back in 2008, I was 12 years old, and spent most of my time pretending to be the Undertaker whilst sporting a pretty gnarly bowl cut, which on reflection must have really messed up my attempts to be an intimidating professional wrestler.

Also, I was probably about 4 foot 5 which definitely wouldn’t have helped.

Anyways, it’s incredibly motivating that when creating something, whatever it is, you don’t have to see results right away. As long as you believe in what you’ve made, there’s still a chance that you could see unparalleled success, no matter your circumstances. If you need me, I’ll be practicing my Undertaker wrestling skills so when I’m 38 I can be the Deadman.