El juego del calamar

Comparisons to Season 1 are nonsensical. Season 1 was an original concept that stood and succeeded on its own, which cannot be the case for subsequent seasons.

The best thing about Season 2 is the acting. The cast is absolutely great! Where Squid Game 2 feels lacking, is in its refusal to resolve ANY of the multiple threads in this season. There are many ways to build suspense, but the laziest one is where you just refuse to answer any questions you raised for an entire seasons, leaving it to be addressed in Season 3. It is quite evident that the show is now a lot less interested in telling a satisfying story and more invested in stretching the franchise into a multi-season subscription-retention machine.

Just watched whole 9 episodes and my favorite was the 6th, Gganbu. Not perfect nor a masterpiece, but this is very well made and provides a certain level of emotional experience. The overall show was far beyond things that were shown in trailer. Very well directed, performed, and finding its own unique points from the genre mixture of various references such as Gambling Apocalypse : Kaiji, Battle Royale, and so on. Just hope all others enjoy this show not only in Korea but also everywhere!

Ps. Even to Korean ears, VIPs' English conversations were not well written nor performed. I think the drama could stand well enough without their presence and save the budget.

Seriously. All things considered, they're a pretty small and self-contained part. The main characters were brilliant in their roles. I guess good actors figured that having parts where they're wearing masks the whole time wouldn't get them much exposure. The pacing and character development were superb.

Squid Game. Wow.

Korean.

Best description? Uncomfortably genius!

(Kind of disturbing - small warning but still)

I mean there are some elements of The Game and Hunger Games, but this is bigger, more catastrophic in a different way, more clever, plays on psychological aspects, with a touch of closeness between some participants. Its intensely catchy and totally insane.

Its set in a today's society with participants being people in economic trouble who owes a lot of money, mostly from gambling, and about their desperation. Great actors too!!

They even include a very dark business of todays world - but I wont reveal anything here.

Although its brutal - its more brutal in what's actually going on, and what's happening - than being graphically brutal.

And you will sit there and feel lots of things - scared and somewhat freaked out as well, and as I said: its Uncomfortably geniusly made in my opinion.

If you're looking for something different that will get your HR rising, try this one! *Handclaps*

I found the show to be fantastic, only ruined by the horrible VIP acting.