The Squid Game it is something like the collision of two freight trains traveling at full speed, or the resulting explosion of two chemical agents that, when properly mixed and stirred, exponentially multiply the agitation of their molecules. Two rising fashions that, once united, could only be displaced by time and the media power of Arcane. I speak of the battle royale and, evidently, the South Korean audiovisual production.
The first is nothing new, in fact, its roots are found in a novel signed by the Japanese Koushun Takami en 1999: Battle Royale, that was adapted to the cinema just a year later and that featured the very Takeshi Kitano between your cast. That seed germinated in the video game, and it has been subjecting the medium to an almost unappealable dictatorship in terms of popularity for more than five years. His rise was materialized in the success that was PUBG: Battlegrounds (formerly known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), the later reinterpretation of the genre by Fortnite (who overtook him on the right, removing the stickers), It was the undisputed conquest of the video game sphere. Since then there have been hundreds of copycats and dozens of formats. Great sagas like Super Mario, Call of Duty, Battlefield or Tetris have seen their universe adapted to that massive competition structure in which only one can remain.
The second has been working for a long time, too. South Korean audiovisual production has been expanding uninterruptedly for 10 years. In 2012 the Gangnam Style toured half the world, a festive theme that was as extravagant as it was exotic. A year later the career of BTS, and in 2020 the k-pop group was nominated for a Grammy Award after several years dominating charts in the United States and Europe. He followed Black Pink and while, in 2019, Bong Joon-ho became the director of the first foreign language film to be awarded the Oscar for best film. Parasites was made with four statuettes, including best director, passing over Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino), The Irishman (Martin Scorsese) and 1917 (Sam Mendes). Now, in the middle of 2021, the South Korean entertainment industry has managed to settle in the homes of half the planet: South Korea is in fashion.
The Squid Game it has successfully brought together and articulated these two currents, also having the gift of opportunity (or planning). His proposal has managed to connect with the majority public and its premiere broke the records of a Netflix that, surely, he did not expect such a megaton. Now, as we know that many of you are looking for experiences similar to the Hwang Dong-hyuk series, we suggest you two small series lists that bring together products that comply with one of these two fashions: a development based on that twisted reinterpretation of playfulness with a certain attachment to violence, or the fact of being a Outstanding production within the South Korean entertainment factory. We begin.
The Squid Game: series similar for their twisted games and their violence
Alice in Borderlands
This manga adaptation of Haro Aso puts us on the trail of Arisu, a boy who loves video games who, suddenly, runs into a totally deserted Tokyo. The premise of the series affects the game as much or more than The Squid Game does, but here the video game plays a fundamental role as a plotter. The violence and a youthful tone complete the other Asian approach to battle royale of this year. You have it in Netflix.
Liar Game
In addition to sharing country of origin, Liar Game (Kim Hong-sun, 2014) has a premise practically identical to that of The Squid Game. It is the adaptation of the manga created by Shinobu Kaitani (which also has a Japanese version for television produced by Fuji TV in 2007). Nam Da-jung, a young woman with a delicate economy, is involved in a psychological game of survival known as “The liar’s game”. From there, the protagonist must resort to all kinds of deceptions, traps and strategies to get out of the dangerous game in which she is immersed.
Panic
This time we moved to the United States to delve into Panic’s proposal, an American series, set in a town in Texas, in which Seniors must face off in a competition endowed with a hearty prize which, in addition, has been increased on this occasion. But of course, in return, the game has gotten a lot more dangerous. A series agile, youthful, punctuated by love triangles, suspense and mystery, but that concentrates all its strength in the development of the game itself. You can find it in Amazon Prime Video.
3%
We are still in America, but we are going south to pay attention to a Brazilian production that has germinated under the protection of Netflix. 3% raises a dystopia in which the elite of society have their own, and paradisiacal, ghetto; a dream island in which to enjoy a peaceful existence away from the problems of overpopulation. The less fortunate have a chance: overcome the tough challenges that make up “The process”, a series of dangerous tests that will grant them a one-way ticket to a better life. Only 3% of the young people who show up succeed.
The purge
The serial adaptation of the cinematographic pentalogy of La Purga, a series of films in which you will find, such as common elements, a dehumanized challenge and the presence of explicit violence as a cover letter. At the moment it has 2 seasons present in Amazon Prime Video, which have had a reception as irregular as that of the movies. Blood, scares and darkness they make up a universe as ruthless as that of The Squid Game.
The Squid Game: the best South Korean productions
My name
Maybe the latest major South Korean addition to the Netflix catalog. A revenge story starring Ahn Bo-Hyun, and directed by Kim Jin-Min, with good action sequences and a plot that plays well with suspense. After the murder of her father, the protagonist infiltrates the police ready to unmask the network of lies surrounding the death of her father. At the moment it has a season consisting of eight episodes.
Stranger
The Korean series of bedside at home. Stranger is a police thriller that, from the perspective of the Seoul prosecutor’s office, delves into the country’s political, police and legal corruption. It is a product that presents its cards in the first episode, and masterfully shuffles them to the end, dragging the viewer through a roller coaster of emotions and revelations capable of turning tedious bureaucracy into epic. Great character dynamics, especially between its two protagonists (Cho Seung-woo y Doona Bae), a plot in which there is no stitch without thread and one of the best constructed villains I have seen in years. It has a self-concluding first season and a second that premiered a year ago. You have it in Netflix.
Kingdom
Kingdom is another of the Korean fictions that has been hitting hard on Netflix since a time ago. And his approach is a most exotic cocktail: a medieval dynasty, headed by Prince Joseon, and conveniently spiced up by hundreds of zombies. A breath of fresh air for a genre (that of zombies) in which it is difficult to come across such entertaining proposals. A good zombie story that has 12 episodes spread over two seasons.
Extracurricular
We return with Kim Jin-Min to finish talking about Extracurricular. A series that puts us on the trail of an exemplary student involved in a criminal plot in search of quick money. A job that He manages to turn all K-drama clichés upside down, while delving into a teenage drama loaded with gray characters that enrich the development of its first 10 episodes. You can find it in Netflix.
