Super disappointment thread (Multimedia Edition)

[Cactus Concerto]

Idea grabbed from the gaming forum, hoping there isn't a repeat of this somewhere that I've missed.

SPOILERS AHEAD, you've been warned. Potential triggers: autistic screeching.

Netflix's Squid Game is the reason for this thread. Currently Netflix's darling and the next big thing from South Korean entertainment after the BTS invasion and Parasite. It has consumed me and I only made six episodes in before tapping out and reading the plot online. The more I think about it, the worse it becomes.

Based off the 6 episodes, I'd still recommend it. 6 out of 9 isn't bad and those 6 episodes are great television. Think most would enjoy it as long as they aren't pissed off by Sae-byeok, the reason my enjoyment of this series fucking tanked.

Episode six is a turning point for several characters. Goody two shoes Gi-hun is finally forced to have a more direct role in another's death, Sang-woo stops his morality zig-zagging and craftily gets a naive boy murdered, and half of the band of misfits the show's been building up die.

Sae-byeok stands around, does nothing, and advances forward. As she has done this entire show. After becoming part of Gi-hun's reason for joining the Squid Game, she becomes privy to information she does nothing with and spends the next five episodes being the tough, loner bad girl who trusts no one and keeps getting her ass saved by other people. This eventually leads to her picking up Ji-yeong after a 'men are physically stronger than women' debate. While everyone is going through a rollercoaster of emotions playing with marbles, Sae-byeok sits around with Ji-yeong, her partner, and the two share their experiences with Ji-yeong eagerly asking about Sae about her history. The game leads to a tasty serving of betrayal, some obvious and some surprising shifts in moral codes, wonderfully acted internal dilemmas, and Sae-byeok's partner committing fucking suicide because "Sae has family across border and small brother, my life is meaningless in comparison because I just got out of jail and haven't gotten a chance to even fucking live."



Cruise mode halts for Sae after that but she ultimately gets what she wants in the end. After being an annoying bitch, ungrateful brat, and ultimately useless character for much of the runtime.

After finishing up six I decided to read up on the rest of the show and see if I felt the wrap up was worth watching. It does not sound at all like it is. Grain of salt to be taken from this point forth as I discuss shit I have not seen.

Jun-ho, the selfish and stupid cop, dies at the hand of his brother. Unsatisfying: this fucking idiot let hundreds be killed to find his brother only to get killed by him - which points into question the multiple times he could have contacted back-up or at the very least attempted to be a fucking officer of the law and not some crappy detective for hire. (I believe it's left ambiguous whether he contacts the chief with the info he had.) Wiki has no mention of any beef between the two so if something came to light during their last scenes together, let me know.

Sang-woo, the initially superior Byakuya, stabs himself because he's an eternal coward. I understand the consistent morality zig-zag but him either outright going ham with the kills or fully reflecting on himself and getting the suicide done sooner would have felt less unfulfilling. I think I see what the writer was going with and it works, just not for me.

Ali, your local Pakistan boy, doesn't get his family fairy godmothered by Gi-hun near the end and that's fucking hilarious to me. Hyung never gave a fuck about you, boy.

The ultimate twist sounds fucking good, even in hindsight. But it seems to outstay its welcome: the chaotic neutral rich guy with no handle on reality claims he was testing the innate goodness of humanity which is a bunch of fucking bollocks and opens the door to the 'final game' of let's see if people pay attention to a random drunk man in a bustling city. Then he dies. Which is enough for Gi-hun to realize that he's been sitting on BILLIONS OF WON he hasn't used because muh traumaz. So he waits an ENTIRE YEAR before calling up Sae's brother, who has not heard from his sister since she disappeared, Sang-woo's mother, and his own goddamn daughter. This bitch's grandma dies, her final wish being that he get his daughter back into his life, and he sits on his ass for a year after going through hell presumably to help himself get closer to being a good father only to LET HER FLY TO AMERICA ANYWAY. And then - the kicker and sequel bait shit - HE ABANDONS HIS MISSION TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER BECAUSE MUH JUSTICE, MUH GUILT, GOTTA STOP THE SYSTEM.

Why did the season not end with the Squid Game being investigated by the cops immediately after its proceedings, with Sang-woo at the helm alongside the cop and Gi-hun tagging along for the ride? Let them stew in their sins and attempt to make up for them. It would be the perfect time for it as well: this entire year was a MESS. Before the game even started, a cop could have and should have cottoned onto the fact that something very wrong was happening and opened an official investigation. There was an organ harvesting ring in their ranks, cheating and collusion between staff and players, an undercover cop frolicking about, and the ringleader participating in the game itself.

Maybe I'm just sick and tired of "the cycle never ends" with stories but outside of that, the resolution to all of the character arcs and storylines was a big "what the fuck" from me. Great start, wobbly finish.

 

[Justtocheck]

Korean ripoff of the Kaiji. Makes sense they would fail. Look at this masterpiece OP

 

[Thomas Highway]

Not a fan of subtitles but the plot seems interesting.

Is this where we get mad that people like stuff without autistically understanding every reference and plot point?

If so, best of luck weirdo.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Blah. There are better things

 

[dilettante]

I watched the first episode and tapped out, surprised you made it that far. It seems like you're emotionally invested in this show or something, to write up this OP.

Here's my two cents; concept is autistic as fuck, execution even worse. Personally I like either gritty reality or completely fantastical and not the in-between stuff, where its grounded in reality but something extraordinary that would honestly never happen irl happens. It reminds me of a bad creepypasta. The excessive violence is not tasteful at all. The set and costuming looks like it was done by a three-year-old. The script and acting is just bad. Watch "The Call" on Netflix instead, its another South Korean product, but a film instead and is a great slow-burner thriller that is more on the fantastical/paranormal side. Much better conceptually, too.

Spoiler: social media hype sperg

On another note, the show seems super gimmicky and full of shock-value, and the Red Light Green Light sound byte is perfect for TikTok especially (which is where the show became popular, I think). The bright pastel colours and uniforms, the violence, the fact that its South Korean which zoomers get so horny for South Koreans nowadays. Idk, its highly suspicious to me that this show got so much social media hype. Maybe this is an experiment by Netflix to see if they can formulate content that social media will make popular, thus views, thus profit. Its interesting to think about.

 

[Cactus Concerto]

Is this where we get mad that people like stuff without autistically understanding every reference and plot point?

Hopefully it's more of a cemetery to cry over shit people thought they'd enjoy. We'll see how it goes.

I watched the first episode and tapped out, surprised you made it that far. It seems like you're emotionally invested in this show or something, to write up this OP.

Here's my two cents; concept is autistic as fuck, execution even worse. Personally I like either gritty reality or completely fantastical and not the in-between stuff, where its grounded in reality but something extraordinary that would honestly never happen irl happens. It reminds me of a bad creepypasta. The excessive violence is not tasteful at all. The set and costuming looks like it was done by a three-year-old. The script and acting is just bad. Watch "The Call" on Netflix instead, its another South Korean product, but a film instead and is a great slow-burner thriller that is more on the fantastical/paranormal side. Much better conceptually, too.

I get frightfully autistic over media I enjoy that takes a drop in quality. I don't watch shit unless I think I'll like it (which should be the norm but alas). Once that barrier is passed, the autism kicks in if I hit a huge hurdle with the writing and often that leads to picking up on everything else I didn't like. Which was the case with this, hence super disappointment rather than super stupid/bad/shitty media thread. It was particularly egregious with Squid Game because I enjoyed the fuck out of the first half.

The show has that in-between fantastical atmosphere which I don't mind. I've watched other K-dramas which often dance in that middle area so it's familiar territory. The set design and costuming were some of my favorite parts truth be told - it feeling like it was done by a child helped bring home the fact that they were playing children's games for blood money and watching the staff in their shape helmets react to some of the contestants shenanigans brought me a good chuckle - as the show likely intended. What I don't think they wanted was me laughing over how the frontman looked like Netflix's feeble attempt at Dr. Doom and his intimidation factor sitting at a toasty negative billion.

It was pretty cliche and easy to swallow fair, which I'm cool with, but I got caught up in Sae-byeok and it eventually fell apart in my eyes. What I've read of the final episode is a testament to how this probably should have been an instance of allowing the fantastical idea to exist for the sake of the show and then curb-stomping it with some reality. i.e. the operation getting found out and dismantled.

I still enjoyed it and I would go as far as to recommend it to anyone who's tickled by the premise to see if they'd care for it themselves. But the show and its writing gets messier the longer I think about it, with Sae-byeok as the worst case right out of the gate and basically every other character seeming to fall apart post episode 6.

I think it's really good for what it is but it could have been better, no doubt, and that is what niggles me.

Spoiler: social media hype sperg

On another note, the show seems super gimmicky and full of shock-value, and the Red Light Green Light sound byte is perfect for TikTok especially (which is where the show became popular, I think). The bright pastel colours and uniforms, the violence, the fact that its South Korean which zoomers get so horny for South Koreans nowadays. Idk, its highly suspicious to me that this show got so much social media hype. Maybe this is an experiment by Netflix to see if they can formulate content that social media will make popular, thus views, thus profit. Its interesting to think about.

The Red Light, Green Light scene is the most impactful scene in the show. It what makes or breaks the audience on deciding whether they're down for this or not. It's the entire premise showcased in a single scene: a bunch of adults in a hokey pretend world play a simple children's game; what would result in a simple elimination on the playground takes a literal turn and the adults get slaughtered rather than sent to the sidelines. Gasp, shock, horror. Repeat ad nauseous for nine episodes.

When people talk about Squid Game, they're likely thinking about this scene in particular. I got introduced to this series through a custom game server on Overwatch replicating the scene. It seems the same has happened in games like Roblox too. I can only assume the younger fans had similar experiences with seeing it in a game and thinking it was the best thing ever. Might have no clue what Squid Game is but the sound-byte and game mode idea have struck a chord with the public, much like battle royale did before it.

Beyond that, American media is thirsty for a piece of the K-pop hysteria pie (some fans have massive pockets and will got to great lengths for their oppas) and have been pushing Korean media for woke points and clicks ever sense they realized mentioning BTS quadrupled views.

Otherwise I really just think this is a case of right place, right time. Real life feels uncomfortably dystopian and many are feeling burnt out by big bad capitalism, distrust authority (likely why the police in the show are so laughably useless), and want to cope and simultaneously drown in suffering. Squid Game allows for that and is simple enough to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The sets, costumes, and locations make everything feel far away and over the top, so it hits from a comfortable distance. The characters are simple to understand, the story easy to digest, and most of the dynamics are depicted through a high school clique lens. Another reason why I think a younger audience has gravitated towards it.

I wouldn't trust Netflix to purposefully manufacture this show's success after the shitstorm that was Cuties. They got lucky which is why we'll likely be seeing Squid Game Season 2 sooner than later.

 

[Trombonista]

I'll just leave this here.

 

[Shining Wit]

Seeing as this seems to be the Complain About Squid Game thread, here's my gripe:

Spoiler: 5th game

The glass bridge. It's literally just there to wipe out the rest of the minor characters. That and the 3 major characters are at the end so you know they'll be fine. No tension at all. In universe, its practically a forgone conclusion that whoever goes first is dead so how does this excite the gamblers? And with how tight the timeframe was, they're lucky they had anyone survive until the final round.
Also, considering how much they banged on about 'fairness', them turning off the lights when they figured out the trick goes against the whole gimmick of the event.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

I just finished Squid Game. Overall, I thought it was excellent and I would 100% recommend it. It's definitely one of the best pieces of media to come from 2021 for me (though that bar isn't really high, but my point still stands).

Episodes 1-6 are some incredible TV. Seriously. I can't think of anything bad to say about them. The show is absolutely worth it for these six episodes alone, in my opinion. I was blown away.

Altogether the series is not perfect, though. There is definitely a bit of a drop in quality after the episode with the marbles game (which is probably my favorite episode altogether-- simply fantastic stuff), but I don't think that the drop is by any means so drastic or so bad that it ruins the entire show or anything.

Spoiler

The show starts to dip in quality a bit for me when the VIPs come in. I think that the visuals of the VIP lounge, masks, costumes, etc look great, and the cinematography of those scenes look great, but ... Tonally, it comes across quite goofy at times considering the dialogue and the subpar acting from the English speaking actors (in contrast to the Korean actors, who are EXCELLENT throughout this series). The newer, tongue-in-cheek tone clashes with the somber, cruel, and brutal nature of the rest of the series, in my opinion. I don't mind the show displaying that the VIPs are experiencing an almost child-like joy over the carnage taking place, but I think it could have been done better. Some of the over the top dialogue from the VIPs came across as straight-up cartoony, which, like I said before, doesn't mesh well with everything else we've seen in the series. Luckily, the hammy dialogue with the VIPs is pretty sparse and it goes away after only one episode.

And while the glass bridge game was cool and suspenseful in of itself, I'll have to agree with @Shining Wit in regards to the tricks pulled in that game. I also got pissed when the lights were turned off, because it was antithetical to what the games were supposed to be about (perhaps that was intentional ... To showcase that these elitists are actually full of shit when they preach about equality? I don't know). Also, literally every other game involved the players playing a childhood game, so ... Since when was walking on a glass bridge a game that kids played? Cool scene it on itself, but it doesn't quite work with the theme of literally all of the rest of the games. The rest of the games felt especially cruel and scary because they involved a child-like element to them, and so the glass bridge thematically felt weak by comparison. It was basically just a SAW-like trap at that point.

That said, there are some fantastic parts to the final 3 episodes involving the character drama and interactions. There are some moments in those final episodes that truly felt like a gut punch to me (Kang Sae-byeok's death in particular legit made me feel so sad, shocked, and disgusted, in a good way mind you). Seriously, I give kudos to the Korean actors in this, because they're all fantastic here and their charisma immediately gets you invested in wanting a lot of them to survive.

The ending leads us to believe that a second season is coming. That's fine and all, but I think the first season blew its load in pulling back the curtain (and I think they unveiled things rather too quickly in the final episodes). They answer a lot of questions, and so now that there's little to no mystery going into season 2, I honestly do not know what kind of story they can tell with season 2 now.

Overall loved the show-- I'd give the first 2/3rds of the show an easy A+, but I'd give the final third a B, and I'm not really invested in a second season at all, given that there's no more mystery. I feel like I have enough closure?

Plus, the ending of this season, while it is totally sequel baiting, feels a lot like the ending to the first Matrix movie. There's some loose ends I suppose, but there is more than enough closure to the point where I don't think it's necessary to watch more seasons.

 

[WULULULULU]

I kept seeing all this posts on social media (I know right) about Squid Game and the first instinct was: is this some form of popularity where a trashy show/movie gets gobbled by the newfags or is it some genuinely good shit? 90 out of a 100 times is the former.

I've been bitten out of the ass by Franxx and Weathering With You, not gonna try my luck with Squid Game despite the others saying that its a cool battle royale with children's games splattered all over it. If I want a battle royale, I will just watch the first Hunger Games movie (or read the books) and the eponymous Battle Royale from Japan.

 

[Shining Wit]

I kept seeing all this posts on social media (I know right) about Squid Game and the first instinct was: is this some form of popularity where a trashy show/movie gets gobbled by the newfags or is it some genuinely good shit? 90 out of a 100 times is the former.

I've been bitten out of the ass by Franxx and Weathering With You, not gonna try my luck with Squid Game despite the others saying that its a cool battle royale with children's games splattered all over it. If I want a battle royale, I will just watch the first Hunger Games movie (or read the books) and the eponymous Battle Royale from Japan.

It's a case of being a genre that's not really known to the general viewerbase being forced into virality by Netflix, so to them it's something groundbreaking. It's not really original (Bridge Game is essentially the metal bars from Kaiji, kids games as death games from As The Gods Will etc.) but it is produced well and looks good. Worth a watch but if you're familiar with the genre, dont expect anything amazing.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

I kept seeing all this posts on social media (I know right) about Squid Game and the first instinct was: is this some form of popularity where a trashy show/movie gets gobbled by the newfags or is it some genuinely good shit? 90 out of a 100 times is the former.

I've been bitten out of the ass by Franxx and Weathering With You, not gonna try my luck with Squid Game despite the others saying that its a cool battle royale with children's games splattered all over it. If I want a battle royale, I will just watch the first Hunger Games movie (or read the books) and the eponymous Battle Royale from Japan.

I'm a big fan of Battle Royale, and as far as young adult books/stories go, I think that The Hunger Games is pretty great. Young adult stories have a certain reputation to them (*cough cough* Twilight *cough cough*), but I think that The Hunger Games is actually a really intelligent and clever piece of media and literature for teenagers, who just so happen to be among the biggest consumers. I like how The Hunger Games is telling its biggest audience/demographic to question the media that is being fed to them. Sure, the Battle Royale influence is there, but I think a lot of people are wrong when they call the Hunger Games a ripoff. So yeah, I'd call myself a fan of both.

As far as Squid Game goes, I recommend it. It has elements of a "Battle Royale-esque" nature to it, I suppose ... But I personally think that there's a fresh take on it with this series (even with its flaws at the end).

As I said in my other post, I think that the first 6 episodes are incredible. Episodes 7-9 have their flaws, for sure, but those episodes have really fantastic character moments that feel earned and are still worth checking out even if they don't quite live up to the first 6.

 

[Cactus Concerto]

We really are just a Squid Game thread in disguise, boys.

Time has passed since my initial sperg and, thanks to how solid the first 6 episodes were along with finding out more about the episodes I didn't watch and falling for some of the publicity appearances (this video in particular gave me a new appreciation for the season), I'm tempted to just finish the damn thing. Having made peace with what the story turned out to be and having the high expectations set by the great start tempered accordingly.

A big co-sign on @StarkRavingMad's post, which I cannot stress enough. Since this was started as a disappointment thread I glossed over a lot of what this series did well. But it does a lot well—it's why I was so disappointed by what I deemed to be the eventual decline in quality.

(Also, fun fact: Korean media has some of the most cheesy and awful foreign actors (typically people they need to speak English) brought in and it's usually for really high-stakes, impactful or serious scenes and moments in the story. Not sure how this happened even with Netflix backing it but it's common to have the non-Korean actors appear and for everything to fall apart whenever they're on screen.)

I kept seeing all this posts on social media (I know right) about Squid Game and the first instinct was: is this some form of popularity where a trashy show/movie gets gobbled by the newfags or is it some genuinely good shit? 90 out of a 100 times is the former.

I've been bitten out of the ass by Franxx and Weathering With You, not gonna try my luck with Squid Game despite the others saying that its a cool battle royale with children's games splattered all over it. If I want a battle royale, I will just watch the first Hunger Games movie (or read the books) and the eponymous Battle Royale from Japan.

Shit's really fucking good for 6 episodes, and there's enough right that while I believe the last 3 episodes are weaker, overall the series is enjoyable and a good watch. Do not go into this looking for a good battle royale genre entry: it just uses that as a backdrop more than the centerpiece. At it's core, it's a dramatized look at what people in poverty or those given a lesser hand in life (or those who have squandered their hand in life) are willing to do to secure themselves the lives they've been actively working towards and failed to achieve. More character-focused than murder focused, which is why I think it works.

It is also getting gobbled by the mainstream because it gets its point across with ease. I think that's an accomplishment, but the fervor is exaggerated. Don't do in thinking this is the greatest piece of media of all time and you should be fine if the premise interests you.

 

[Basic Bleach]

I'm more familiar with K-drama than I am the whole Battle Royale/death games genre, but I did finally sit through Squid Game and tbh the whole thing hit me more like a twisted Chinese drama (everybody fucking dies) than anything else.

That said, Sae-Byeok is really the only one of the major players I feel sorry for. Everyone else either got themselves into their troubles or was just some kind of raving psychopath.

Seconding not being impressed by the VIPs.

Episode 6 can go take a long stroll off a short fucking pier.

Was hoping Gi-hun would finally get his shit together, which he sort of did, but my lord what was that hairstyle and man not even making things up to Sangwoo's mom and Sae-Byeok's brother is gonna get me to forgive you fucking skipping out on the daughter you did all this for in the first place.

Overall, I enjoyed it? Not sure if I'd be looking forward to a second season, given most of the people who had a stake in stopping the games are out of the picture.

 

[WULULULULU]

We really are just a Squid Game thread in disguise, boys.

Time has passed since my initial sperg and, thanks to how solid the first 6 episodes were along with finding out more about the episodes I didn't watch and falling for some of the publicity appearances (this video in particular gave me a new appreciation for the season), I'm tempted to just finish the damn thing. Having made peace with what the story turned out to be and having the high expectations set by the great start tempered accordingly.

A big co-sign on @StarkRavingMad's post, which I cannot stress enough. Since this was started as a disappointment thread I glossed over a lot of what this series did well. But it does a lot well—it's why I was so disappointed by what I deemed to be the eventual decline in quality.

(Also, fun fact: Korean media has some of the most cheesy and awful foreign actors (typically people they need to speak English) brought in and it's usually for really high-stakes, impactful or serious scenes and moments in the story. Not sure how this happened even with Netflix backing it but it's common to have the non-Korean actors appear and for everything to fall apart whenever they're on screen.)



Shit's really fucking good for 6 episodes, and there's enough right that while I believe the last 3 episodes are weaker, overall the series is enjoyable and a good watch. Do not go into this looking for a good battle royale genre entry: it just uses that as a backdrop more than the centerpiece. At it's core, it's a dramatized look at what people in poverty or those given a lesser hand in life (or those who have squandered their hand in life) are willing to do to secure themselves the lives they've been actively working towards and failed to achieve. More character-focused than murder focused, which is why I think it works.

It is also getting gobbled by the mainstream because it gets its point across with ease. I think that's an accomplishment, but the fervor is exaggerated. Don't do in thinking this is the greatest piece of media of all time and you should be fine if the premise interests you.

I just like Liar Game more than Squid Game. I watched both and I prefer Liar Game's execution, maybe I'm kinda tired of the whole Life and Death stuff nowadays. Also, a mini-sperg but can we cut it the fuck out with this k-pop shit. Parasite was a well decent and fresh take on film I've had for a fucking decade and to lump it to some K-pop normie group that just makes "loud sounds = good music" makes me MATI.

As for disappointments: House of Cards, or specifically the last season. HoS was fine and all but because of Spacey's diddling with kiddies, we got the poorest form of conclusion to a near venerable series.

 

[Dr. Pasquale]

I'll break this fucking Squid Game thread shit.

Incredibles II was such a mess it basically killed my last living shred of optimism. First movie has great characters, great atmosphere and an amazing soundtrack, but by the time the second one was released 10+ years had passed. They really should've set the sequel further down the timeline, showcasing that super hero world in the 70s or 80s, with both kids grown up and maybe starting their own families, I dunno.

Having the sequel be set a week later is some Dragonball Super shit. All the actors sound like crap, Holly Hunter and Craig T Nelson sound like grandparents with bad dentures, yet theyre supposed to be in their 40s. Plot is lazy character reversal "Its Elastigirl's time to be a hero while her husband sits at home!" shit, with boring villains and boring action sequences. Soundtrack is more of the same, which isnt bad I guess, but the first one was more memorable.

Also pointless racoon scene was pointless and only existed to sell toys.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

The real squid game is whether to talk about the show or go with the actual title topic.

So I watched a bit of the first episode, thinking it was a movie, and the protagonist was scum and it was pretty clear it's setting of for Kaiji shenanigans. So I jumped to the middle for the "oh no you die in real life" and realized it's a 6 hour show rather than a film and gave it a hard pass. If I want a death game story I'd continue watching Kaiji.

The only thing I can add is that it's amazing how polarising our culture become. It's either the most vanilla shit possible or edgelord heaven, absolutely no something in between. The death game genre in general is pretty disturbing and what was before a commentary on the excess of entertainment and neverending pushing extremes became just a dopamine rush for consoomers who justify it by saying there's a social commentary and the real villains are rich people.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

The real squid game is whether to talk about the show or go with the actual title topic.

So I watched a bit of the first episode, thinking it was a movie, and the protagonist was scum and it was pretty clear it's setting of for Kaiji shenanigans. So I jumped to the middle for the "oh no you die in real life" and realized it's a 6 hour show rather than a film and gave it a hard pass. If I want a death game story I'd continue watching Kaiji.

The only thing I can add is that it's amazing how polarising our culture become. It's either the most vanilla shit possible or edgelord heaven, absolutely no something in between. The death game genre in general is pretty disturbing and what was before a commentary on the excess of entertainment and neverending pushing extremes became just a dopamine rush for consoomers who justify it by saying there's a social commentary and the real villains are rich people.

The message of the series isn't rich people bad, no matter how the media wants to spin it. It's more of a commentary on the human condition, and what humans are capable of doing when they are that desperate.

Spoiler: More spoilers

Also, the characters who partake in the game aren't just simply "innocent poor people who got screwed over by the system." A lot of them are actual fuckups or straight-up bad people who are trying to get rich quick to get themselves out of a hole they dug themselves into. You hold sympathy for a lot of characters, and you end up hating a lot of characters, too ... Even though all of them are in the same boat.

In fact, the person who turns out to be the architect of the games, who is super rich, is the one who believes that the system and society screws over poor and downtrodden people all the while he thinks he's granting them mercy by giving them one last chance. He has a sadistic and nihilistic messiah complex ... And circumstances ultimately prove his beliefs wrong at the end; that there are good people out there who will help each other.

The message at the end of the series is the opposite of nihilistic, actually. It's very hopeful and optimistic, and it shows how the main character goes through a significant transformation by the end of the series by proactively taking a stand against the atrocities he witnessed and experienced. He's finally taking action to set things right, rather than scrambling around or running away for his own personal interests, even though he has every reason to run away with his money at this point. It's not "rich people bad." It's more like "every type of person is capable of goodness regardless of how big or small their bank accounts are; status doesn't determine whether you are a person of good deeds or not." The main protagonist of the series starts off poor, and is a terrible person ... Yet he transforms into a good person who wants to help others after he's "won" the prize money and is rich. So, basically, the money you have is a red herring in regards to the good deeds you are capable of. Money can corrupt, for sure ... But if people sum this series up as simply "rich people bad, poor people good and oppressed," then they are missing the point of the show entirely.

Squid Game is anything but a piece of nihilistic or edgelord media. The violence shown in the series matters: When people die, it's disturbing, unsettling, and even tragic at times. You feel the deaths as they happen, which is why people are saying that this series is very character-driven rather than violence-driven. For me, personally, the violence isn't fun to watch, and it's supposed to be not fun.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

The message of the series isn't rich people bad, no matter how the media wants to spin it. It's more of a commentary on the human condition, and what humans are capable of doing when they are that desperate.

Spoiler: More spoilers

Also, the characters who partake in the game aren't just simply "innocent poor people who got screwed over by the system." A lot of them are actual fuckups or straight-up bad people who are trying to get rich quick to get themselves out of a hole they dug themselves into. You hold sympathy for a lot of characters, and you end up hating a lot of characters, too ... Even though all of them are in the same boat.

In fact, the person who turns out to be the architect of the games, who is super rich, is the one who believes that the system and society screws over poor and downtrodden people all the while he thinks he's granting them mercy by giving them one last chance. He has a sadistic and nihilistic messiah complex ... And circumstances ultimately prove his beliefs wrong at the end; that there are good people out there who will help each other.

The message at the end of the series is the opposite of nihilistic, actually. It's very hopeful and optimistic, and it shows how the main character goes through a significant transformation by the end of the series by proactively taking a stand against the atrocities he witnessed and experienced. He's finally taking action to set things right, rather than scrambling around or running away for his own personal interests, even though he has every reason to run away with his money at this point. It's not "rich people bad." It's more like "every type of person is capable of goodness regardless of how big or small their bank accounts are; status doesn't determine whether you are a person of good deeds or not." The main protagonist of the series starts off poor, and is a terrible person ... Yet he transforms into a good person who wants to help others after he's "won" the prize money and is rich. So, basically, the money you have is a red herring in regards to the good deeds you are capable of. Money can corrupt, for sure ... But if people sum this series up as simply "rich people bad, poor people good and oppressed," then they are missing the point of the show entirely.

Squid Game is anything but a piece of nihilistic or edgelord media. The violence shown in the series matters: When people die, it's disturbing, unsettling, and even tragic at times. You feel the deaths as they happen, which is why people are saying that this series is very character-driven rather than violence-driven. For me, personally, the violence isn't fun to watch, and it's supposed to be not fun.

Commentary about the human condition is just cope to try to justify watching a show with a huge amount of suffering and not admitting that this suffering is the main attraction point. Also having a non edgelord message doesn't take the fact that until that it displayed, the main attraction point was the pain and death.

Also what I meant about the villains being rich is that modern day middle class like to whitewash them being sick fucks by pushing the blame upstairs. It is never their fault, just the rich's. So when they watch a death game it's only for good reasons.

 

[Thiletonomics]

Going back to the Squid Game talk, I felt like the show had themes that were already done in the Danganronpa and Total Drama series, and the show doesn't seem to add much new. It's as if you can either play the Danganronpa games, or watch the Total Drama series, and you'd see very similar things in Squid Game, to the point that you don't even have to watch it. Granted, killing is not a thing in the Total Drama series, because it's a teen cartoon, so almost all of the characters (except the Interns) are all Immortal, which leads to injuries being done for laughs.