With a wide array of content available on streaming platforms, it’s usually difficult to point out one show that could be No.1 in the world. Well, breaking such trends, this Netflix’s dystopian Korean thriller series ‘Squid Game’ is now gearing to become the most popular show yet on the streaming platforms.
According to ‘cnet’, Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the show has a “very good chance of becoming Netflix’s biggest show ever”.
Sarandos added “There’s a show on Netflix right now that is the No.1 in the world, like everywhere in the world. It’s called ‘Squid Game’. The series will definitely be our biggest non-English language show in the world, for sure.”
“Squid Game” has become such a worldwide phenomenon is its accessibility. The show is filmed in Korean, but Netflix offers subtitles in 37 languages and dubs in 34 languages, allowing those who would rather not read subtitles to enjoy it, too.
Flix Patrol, a website that tracks streaming statistics for the top platforms in the world, reported that “Squid Game” is the No. 1 show in dozens of countries, including the U.S., the United Kingdom and South Korea.
Julia Alexander, a senior strategy analyst at Parrot Analytics, said it’s clear that “Squid Game” has been a massive success, adding that she would use one word to describe how big a win it has been for Netflix.
The South Korean show follows Seong Gi-Hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, as he and hundreds of other desperate and deeply debt-ridden contestants signing up to compete in a violent competition of six games for a cash prize of 45.6 billion won (around $38 million). Only one person can win the prize, and those who lose the series of children’s games pay with their lives.
The first episode of the murderous dystopian series in itself might give a twirl in your stomach. The giant robotic girl from an episode a game in which the contestants play a deadly game of “red light, green light” introduces the viewers to a blood-splattered child’s play leaving several bodies piled high. The survivors of the first episode, however, gear up for a further tough round two.
The nine-part series is the first Korean show to reach the top spot on the streaming platform in the US, and is currently number one in the UK.
Netflix ranks the popularity of its originals by counting how many people watch a title for at least two minutes in the first 28 days of release. Viewers guess that if this standard metric is used, ‘Squid Game’ would be overtaking the Regency-era drama ‘Bridgerton’ as Netflix’s most popular series and ‘Lupin’, a French series that is Netflix’s most-watched non-English language series yet.
Have you watched the thrilling show yet?
[By Rhea, K-pop Updates]
This is my favourite drama so far