Why Is “Squid Game” One of the Most-Watched Shows?

"Squid Game" has become the most-watched show on the platform topping the streaming service's charts in 90 countries. The show is about Gi-hun and other indebted characters who come together for a mysterious survival game with a cash prize of 45.6 billion won (USD 38,460,271.20 according to Forbes). The story is about all those people coming together with their own pain and struggles and doing anything to win the prize no matter what, including putting their lives on the line.

In an exclusive interview with Variety, "Squid Game," Director and screenwriter Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that his main objective with this series was to create an entertaining show: "As a survival game, it is entertainment and human drama. The games portrayed are extremely simple and easy to understand. That allows viewers to focus on the characters, rather than being distracted by trying to interpret the rules."

Lee Jung-Jae

Let's take a look at the magnificent cast of this addicting show. Lee Jung-Jae stars as Seong Gi-hun. He made his entertainment debut as a fashion model for some years. But it wasn't until 1993 that he acted in his first drama "Dinosaur Teacher." That same year, he made his big-screen debut in the film "Love is Oh Yeah!"

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Since then, he has participated in various projects until becoming one of the most respected actors in the industry. At 48 years old, and thanks to his fantastic performance in "Squid Game," Lee Jung-Jae is now the second-highest-paid actor in Korea.

Jung Ho-Yeon

Jung Ho-Yeon plays Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector that wants to earn enough money to find her mom and live with her little brother. "Squid Game" is her acting debut, and she did a fantastic job. Before joining the cast, Jung worked as a top model for several years and was ranked as one of the Top 50 fashion models in the world. In an interview with Netflix Korea's YouTube channel, she revealed that her primary source of inspiration to do her best on set was the film "Roma." As this film was Yalitza Aparicio's acting debut, Jung felt encouraged by the actress' natural talent to express deep emotions in front of the cameras despite her lack of experience.

Park Hae Soo

Finally, Park Hae Soo brings to life Cho Sang-woo, Gi-hun's childhood friend and one of the most cold-hearted characters in the series. Before joining the "Squid Game" series, he starred in "Prison Playbook" as Kim Je-hyuk.

Other unforgettable characters worth mentioning are Oh Il-nam (the oldest one), Joon-ho (the detective), Abdul Ali (the inmigrant), and Ji-Yeong (the other young girl beside Kang Sae-byeok).

"Squid Game" is a unique series of 9 episodes that have captivated the whole world. The lack of use of CGI and the detailed recreations make the show even more realistic. Even the aesthetic of the scenes seems like an art piece. Hwang Dong-hyuk had to wait ten years for a producing company to approve the story. Thankfully, his masterpiece couldn't be in better hands now.