This is the broadest media coverage I have ever seen for a Korean drama with what is happening with Squid Game, and formerly it was Crash Landing on You when it became a pan-Asia hit last year and got mainstream viewership as well on Netflix. The Netflix drama premiered on September 17th and in the two weeks since has topped various country, region, and most recently worldwide #1 ranking on the streaming platform. It’s also gotten write ups in every single major newspaper in the US from The New York Times to the Los Angeles Time and all big publications in between the two coasts as well as online magazines. Now Netflix insiders are saying it’s on track to become THE MOST WATCHED Netflix show of all time, currently the record holder is romance novel adaptation into a period show Bridgerton. Even if Squid Game does gain the crown, it may not hold it for long as Bridgerton season 2 is coming back, though without breakout smexy male lead Regé-Jean Page. It feels like the plagiarism/too similar concept and set up claims have died down and this drama is trending solely due to viewers loving the series and word of mouth. Congrats to the cast and crew as this drama is bringing worldwide recognition to many deserving talent.
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the movie has complicated scene unique thriller
i knew in the very first place that the old father is the psycho one! sigh
and wi hajoon has the alone handsome man on those movie
The viral marketing is very successful. It made it such that everyone else around you talks about it regardless whether they find the drama good or not, so you end up watching it in order to join in on the conversation.
Lol yea it’s not holding up for long even if it breaks Bridgerton’s first season. The second season’s trailers and out and the type is building. Plus frankly, that one’s way better than Squid game lol.
Bridgerton was a piece of shit. Its success is testimony to the fact that people will do anything to watch smut.
??? Bridgerton first season was a big success in many countries though, why do you take the idea that another show can be more successful as an insult to Bridgerton?
Maybe season 2 of Bridgerton will be more successful, doesn't change the fact that Squid Game met a very high benchmark for success by becoming this popular worldwide.
Netflix top always is shady. Lastly, they said the top ten was Bridgerton, Lupin, The Witcher, Sex Life, Stranger Things 3, Money Heist 4, etc.
Why is that shady?
The way they make it. It's about the subscribers and they need to watch only 2 minutes of a show...
Top will always change every single year. It will not remain static as there new shows all the time.
I wonder if Squid Game's success with make Netflix KR's original productions increasingly popular, and if any of the future releases will come close to or surpass Squid Games' popularity, or if SG is a special case.
I think more people (not prior kdrama fans) will check out Korean content on Netflix, even Squid Game itself isn't the first Netflix KR original to get popular so if something fresh comes along there's certainly potential to go even higher.
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. Wonder which upcoming original release has the potential to live up to SG's popularity. Probably Money Heist remake if I had to put money on it.
I hope that it will benefit to korean dramaland . Still remember that 15 years ago when i began to watch Kdramas people around me looked at me as an alien . Now since a few days they only talk about Squid game and that i should watch it . " STUPID GUYS DIDN't i tell you since ages that SKorea has good tv shows !!!!!!!!!!! I'm a french but i don't mind to say that a lot of us are something !
@cahill - I'm not sure Netflix original productions will benefit kdramaland necessarily. Netflix shows are SO different from your standard kdrama that they can't be lumped together as "kdramas". SG's success may increase popularity of upcoming Netflix KR productions, but it is tbd how far that success will spillover to kdramaland. Perhaps it'll help a subset of kdramas that have darker, fast-paced themes gain popularity.
I agree @ Ophelia , but if some people are like me , they will dig to learn more about other korean dramas . A long time ago, a friend give me a manga , at that time i never read one, i read a few ones and stopped because it'wasn't my thing but i google Nana and found an anime from it i discovered Hana yori dango and came to the J dramas, then i discovered via youtube a drama called Full house from Skorea, i was curious and since then i never stopped to watch dramas . Domino's effect . The same happened to me when i first read Pride and prejudice, it opened me to a new world ( E Gaskell, Dickens,...i used to read only French classics . All has a beginning and i was hoping for some good dramas to be watched thanks to this success or just thanks to the actor's filmo . Sorry for my english!
@ophelia I doubt they will match Squid Game's success, but I bet Hellbound and Sea of Silence with Gong Yoo will do well.
I'm really happy it has had so much success, whether it becomes Netflix's top series or is quickly dethroned. I really enjoyed it. I noticed that Alice in Borderland has been back up in the Netflix worldwide top 10 too, which indicates people are clicking on more like this. That bodes well for its second season.
Hoyeon jung went from 400k followed to 10 million. Her rise is insane, I thought Kim seon Ho's one was but this is next level.
The drama's success in the west doesn't surprise as it seems to be not a typical kdrama with the sex and gore but still even if the last episode was underwhelming if was overall a very fun watch.
i noticed that too abt hyj ig's follower. but i think she's being jenny's bestfriend also contribute to the insanely increasing number of followers.
@kailey b - Kim Seon Ho's rise was largely confined to kdramaland. Ho Yeon Jung's rise is global.
Netflix is the new engine for Hallyu, and has proven it can push Hallyu beyond just pan-Asia to the whole world. People can whine about Netflix all they want, but its reach is unmatched and it's the new kingmaker in town.
Time to buy some more Netflix stock (which has also hit an all-time high price).