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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Tag Archives: Squid Game

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Netflix Hit K-drama The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call Hits #2 on Top Non-English Shows as Squid Game 2 Drops to #7

A Koala's Playground Posted on February 13, 2025 by ockoalaFebruary 12, 2025
Medical team walking under a helicopter.

Dang, the Joo Ji Hoon method really did pay off. And by that I mean star in as many dramas as he can possibly/physically film and one of them is bound to be a hit thanks to the law of probability. Lol, I’m kidding of course but his medical K-drama The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call has absolutely paid off … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Joo Ji Hoon, Squid Game, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call | 11 Replies

Cine21 Magazine Names Top 5 Best Works in 2024 with Exhuma Followed by Queen of Tears

A Koala's Playground Posted on February 8, 2025 by ockoalaFebruary 7, 2025
Person holding fire in a dark setting.

The year end top lists all came out at the end of 2024 in December but here comes Cine21 with their own take. The top K-ent magazine released it’s own list of both successful hits of 2024 as well as people and projects to watch in 2025. Let’s start with what the magazine found to be the best projects of … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Doubt, Exhuma, Lovely Runner, Queen of Tears, Squid Game | 3 Replies

When the Stars Gossip Sits at #8 in the Netflix Global Non-English Language Shows Behind Three Other K-dramas in the First Full Week of Airing

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 15, 2025 by ockoalaJanuary 15, 2025
Two characters in a dramatic scene.

So it’s been over a week since When the Stars Gossip premiered on tvN for the Sat-Sun time slot with a simul-stream on global platform Netflix. The ratings on tvN started off low-ish around 3% range and dropped to 2% range in the second week, portending a major flop for the network. Unfortunately it’s viewership on Netflix won’t be anything … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Squid Game, When the Phone Rings, When the Stars Gossip | 63 Replies

Squid Game Season 2 Premieres to Number 1 Viewership in 92 Countries on Netflix

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 28, 2024 by ockoalaDecember 27, 2024
Cast running in a game show setting.

Well, it doesn’t matter if you think Squid Game the original season was just okay or that this new season 2 is underwhelming. The thirst and demand for SQ2 is there as the drama premiered on December 26th and in one full day of airing has reached number in 92 countries. That is astonishing numbers and for a Korean drama … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Squid Game | 7 Replies

K-netizens Have a Lot of Opinions on Park Sung Hoon Playing a Transgender Woman on Squid Game 2

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 12, 2024 by ockoalaDecember 11, 2024
Person smiling with digital number overlay.

So there is a whole new set of characters other than returning male lead Lee Jung Jae playing the game in Squid Game 2, obviously cuz everyone else died in the first season lol. The most attention has been on Park Sung Hoon starting from that longish bob wig and then now the reveal that his character is a transgender … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Park Sung Hoon, Squid Game | 2 Replies

Prosecutors Ask for 1 Year Jail Sentence for Sexual Misconduct Charges Against Squid Game Grandpa Actor O Yeong Su

A Koala's Playground Posted on February 2, 2024 by ockoalaFebruary 3, 2024
Elderly man in green tracksuit smiling.

I think it is just a timing coincidence that this news came out on the same week that Netflix has started promotions for Squid Game 2. Unexpected breakout star O Yeong Su, who played the excited gameplayer grandpa in the original Squid Game and took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2022, is facing a 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged O Yeong Su, Squid Game | 2 Replies

Netflix Releases First Official Stills for Squid Game 2 with Familiar Faces Lee Jung Jae, Gong Yoo, and Lee Byung Hun and New Addition Park Kyu Young

A Koala's Playground Posted on February 1, 2024 by ockoalaFebruary 1, 2024
Two men in intense conversation at a table.

The biggest Netflix K-drama of 2024 as anticipated has kicked off promos as the platform released the first official stills for Squid Game 2. I liked but didn’t love the drama but it was a bona fide global phenomenon when it aired in early 2021 and carried the wave of pandemic claustrophobia and fear of financial insecurity paired with gameplay … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Gong Yoo, Lee Jung Jae, Park Kyu Young, Squid Game | 15 Replies

Netflix Announces Squid Game 2 Additional Big Name Cast Members Im Shi Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, and Yang Dong Geum Joining OG 4 Leads

A Koala's Playground Posted on June 19, 2023 by ockoalaJune 19, 2023
"Group of people surrounded by money and games."

Filming is reportedly starting for Squid Game 2 this summer with an eye towards a 2024 release on Netflix. At Tudum, the platform’s promo event this weekend, Netflix confirmed that the original four big stars Lee Jung Jae, Gong Yoo, Lee Byung Hun, and Wi Ha Joon will all be returning, and joining them are additional top stars Im Shi … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Gong Yoo, Im Shi Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Jung Jae, Park Sung Hoon, Squid Game, Wi Ha Joon, Yang Dong Geun | 6 Replies

Im Shi Wan Reportedly Joins Season 2 of Squid Game with Returning Male Lead Lee Jung Jae and Guest Stars Lee Byung Hun and Gong Yoo

A Koala's Playground Posted on June 15, 2023 by ockoalaJune 14, 2023
Young man in vibrant jacket waving.

The second season of global hit Squid Game has been in talks since the first season premiered in 2021 and now it’s actually heading into production this summer 2023. The latest news is that Im Shi Wan is joining the games, no word on the character or potential season 2 storyline. Returning for sure is male lead Lee Jung Jae … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Gong Yoo, Im Shi Wan, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Jung Jae, Squid Game | 2 Replies

K-netizens Wonder if Reborn Rich Will Join the Pantheon of Event K-dramas in the Last Five Years Kicked Off by Sky Castle

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 14, 2022 by ockoalaDecember 14, 2022
Three scenes featuring dramatic character interactions.

High ratings usually means buzz but it takes an extraordinary set of circumstances to become a breakout so-called Event K-drama. That’s been the trend in recent years after the overall ratings decrease across the board in K-drama viewing with audiences going online rather than surrounding the television as a family in the evenings. K-ent is watching closely whether jTBC weekend … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Penthouse, Reborn Rich, Sky Castle, Squid Game, The World of the Married | 3 Replies

Lee Jung Jae Takes Home the 2022 Best Actor Emmy for Squid Game as PD Hwang Dong Hyuk Wins Best Director

A Koala's Playground Posted on September 15, 2022 by ockoalaSeptember 14, 2022
Two men holding Emmy awards, smiling.

I think this has to be the tail end of the Squid Game hype and attention, and boy did it last exactly an entire year. When I saw the nominations for the 2022 Emmy Awards included Squid Game it felt like the drama aired so long ago but I realized it was September 2021 which made it too late for … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards | Tagged Lee Jung Jae, Squid Game | 5 Replies

Snowdrop Tops the List of Most Tweeted About K-dramas of 2022 Followed by Twenty Five, Twenty One and A Business Proposal

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 24, 2022 by ockoalaAugust 24, 2022
Couple gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

It’s one thing to get viewers which usually means there is online buzz but sometimes the two don’t align. The list of most tweeted about K-dramas of 2022 (so far) has underwhelming and low rated jTBC period romance Snowdrop as the most tweeted about show, which I attribute to worldwide K-pop superstar Jisoo who is a member of Blackpink and … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged A Business Proposal, All of Us Are Dead, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Our Beloved Summer, Our Blues, Semantic Error, Snowdrop, Squid Game, The Red Sleeve Cuff, Twenty Five Twenty One | 5 Replies

Baeksang Awards 2022 Voting Results are Out with Squid Game the Unanimous Pick for Daesang and Competition Fierce in the Male Lead Category with Junho Victorious

A Koala's Playground Posted on May 8, 2022 by ockoalaMay 11, 2022
Winners holding awards at a ceremony.

Oh I love seeing how the cheese is made! This also gives more legitimacy so here goes – the 2022 Baeksang Awards was last Friday and the judges have announced how the voting went. I’m only covering the television side, and the Daesang there went to the Netflix drama Squid Game and after the first round of voting in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards | Tagged D.P., Junho, Kim Hye Jin, KIm Tae Ri, Koo Kyo Hwan, Squid Game | 30 Replies

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