A thrilling survival Korean television series launched over the weekend and became the most talked about topic online.
“Squid Game,” (“Ojingeo Geim” in Korean) is one of Twitter Philippines’ top trending topics this week under the Movie and TV category. It earned 185,000 tweets as of writing.
This new show, with the tagline “45.6 Billion is Child’s Play,” is an imaginative, unorthodox story in which 456 contestants risk their lives in a mysterious survival game for a chance to win 45.6 billion won.
In the first episode, one key figure stood out in the new show: the huge freaky doll that signals players to stop and go during the “Red Light, Green Light” game. The giant doll has recently been spotted in the Philippines.
Several online users reported that they spotted the ten-foot scary doll targeting jaywalkers in an Ortigas mall.
Netflix Philippines confirmed this and said that the doll is at Robinsons Galleria Ortigas Mall (East Wing Entrance) to monitor jaywalkers that cross the mall’s nearby street.
“Jaywalkers were surprised when the giant doll started moving its head and its eyes flashed red light,” the streaming giant said.
How the public reacted
The presence of the dolls caught the attention of online users from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, citing that it looked like “it’s as thrilling as the game in the series.
“Aga naman magsara ng ROBINSONS geh uwi na lang ako ,” Facebook user Charlotte Dadia said.
“Grabe naman shizuoka andito ka na agad sa Philippines.” Facebook page @SaranghaeyoOppaa said.
“It seems I don’t want to move for now,” another online use said.
“Parang nakakatakot pumunta sa Robinsons ems. Baka barilin ako pag gumalaw ako ahahaha” said a Twitter user.
“POV: you went to the mall and u see this…….. what would u do,” another said.
Some online users likened the doll to Julie’s Bakeshop character due to their similar outfit.
The bakeshop’s Twitter account responded and quipped that it is Julie’s “doppelganger.”
The Department of Transportation’s Metro Rail Transit-3 Facebook page joined in the “Squid Game” doll stunt and posted its version on its social media page.
Aside from Filipino online users, TikTokers from Indonesia and Korea also posted hilarious reactions to the doll stunt. Some of the posts reached 1.8M likes, 1,034 comments, and 1,852 shares, as of writing.
More about ‘Squid game’
In the series, cash-strapped individuals accept strange invitations but they are unaware that the cost of losing is death.
“Squid Game” is directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk who is well known for his award-winning films like “Silenced,” “Miss Granny,” and The Fortress”. He never fails to impress no matter the genre, and his dedication to this new show is evinced by the fact that he’s been planning for it for over ten years.
The show is also starred by talented and award-winning actors Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo. The two talents managed to portray wide range of characters before. Lee Jung-jae has numerous box office hits under his belt and Park Hae-soo continues to impress with every new role.
It boasts a new type of survival with 465 players impossible to survive and win the price.
The players initially have no clue about the deadly stakes, they, however, find out after the first game. The difference in how these players willingly partake in the games marks a stark difference with other survival genre films and series.
Viewers can get absorbed into the story as they see the dark side of human nature. The unpredictable events contribute to the heart-pounding entertainment.
The series launched on Netflix last Friday.