"Originality Gone"…Foreign Media's Cold Reception of 'Squid Game 2'

Has everyone watched Squid Game 2? I also finished watching it after yesterday and today...

Well, I guess there's nothing better than the first episode, haha.

As Netflix's drama 'Squid Game' Season 2 was released, overseas media outlets continued to give lukewarm reviews.

 

On the 26th (local time), immediately after the release of Season 2, major American media outlets flooded the news with review articles.

 

Overall, the evaluation was that it did not live up to the freshness of Season 1 and its sharp sense of theme.

 

The New York Times (NYT) titled an article "'Squid Game' Lights a Red Flag" and stated, "The second season of the Netflix hit shows more stylish slaughter, but the story remains stagnant."

 

He pointed out that "for those who have watched Season 1, they will see things they've already seen again," and that "Season 2 continues the story but doesn't put much effort into expanding it over the seven hours."

 

Meanwhile, they commented, "Although a new twist with bloodshed is repeatedly added, within the same dynamic, pain far outweighs joy," and asked, "Perhaps this is okay for the audience, but if this series is merely a means to show more brutal slaughter, are we just a cheap version of the 'VIP' group watching the game in the drama?"

 

USA Today criticized "'Squid Game 2' as still violent, but more disappointing than shocking."

 

He also pointed out, "Season 2 is similar to Season 1 in many ways, but it is not as sharp and has lost its originality," and "it fails to deliver the anti-capitalist message that Director Hwang Dong-hyuk talked about."

 

He also said, "The latter half shifts into quite a typical action scene and leads to a conclusion that doesn't provide any kind of ending," and "Director and producer Hwang Dong-hyuk seems to have written seasons 2 and 3 as a single story and simply cut it in the middle, giving the clear impression that he extended one more season on Netflix."

 

The Hollywood Reporter, a film magazine, reported that Netflix's Korean hit has lost its edge.

 

The article states, "'Squid Game' Season 2 was completely disappointing," and includes comments such as "lacked the fun and ingenuity shown in the first season, and also lacked new details or insights into the essence of the game."

 

It was also added that it would be interesting to see who was more disappointed: the viewers who wanted to see the first season replicated exactly as it was, or those who desired a deeper world-building.

 

The UK daily newspaper The Guardian pointed out that "one of Hollywood's many bad habits is splitting stories in half to double profits," and stated that "'Squid Game' was originally a perfect single story, but it has become a dilemma creatively as it became Netflix's most profitable series in history."

 

Meanwhile, they said, "Season 2 dragged the story painfully through too many episodes," and "Season 3 needs to improve."

Reporter Hwang Sun-young (story@chosun.com)