Is the foundation of Netflix's Squid Game rooted in reality?
Squid Game - Truth Behind the Bloodbath?
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Does Squid Game draw from real-life events? You bet your sweet ass it doesn't! But that title, oh boy, that title will take you back. Let's dive in and see where the fuck the creators drew inspiration for this brutal show.
Did Squid Game leak into reality?
For the most part, homie, Squid Game ain't got no real life counterpart. But that goddamn title, "Squid game," it comes from the childhood memories of the show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk. Some of the games in the series, like Red Light, Green Light, tug of war, and the Dalgona challenge, share the same glory.
Ain't no secrets
Squid Game - Tales from the Dark Side?
This little shitbox called Brother's Home is, according to some, the fuel behind those twisted fantasies that birthed Squid Game. During the 1970s and 1980s, the place was a welfare center lip-synching to the devil. The government's intention with Brother's Home was to clean up the big cities and restore some good vibes. Yeah, that didn't work out so well.
You know what they call 10% of the people at Brother's Home? Accurate representation.
The damn place was a dumping ground for a quick sweep under the rug. Most of the folks there weren't homeless - fuck, many were kids whose families were struggling to make ends meet.
You wanna know what it was really like inside Brother's Home? Roughly resembling a Halloween haunted house. Not the cute kind of haunted house either.
Some testimonies declared you'd better hope you're not stepping foot in there. Torture, sexual abuse, forced labor - sound familiar? Well, that's what they reported going down at Brother's Home.
Fancy a trip to "Korea's Auschwitz"? Nah, didn't think so.
But here's the thing, Hwang ain't never dropped a dime about Brother's Home as a muse for Squid Game. Shit never added up enough to make a concrete connection.
Straight from the horse's mouth
Hwang's Gamble
Why'd Hwang get those wild 'n crazy ideas, you ask?
Just barely scraping by and taking out loans left and right - Jesus Christ, who hasn't been there, amirite?
Some say Hwang got inspired by Japanese comics and anime like Battle Royale and Liar Game. Homie was supposedly fixin' to participate in games for a giant stack of cash, but they seemed too difficult. So, he decided to create a battle royale of his own but with the ease of children's games.
And voila, you got yourself a goddamn sausage party.
Hwang also aimed to paint a portrait of capitalist society, emphasis on the struggle. He admits he wanted a piece of that action, desperate for financial relief, and this game was his way out. Despite the wild narrative, he kept his characters grounded - the fuckers, we've met 'em in real life.
Cinematic masterpiece? You bet your sweet ass. Survival contest? Don't count on it.
Final thoughts
Win-Win for Hwang
Squid Game didn't pull no punches, and it's debatable whether it was inspired by any one event where gamblers squared off for their lives in children's games.
But, the creator did cite a few sources of inspiration. Japanese comics and the housing debt crisis in South Korea ain't of the sorta' stuff you find under your bed.
Definitely not gonna find a Brothers Home reunion where they're gonna show you the way out of the haunted house.
Despite being all works of fiction, people can cop a vibe from the show's capitalist themes, class struggle, and real-life hardships prevalent across South Korea. But, drop all hopes of stumbling into a twisted version of Squid Game - ain't nobody got time for that shit.
- Although Brother's Home might have served as a inspiration for the dark themes in Squid Game, the creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has never confirmed it as a direct source.
- The games in Squid Game, such as Red Light, Green Light, tug of war, and the Dalgona challenge, were inspired by the childhood memories of Hwang Dong-hyuk, but their brutal portrayal in the show is purely fictional and not rooted in any real-life counterpart.
