At this point, Squid Game doesn’t need an introduction. With over 111 million views, it is the platform’s largest release ever. Needless to say, this Korean Netflix Original has taken the entertainment world by storm. And as viewers of any form of cinema are, Squid Game viewers too, are divided. While many think that the hype the series is getting is well-deserved, others say that Squid Game is overrated and over-hyped.

As far as liberal arts go, anything after a certain point of fame or success is “overrated” in someone or the other’s opinion. There is always another book, writer, actor, movie, or show that deserves more hype than the one in question. The Squid Game fandom seems to agree that Alice In Borderland, another show of a similar genre, deserves the kind of hype Squid Game is getting. While critical acclaim offers some form of unbiased perspective, the “rating” of, in this case, shows is either partially or fully subjective.

So while there is no universally agreeable answer to “is Squid Game overrated?”, here’s our take on the same:

Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series is about 456 debt-ridden people who have the choice to either go about their lives or try their chance at winning 45.6 billion won or around $38 million USD. The twist is that the “players” have to try their hand at Korean children’s games. As all survival shows and movies go, there can only be one winner who gets all the money. And of course, the winner here is Seong Gi-hun, a man neither smart nor hardworking, but just happens to be quite lucky.

Predictability

Plot-wise Squid Game didn’t bring anything new to the table. It began with the same old damsel in distress who has no prince charming to save her storyline. Seong Gi-hun could be the perfect man if not for the mistakes he did in his past. While debts keep building up, he cannot find a job and hence, cannot be a good father.

Then a life-changing opportunity allows him to get rid of the debts and do something different in the future. A huge risk, but one he was willing to take because his daughter kept him motivated, the very daughter he abandons in the finale without second thoughts. Viewers knew from the very beginning that it was Gi-hun who was going to win. While one might argue that it wasn’t the fact that he won that mattered as much as how he won, there was nothing unique or unforeseeable. An exception might be made for the honeycomb licking, but that is about it.

The entire Il-nam plot that was supposed to be a climactic, groundbreaking revelation was completely unnecessary. Had the “VIPs” not been introduced, it would have added to the richness and intrigue of the plot. All things said and done, Il-nam turning out to be an evil man chasing thrill decreased the emotional value of the plot.

Predictability: 3/10- highly predictable

Plot holes and mistakes

Oh boy, where do I begin? Let’s start with a basic question- how does one put a letter inside an egg with an intact shell? Why would Il-nam vote for the games to end? How does a doctor remove organs intact in a greasy, dim-lit room? What was the point of speeches about “fairness” and “equality”, to the point where the Frontman killed a soldier when players can just kill each other at night? Doesn’t that give people unfair advantages?

Rules mean nothing in here. A woman used a lighter to burn her honeycomb while another set of people licked it. The marbles game clearly showed that rules don’t matter in this world. Why, then, would the players not run across on the rails that the glass lays upon? Again, people defending it would say that it might not occur to the characters or that rules change, but to me, this is an issue with consistency.

Consistency and detailing: 4/10- a fair amount of mistakes

Theme

The show was an unnecessarily elaborate commentary on, you guessed it, capitalism. A Reddit user called the entire VIP theme “a caricature of the leftist caricature of the rich people” and no one could have summed it up better. The “fairness” commentary would’ve turned out better had they stuck to it. While the creators of this Netflix Original didn’t make the most out of it, the theme had the potential to be nerve racking.

Theme: 7/10- had potential

Overall: 4.6/10.

Is Squid Game overrated? This article must’ve given a perspective into it, but that’s for viewers to decide.

But is this Netflix Original over-hyped? Definitely.