“Squid Game” becomes an international success by breaking all-time Netflix records and becoming the number one watched show on the service.

Released on Sept. 17, 2021, “Squid Game” has become the most watched show on Netflix ever, with 111 million viewers. According to Netflix’s reports, they currently have 209.18 million subscribers, meaning that the percentage of Netflix subscribers that have watched “Squid Game” has reached 53%! With such high viewership, the series is a massive success, but some people are left questioning why it’s so beloved.

“Squid Game” takes place in South Korea and follows Seon Gi-Hun, a debt-ridden man who lives with his mother. When Gi-Hun finally makes it big from gambling, only to have it all stolen from him, he is forced to sign a contract that means he will die if he doesn’t pay back his debts. With his life seemingly forfeited, Gi-Hun meets a man that offers him a way to make money: a contest of simple children’s games. Eventually, Gi-Hun accepts the offer, unknowingly entering a fight for his life against 456 other contestants, all for a cash prize of $46 million.

With lovable characters, jaw-dropping twists, heartbreaking tragedies, and high-intensity action, it’s no wonder the series has garnered so much attention for itself. Personally, I found myself heavily enjoying the show, and I even watched the entire show in one day. The unrelenting pace of the show left me at the edge of my seat the entire way through. As someone who didn’t mind subtitles, I did not think of it as a flaw, but for those who aren’t used to watching foreign films, and decided to use the English dub, they experienced a much less engaging experience. As hard as I believe the English voice actors tried, hearing their voices seemed to pull away from the emotion, instead making me think about the synchronization of lips.

Aside from a few flaws, “Squid Game” is a great series that deserves the love that it’s getting. I would give “Squid Game” a score of 9/10.