On June 12, Netflix officially green-lit the second season of Squid Game, much to the excitement of fans around the world. China is no exception.
Hwang Dong-Hyuk writer, director, producer, and creator of @squidgame has a message for the fans: pic.twitter.com/DxF0AS5tMM
— Netflix (@netflix) June 12, 2022
Since Squid Game premiered in September 2021, the show has enjoyed tremendous popularity among Chinese netizens despite Netflix not officially being available in the country. Passionate fans have even nominated their favorite childhood games for a Chinese version of Squid Game.
Several small kiosks specializing in dalgona candies (a Korean honeycomb toffee) inspired by one of the show’s deadly challenges also popped up in major Chinese cities like Shanghai, capitalizing on Squid Game’s fandom in the country.
Delighted by the news, fans of the show have taken to microblogging platform Weibo to express their excitement for season two, and a related hashtag gained more than 130 million views in under 24 hours.
Though the second season won’t be released until the end of 2023 or early 2024, fans have impatiently urged the production team to get going. One such comment reads, “Please film it quickly; I want to see it soon!”
Young-hee, the motion-sensing animatronic doll from Squid Game‘s first season
So far, Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, has only disclosed limited information about the second season. Protagonist Seong Gi-hun and Front Man will continue to be played by Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun. However, the new season will probably come with a whole new cast of characters.
Some Chinese fans have expressed curiosity about Squid Game season two’s casting and storyline.
“So Young-hee’s boyfriend Cheol-su is going to replace her as the animatronic doll?” wondered one viewer, adding, “I’m looking forward to the new games in season two!”
Squid Game has undoubtedly made its mark upon millions of fans around the world by raising themes of alienation, inequality, and the violent nature of capitalism. How the show’s second season will touch on these themes remains to be seen, of course, but fans in China will be watching to find out.
Cover photo via IMDb; other images via Weibo
