Category: Reviews

In ‘Squid Game,’ children’s games get awfully bloody

Jae-Ha Kim

NPR asked me to share my thoughts about the Korean series, “Squid Game,” for their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. We discussed the controversy about the subtitles, whether the Western actors in Episodes 7 lended anything to the series and whether a Season 2 would be a good thing or not.

“Hospital Playlist” (슬기로운 의사생활): Season 2

Jae-Ha Kim

“Hospital Playlist” is a good series, where the core friendship is warm and engaging. The five doctors have the kind of relationship with each other that makes me envious … even though I don’t particularly feel a need for that many close friends in my real life. (haha)

“Squid Game” Is a Social Allegory Informed by Korean History

Jae-Ha Kim

“Squid Game” is not this year’s “Parasite,” so much as it is a satire in the vein of “A Modest Proposal.” Just as Jonathan Swift pointed out the abject brutality of telling the poor to satiate their hunger by eating healthy, plump babies, Hwang depicts the cruelty of lording a huge sum of money – literally – over desperate people’s heads, knowing that most will die as they lived: penniless.

“Bring It On, Ghost” (싸우자 귀신아)

Jae-Ha Kim

The series parable seems to be that if you have hate in your heart, you are susceptible to being influenced to hurt others, just because you can. “Bring It On, Ghost” started off as an uneven series. But once you get past the first couple episodes, it becomes a must-see K-drama that’s filled with action and a lot of heart.

“Penthouse: War in Life (Season 3)” (펜트하우스)

Jae-Ha Kim

What started out as a compelling makjang series ended with a bloody mess, where vengeance wasn’t sweet. Rather, it took over the main characters’ lives to the point where they could see nothing else but hate.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” (킹덤: 아신전)

Jae-Ha Kim

“Ashin of the North” is screenwriter Kim Eun-Hee’s concession to “Kingdom” fans, who are eagerly awaiting the third season of the popular Netflix series. This stand-alone episode — or film, depending on how you view it — is entertaining, but not nearly of the same caliber of storytelling as the first two seasons of this zombie period piece.

“Racket Boys” (라켓소년단)

Jae-Ha Kim

“Racket Boys” is a sweet series centering around a teenager, who’s forced to quit baseball when his father moves them from Seoul to the countryside. Disappointed and bitter, Hae-Kang begrudgingly joins the badminton team — which his father coaches — on the condition that if the team wins a medal, his dad will get them Wi-Fi at their house.