Squid Game - A Review

"I am not a horse; I am a human."

Amidst the brutality and violence, Squid Game, at its core, is a social commentary on human beings' ethical and moral ambiguity. It makes us question our existence. Who are we? What values do we stand for during our lowest points? 

The theme of Squid Game is not new—we have seen such dystopian themes in films like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, or 13 Tzameti. But the compelling, diverse, and relatable characters—and the tenderness of their bond—will make you root for them. 

A group of desperate individuals, in dire financial straits, are manipulated into participating in children's games with a cash prize of roughly $40M. But, they leave out one tiny detail—the games have deadly consequences. The commentary on the class divide and the perils of capitalism are apparent throughout the series. 

After the horrors of Red Light, Green Light, the participants unanimously quit. Not only they're compelled to return but are made to believe they did it voluntarily. 

During the course of the series, Seong Gi-hun, a gambling addict in serious debt, tries hard to be honest and self-righteous in a place of continuous moral decadence. 

Oh Il-nam, as Player 001, is delightful. During the initial few episodes, he was my favourite character, and I wished to have his zest for life despite suffering from a terminal ailment. 

Kang Sae-byeok is the most enigmatic character among the main characters. She begins to open up during the latter half of the season after she is paired with another girl with a tragic past, Ji-yeong, who helps her open up. 

Cho Sang-woo is a selfish person who will descend to any depth to survive and win the game. On the other hand, Abdul Ali is a kind-hearted, easily manipulated, but physically powerful immigrant. 

Episode 6, Gganbu, is one of the finest hours in the history of television. This episode wrecked me and moved me to tears. The set-up of Game 4 reminds Il-nam of his childhood home and is disinterested in playing the marble game, but Gi-hun eventually convinces him to play. With Il-nam on the verge of winning, Gi-hun takes advantage of the former's dementia to cheat, even though he feels guilty about it. The scene—where Il-nam reveals he was aware of Gi-hun's betrayal but allows him to win anyway—is absolutely gut-wrenching. 

Meanwhile, Ji-yeong and Sae-byeok discuss their lives before playing the marble game. After their poignant interaction, Ji-yeong loses the game on purpose and makes the ultimate sacrifice as she believes Sae-byeok deserves to live more than her. 

Ali, who unwittingly gets the upper hand in the game, is made to believe by Sang-woo that both can survive the game. He deceives Ali into giving up his marbles. Sadly, Ali's innocence eventually leads to his downfall. 

I loved the tug-of-war episode too, which had one of the best cliffhangers. Despite lacking physical strength, Gi-hun's team comes out on top—thanks to Il-nam's experience and Sang-woo's quick thinking. 

After the sixth episode, the quality of the series dipped a tad due to the introduction of VIPs. Acted horribly, the VIPs sounded like poorly dubbed American characters in old Chinese movies where the dialogues were written by someone with Chinese sensibilities. In this instance, the dialogues of the VIPs were written in English with Korean sensibilities. And, that's why they sounded more like caricatures instead of normal people. Also, the actors playing these characters were horrible, and that didn't help either. 

That twist, in the end, involving Il-nam was unexpected and it ruined that wonderful moment in Gganbu to a certain extent. Overall, I enjoyed the show. It was my first K-Drama, and I had a wonderful experience. 

My Rating: 9/10

A Journey of 1,000 Days

March 5, 2021

June 30, 2018, marked the beginning of the 10K streak—a journey culminating in a significant milestone: completing 1,000 consecutive days on March 25, 2021.

During this period, I logged an impressive tally of steps and kilometres, totalling 11,101,932 steps and covering 8,605.5 kilometres.

Several months before initiating the streak, I grappled with the challenges of Avascular Necrosis for over six years. My hips were a constant source of discomfort, with a clicking sound accompanying every step, signalling the inevitable collapse of my hip joints. Concurrently, my knees endured immense pressure, overshadowing the pain in my hips.

On March 24, 2018, a minor car accident exacerbated the condition in my knees, intensifying my discomfort. Rather than succumb to despair, I opted for a radical approach—active walking. Starting with a modest 1,000 steps daily, I swiftly progressed to consistently achieving over 8,000 steps within months, undergoing a profound lifestyle transformation from a sedentary existence.

By the conclusion of June 2018, I routinely achieved 10,000 steps, prompting me to challenge myself to maintain this benchmark throughout July of that year. With unwavering determination, I surpassed this initial hurdle and sustained the streak month after month thereafter.

Walking amidst persistent pain became my norm for nearly a decade, but the strain I imposed on my legs during the streak far exceeded prior thresholds. In the initial stages, my body struggled to acclimate to this rigorous physical regimen, resulting in inflammation in the heel tissue and agonizing bouts of Plantar Fasciitis. Despite these adversities, I persisted.

By October 2018, not only had I consistently attained 10,000 daily steps, but I also began to derive enjoyment from my walks. Engaging in weekly 5 km GPS challenges injected a competitive edge into my routine, facilitating my progress from an 11-minute kilometre pace in July 2018 to under 9 minutes by January 2019.

Around the 200-day mark, a pinched nerve in my left foot presented yet another hurdle, compelling me to persevere through weeks of discomfort. Overcoming these obstacles bolstered my resolve, ultimately enabling me to partake in the TCS World 10K race on May 19, 2019, where I earned my inaugural medal in the Majja 5K Run category. Brisk-walking and briefly running amidst a sea of people is an experience I will never forget.

The summer of 2019 witnessed another milestone when a routine indoor walking session transitioned into a full-fledged running session. I ran for an hour without a break, achieving my highest step count in an hour (close to 8,800) and likely covering 10 kilometres in under an hour—an accomplishment unimaginable a year prior.

The year 2019 proved monumental, with statistics reflecting over 3,000 kilometres walked and 4 million steps taken, setting a remarkable benchmark.

Despite the onset of the global pandemic, which necessitated lockdowns and confinement, my walking streak persisted. The challenges posed by the pandemic failed to deter my determination, and for the second consecutive year, I surpassed the milestones of 3,000 kilometres and 4 million steps.

On March 5, 2021, commemorating the ninth anniversary of my Core Decompression procedure, I embarked on a new challenge—walking 10 kilometres in a single GPS session, a feat I had yet to attempt outdoors. Reflecting on the events preceding my surgery imbued this endeavour with profound significance, evoking a torrent of emotions upon completion.

Embarking on such a journey requires not only courage, motivation, and determination but also an unwavering commitment to consistency. I am immensely proud of my mental and physical fortitude, having endured pain and overcome formidable odds throughout this remarkable 1,000-day journey. Here's to the next 1,000 days—a testament to resilience, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit.