Posted on 11/02/2021 11:52:20 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
For Netflix, Squid Game, which cost just US$21.4 million (S$29 million) to produce, has given it a subscriber boom, pushed up its share price and is set to create an outsized windfall of almost US$900 million.
Media watchers said the global hit marked the latest, if not the biggest pop culture export so far from South Korea, whose TV shows, films and pop music have been making waves beyond the country for at least two decades.
Notable K-drama hits over the years include Winter Sonata in the early 2000s...Idol groups like Girls’ Generation began breaking out of Asia by the early 2010s but it was rapper Psy who made history in December 2012 with mega-hit Gangnam Style.
The song became the first music video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube.
Since then, BTS has emerged as arguably the country’s most successful K-pop group of all time, breaking chart records and garnering millions of fans worldwide.
Last year, the seven-member global sensation became the first K-pop group to ever receive a Grammy Award nomination. The same year, Parasite, a black comedy centred on inequality and class conflict, rewrote Korean film history by winning four Oscars, including the prestigious Best Picture award.
The biggest successes out of South Korea have been those that touch on socio-cultural issues which resonate with global audiences, said Dr Jin.
“Global hits like Squid Game and Parasite are made by a unique generation of directors who first grew up under a military dictatorship from when they were born in the 1960s and 1970s until the 1980s.
"And when they reached late 20s and early 30s, the Asian financial crisis hit so they also experienced how economic problems could change people's daily lives. These life experiences helped them to develop greater sensitivity towards political and economic issues...”
(Excerpt) Read more at channelnewsasia.com ...
I caught Parasite, hah. A very weird and dark movie. Acting and cinematography were great. I’m sure I missed a lot through my ignorance of S. Korean culture though. I did the get impression that the guy who made it is a real craftsman.
Freegards
Trigger warning though: the shows are shockingly lacking in diversity, being cast almost exclusively with South Koreans.
Oddly, though, this hasn’t bothered me in the least, seeing as they are made in South Korea.
The Squid Game is awesome, I’ve probably rewatched it three times already, I keep spotting things I missed.
The Squid Game did have the one guy from Pakistan, so they did kind of shoehorn in the immigration thing.
Yes, that's true, and hyper violent as well.
The problem is, to completely enjoy The Squid Game, you have to watch it without any spoilers, or else it will be ruined, and it’s getting harder and harder to avoid learning about the spoilers if you go on the Internet. They released all the episodes at once, instead of spacing it out, so most people just binge watched it.
“Goblin” is my all-time favorite.
The Squid Game features a lot of classical music, no K-Pop.
One of the series we're currently watching has some international cast - "Run On". About a Korean woman who does translations for movies, so features some western movie productions with American actors. Not for everyone, often boring, but interesting to see dialog flipping between Korean and English. We have no problem watching all Korean casts, seems that the culture has caught up to western style living (except for the food). Most of the shows feature lots of eating Korean food, which we don't care for except the fried chicken and beef dishes.
I loves me some Kimchi. Fortunately in DFW we have some good Korean markets.
I’ve developed a taste for kimchi. YMMV.
Bulgogi bibimbap is the newest American staple dish. And as with most imported cuisines, the American version is better (I’ve had it in Korea as well) because of better quality ingredients and more meat. Of course, that may change in the Biden new normal.
Yes, mostly Strauss’s “Blue Danube” over and over and over again.
I haven’t gotten around to Parasite, I can’t find it dubbed, I hate subtitles. I didn’t actually like Squid Game. The characters are all scumbags, their deaths don’t mean anything. There’s other Korean stuff I like though.
“Has anyone here seen [Parasite or Squid Game]”?
I saw “Parasite”. It’s a well-crafted movie. Some of the class warfare is not aligned with my views, but it’s still well done. There is some explicit content that makes me reluctant to recommend it to some folks.
I was going to suggest “The Raid” as a great Korean film. It is an ultra-violent action film somewhat in the vein of Diehard. Not for everyone. But I just looked it up and discovered that my assumption that the film is Korean has been wrong for the past decade. It’s Indonesian.
If this forum was the DU I’d probably be banned for life for admitting this mistake because it is so racist.
Anyway, “Parasite” might be worth seeing depending on your sensibilities. I’ll have to check out “Squid Game” when I get a chance. Sounds interesting.
I tried kimchi many times in many cities. And still can’t stand the stuff.
I’ve enjoyed food in many countries.....why is Korean food so different, to use a polite word.?
LoL there’s a lot more than just kimchi!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.