Let’s face it. Dramas have always enjoyed social currency when it came to entertaining the masses. If BTS and BLACKPINK had people swooning over beautiful pop starlets, K-dramas ensured the complete immersion of Indians into Korean culture. Thanks to Netflix, Indian consumers now have managed to lay their hands on an almost endless supply of highly engaging South Korean content.
The most popular piece of entertainment in the world right now is a South Korean dystopian series about income inequality. That says as much about the state of global society as it does about Netflix, which bankrolled the program and then convinced more than half of its 209 million subscribers to check it out in its first month.
We’re talking, of course, about “Squid Game”, a show that has been devoured by audiences in over 90 countries and amassing 111 million viewers worldwide. Like it or hate it, you cannot ignore it. The mega-success of Squid game changed the way the world viewed Korean content. Even though there was a massive increase in K-drama viewership since the start of the pandemic, Squid Game only managed to etch its place in viewers’ minds worldwide.
People are inherently curious, and intrigued by stories from around the world. And an authentically told story will resonate with viewers worldwide—Netflix subs and dubs in over 30 languages. The ever-growing fandom of Korean stories and characters in India is a testament to that. The language barrier has lowered with subtitles and dubs, and foreign members have discovered and enjoyed authentic K content.
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The viewing of K-dramas on Netflix in India increased by more than 370% in 2020 over 2019. Due to the pandemic and OTT platform boom, we have realized that content is not bound by language. People worldwide are consuming different types of content, and having subtitles helps. It’s great that we are watching content from around the world, and even they are watching ours. What’s most interesting about viral moments is how something like “Squid Game” can take on new meanings, tones and genres even, as it transverses through and across mediums and inspires new forms of content altogether.
As it stands, there are 250 Squid Game-related apps featured on the Google Play store. Moreover, it’s fascinating how something like “Squid Game” can take on new meanings, tones and genres even, as it transverses through and across mediums and inspires new forms of content altogether.
This increase in viewership and interest in the culture, language, food and dramas has led to other platforms following the footsteps of Netflix to begin investing in South Korean content. Disney+ and Apple TV + are newer platforms that showcased their line of shows to be aired in the country. From the looks of it, this is only a start for these platforms as they are exploring different paths to explore varied content genres. Netflix, too, has planned on investing 550 billion won, up 65 per cent from a year ago, in content production in South Korea this year.
But why does South Korean content work so well?
The Korean content raging across OTT platforms often showcases socio-cultural belief systems that mirror, to a large extent, the ones that govern much of our lives too. The same middle-class sensibilities, the same struggles to rise above one’s social standing, and the same desire to beat the system or find love that continues to exist as narrative tropes functioning beyond the limitations of language and geography. However, it was only with the arrival of Squid Game that the declaration could be heard loud and clear – Korean Dramas were indeed here to stay.
With its razor-sharp storytelling, visually arresting costumes and set designs, and an incredibly immersive soundtrack, Squid Game makes for what can only be termed an outstanding Netflix-bingeing experience. Plenty of Netflix shows have become viral sensations in record time; “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton”, and “The Witcher” all broke through past viewership ceilings at the time of release. But “Squid Game”, being a foreign language show, is an altogether different beast. It’s forcing us to rethink what it means to go viral.
Remember that Squid Game is officially returning to Netflix for season two. According to a message from director Hwang Dong-hyuk, the second season will see the return of Gi-hun and the mysterious Front Man. The note also states, “the man in the suit with ddakji might be back,” and that we’ll also get introduced to Cheol-su, Young-hee’s boyfriend.
Squid Game is a phenomenal show, and the world loves it. With viewers already getting their taste of K-dramas, the love for K-dramas will only grow as consumption patterns indicate an upward curve. What K-dramas thrive on are emotion, heroism, rage and family. They are ‘filmy’ in general, but some are way more gory and violent than our content.
But their essence lends itself well to Indian emotions. Strong production values, coupled with a great sense of contemporary storytelling, will ensure more and more people find their way into the cult of K-Dramas. And considering K-content is currently being produced in almost every conceivable genre, it is only a matter of time before it extends beyond just Netflix and people start prioritising it over even vernacular content. That is, if it has not happened already.
