Summary
Squid Gamereceived a lot of complaints in one Asian country. There are fears that the show could be removed from Netflix in the said nation.
Squid GameSeason 2 was released a day after Christmas and it remained a massive hit. Thousands of fans who had waited for it for three years immediately watched the series, and it dominated Netflix’s top spot for weeks. However, itsRotten Tomatoes scoreisn’t as high as that of Season 1, and it was immediately dethroned as the No. 1 most-watched TV show in the US byWWE Monday Night RAW. The Korean survival thriller TV series also faces another concern in its neighboring country.
According to a Vietnamese state media outlet Lao Dong, the Vietnam Cinema Department is reviewingSquid GameSeason 2for potential violations, per The Korea Times. “If it is concluded that the series violates regulations, we will handle the matter in accordance with the law,” the department stated. The outlet noted that this could meanSquid Gamecould be removed fromNetflixVietnam. The report came on the heels of the backlash the series received on social media. Many Vietnamese expressed their disappointment with a particular scene in Season 2. Some even called on others to boycott the show for misrepresenting their country’s history.
The much-talked scene occurred in episode 5 after Gi-hun and his team won the second game, the six-legged pentathlon, where each of them played one mini-game – ddakji, flying stone, gong-gi, spinning top, and jegi. After their victory, the team members Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Oh Young-il (Lee Byung-hun), Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) and Jun-hee (Jo Yuri) discussed where they acknowledged each other’s performance. During the conversation, Jung-bae praised Dae-ho for being a “gong-gi machine.” The latter explained that he had four sisters, and growing up, he played gong-gi with them, so he was good at it. When Jung-bae asked why his mother sent him to the Marines when he was the only son, Dae-ho said it was his father’s idea to toughen him up. “That was my dad’s idea. He thought I should be tougher,” he explained. “My father wanted me to become a real man, so he sent me to the Marines. My father was aVietnam Warveteran.” Jung-bae commented, “Your father must be an honorable man.” The exchange infuriated many Vietnamese because they felt that it glorified South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War. “It’s wrong to portray Korean veterans of the Vietnam War as honorable figures,” one comment read. “South Korea demands apologies and reparations from Japan for colonial rule but boasts about its military involvement in Vietnam,” another said.
The concerns raised over the dialogue involving the Vietnam War are understandable since it’s a sensitive issue for many. However, it can also be considered a fiction narrative open to interpretation as part of creativity. In general, including historical events like the Vietnam War in a movie or TV show is challenging because it puts the project in a difficult situation where artistic creativity, historical accuracy, and cultural sensitivity intersect. From the artistic perspective, the dialogue can be perceived as a creative choice and not be taken as historical fact. However, making historical references from a cultural perspective may be regarded as insensitive or inappropriate for those who were directly affected by such, sparking valid criticism. This is a difficult matter to assess, so it’s best to leave the decision to the Vietnam Cinema Department.Squid GameSeason 3will debut this year and it will answer fans' lingering questions.
