'Squid Game' becomes a hit among fans despite Netflix's unavailablity in China

Netflix's South Korean series Squid Game took the world by storm and became the world's number one show on the streaming platform, giving tough competition to popular series like Bridgeton and The Witcher. The show has enthralled the audience with its unique storyline and stellar performances by the cast. Despite the streaming service being unavailable in China, the South Korean survival drama is a big hit in the country as well, with related products and merchandise flying off the shelves. 

Chinese viewers have been watching the popular K-drama through VPNs, and even file-sharing, keeping the discussions alive and trending on the internet. According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Netflix show has become popular enough in the Asian country that its Twitter-like social media platform, Weibo recorded 1.9 billion mentions of it.  

Despite Netflix being unavailable in China, demand for Squid Game related products soars up

In the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai, shops have jumped on the 'Dalgona Candy' bangwagon. The sweet 'Honeycomb' game-based candy has now become popular among millennials. Recently, in the capital city, Beijing, a DIY Bakery & More has also started a Squid Game-themed baking challenge. According to Global News, the owner of the bakery stated that the challenge is set up as her customers are mainly young people, also a key demographic of the Netflix show's fan base.

Several snaps of fans and followers with the shop's Squid Game-themed signs, like in one of the challenges in the show where the contestants attempted to cut shapes from the candy without breaking them, took over the internet. With the growing popularity of the show, Chinese manufacturers are also trying to keep up with relentless orders for 'Squid Game' merchandise ahead of Halloween. 

Manufacturers told China's state-owned Global Times newspaper that at the world's largest wholesale market in the city of Yiwu, they've been swamped with orders for the masks worn by the show's monitors. Demand for mask molds has been also soared. The report suggests one wholesale toy shop, Huayu Toys, has been selling more than 10,000 masks a day since the beginning of October, with exports accounting for about 80% of sales. 

Despite its success in the country, South Korea's ambassador to China is not amused by the series' proliferation across non-official channels. A media outlet, News in 24, recently reported that the South Korean envoy told a parliamentary audit recently that he had asked Chinese authorities to take action against the piracy. The outlet reported Jang Ha-sung said, "Our assessment is that Squid Game, which is gaining global popularity, is being illegally distributed on around 60 sites in China." 

Several experts told SCMP that the K-drama Squid Game is unlikely to be officially available in the country, citing its violence and its themes of socioeconomic inequality. A researcher of K-dramas at King's College London, Hye-Kyung Lee told the outlet, "A clean version of "Squid Game?" It would not be the same drama. I am not sure if this drama will ever pass Chinese censorship, as there are too many killings and there is a lot of extreme [content], which is essential for the storyline."

Image: Instagram/@squidgame_netflix