*MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Since debuting on Netflix, the South Korean drama Squid Game has captivated viewers across the globe and has clung to its Top 10 position in the platform’s chart.
In the survival drama, directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show follows 456 people who have struggled financially and have exhausted their economic options. With what feels like no other choice, these civilians compete to win ₩45.6 billion won ($38.5 billion) by playing traditional Korean children’s games, only with several deadly twists. Some of these familiar games include Tug of War, Red Light, Green Light, Marbles, and more.
The hashtag #squidgame has amassed 11.1 billion views on TikTok and is filled with memes, clips, and fan edits of characters from the show. Despite the twisted nature of the show, some of the show’s challenges have sparked a trend on TikTok.
The “Red Light, Green Light” Meme’s
Who would have thought that “Red light, Green light” would be the driving force behind so many memes on TikTok, and yet here we are? “Red light, green light” is a children’s game in which one person commands those behind them to run (green light) and hold still (red light), and eliminates those who move during a red light phase.
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@peternugget loved watching squid game, everyone go watch it on Netflix!!! also I know these games aren’t exclusive to America #squidgame #pov #comedy
The first “Squid Game” episode features the Korean iteration of the game. In the show, a giant animatronic girl calls out commands for players to run and stop, and if it catches them moving, the animatronic immediately triggers a gun to shoot them, killing the player.
Many of the videos are concentrated under a sound uploaded by TikTok user @yovincaprafika that clips the animatronic saying “mugunghwa kochi pieotsumnida.”
@viprawr RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT! ‼️‼️‼️ #squidgame #fyp #foryou
The Dalgona Cookie Trend
Another one of the series’ challenges centers on participants making a type of honeycomb cookie, also known as Dalgona candy. Dalgona candy is a traditional toffee-like snack in Korea, also known as Bbopgi in some regions. The snack is made from sugar and baking soda and has a picture pressed in.
@franziee_v ???? #squidgame #dalgonacandy #eatstraveltime #eatskorea #MYfoodie #foodtok #foodie #franzie_v #easyrecipe #foodtiktok #food #foru #fyp #sweet
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In the show, participants must carve out shapes from the cookie without breaking it, or else they’ll be fatally eliminated from the game. The TikTok trend sees users attempt the same challenge to see whether or not they would survive.
@myymammam #squidgame #round2 #dalgona #challenge #ancungtiktok #learnontiktok
These TikTok trends are already sparking enough conversation around the show, along with plenty of theories and fan edits. Whether or not you’ve watched the show, some of these trends are still tons of fun to witness. Or maybe if you’re daring enough or have even an ounce of curiosity, you’ll try out the games for yourself. Take a chance and answer the question: do you think you’d survive?
