Another survival game that has to do with money. Animal World is a Chinese movie. While the first half of AW is very weird the second half is amazing! In Animal World they play rock, paper, scissors and you have to be strategic about it cause once you run out of the cards that have rock, paper, or scissors on them you're out. (This is like my dumbed-down version of what happens. I can't exactly remember. It's been awhile since I watched it.)
The parallel is straightforward: Hyeok Jun is drowning in debt and takes the job out of pure financial desperation same exact logic as Squid Game, where broke people say yes to an offer that's too good to be true, only to walk into a deadly trap. Both shows hit hard on South Korea's wealth gap and class inequality.
Both shows are about survival game stories. The main character and it’s friends have different qualities in both shows. In Zero we have a Sherlock Holmes like super Brain and in Squid Game a person like you and me. The games are fun in both and ofc more creative in the Japanese version. Death Game shows and movies have their origin in Japan and they can do it best. If you had fun with the Korean dramas Liar Game or Squid Game then take it to the next level an dive into Japanese game shows. You won’t regret it!
