This Is So Real But I Eat Up Some Of Those X Readers

There's a scene in S1, before the riot, where Gi-hun tells Sae-byeok that he and a few others are gathering together for protection and she is welcome to join them.

Sae-byeok tells Gi-hun that she doesn't trust him.

And I love Gi-hun's response. Gi-hun doesn't list off reasons for Sae-byeok to trust him. He doesn't get offended or annoyed with her. He just tells her, "You don't trust people because you know they're trustworthy. You trust people because you have nothing else."

To me, that sums up the core of his character so well, and it's the perfect example of what makes him the necessary hero to stop these games.

When the world tries to crush you down and enforce an ideology that trust is weak and foolish and must be stripped away through violence if necessary, the strongest thing a person can do is to trust other people anyway.

The only thing a person can do, if they want to keep any humanity of their own, is to trust other people anyway.

Shooting Stars

🌕☁️

The Russian's roulette scene was INSANELY GOOD. Gong-Yoo's acting was just CHEF'S KISS.

Ps: Sorry if this looks like shit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

You ever think about how Sangwoo looked so irritated when Gihun invited Ilnam to join their group? Yes it was probably because his age made him a liability but Gihun also didn’t offer much to the table but that didn’t matter to Sangwoo. He still wanted to play the games with him. And when he chose to stay silent about the dalgona, it was probably in hopes of getting rid of Ilnam, and you can see the instant regret in Sangwoo’s eyes when Gihun takes the umbrella instead.

Do you ever think that maybe there was a small part of Sangwoo that partnered up with Ali in marbles not just because he thought he would make a better partner but also because he wanted to spite Gihun for allowing someone to intrude in between them?

“Achilles wished all Greeks would die so that he and Patroclus could conquer Troy alone.”

Soul of her

so reall, i think sang-woo would’ve won if gi-hun wasn’t there, but i don’t think he would’ve gone back after winning

Do you ever think about what would have happened if Jungbae had just given Gihun some money? What could have happened if Saebyeok had never stolen the money from the horse bet? What if Gihun would have never had a reason to join the games in the first place? Without Gihun Sangwoo would have been the one to win, I'm certain of it. The only time Gihun helped anyone in s1 was during Dalgona and Sangwoo already knew what the game was because of Saebyeok, so he didn't need him to win. Everything else he would have mastered, similarly to how Inho probably played and won his games back in 2015. Gihun would have lived, so would have Jungbae and Sangwoo. But at what prize? This brings me to another thought I had. Do we know how long Inho has been the front man? Personally, I don't think that Inho immediately went back to the games to become the front man, I think he had a similar story as Gihun, coming back to society, realizing his wife and child were already dead and then locking himself up in his appartment. I can really see him frantically buying and reading philosophy books, never leaving his stuffy room, slowly going mad, not understanding, how this could happen to him, wanting to contact Junho but being too scared of breaking down, being too scared to look his baby brother in the eye after witnessing and causing so much horror (with those same eyes). And then at some point someone slips a card underneath his door. And he goes back because he has nowhere else to go. Very, very similar to Sangwoo joining the games again after previously having wanted to kill himself. With a sort of "If I die during this then so be it" attitude, not enough fighting spirit left to try and do anything against the games like Gihun would do. This brings me back to Sangwoo. If Sangwoo had won the games I am fairly certain that he would have ended up in the exact same position. I don't think Inho would have had the same reaction to Sangwoo winning as he did with Gihun, he wouldn't have told him to go back to his life and use the money he was given, Sangwoo and Inho are far too similar, Sangwoo's behavior far too brutal to spark any inspiration in Inho. And the next thing Sangwoo would hear is a loud knock on the door and then he'd find another cardboard card. I believe Sangwoo would have been contacted to be the next front man. And Inho would have rose to the next higher step becoming the new boss of the games. And the cycle of trauma goes on and on and on.

Hi! Thanks for the ask. Sorry for the wait. I hope this answer is what you wanted. I liked to hear what you had to say.

I am going to number this so it is easier to answer. 1. Do you ever think about what would have happened if Jungbae had just given Gihun some money? What could have happened if Saebyeok had never stolen the money from the horse bet? What if Gihun would have never had a reason to join the games in the first place?

I think about this all the time. Everything would be SO different. A lot of winners probably wouldn't have had the same reaction he had.

2. Sangwoo winning.

I definitely believe Sang-woo would have won if Gi-hun wasn't there as well. That was his biggest problem, as he had the intelligence and skill to get super far. It was difficult for him to kill Gi-hun because he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for that. Before that, Sang-woo was willing to do absolutely anything to survive and win.

3. How long Inho has been the front man?

I personally think that In-ho also had it similar to Gi-hun, at first being a zombie of a man. It hurts to think of him going crazy and isolating himself. It was likely some months or maybe a year after that In-ho was asked to be the frontman. I like to think he has been frontman for some years before 2021. I say that he was only missing in 2021 because he had to go away to do his job, and at that point didn't want to endanger his family anymore so probably cut all contact. That or he only became frontman in 2021. Either could be true.

Slipping a card underneath the door would be pretty in character for them. I also imagine Il-nam personally talking to him to recruit him. He pretty much has already lost himself and all hope in humanity, so the job doesn't scare him nor does dying.

4. Sangwoo would have ended up as the frontman.

I don't think In-ho would be very interested in Sang-woo either, as Sang-woo likely wouldn't do the same things Gi-hun had. Gi-huns resistance is what I think made him so fascinated. Sang-woo may have been traumatized and felt guilty at times, but he probably would have convinced himself that the games were unstoppable and wouldn't feel the need to save people as much as Gi-hun did.

Sang-woo might have been contacted to partake in the games again except as a soldier or frontman, or another role like that. I am not sure why they cared to ask In-ho to be frontman, so maybe they ask a lot of winners they see could fit the role. They might respect his intelligence, willingness to survive, and ability to be apathetic at times.

Except, would he want to do that? He did all that he did because he simply wanted to survive and succeed. He wanted to fix all that he fucked up. I don't think he would have any reason to join after. He would be able to face his mom and would be able to find a new job. He could hide from the police or simply pay everything off. After that, he would have more to live for. Also, it takes someone with almost a complete lack of empathy and humanity. That is not Sang-woo, even if he is morally gray.

Something some people don't understand is that Squid Game is an ALLEGORY

Yes, many characters are very dictated (/doomed) by the narrative, beholden to their convictions, BECAUSE IT’S AN ALLEGORY.

Yeah, some things don't seem 100% realistic (although it's a fantastically well thought out world and story), BECAUSE IT’S AN ALLEGORY.

This story, these characters, THIS ENTIRE WORLD was meticulously staged TO SEND US A MESSAGE.

It's about capitalism. It's about classism. It's about the evil of hoarded wealth. It's about the dehumanization and infantilization of disadvantaged groups by privileged ones. It's about choice and autonomy, and how neither of those mean much - and yet, mean EVERYTHING - when all you have are bad choices. When all you've BEEN GIVEN are bad choices.

It's about the violence of poverty. About what people become when they have no other choice. About what people become when they don't have even the basics of life provided for them, the selfish beasts we must become to survive when those situations are imposed - and about how, then, we're blamed for it.

It's about the way we're pitted against one another while those in power sit back and watch. It's about the violence of consumption - specifically media consumption.

Of course In-ho is a little evil; HE EXISTS TO SHOW US WHAT HAPPENS TO NORMAL PEOPLE WHEN YOU FORCE THEM INTO THOSE CHOICES.

Of course Gi-hun trusts too easily, accepts Young-il as a friend despite that damning number on his chest; HE EXISTS TO SHOW US THERE’S ANOTHER WAY.