Due to Squid Games' graphic content, the Netflix series received TV-MA viewership ratings which only allows mature audiences to watch the show.
According to TV Guidelines, TV-MA warns viewers that a program is "specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program may contain one or more of the following: crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity, or graphic violence."
Those who have seen the series surely know the reason why the survival game got that rating, as the nine-episode series show gore and violence as the game's contestants risk their lives to win the $38 million prize.
This explains why the content has been banned from entering any platform in China as its government finds the series "chaotic" effect on youth and culture. Still, most Chinese have seen the hit series already.
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How Squid Game Became Popular In China Despite Prohibiting It
The Chosun Ilbo's website reported that the Chinese watched Squid Game through VPN and illegal downloads. Some clips from the series have also been uploaded on social media sites, including TikTok.
South Korean ambassador to China Jang Ha Sung revealed that over 60 different Chinese websites uploaded the series for public viewings. Citizens also openly talked about it online using the tag #SquidGame. The Chosun Ilbo estimated that the term had been searched more than 2 billion times on China's version of Twitter, Weibo.
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Unfortunately, there is no way Squid Game can ever make it to China's websites or homes' screens legally. However, the chief content officer of streaming platform iQiyi, Wang Xiaohui, hinted at the possible friendly version of the series.
"This type of relatively dark subject matter that reflects the particularly dark side of human nature definitely won't be produced in China... Regarding content production, we must follow ideology and social trends, including the enthusiasm and unity of the Chinese people," the head went on.
Squid Game-Inspired Variety Show Coming Up?
Squid Game's fans understand the demand of the Netflix series, but they could not tolerate Chinese producers' desire to copy its concept for a new variety show.
Multiple news outlets confirmed that Chinese producers came up with a variety program, Squid's Victory, and planned to launch it in 2022. It already spread on Twitter, where most fans expressed their dismay against the creators for copying the show's concept.
Its poster has since been released, featuring a black background with the font style, color, and shapes that looked exactly like Squid Game's official logo.
The move may quench the thirst of Chinese fans who want to see the movie, but Squid Game fans just cannot approve it.
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