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Do Korea or Japan even have student loans or medical debt? I think you are confusing these US specific phenomenons with global ones.

• keiferski 2y ago
  Not sure it really matters that much. Squid Game is a global phenomenon and even though it’s ostensibly a Korean series, it’s pretty clearly funded by the very American corporation Netflix.
  • Tade0 2y ago
    Netflix might be American, but making Koreans have specifically American problems would ruin the suspension of disbelief.
  • slightwinder 2y ago
    Netflix is specifically buying local productions. Changing them on fundamental levels just to cater some us-viewer seems pointless.
    • keiferski 2y ago
      That is true in some cases, but not Squid Game, which was specially produced by Netflix.
      • slightwinder 2y ago
        Which is what I meant. They look for promising projects in other countries and finance them partly or even buy them as a whole. But those projects usually already existed before Netflix came in, meaning they are not specifically designed for Netflix and the US-market. Squid Game for example was written 10 years before Netflix started financing them. And this is even more obvious when they finance sequels to old series which were already running decades ago.
        • keiferski 2y ago
          I’m not sure how that really is an argument against my point. Thousands of scripts exist, and in the process of them getting made, the funders and producers have influence on the content. The idea that fully-written scripts are just made without any input or pushback from the funders/producers is not how the film industry works.
          • slightwinder 2y ago
            No, that's exactly how the Industry (also) works. There are different styles of projects, but scripts being finished before any money flows in, is pretty common. And at those point changes are usually small. And usually they also don't plan ahead to become some global hit. But the point is that Netflix specifically buys productions from different countries, to cater to the fans of those cultures. If they wanted to have a US-ified script, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths, they could just hire some us-asian writer to get another ethnic US-series.
          • butlike 2y ago
            I think they're making a <valid> claim that funding creates a bias. Netflix funding squid game created a bias to rewrite a potentially-done script for US audiences.
            • keiferski 2y ago
              Yes. No one else seems to be able to read the comments up thread. Netflix funded the production. Netflix has an influence on what the script is. At no point was I interested in arguing about whether it was a “Korean show” or not.
            • tuna74 2y ago
              Netflix wants subscribers in Korea so they have every motivation to create content that Korean people want to watch. If Americans like it as well that is just a bonus.
          • monkey_monkey 2y ago
      • kalleboo 2y ago
        Netflix funds and produces lots of local productions targeted at local markets, with zero eye towards the US market[0]. They still get international subtitles because that's cheap enough. If those shows turn out to have a more global appeal than expected, great, but they were still only originally targeted at the local market. It makes no sense if Netflix is trying to gain subscribers in Korea to make a Korean show targeted at US audiences. [0]Example: https://about.netflix.com/ja/news/asura-trailer-special-art https://about.netflix.com/ja/news/asura-trailer-special-art
  • infecto 2y ago
    Its a korean show, created by a korean under a korean production company with the rights purchased by Netflix. It matters a lot and is a really weird take to think it is not Korean.
    • keiferski 2y ago
      As far as I can tell the show only got made because Netflix specifically developed it and funded it. Of course it is “Korean” in that the employees and actors are all Korean, but the show seems to be entirely funded by Netflix. Which means Netflix obviously had a say in the content.
      • tucnak 2y ago
        Give it up
        • keiferski 2y ago
          ? Everything I read about the show indicates that it was directly a Netflix production that didn’t exist until the writer brought the script to Netflix’s office in Seoul. Do you have information that says otherwise?
          • Pigalowda 2y ago
            I’m just butting in here and I thought you were wrong. However I looked it up and indeed you are right. The creative talent are all Korean but they couldn’t get a studio to fund production for their show. Netflix was approached and liked the script and funded them. It’s all in the wiki and pretty easy to catch up on the info. I also think you’re right about the global resonance. If this was purely a Korean issue I don’t think it would be as darkly appealing as it is. As an American who is almost done paying off a lot of student debt - I definitely identify with the characters, although their desperation is much worse than mine. I absolutely remember believing that if I didn’t succeed I would have to cut life short. If a few things hadn’t broken my way - I’d probably be in that squid game too.
          • 2y ago
  • alias_neo 2y ago
    This is a strange hill to die on, Squid Game is a global phenomenon because it's good, I posit that if Netflix had stamped AMERICA all over it, it may not have been good. For the other 50% of Netflix's users outside of the US, they can relate to your problems as much or as little as you can relate to those of Koreans in the show.
• atrus 2y ago
  That's kind of interesting that you say that, since multiple characters are raising money due to medical reasons. Technically it's not debt (treatment hasn't occurred, no money is owed), but medical issues are still a big deal even in countries with more accessible healthcare.
• maeil 2y ago
  At least for Korea, both exist. Tuition debt is almost a non-factor though. Medical debt can be, but of course nothing like the US On the contrary, debts from failed businesses (as used in the series) are incredibly common here - probably the most common kind of debt that makes people spiral out of society. Korea has a very high percentage of people who try at some point to start some kind of small business, much higher than the US or Western Europe. Of course this can easily go wrong. So yes, the debts used in the series are apt for Korea.
  • deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
• lupusreal 2y ago
  Wouldn't Korea have medical debt for the cosmetic surgery which is very popular there? Or is that sort of thing free too?