"The Original Death Game Is Ours"… Japan's Reaction to 'Squid Game' Winning 6 Emmy Awards

Japanese Media Praises "Korean Content's Growing Global Status"
Expresses Regret Over Underperformance Compared to Hallyu
"Detailed Coverage of Social Issues... Opportunity to Reveal Weaknesses in Japanese Works"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Director Hwang Dong-hyuk's Netflix original series 'Squid Game' won six awards at the Emmy Awards, the most prestigious ceremony in the U.S. broadcasting industry. Japanese foreign media praised it as "standing at the pinnacle of global content" while expressing regret over the poor performance of their own country's content.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on the 13th that "Korean entertainment is actively advancing onto the global stage," noting that "K-pop group BTS was nominated for a Grammy Award and the film Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture, raising the status of Korean content."

Japan's private broadcaster TV Asahi also commented, "This is the first time a non-English work has won," adding, "Despite featuring Korean games unknown to English-speaking audiences, it achieved the feat of being watched by 142 million households worldwide within a month." TV Asahi further praised Squid Game for demonstrating that even if it is not an American production, it can stand at the pinnacle of global entertainment.

On the other hand, they expressed regret over the relatively poor performance of Japanese content compared to the Korean Wave. Japan, which has shown strengths in the so-called 'death game' genre centered on survival battles, has yet to produce a work surpassing Squid Game.

Japan has attracted overseas fans with genre content involving survival battles risking money and life, such as Battle Royale and Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of Squid Game has also revealed that he was inspired by Japanese manga dealing with 'death games,' such as Liar Game.

Japanese journalist Matsutani Shoichiro stated, "Squid Game is a 'death game' genre work where the protagonist challenges life-or-death battles," but added, "Unlike Japanese works, it differs in its detailed depiction of social issues." He pointed out, "The Emmy win for Squid Game has highlighted the weaknesses of Japanese works," and said, "We need to consider why Japanese death game works do not gain worldwide popularity."

Following the news of Squid Game's awards, posts analyzing the poor performance of Japanese content appeared one after another on social networking services (SNS) among Japanese netizens.

One netizen pointed out, "I think Liar Game is not inferior to Squid Game, but many Japanese works are produced targeting the domestic market."

Another netizen expressed regret, saying, "Japanese death games focus merely on showing sensational entertainment, failing to evoke empathy. Global audiences are more interested in how content points out and depicts social phenomena."

Film reporter Saruwata Yuki focused on how Squid Game gained popularity. He explained, "Squid Game rose to popularity through word of mouth among viewers. This means that the borders of entertainment are disappearing, and it is time to learn that if you have a good idea, opportunities come to anyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.