To say Squid Game has been a success would be like saying the McSpicy is a little harsh on the digestive system.
Squid Game has captivated viewers all over the globe ever since it aired on Netflix on 17 September.
You can tell how popular the show is by the sheer amount of fan theory videos on YouTube and spike in red jumpsuit sales.
Typically, when a TV show or movie does as well as Squid Game has, it would spark the production of dozens of other copycat movies in the same genre but with completely different plots.
Look at what happened with Twilight and The Hunger Games, for example.
This time, however, the copycat movie seems to have taken a little too much inspiration from the original.
China Launching a Variety Show That Looks to Have Copied Completely from Squid Game
A new variety show in China has come under fire for allegedly plagiarising Netflix’s Squid Game.
The show, initially named Victory of Squid but was later titled Squid’s Victory, was promoted by Youku recently.
When Youku shared the promotional poster for its new show, netizens noticed an uncanny resemblance to that from Squid Game.
For one, the designer of the promotional poster seems to have copied and pasted the instantly-recognisable font, shapes, and even colours from the Korean thriller.
It’s also believed that contestants in Squid’s Victory will compete in a series of Chinese children’s games much like the plot of Squid Game.
However, it remains unclear if the victor will be rewarded with a squid, or if the squid has anything to do with the show at all.
Netizen Response
The promotional poster has triggered a torrent of criticism from both Chinese and Korean netizens, with many calling the striking similarities “shameful”.
“…this is blatant plagiarism, why can’t you [Youku] come up with an original name but copy a South Korean show?” one netizen said.
Interestingly, as some netizens pointed out, an executive at another Chinese video streaming platform previously ruled out the possibility of a Chinese adaptation of Squid Game, saying the show is too dark and that its ideology does not fit the country’s mainstream values.
Netflix Responds, Creators Change Show’s Name to “Game’s Victory”
Hours after the online backlash, Netflix responded saying there were “no discussions relating to Squid Game’s copyright with Chinese companies.”
As for Youku, it apologised for what it called a “work error”, claiming that the poster was simply a “draft poster” that had been previously shot down.
They then announced that they’d be changing the name of the new variety show to Game’s Victory.
Yup, that’ll fix everything.
Read Also:
- 10 Facts about Squid Game That You Probably Didn’t Know About
- Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon Spoke Perfect English During Talk Show With Jimmy Fallon
- Squid Game Was Rejected by Investors & Actors for Over 10 Years; Only Accepted Recently As The World Changes
Featured Image: Koreaboo