Like many other films and literature works aiming to deliver a certain message to its targeted audience, Netflix’s most-watched series Squid Game was not left behind as it grasped the attention of a global audience with people interpreting the message differently.

The creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk has come out and spoken with various media expressing how hard it was to get his script approved as it was turned down multiple times by studios for 10 years before it was approved and maybe it being turned down made him go back and double-check his work and looking for what to improve.

As Squid Game bags its popularity globally, in East Africa people are borrowing the concept like in Kenya, Mc made a bride and her maids wear Squid Game masks during dowry negotiation ceremony. And others believe it relates to the community and here is why;

People love easy money to a point that they are ready to turn to anything that can give them quick money as long as they don’t have to put too much effort into it. All the players were lured after playing a small game and got so much money in return.

Gi-hun went to the extent of stealing from his mother so he could bet and get more money and support his daughter but ended up losing every cent of it and losing his mother as well.

Most people are willing to risk what they have, even their loved ones just so they can have enough money to have a lavish life and in the end, realise there is more to life than just money alone.

The stories you hear of how some parents speak of their children in relation to how you know their children, you might think that you two are speaking about two different people but heeey, it is not.

Some parents won’t hear anything said about their children contrary to what they want to hear. Everyone in the area knows that the child ni kibaka but the parent won’t want to even accept and look into it.

Sang-woo’s mother is proof that most parents are let down by the high expectations they have for their children. She could not believe it when police showed up looking for his son as she believed her son was a successful graduate and even though certain ladies did not deserve her son while that son had ₩6 billion debt and used her house as collateral.

People can ‘literally’ do anything for money. We have seen and heard of how some people get their wealth and you get shocked as to how they managed to do those things.

People go to an extent of killing their family members, turning others into misukule to get money and maintain their standard of living and the same is portrayed in the series.

Most players were scared seeing so many people dying during the first round of red light-green light, some crying that they have families and they would like to go back to. They quickly changed their minds when told the actual amount they could go back home with and even after they left most volunteered to come back.

On the other hand, some people end up getting money in wicked ways so they can help others like Sae-byeok from North Korea who needed the money so he could have rescued her mother and younger brother.

The series reminds us that just because you are educated does not mean you will become more prosperous than others and immune to financial difficulties.

Gi-hun was very shocked to find himself in the same mess with Sang-woo who was the smartest of them all from childhood and managed to attend Seoul National University (SNU Business School) and he had heard he held a high profile position at his office.

Just because you attended the University of Dar es Salaam or Makerere University, it does not mean you are better than the classmates you left in the village. They might make it in life before you without that degree. 

Although there are many other issues from the series relating to the East African Community, the last point on this page is that sometimes people are who they appear to be, so do not judge a book by its cover.

Always have a sixth sense when dealing with people. Player number 001 appeared to be very sick which in the end turned out to be true but he did not die as they all thought, actually he was the mastermind behind the entire game.

Most times we tend to believe every life story a person tells just because they said it with so much sadness not knowing that some people are great at cooking stories and making them look real.

What other issues did you find in the series that relate to situations from your community?