Rotes Licht, grünes Licht (S01E01)

Initially, the first episode didn't quite blow me away as I had expected. It felt like I was just watching another pathetic loser, a perfect illustration of madness. At that point, I couldn't fathom why so many people were urging me to watch the series. It wasn't until the last third of the episode that it finally clicked for me. Sure, the story isn't exactly groundbreaking; I've read it before in King's (well, actually Bachman's) books "The Long Walk" (1979) and "The Running Man" (1982). Then there's Battle Royale, and The Hunger Games. But you know what? I didn't mind that at all. There's something about this series that my inner sadist is quite taken with — it's crawled out of the darkness it thrives in and seems to be eagerly licking its lips for more. / Lesson learned: A square is more than a circle. And I'll be more careful about what I put my thumbprint on from now on. (01.02.2022)

What at first seems like a low-life drama of a loser and a gambler eventually turns into a sick game that culminates in an inferno in the form of the first game. If this is mainstream Korea, then God bless what will follow. (24.01.2022)