On December 27, the official YouTube channel of Netflix Korea released a video of Gong Yoo’s acting in “Squid Game”.
In the video, Gong Yoo’s character conducts a sinister game with two trembling men tied with ropes. This game involves playing rock-paper-scissors with both hands and then selecting one hand to determine the winner. Gong Yoo explains, “The loser will face a punishment,” adding, “You might have heard of Russian Roulette. We load one bullet into a revolver that can hold up to six bullets. Then, the trigger will be pulled while aimed at the loser’s head.”
Gong Yoo demonstrates by pulling the trigger on himself, then remarks, “The probability of dying is 1 in 6, while the chance of survival is 5 in 6.” Locking eyes with each participant, he delivers a chilling smile filled with madness. After three rounds where no bullets were fired, Gong Yoo, seemingly dissatisfied, says, “Let’s change the odds,” and loads four more bullets into the revolver.
Gong Yoo’s gripping performance captivated viewers, with netizens showering him with praise, leaving comments like, “Gong Yoo’s acting is insane. He’s like a psychopathic Korean Joker”, “His performance is groundbreaking”, “I held my breath watching this scene”, “He raised expectations for the show from the very first episode”, and “The way he pulled the trigger on himself so nonchalantly gave me chills.”
On the other hand, T.O.P, formerly of BIGBANG, also portrays a character with a wild streak in “Squid Game2”. His performance as rapper Thanos, however, has received rather lukewarm reactions.
In particular, online communities have criticized his delivery and rapping, with comments such as, “I wanted to stop watching as soon as I heard his first line”, “I cringed and turned it off”, and “It was awkward to the point of discomfort.”
Meanwhile, “Squid Game 2” premiered on Netflix on December 26.
