The director has already debunked the red/blue envelope issue and said it’s not symbolic of anything - it’s based on a Korean ghost story where a ghost asks you to pick between the colors but you die regardless of your choice.
The Red/Blue card theory is hilarious when you think about it. Imagine the salesman asks them, and the persons chosen red, but instead the salesman breaks down and begs them to pick blue because theyve already hired too many people who picked red
@@Floofyland also the colour red in South Korea is associated with bad luck (although it can also be associated with more positive things), however, talking probability here, to say it is impossible is literally impossible to know. You can never certify that there is a 0% chance that more people would always pick red over blue. It would just be funny in the alternate world where the card theory was true and many people picked red that a situation like this would happen.
@@nathanh5448 LMAO - they would probably just reach a point where no one would be getting any employment offers no matter what color they ended up choosing, and that would be that 😂🤣😂
I had doubts that the red/blue card was the recruitment for both the players and the guards because it doesn't make sense. I have a feeling that there's a separate recruitment method for the guards and I hope season two explores it.
I haven’t confirmed this, but someone on another video commented that you can see a soon-to-be player choose red in the videos that the guards show on the screen.
i love how that before the first game started the guards didn’t have any guns or weapons on them to make it look like the contestants weren’t gonna die, i find that really smart of them
I mean they probably have to be a pretty intellegent organization considering they have been running this racket for over 20 years with hundreds of players going missing each time and were never caught by any authorities
@@matthewbest5421 lol, this story is 100% impossible to happen in real life the way it went down in the show... They have a guy literally going out and assaulting 456 people and giving them a card to call to win money... I don't care how much in debt you are.. Some people are going to go to the cops... Don't get me started on how they let them free after the first game and you only see the main character go to the cops.. The show also is unrealistic in the fact that these people would be declaring bankruptcy, and not owing millions of dollars like the show says they do. Without the Korean police being 100% involved over the years which the show makes no note of, the plot falls apart very quickly in terms of being even a remote chance of happening
@@michaelangst6078 It's all quite possible imo. The super elites are rich and powerful enough to operate above the law, they have connections that make them invisible and immune to societal norms. The contestants could go to the police after being released but what evidence do they have and what action could the police take?
My best guess for how the ranks work: 1. Circle guard- can only wield a weapon if urgent(for example at the end of sez 2), is there as a part of the games 2. Triangle guard- usually the gunmen but cant do much more... 3. Square guard- can talk, has acces to MUCH, MUCH more and announces the games. 4. The guys that served the vips în ep 7 of season 1- We havent seen much at all of them, but I imagine they need to earn a lot of trust from the frontman/commander to be able to be that close to the vips, even though a cop easily blended in. 5. Square commander (black sq) - gives direct orders to the squares în the control room, controls operations far beyond what we saw în sez 2 ep 7. 6. The salesman- responsible for recruting both players and guards, has to have mastered fighting and have unmatched charisma levels, he probably is higher than black square. 7. The frontman- organises the games, takes care of the well-being and entertainment of the vips. 8.[!!!theory!!!] One who owns the games- master of the frontman, basically- I think 001 had this role in season 1. Other 1. Players- recruited by the salesman, usually either broken or in-debt. 2. Vips- ppl with past connection with the games, rich af, so rich that nothing except watching the games can make them feel entertained...
The show’s director/creator shot down those red/blue square theories, including the “Matrix” influence. In an interview with the South Korean newspaper ‘The Chosun Ilbo’ director Hwang Dong Hyuk said the inspiration came from a Japanese/Korean urban folktale about a ghost in a public bathroom who asks you to choose between a red square or blue square of toilet paper. It’s meant to be a trick question because it’s a friggin’ ghost - either choice equals death.
@@YonkoKenji The director’s response was only to the meaning behind that initial game, not the significance of colors. So all color theories are still possible.
I first interpreted the shapes as a hierarchy based on the number of corners on the mask. Circles 0... squares 4, the front man has the most corners on his mask and the VIPS have even more corners from the jewels.
it makes sense, circles arent that important, (said in the series.) circles have no corners. triangles are important, due to 3 corners, (executors.) and the front man (the leader of the circles, squares, and triangles.) has countless corners. and the vips, has countless corners, (due to the jewels and stuff on their mask) so, they are important, that means....... corners are ranks in the facility?
My theory is that the guards are largely made up of North Korean military defectors who were promised safe passage and homes in South Korea in exchange for staffing the games. The guards are all military age men, well trained, completely desensitized to violence and they seem to be too disciplined to be common criminals.
A plot hole that kinda bothers me: after 400+ people are all missing does no one get suspicious? Because it happens all at once too. On a side note. I’m sure it sucks to be a loan Shark when squid game kills all your clients
To me the frustrating part was in the beginning when they were allowed to ask questions… I spent the whole time like “ so no one is gonna ask what being eliminated means? Really?”
Maybe I’m too paranoid 😅 but there is always a catch… I honestly believe that if I was in their position (like it would ever happen 🥴😂) that it would be the first thing I would ask
Wanted to add to the cruelty of the first game where it's revealed losing the games means death. Red light, Green light have a false impression of chances of survival. There was no limit on the number of people who could win the game, and despite the chaos when people learned that elimination meant death, 200 people survived. That meant that when people had the option to rejoin the games they could believe "as long as I'm skilled I can make it through all the games." Only at tug of war is it revealed that there are games where, no matter how skilled / careful the players are, half will die, or glass bridge where, barring 30 years work experience at a glass factory, there's no skill involved and the odds are that nearly everyone will die
I just wanted to say that I worked at a glass tempering facility and I kind of freaked out when that glass bridge game was revealed because I knew I would be able to tell the difference, and I was screaming at my TV when they were just blindly guessing. Then when dude man pointed out the lights looked different I knew this show did it's homework, 100% true. You could also tell by looking at the edge of the glass, they looked the same in the show but you have to sand the edges of the glass before you bake it or else it'll shatter.
Tug of war involved plenty of skill. There were oh il nams and sang woos strategies of course, but it also involved skills like coordinating, teamwork, etc. Of course it wasn't entirely skill based, it was largely physique based too but saying it had no skill whatsoever is foolish.
@@mappingshaman5280 The only game that was designed to have no skill at all was glass bridge (the designers didn't expect a guy with decades of glass experience to be a player). It was just supposed to be a 50/50 chance if death every time you moved to the next panel of glass. As for tug of war, it's not that there isn't skill involved (or most of the other games), but that by the nature of tug of war half the players will die, regardless of how skilled every player is. Even if every person in the games was super skilled, gold medal winner from that years world's tug of championships, half would die. This is in contrast to red light greenlight where in theory, so long as the person has the ability to walk, all 456 players could have survived. I think if the first game had been tug of war or marbles and they held the vote to quit the games, a lot fewer people would have come back. Under those circumstances they're expectations would have been "half of us are guaranteed to die every game" vs "as long as I keep my cool, I can survive every game."
By the end of Game 1, 255 of the 456 participants (about 56%) had been "eliminated". That is, 201 (less than 4 in 9) survived. By Game 2, 187 (over 93%) returned. It's odd that the 14 who didn't return were considered "eliminated" by the game because their total "value" of ₩1.4B was added to the jackpot.
I like to think that the guards are in a similar situation to the players only instead of debt it's blackmail. This allows them to force them to follow strick rules and come back for multiple games while keeping everything secret.
So the blackmailed people are blackmailed by blackmailers who have been blackmailed themselves. And who are the blackmailers of the blackmailers, according to you?
I found the exchange of jumpers between 456 and 1 to be very symbolic. 456 gave his in kindness to the older man, to spare him embarrassment and pain as well as possibly making it easier for him to survive 1 giving him his top in return I mentally read it as him being under his protection.
What I find interesting is that the shapes on the helmets and the roles they represent correlate to what is said about them in shape psychology. Squares are often seen as stable and strong, yet also stubborn. Therefore they make good leaders. Triangles are seen as dangerous, due to their sharp points. They also indicate danger, as seen on road signs. Triangles may also be seen as evil as they don't appear as friendly compared to the other shapes. So they are ideal for bad guys, hence the soldiers who are tasked with eliminating players. Finally circle's are seen as friendly and inviting, since they don't have any corners. They also lack authority because they are so easily moved, and have no stability
My thoughts while watch the show were "Oh, ok...the more angles you have, the more responsibility. Circles have no angles, thus no real power. The Triangles have 3 angles, and guns, so more power. The squares have 4 angles and the most authority. The Frontman has the 'low polygon' mask with tons of angles, and is in charge. The host has that crazy rabbit or cat mask that's covered in crystalline points and has ALL the angles, and runs the whole operation. It's all about your angle count.
An other thing that I think adds more to the theory that guards are criminals is when the Front man says he doesn't care about the squad selling organs, or even eating them. He only cared about the integrity of the game, wich they ruined giving clues to the doctor. I think he doesn't care because he already knows they are criminals.
I think he’s lying when he says the organ selling doesn’t matter, it would simply be too risky to not, what if the buyers got caught with tens of organs in perfect condition out of nowhere? They could probably trace it back at some point. Of course though, there always is that theory that the government might be in on the whole thing and actually supporting it.
Another possibility is that the guards are from North Korea. They would have to be obedient because their families would suffer if they ran. The precision in how they move feels like they have military training. Volunteering for this duty might be a way to climb the ranks of the party. The VIPs and North Korea could trade of guards for military equipment.
That's a very believable theory because we hear all kinds of crazy stuff about north Korea and how they have spies and people working outside the country.
@@AmyAgee their own country is starving I doubt they have highly skilled death machine spies operating outside of their own country especially since even their own soldiers are starving and living in misery
@@icrywhenisleep2130 I'm inclined to believe the stories that defectors tell. Plus, they have teams of hackers that they train from young ages. They have some weird stuff.
I think this is a very plausible theory. You'd need to be pretty cold blooded to just pull a revolver and execute people if they messed up a honey comb cookie, but if You're from North Korea you've probably done (or at least _seen_ ) worse. Not saying that all North Koreans are naturally cold blooded, but you'd train yourself to be that way to survive in a country like that (or the military would train you to be like that). Edit: Plus being from NK would also make them even More "anonymous", since it's likely no one in south Korea would know who they were even if they managed to get their masks off and take a picture; the people behind the masks"don't exist".
idk if anyone remembers this but when the police starts working as a guard,every night he hears some other guard coughing.He ignores it on the first night but on the second night he tries to understand it and types something on his phone in the morse code.I feel like that will be explored more in the next season.
no I don't think so. the guard who was coughing was number 28, giving the cop signal to join him in that organ sale thing. that's why the cop went with him the next night, because now he knew what those coughing meant.
The masks aren’t about the shape. It’s about the amount of sides. The more sides the more powerful. Circles have no sides. Triangles have 3. Squares 4. Front man has a bunch. VIPs have insane amount
My theory is that the guards are convicts/prisoners. That’s why the front man isn’t too concerned about police and why the police haven’t busted the operation yet. It would explain why some don’t hesitate to shoot other people, they come from dark and maybe violent backgrounds. If they were chosen from the ddakji game, as some theorize, then they would also be in severe debt and want to win money, which they wouldn’t if they weren’t participating. I think the police supply the guards for the game. I mean top officials in the police force have been paid off and made a deal with the host/front man. Obviously the regular cop or detective doesn’t know about it. Families of the guards don’t come looking for them because their families think they’re in jail. If anything it’s an outlet for guards to do something fun and different than normal prison life. It would also explain how some had connections with the organ harvesters too. After the games they probably just go back to prison. They seemed to be okay with living in their solitary confinement rooms, being fed through slots on the door and doing a roll call daily, things that are done in prison too.
But couldn't guards just rebel at any time if this were true? I believe that, as the video says, they are just recruited and paid, and they don't say anything about the game outside of the facilities because they know they are being watched and will be killed if they do.
@@leonpv983 why would they rebel? They know they’re on an island. They would just be going back to prison anyway. Why would free citizens willingly go into this job knowing they’ll be killed if they ever speak about it? How would they propose this job offer to free citizens? From the moment they explain the job the person would be committed to secrecy before they even agree to it.
@@PeteDaveRob I like your theory, makes sense to me. my theory was that they are the contestants that, throughout the years, have voted to go home and chosen not to come back. Front man said to keep an eye on them. They're still in need of money, and would know what they were getting themselves in to if they were offered the job. But I really like your idea too.
I just wonder why, in that case, there were no women being a guard and why were they all so good with guns? I haven't seen 1 guard miss a bullet. Especially shooting people that fast through the head, you have to be trained to be able to do that. And the first guard we saw the face of was so young and emotionless. Almost like he was imprisoned, and certainly not a paid employee who values his life and his salary.
@@chabbab6698 No, a walkie talkie is a kid's toy radio. A radio is a radio. A handheld radio being called a walkie talkie is like calling a full car a Tike.
I always saw it as: - Circles: Civilians and/or petty criminals - Triangles: Dangerous criminals and/or people with prior military or law enforcement service who have past firearms training - Squares: People that have proved themselves both highly intelligent (potentially through school test scores, given the age of the Square that has his mask taken off) and also lacking any empathy or sympathy, essentially complete sociopaths and psychopaths. They might even have been Circles or Triangles before ranking up and becoming a Square. I also think that each rank has probably chosen the job for different reasons. Circles *needing* the money just like the players do, Triangles for both the money and the thrill of it, and Squares because they *WANT* to be a part of it, not even that they need the money.
The “You’d have more fun being a circle, but make more money by being a square” is straight out from the office when Creed talks about being in a cult “You have more fun being a follower, but make more money by being a leader” 🤣.
Would everyone be angry if the second season was just a retelling of the events of the 1st season but through the journey of a newly recruited guard? I suspect anyone who would agree to do and witness what the guards do (especially the triangles) must be desperate and will to do whatever, just like the players in the games. And what about the recruiters? How do they get their jobs?
I kind of feel like season 2 would be a how did the front man get to where he is kind of thing could even have some extra stuff for characters from the first season again etc then have season 3 be the continuation of the story.
@@toddhoward7649 No I totally get it, but let's say they knew there was a 2nd season from that perspective and they left all that out, all you would know was the doctor disappeared and they didn't know why he was gone so long and then you see them hanging like that. You wouldn't know any more than the other contests at that point what actually happened. Then it wasn't until the 2nd season where the background behind that got revealed.
Just to help everyone, in the show the square mask guys are called "Managers", those with a triangle are called "Soldiers" and the circles are called "Workers"
I know. This whole video is absurd. Despite the series being written and directed by a South Korean, about S. Korea. placed in S. Korea, about S. Koreans, filled with S. Korean culture and filled with S. Korean actors, there is no mention of this. These are called PRIMARY SHAPES. Not some video game symbols. They appear in the drawings of early man. Circle, Triangle, Square have always been used in this specific order as a grading system in KOREAN elementary schools. Circle: one sided below average Triangle : two sided average Square : four sided above average The entire concept of the series is based on a Korean childhood era from a particular period in our history.
Since you asked what king of guard we would rather be (circle, triangle or square), do you think there are actual requirements that the employees must meet, in order to fall into either category ?
@@dl5498 Honestly, they should have guessed it. If it was just some fun game, the organizers wouldn't have to work in such secrecy, and hide their faces.
I’m glad you actually mentioned how the first game is unethical. All the games after that point are a moral grey area, a pretty dark grey, I would argue black, but the first isn’t even an argument. They didn’t have any knowledge of what they were getting into or what the risks were. The 250ish people who were killed in the first game were brutal murders, regardless of what arguments can be made. How much responsibility lies on the guards, the players, and the VIPs for the rest of the games is debatable, but the first was a bloodbath that was entirely the fault of those who set up and carried out the game.
If the game you signed up for involves you being slapped in your initial meeting, then you’re gassed inside of a car, then you wake up with your outfit completely changed and you’re numbered. You should think that you might die.
I would say since they encouraged people to kill each other outside of the games, there is no argument that they are entirely evil. The argument that people agreed doesn't hold water, because they agreed to play games, not have their throat slit while they are sleeping.
@@Lilitha11 I would actually argue that encouraging and rewarding players for murdering each other is actually very much a black moral area. Also that’s why I said the first game was immoral, but the rest weren’t. The first was shock and slaughter. The other five they came back to play.
@@theradiantdehd3997 Yeah they came back to play the games, but murdering each other in the living quarters isn't a game. They said six games, there was no mention of bonus games or side games, or murdering each other in their sleep.
My thoughts on the symbolism of the guards is that they represent us, the average person. They do what they are told, they eat/sleep/speak when they are told, and they do whatever job they are told to do, or they get killed. They don't question what they are doing, some are even entrepreneurial enough to have a side hustle (selling organs). Most importantly, they are the ones enforcing the rules of the game that they themselves are constricted by. In this way it represents real life, the elites at the top making the rules, the middle mass that bring those rules to life, and the unfortunate few that fall through the cracks. It can be asked; how do they live with themselves? Simple. The same way most people in the real world deal with injustice, they ignore, are apathetic, or are just too scared to do otherwise, after all, "I'm just doing my job..."
If that is the case then actually the organ harvesters symbolises rebellion in the sense that even in a setting where everyone follows the rule because of the fear of death, there are still those who still dare to rebel against the rule for the sake of their own interest. The organ harvester party are actually a cool little piece of the story because whatever F'ed up reason people sign up to be a guard in the squid games, there are those who gives zero f*cks about the whole thing and tries to use it for their own personal gain.
[content deleted] Anyways now that the show has another season people are coming to this video again. This comment is deleted, you won’t see what it said. I deleted it because it was an incorrect fact.
@@Legoboy55able yes but maybe they are used in the squids game field because of there connection to the school? You have to take it back one step further
@@Legoboy55able Or, perhaps the stylized Squid Game field is drawn using triangles, squares, and circles because this is something common to their world at that age. And it makes sense, in the show, the Square Guards rank the highest & in the school grading system it’s the highest mark; the Triangle Guards are a level, down from the Squares and in the school grading system, this is one mark below the square; and in both the show and the school grading system, the circle is the lowest.
Intriguing, they are also the symbols of the titular "squid game" - a square, triangle and circle, the circle was the smallest, then the triangle, and finally the square, the biggest, makes me wonder if there is more too it/the game, like is square the attack, triangle the defense, and circle, the 'neutral'... or something like that? xD
i also thought that the more edges and lines you’re helmet has the higher up you are. so circles is the lowest, then triangle, then square. additionally, the front mans helmet is made up of many edges and lines and the VIPs helmets have many cut jewels and edges! just interesting to think about
@@kellynaz9256 this varies based on context, but generally it's better to say circles don't have any edges, or else they'd be non-differentiable at every point
You were spot on with the red and blue theory.. the red hair at the end is indeed symbolic.. in fact there are a lot of subliminal and symbology in this show.. but I think the red and blue colour symbology goes way further than that author you mentioned or anyone else for that matter.. it is deeply rooted to the occult.. this show is trending for a reason..
I’m in med school, and judging by where Sae-Byeok was impaled by the glass shard, she wouldn’t have lived to see the next game. I think Sangwoo killing her was more of a mercy kill than anything.
@@rufussweeneymd She also wouldn't of lasted that long if it was an artery. She lasted more then several hours and not only that ate dinner and moved around alot.
Yeah I didn’t think he got it right. They used the word staff in the English dub but I think it’s the same idea. The “rank” of circle and triangle are the same, just the duties are different
Like stripes for rank in the military, the number of sides to your shape equals the number of stripes. Circle - 1 side = 1 stripe Triangle - 3 sides = 3 stripes Square - 4 sides = 4 stripes That's how I thought of it. Don't know if it's right or not, but it made sense to me.
@@someguy7629 Yeah but (spoiler alert) The oldman is just a host, the owner is the man that wear black mask. So, the oldman fund the game and the worker, manager, soldier, etc. The black mask just make profit by VIP service and can change the game whoever he like but can't kill the oldman and the main character because he is the host. and the main character has plot armor that is 001 vest.
The theory in which the color of the envelope chosen by a person determines their roles in the game is highly unlikely since this would imply that every year there is a new staff which leaves us with some questions: where do people of the previous staff go? Is it safe to the host and front man to make them go free after finishing their duties for the year and have a completely new staff? Do they simply kill them after the game? how? One can say safely that this is an impossible explanation especially with the fact that we saw how much experience and discipline the staff showed which are pretty much needed to make the games run smoothly and fairly, and the amount of very sensitive information they had like the location of the facility.
If your physical education teacher in your primary or secondary school was overly harsh and pedantic when organising children's games for students, chances are that he/she had served as a Lethal Tournament Guard Captain (square) at some point of his/her career.
OOO I had a friend tell me about this cool thing where the soldiers follow shape theory!! So like when it comes to character design, there are different shapes that can impact the characteristics! This is cool caz the guards follow this too. Circle is often associated with more friendly characters, and the circle soldiers are friendlier(ish) to the players; handing them food or driving around, etc. Triangle is associated with sharper, a bit angrier characters, and the triangle soldiers are the gunmen and do the threatening. Lastly, squares are usually stern and in charge, and the square soldiers are the top soldiers and have the most authority of the other ones. I just found this cool and thought I might share, hehe!
What about the edge theory tho? A circle has no edges / no authority A triangel has 3 / a bit of authority A square has 4 / has authority Front mans mask has alot of edges = higher authority The vips vary in how many edges their masks have and the most annoying and discusting one is getting away with everything because his mask has the most edges / most authority among VIP. Except for Ill Nam his mask has more edges and detail than any other showing his ultimate authority even over the vips.
There are female guards too btw. In the honey comb cookie episode, one of the scenes start off looking at a Triangle who seems to have female proportions, and you can see other guards with who may also be female.
I don't think the main the main colors of the series are supposed to be red, green and blue, but simply red and blue. Korean, like Japanese, usually use the same word for blue and green. So, the colors in the subway game are likely the same general dichotomy of red and blue as in the main game. Even if blue is actually a blue/green spectrum and red is a red/magenta spectrum. My guess is that red stands generally for power/empowerment and blue stands generally for powerlessness/submission, though the exact meaning can vary depending on context.
The director has comment this and it's just based on the Korean flag. The guards was ment to wear red suits and players blue but it didn't pop out on the screen. If the players had wear blue they would melt into the blue screen. Then he gave the guards hot pink suits so the colours would give a strong impression.
It’s an interesting theory but I don’t know that I agree with the guards being criminals. I find it more believable that they recruit the guards like people recruit people for the military or law enforcement jobs, especially young people. The young guy who took his mask off felt reminiscent of people barely older than teenagers going to war. There are plenty of regular people who could be convinced to do that kind of work with the right incentives, particularly if you’re putting them in a position of power over others. It happens all the time throughout history. Just a theory though, I love hearing what other people think.
2:31 all it takes is just 1 gun guy to shoot the rest with element of surprise then yell something like "everyone pick up the gun were gonna break out" and then leave the building take a boat escape tell the police and this whole show doesn't exsist How could they not see this big plot hole the triangle should have gotten pistol instead to avoid this plothole "underrated show" smh
@@SHADNEXUS the front man, the host and vips would still be a live and have the power to find and kill everyone who retaliated. They are also rich af so they would just find new ppl and continue the game again
What I find funny about the guards in squid game the challenge is that they are called, square guard, circle guard and triangle guard yep that’s right that’s what they are called Ik Funny right
If I was in squid game… Me: I think I’m getting taken to Disneyland. A few hours later… Me in the dorm: aw I thought this was Disneyland. Other player: No. In the first game… Me: ooh this is red light green light I’m totally going to survive. A few seconds later… Me: (dies immediately).
i was actually wondering what the shapes on them were for that was gonna be my question but im glad you cleared it up keep making amazing content cant wait to watch what you make next :)
At the end he kinda says something like he got to feel something he did when he was a kid. Like getting a friend. Or that was also just a lie and ur right x3
TLDR Circle - Grunt workers and body clean up, often seen at the end of the games Triangle - Security, Manage circles and act in a security-type role Square - Overseers, managers of the game(s) and all other Guards, one is deployed to each game to act as referee, answers directly to the Front Man Standard Deployment: For every square, 5 triangles, and 4 circles.
I’ve seen other TH-cam theorists talk about how the higher ups in government and police know about the games and either ignore it or can’t/won’t stop it. The games “take care” of the dregs of society so it benefits the existing power structure. If that is true, I could see the guards being recruited from prisons. It would fit the theme of exploiting the societal outcasts.
Nah, the front man said to the his bro cop that the police just don't care in general instead of, just saying "The very org you work for is in on it". There would be no reason for the front man to lie about that.
Why are the triangles so skilled? That's easy - every young male in South Korea, between 18 and 28, MUST do military service (for females, it's optional), so that they can defend the population against North Korea at a moment's notice It's a population that knows how to handle a gun, surely There are very few male "civilians" in South Korea - they live on the doorstep of a regime that often threatens them with nuclear missiles (from which our female hero defected) - handling a military-class gun is just a fact of life for most South Korean males, a necessary part of their education So - nearly any South Korean male could potentially be a triangle, a VERY large pool to choose from I would love to ask all of the male actors in this show about their experience of doing military service, and whether I'm right in that they all know how to handle an assault rifle ...
Squid Game (season 2) as it portrayed by fans: *_「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Frenzy in China Boosts the Show Views Globally_* th-cam.com/video/CnCzwz9txNM/w-d-xo.html
Okay, my theory behind who becomes the guards: it's those that chose to go home. We already saw the color card theory debunked so it not that's. And it couldn't be past winners because there's too large a staff and besides that, it's not likely that many of them would want to come back. But those who go home make sense...they still would need money and additionally, they were smart enough to get through the first game. Also, the fact they went home but were smart enough to keep this enterprise a secret shows that they have the capability to make good guards in the game.
There was a scene where the 'front man' asks one of the employees to track the people who didn't come back after the first episode. My theory was that they bring those people back in asking them to become guards for the next game, in return may have their debt wiped. Just a theory though, nothing concrete behind it!
There is also a point where the Front Man makes a comment about everyone on the island being equal. While obviously not true since there are VIP's I thought it might be hinting that the guards have a similar troubled passed as the contestants.
I know. This whole video is absurd. Despite the series being written and directed by a South Korean, about S. Korea. placed in S. Korea, about S. Koreans, filled with S. Korean culture and filled with S. Korean actors, there is no mention of this. These are called PRIMARY SHAPES. Not some video game symbols. They appear in the drawings of early man. Circle, Triangle, Square have always been used in this specific order as a grading system in KOREAN elementary schools. Circle: one sided below average Triangle : two sided average Square : four sided above average The entire concept of the series is based on a Korean childhood era from a particular period in our history.
if you wanna be incredibly blunt and forward with your approach, my theory is that, the workers are circles, wheels are circle shaped. and if you think about wheels are the bottom layer of whatever they are moving forward, much like with anything, without workers labor, nothing gets done. Soldiers have triangles because triangles are pointy and usually if you wanna convey a sort of primal feeling of danger and lethality, points and edges are your go to, and the soldiers are the most lethal thing in the game, being the only type of staff to carry a fully automatic weapon. and finally the managers are squares because a square is an organized shape, usually from a visual aspect squares are used to represent order and organization, and managers organize almost everything with the exception of the front man. as for his and the vips mask's, idk they look cool lol
The only issue I have with the criminal idea is the discipline they seem to possess. Maybe it's a korean thing, but the sheer... uniformity, how the guards work in sync, march in time, stand still, and resist gloating, showing off or going on a power trip, doesn't feel like a criminal deal. Or at the very least, they are trained to a surprisingly high standard.
There is no absolute personality or character of a criminal.Therr are many criminals who are very disciplined and they are experts in hiding clues.While some are messy and are not very good at hiding their crimes.Discipline means doing necessary things.
They do express human traits which was what the whole thing about the organ harvesting was about, it was to show us how the staff acts when the players don't see them. The only reason they have uniformity is because they are under as much if not more constraint than the players. Players can make their own decisions and plot among themselves, but the staff are not even allowed to speak, or do anything unless the front man lets them. Anyone who disobeys in the open is shot. Also the staff have specialized roles so it's very simple orders they have to follow.
You’re right. Criminals all over the world (well, prisoners who can be studied) tend to be undisciplined and careless about the consequences of their actions. Taking far greater risks than the average person, they wouldn’t be ideal for such a role. The organ traders were a small group of “criminal” types. They took the risk of getting killed for some extra money, but endangered the secrecy of the organization.
I just subbed. I really like how analytical you are about some of your theories and don’t just repeat the same things everyone else is saying, like choosing the red and blue pieces during the recruitment game and the symbolism behind it. Your analyses are great. Keep up the amazing work. I’m totally enthralled.
Dude when da square revealed he is almost like a kid I thought up of this crazy theory that all the guards were born and raised in a way which makes it seem like killing people for breaking the rules is normal, like they don't know that these are precious lives they're taking away, they know that they gotta eliminate rule breakers, but when it showed other guards which are way older I started doubting and rn I dont think this is the case anymore, it would be insane if it was tho
I think that the roles and ranks are based on corners. Circles with 0 corners are really the lowest, triangles with 3, square with 4 and front man with the most
Yeah, with the frontman, his mask looks like it's made of prisms and it can also apply to the VIPs and the host as well. They look like they're made of multiple squares so I'm guessing they have more corners than the frontman and they're higher in this hierarchy as well
When Sae-Byeok said that she wanted to visit a tropical "Juju" island, the first thing I thought is that the island they were on right now was that island idk why...
No its not lol. Jeju island is a big island famous as holiday destination (thats why saebyeok wanted to visit Jeju island) meanwhile the island where squid game were held is obviously a private island
The triangles are likely to be ex-military - probably some even imported from North Korea Remember that all males in South Korea MUST do military service between 18 and 28 years old - for females, it's optional So that would also suggest why all of the guards are male I even saw the tug-of-war as a metaphor for North and South Korea in a battle to survive
10:18 Look at Gi-hun's picture. When the players were taking their photos when they had arrived at the facility, Gi-hun was smiling a lot, but he is not smiling a lot in the picture of his player profile on 10:18
Red and Blue also have distinct meanings in Korean culture and is tied to their flag. Red is associated with passion, rebellion, and life energy while blue is complacency and Death. Wearing red was also considered taboo. Gi-hun goes from a complacent, controlled and considered dead in the squid game (blue cap) to passionate rebellious and definitely alive after receiving money and power. This also ties into the movies clear anti-capitalist themes
@@otre3947 the director said this show was a critique of capitalism; I think you're a bit far fetched in thinking that south Koreans want to be communists :(
@@peterm7905 he said in an interview that he dyed his hair red cause it was the craziest thing he could do to rlly show his anger after witnessing so much violence and it drove him to make a crazy desicion with his hair by dying it.Its actually common for things like this to happen whether its dying hair or shaving hair, its just a sign of one's last straw being pulled or one meeting their wits ends
The reason why 93% of the players came back to the games despite the numerous deaths was very obvious: they were no better off outside than in the games, so they returned out of desperation. And the Front Man knew that, because it happened in every previous Squid Games. Desperate people will often pick the least likely option for victory, but if they are given a chance, they will do it. That's why people in financial trouble will play the lottery. Because even if they don't win, they are given a chance.
In german, the language I watched that show in, it wasn't "eliminated", it was "disqualifiziert", which, you guessed it, translates to "disqualified". That made the first game even more shocking
This is the first time I've heard of a Red/Blue theory for picking guards, although I have heard the theory of the guards being the ones who actually beat the game with the "salesman" and were perhaps deemed to be an unfair competitor
Squares- Commanders and direct the games and are armed with revolver Triangles- Armed guards who make the games work by executing and eliminating those who aren't willing to continue Circles- workers, they prepare the games and handle the housekeeping of the facility
I really like the design of the guards mask's, they are very iconic, to me the guards mask's resemble the masks worn in professional Fencing, I bet the Squid Game masks are gonna become the new anonymous V for vendetta masks.
The fact that a group of the guards including the squares were organ harvesting making it seem like they would leave the facility at some point as what's the point if they won't get paid for it and be able to use it.
It can be based on more then one thing. I think he visually alludes to the matrix and name checks it. Only a dumb director wouldn't use as many levels of symbolism as possible. Red and blue are also the colors of many nations. Japan, America, France, England.... heck even South Korea 🇰🇷 Besides I think that he says where he got the idea if but it would be nice to believe in that Death of the author. He doesn't name check the toilet ghosts. People from other countries bring in their own pop culture and mythology
For anyone curious about the story: It’s about a ghost in a Japanese toilet, they ask you to pick a red or blue piece of toilet paper. If you pick the red roll, you die a bloody death. If you pick blue, you get drowned. It shows that it doesn’t matter what you picked, you still die
I'd just like to point out, not all guards are males. A few triangles are sbown on screen and they have breasts. I don't recall what game it was but the triangles were wearing some harness alongside their guns. I noticed it very early on tho.
2:31 all it takes is just 1 gun guy to shoot the rest with element of surprise then yell something like "everyone pick up the gun were gonna break out" and then leave the building take a boat escape tell the police and this whole show doesn't exsist How could they not see this big plot hole the triangle should have gotten pistol instead to avoid this plothole "underrated show" smh
@@lillaajna that’s okay! i figured you would’ve found out by now but just incase not i ran to squid game wiki 🤣 he’s a cutie right?! and thanks! you too!
"...underground, inside of an unknown island." An island presumably located in the East China Sea? Well hidden away from prying eyes? People who do end up there dissappear? Oliver Queen is the true organizer of the Squid Games confirmed
Well he definitely is rich enough to be one of the VIPs at the least. And who knows, he may be a hero, but if he sees the games as ethically justifiable than who can say if he wouldn't revel in them.
no bc there its with a gun and here its with a very small chance of getting a bitch virus with low death chance you can get as well while wearing the mask
I’m not sure if it’s only me but I always thought the shapes relate heavily to there duties, in term of shape language and character design, correct me if I’m wrong but The Circle soldiers mostly take care of the contestants by making/providing food = Circle mostly are used for kind gentle caretaker like characters The Triangle soldiers mostly eliminate/kill the contestants = Triangles invoke harshness’s and/or can be associated with villains or antagonistic characters The Square soldiers mostly facilitate and explain the games to the contestants and is positioned the leader the of the other soldiers = squares are mostly used for characters who strong leaders This is just my opinion, plus I’m not character designer so I might be wrong😅
The director has already debunked the red/blue envelope issue and said it’s not symbolic of anything - it’s based on a Korean ghost story where a ghost asks you to pick between the colors but you die regardless of your choice.
Aka Manto.
Thats some shitty move 😭
oh the ghost who haunts girls’ bathrooms?
@abertual everyone?
@abertual from my remembrance he only appears in girls’ bathrooms
I like how everyone just agreed that Playstation owns the three most basic geometric shapes
and xbox owns a b x and y lol
lel
I mean, alone no
But together, it's hard not to think that 🤷♂️ lol
PC owns the alphabet and invented numbers lol.
PlayStation without x guard
The Red/Blue card theory is hilarious when you think about it.
Imagine the salesman asks them, and the persons chosen red, but instead the salesman breaks down and begs them to pick blue because theyve already hired too many people who picked red
Lol
😹😹😹😹😹
Blue is the world's most commonly liked color far above red, so it'd be essentially impossible for that to happen
@@Floofyland also the colour red in South Korea is associated with bad luck (although it can also be associated with more positive things), however, talking probability here, to say it is impossible is literally impossible to know. You can never certify that there is a 0% chance that more people would always pick red over blue.
It would just be funny in the alternate world where the card theory was true and many people picked red that a situation like this would happen.
@@nathanh5448 LMAO - they would probably just reach a point where no one would be getting any employment offers no matter what color they ended up choosing, and that would be that 😂🤣😂
I had doubts that the red/blue card was the recruitment for both the players and the guards because it doesn't make sense. I have a feeling that there's a separate recruitment method for the guards and I hope season two explores it.
I haven’t confirmed this, but someone on another video commented that you can see a soon-to-be player choose red in the videos that the guards show on the screen.
@@capncake8837 Jesus is coming back. Please repent
Maybe the guards are in extreme more debt they have no problem killing?
@justarandomperson976 Watch season 2 😄
Have you seen season 2?
* joins a death games staff to be a cook *
Imagine a Gordon Ramsey cross over
It's like those jihadi idiots from India who joined ISIS to be terrorists, but they were giving low level janitorial jobs and went and complained 😂
Lowkey sounds fun
So why did you join
This person: cooking
Brilliant
Can't wait for Octopus Game.
hi dood big fan :)
Same
Taky kamo
Squirt game is my favourite movie.
Then cuttlefish game
i love how that before the first game started the guards didn’t have any guns or weapons on them to make it look like the contestants weren’t gonna die, i find that really smart of them
I mean they probably have to be a pretty intellegent organization considering they have been running this racket for over 20 years with hundreds of players going missing each time and were never caught by any authorities
@@matthewbest5421 lol, this story is 100% impossible to happen in real life the way it went down in the show... They have a guy literally going out and assaulting 456 people and giving them a card to call to win money... I don't care how much in debt you are.. Some people are going to go to the cops... Don't get me started on how they let them free after the first game and you only see the main character go to the cops.. The show also is unrealistic in the fact that these people would be declaring bankruptcy, and not owing millions of dollars like the show says they do. Without the Korean police being 100% involved over the years which the show makes no note of, the plot falls apart very quickly in terms of being even a remote chance of happening
@@michaelangst6078 there is a possibility that the government is supportive or aware of the squid game though....
@@elamrani1449 especially considering the wealthy VIPs
@@michaelangst6078 It's all quite possible imo. The super elites are rich and powerful enough to operate above the law, they have connections that make them invisible and immune to societal norms. The contestants could go to the police after being released but what evidence do they have and what action could the police take?
My best guess for how the ranks work:
1. Circle guard- can only wield a weapon if urgent(for example at the end of sez 2), is there as a part of the games
2. Triangle guard- usually the gunmen but cant do much more...
3. Square guard- can talk, has acces to MUCH, MUCH more and announces the games.
4. The guys that served the vips în ep 7 of season 1- We havent seen much at all of them, but I imagine they need to earn a lot of trust from the frontman/commander to be able to be that close to the vips, even though a cop easily blended in.
5. Square commander (black sq) - gives direct orders to the squares în the control room, controls operations far beyond what we saw în sez 2 ep 7.
6. The salesman- responsible for recruting both players and guards, has to have mastered fighting and have unmatched charisma levels, he probably is higher than black square.
7. The frontman- organises the games, takes care of the well-being and entertainment of the vips.
8.[!!!theory!!!] One who owns the games- master of the frontman, basically- I think 001 had this role in season 1.
Other
1. Players- recruited by the salesman, usually either broken or in-debt.
2. Vips- ppl with past connection with the games, rich af, so rich that nothing except watching the games can make them feel entertained...
The show’s director/creator shot down those red/blue square theories, including the “Matrix” influence.
In an interview with the South Korean newspaper ‘The Chosun Ilbo’ director Hwang Dong Hyuk said the inspiration came from a Japanese/Korean urban folktale about a ghost in a public bathroom who asks you to choose between a red square or blue square of toilet paper. It’s meant to be a trick question because it’s a friggin’ ghost - either choice equals death.
For those out of the loop, choosing ‘red paper’ means a bloody death. ‘Blue paper’ means getting drowned in the toilet.
Aka Manto i think? Feel free to correct me if im wrong.
What about his red hair then
And the matrix was also mentioned in the series
@@YonkoKenji The director’s response was only to the meaning behind that initial game, not the significance of colors. So all color theories are still possible.
that folktale was dumb as shit
square: supervisor
triangle: thug life
circle: cooking
X: cleaning
circle is the maid
@@EsraaAMadoh ikr 😂😂😂
sounds like the worst job ever
play station guards lol
They need a prequel series for this. It would be interesting how the old man organized everything.
That would be pretty cool actually...
they'll probably have some exposition in season 2
There shouldn't b a season two. It should have only been a long movie.
@@uuncoolguy6 the director did all the scripts n stuff by himself, for EVERY episode, so they are gonna make a season 2 if they have more help
no
Jun Ho was my favourite character cuz he survived for ages undercover in there and I just think it is pretty cool that he somehow did that.
He’s alive for s2
When S2 will be released @@poppydelaney6086
I first interpreted the shapes as a hierarchy based on the number of corners on the mask. Circles 0... squares 4, the front man has the most corners on his mask and the VIPS have even more corners from the jewels.
Or circles are infinite. Doesnt work in that perspective
@@derekellis4170 nah man circle has no corner
I think that this does coincidentally work as well, though!
💡 💡
it makes sense, circles arent that important, (said in the series.) circles have no corners. triangles are important, due to 3 corners, (executors.) and the front man (the leader of the circles, squares, and triangles.) has countless corners. and the vips, has countless corners, (due to the jewels and stuff on their mask) so, they are important, that means....... corners are ranks in the facility?
"you can either have more fun as a circle or get paid better as a square"
Poor triangle. :(
Triangles can kill their enemy's without getting arrested bc- *Gets shot*
True
creed
th-cam.com/video/WXSyo92MM_g/w-d-xo.html
Almost like a middle child syndrome lol (I'm a middle child, so don't come at me lol)
Everybody asks “Who are the guards in Squid Game?” but nobody asks “How are the guards in Squid Game?”
Probably very bored and want to be paid
😔✋🏽
"Why are the guards in Squid Game?"
Straight up not having a good time, bro.
ya no one asks how are the guards in squid games
Wonderful analysis! I like how you piece complex series apart. Keep up the amazing work. 😁
My theory is that the guards are largely made up of North Korean military defectors who were promised safe passage and homes in South Korea in exchange for staffing the games. The guards are all military age men, well trained, completely desensitized to violence and they seem to be too disciplined to be common criminals.
good thinking
How do we know they’re all men though?
It’s actually a great theory
@@OrganicDolphin I mean unless you can prove there are women, then it’s safe to assume most, if not all are men.
Good theory!
A plot hole that kinda bothers me: after 400+ people are all missing does no one get suspicious? Because it happens all at once too. On a side note. I’m sure it sucks to be a loan Shark when squid game kills all your clients
To me the frustrating part was in the beginning when they were allowed to ask questions… I spent the whole time like “ so no one is gonna ask what being eliminated means? Really?”
@@inesmartins3631 well naturally you’d think that just means you’re out and you get kicked out of the game
Maybe I’m too paranoid 😅 but there is always a catch… I honestly believe that if I was in their position (like it would ever happen 🥴😂) that it would be the first thing I would ask
the people that went missing are the lowest of the low in society, hundreds of homeless people die and go missing everyday and nobody hears about it
because people who can afford this kind of games are actual owners of the goverment, there is no other way
Wanted to add to the cruelty of the first game where it's revealed losing the games means death.
Red light, Green light have a false impression of chances of survival. There was no limit on the number of people who could win the game, and despite the chaos when people learned that elimination meant death, 200 people survived.
That meant that when people had the option to rejoin the games they could believe "as long as I'm skilled I can make it through all the games."
Only at tug of war is it revealed that there are games where, no matter how skilled / careful the players are, half will die, or glass bridge where, barring 30 years work experience at a glass factory, there's no skill involved and the odds are that nearly everyone will die
I just wanted to say that I worked at a glass tempering facility and I kind of freaked out when that glass bridge game was revealed because I knew I would be able to tell the difference, and I was screaming at my TV when they were just blindly guessing.
Then when dude man pointed out the lights looked different I knew this show did it's homework, 100% true. You could also tell by looking at the edge of the glass, they looked the same in the show but you have to sand the edges of the glass before you bake it or else it'll shatter.
@@scoutsteiner4467 glass: the forbidden baked good
Tug of war involved plenty of skill. There were oh il nams and sang woos strategies of course, but it also involved skills like coordinating, teamwork, etc. Of course it wasn't entirely skill based, it was largely physique based too but saying it had no skill whatsoever is foolish.
@@mappingshaman5280 The only game that was designed to have no skill at all was glass bridge (the designers didn't expect a guy with decades of glass experience to be a player). It was just supposed to be a 50/50 chance if death every time you moved to the next panel of glass.
As for tug of war, it's not that there isn't skill involved (or most of the other games), but that by the nature of tug of war half the players will die, regardless of how skilled every player is. Even if every person in the games was super skilled, gold medal winner from that years world's tug of championships, half would die.
This is in contrast to red light greenlight where in theory, so long as the person has the ability to walk, all 456 players could have survived.
I think if the first game had been tug of war or marbles and they held the vote to quit the games, a lot fewer people would have come back. Under those circumstances they're expectations would have been "half of us are guaranteed to die every game" vs "as long as I keep my cool, I can survive every game."
@@scoutsteiner4467 the same
By the end of Game 1, 255 of the 456 participants (about 56%) had been "eliminated". That is, 201 (less than 4 in 9) survived. By Game 2, 187 (over 93%) returned. It's odd that the 14 who didn't return were considered "eliminated" by the game because their total "value" of ₩1.4B was added to the jackpot.
That's because they were killed.
where does it say that@@unusualusername8847
@@unusualusername8847 no they weren't. The front man orders people to watch them
@@leonpaelinck .... It's literally easier to kill them.
@@unusualusername8847 The front order the employee to supervise them not to kill them
I like to think that the guards are in a similar situation to the players only instead of debt it's blackmail. This allows them to force them to follow strick rules and come back for multiple games while keeping everything secret.
So the blackmailed people are blackmailed by blackmailers who have been blackmailed themselves. And who are the blackmailers of the blackmailers, according to you?
@@timoteubert7068 themselves 😩🤣🤣
@@kymberlycourage haha
thats a very plausible theory tbh like fr if they were 'employed' properly on the facility why did they feel the need to smuggle and traffic organs?
This was a serious question. Who are the blackmailers of the blackmailers?
I found the exchange of jumpers between 456 and 1 to be very symbolic.
456 gave his in kindness to the older man, to spare him embarrassment and pain as well as possibly making it easier for him to survive
1 giving him his top in return I mentally read it as him being under his protection.
Also 1 is the very lowest number in the games and 456 is the very highest
It seemed almost like a "passing on" of roles, possibly alluding to the ending and potential next season.
If I was a player the number I will be is 003
For those who understand it, daily life will turn upside down 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 💖
What I find interesting is that the shapes on the helmets and the roles they represent correlate to what is said about them in shape psychology.
Squares are often seen as stable and strong, yet also stubborn. Therefore they make good leaders.
Triangles are seen as dangerous, due to their sharp points. They also indicate danger, as seen on road signs. Triangles may also be seen as evil as they don't appear as friendly compared to the other shapes. So they are ideal for bad guys, hence the soldiers who are tasked with eliminating players.
Finally circle's are seen as friendly and inviting, since they don't have any corners. They also lack authority because they are so easily moved, and have no stability
What's said about other shapes?
You would get an A+ in English
@@dumbpengy3386 lmao very true
My thoughts while watch the show were "Oh, ok...the more angles you have, the more responsibility. Circles have no angles, thus no real power. The Triangles have 3 angles, and guns, so more power. The squares have 4 angles and the most authority. The Frontman has the 'low polygon' mask with tons of angles, and is in charge.
The host has that crazy rabbit or cat mask that's covered in crystalline points and has ALL the angles, and runs the whole operation.
It's all about your angle count.
I'm a Taurus so that is me to a Tee.
Me when my mom finds out i accidentally spilled grape juice on the couch: 1:51
The triangles go on “field trips” 😂
:triangle weee we’re going to shoot you if your and intruder
Same
@@kavinsingh4686 hold up
Frontman: Get in the clown car, boys
@@kavinsingh4686 wait what-
An other thing that I think adds more to the theory that guards are criminals is when the Front man says he doesn't care about the squad selling organs, or even eating them. He only cared about the integrity of the game, wich they ruined giving clues to the doctor. I think he doesn't care because he already knows they are criminals.
I think he’s lying when he says the organ selling doesn’t matter, it would simply be too risky to not, what if the buyers got caught with tens of organs in perfect condition out of nowhere? They could probably trace it back at some point.
Of course though, there always is that theory that the government might be in on the whole thing and actually supporting it.
@@michaelzhang9806 why would the buyers be suspicious. theyre getting what they want no need to question it
Wait you're right about that buyers getting cut...
@@michaeldreon3395 "if the buyers got caught"
@@amarc1088 vc n
Another possibility is that the guards are from North Korea. They would have to be obedient because their families would suffer if they ran. The precision in how they move feels like they have military training. Volunteering for this duty might be a way to climb the ranks of the party. The VIPs and North Korea could trade of guards for military equipment.
That's a very believable theory because we hear all kinds of crazy stuff about north Korea and how they have spies and people working outside the country.
@@AmyAgee their own country is starving I doubt they have highly skilled death machine spies operating outside of their own country especially since even their own soldiers are starving and living in misery
@@icrywhenisleep2130 I'm inclined to believe the stories that defectors tell. Plus, they have teams of hackers that they train from young ages. They have some weird stuff.
@@AmyAgee idk man I mean I don't doubt the fact that they could defend themselves but invade and destroy? Their armory is cold war level they're old
I think this is a very plausible theory. You'd need to be pretty cold blooded to just pull a revolver and execute people if they messed up a honey comb cookie, but if You're from North Korea you've probably done (or at least _seen_ ) worse.
Not saying that all North Koreans are naturally cold blooded, but you'd train yourself to be that way to survive in a country like that (or the military would train you to be like that).
Edit:
Plus being from NK would also make them even More "anonymous", since it's likely no one in south Korea would know who they were even if they managed to get their masks off and take a picture; the people behind the masks"don't exist".
idk if anyone remembers this but when the police starts working as a guard,every night he hears some other guard coughing.He ignores it on the first night but on the second night he tries to understand it and types something on his phone in the morse code.I feel like that will be explored more in the next season.
no I don't think so. the guard who was coughing was number 28, giving the cop signal to join him in that organ sale thing. that's why the cop went with him the next night, because now he knew what those coughing meant.
@@shadi6484 Yeah, that's why he looked at him that one morning it was like "dude, stop slacking off"
I watched this with my dad who was a military officer and experienced life or death situations and basically knew the morse code right away
Wtf is there to be explored?!
The masks aren’t about the shape. It’s about the amount of sides. The more sides the more powerful. Circles have no sides. Triangles have 3. Squares 4. Front man has a bunch. VIPs have insane amount
That is crazy if you think about it, good point man
Ahnnn 👍
Tbh, I didn't think of it like that. Makes sense honestly.
i always thought of it like that
Don't circles have an infinite number of angles... maybe they've actually been in charge this whole time! :O
My theory is that the guards are convicts/prisoners. That’s why the front man isn’t too concerned about police and why the police haven’t busted the operation yet. It would explain why some don’t hesitate to shoot other people, they come from dark and maybe violent backgrounds. If they were chosen from the ddakji game, as some theorize, then they would also be in severe debt and want to win money, which they wouldn’t if they weren’t participating. I think the police supply the guards for the game. I mean top officials in the police force have been paid off and made a deal with the host/front man. Obviously the regular cop or detective doesn’t know about it. Families of the guards don’t come looking for them because their families think they’re in jail. If anything it’s an outlet for guards to do something fun and different than normal prison life. It would also explain how some had connections with the organ harvesters too. After the games they probably just go back to prison. They seemed to be okay with living in their solitary confinement rooms, being fed through slots on the door and doing a roll call daily, things that are done in prison too.
But couldn't guards just rebel at any time if this were true? I believe that, as the video says, they are just recruited and paid, and they don't say anything about the game outside of the facilities because they know they are being watched and will be killed if they do.
@@leonpv983 why would they rebel? They know they’re on an island. They would just be going back to prison anyway. Why would free citizens willingly go into this job knowing they’ll be killed if they ever speak about it? How would they propose this job offer to free citizens? From the moment they explain the job the person would be committed to secrecy before they even agree to it.
@@PeteDaveRob I like your theory, makes sense to me. my theory was that they are the contestants that, throughout the years, have voted to go home and chosen not to come back. Front man said to keep an eye on them. They're still in need of money, and would know what they were getting themselves in to if they were offered the job. But I really like your idea too.
This makes more sense
I just wonder why, in that case, there were no women being a guard and why were they all so good with guns? I haven't seen 1 guard miss a bullet. Especially shooting people that fast through the head, you have to be trained to be able to do that. And the first guard we saw the face of was so young and emotionless. Almost like he was imprisoned, and certainly not a paid employee who values his life and his salary.
Guards go on "field trips" and everyone communicates with "walkie-talkies" you're killing me man XD
it's called a walkie talkie though? what would you call it?
@@amelyalilyorme1247 radio.
You listen to music on a 'radio' in your car. You communicate with walkie talkies.
@@amelyalilyorme1247 It's not called a walkie talkie, it's a radio. Specifically, a ham radio. Walkie talkie's are toy radios.
@@chabbab6698 No, a walkie talkie is a kid's toy radio. A radio is a radio. A handheld radio being called a walkie talkie is like calling a full car a Tike.
I always saw it as:
- Circles: Civilians and/or petty criminals
- Triangles: Dangerous criminals and/or people with prior military or law enforcement service who have past firearms training
- Squares: People that have proved themselves both highly intelligent (potentially through school test scores, given the age of the Square that has his mask taken off) and also lacking any empathy or sympathy, essentially complete sociopaths and psychopaths. They might even have been Circles or Triangles before ranking up and becoming a Square.
I also think that each rank has probably chosen the job for different reasons.
Circles *needing* the money just like the players do, Triangles for both the money and the thrill of it, and Squares because they *WANT* to be a part of it, not even that they need the money.
The “You’d have more fun being a circle, but make more money by being a square” is straight out from the office when Creed talks about being in a cult “You have more fun being a follower, but make more money by being a leader” 🤣.
I was wondering why he said that, especially since being a circle sounds terrible 😂 now it makes sense
i think i know where that Malaysia flight went now...
Hey
Well that definitely how it works
That what he said
Would everyone be angry if the second season was just a retelling of the events of the 1st season but through the journey of a newly recruited guard?
I suspect anyone who would agree to do and witness what the guards do (especially the triangles) must be desperate and will to do whatever, just like the players in the games.
And what about the recruiters? How do they get their jobs?
That would be more interesting if they hadn't revealed the organ selling, but there is probably some other interesting things they can think of.
I kind of feel like season 2 would be a how did the front man get to where he is kind of thing could even have some extra stuff for characters from the first season again etc then have season 3 be the continuation of the story.
@@mushieslushie tbh it makes it 100x more realistic
@@toddhoward7649 No I totally get it, but let's say they knew there was a 2nd season from that perspective and they left all that out, all you would know was the doctor disappeared and they didn't know why he was gone so long and then you see them hanging like that. You wouldn't know any more than the other contests at that point what actually happened. Then it wasn't until the 2nd season where the background behind that got revealed.
Imo the guards are just random mercenaries
Just to help everyone, in the show the square mask guys are called "Managers", those with a triangle are called "Soldiers" and the circles are called "Workers"
I know.
This whole video is absurd. Despite the series being written and directed by a South Korean, about S. Korea. placed in S. Korea, about S. Koreans, filled with S. Korean culture and filled with S. Korean actors, there is no mention of this.
These are called PRIMARY SHAPES. Not some video game symbols. They appear in the drawings of early man.
Circle, Triangle, Square have always been used in this specific order as a grading system in KOREAN elementary schools.
Circle: one sided below average
Triangle : two sided average
Square : four sided above average
The entire concept of the series is based on a Korean childhood era from a particular period in our history.
@@권준수-t2g the playstation part was a joke lol
Since you asked what king of guard we would rather be (circle, triangle or square), do you think there are actual requirements that the employees must meet, in order to fall into either category ?
“The first game in squid game is pretty unethical.”
OK, only that first game right?
The other games, people knew they would die should they lose. Not the first one
Idk why but i just laughed at when he said "theh have Playstation buttons in it" lmao
@@dl5498 Honestly, they should have guessed it. If it was just some fun game, the organizers wouldn't have to work in such secrecy, and hide their faces.
@@dl5498 lol but like murdering people is kind of considered unethical if you didn’t notice
@@cuteforstars9308 they knew they were to die should they return, and they did. Its like volunteers going to war
I’m glad you actually mentioned how the first game is unethical. All the games after that point are a moral grey area, a pretty dark grey, I would argue black, but the first isn’t even an argument. They didn’t have any knowledge of what they were getting into or what the risks were. The 250ish people who were killed in the first game were brutal murders, regardless of what arguments can be made. How much responsibility lies on the guards, the players, and the VIPs for the rest of the games is debatable, but the first was a bloodbath that was entirely the fault of those who set up and carried out the game.
If the game you signed up for involves you being slapped in your initial meeting, then you’re gassed inside of a car, then you wake up with your outfit completely changed and you’re numbered. You should think that you might die.
I would say since they encouraged people to kill each other outside of the games, there is no argument that they are entirely evil. The argument that people agreed doesn't hold water, because they agreed to play games, not have their throat slit while they are sleeping.
All of them are unethical, it’s just an illusion of free will
@@Lilitha11 I would actually argue that encouraging and rewarding players for murdering each other is actually very much a black moral area. Also that’s why I said the first game was immoral, but the rest weren’t. The first was shock and slaughter. The other five they came back to play.
@@theradiantdehd3997 Yeah they came back to play the games, but murdering each other in the living quarters isn't a game. They said six games, there was no mention of bonus games or side games, or murdering each other in their sleep.
My thoughts on the symbolism of the guards is that they represent us, the average person. They do what they are told, they eat/sleep/speak when they are told, and they do whatever job they are told to do, or they get killed. They don't question what they are doing, some are even entrepreneurial enough to have a side hustle (selling organs). Most importantly, they are the ones enforcing the rules of the game that they themselves are constricted by. In this way it represents real life, the elites at the top making the rules, the middle mass that bring those rules to life, and the unfortunate few that fall through the cracks. It can be asked; how do they live with themselves? Simple. The same way most people in the real world deal with injustice, they ignore, are apathetic, or are just too scared to do otherwise, after all, "I'm just doing my job..."
So we are all just guards in the squid game of life.
except the game was fair for all the players
@@mourvikakadam this almost cut more than the op
It’s not going
If that is the case then actually the organ harvesters symbolises rebellion in the sense that even in a setting where everyone follows the rule because of the fear of death, there are still those who still dare to rebel against the rule for the sake of their own interest.
The organ harvester party are actually a cool little piece of the story because whatever F'ed up reason people sign up to be a guard in the squid games, there are those who gives zero f*cks about the whole thing and tries to use it for their own personal gain.
5:07 he is wearing red because red in sk means "power, masculine strength"
[content deleted]
Anyways now that the show has another season people are coming to this video again. This comment is deleted, you won’t see what it said. I deleted it because it was an incorrect fact.
That’s a fun coincidence, but we all know that it’s because they’re the shapes used in a squid game field :p
@@Legoboy55able yes but maybe they are used in the squids game field because of there connection to the school?
You have to take it back one step further
@@Legoboy55able yeah but their ranking definitely correlates
@@Legoboy55able Or, perhaps the stylized Squid Game field is drawn using triangles, squares, and circles because this is something common to their world at that age. And it makes sense, in the show, the Square Guards rank the highest & in the school grading system it’s the highest mark; the Triangle Guards are a level, down from the Squares and in the school grading system, this is one mark below the square; and in both the show and the school grading system, the circle is the lowest.
Intriguing, they are also the symbols of the titular "squid game" - a square, triangle and circle, the circle was the smallest, then the triangle, and finally the square, the biggest, makes me wonder if there is more too it/the game, like is square the attack, triangle the defense, and circle, the 'neutral'... or something like that? xD
i also thought that the more edges and lines you’re helmet has the higher up you are. so circles is the lowest, then triangle, then square. additionally, the front mans helmet is made up of many edges and lines and the VIPs helmets have many cut jewels and edges! just interesting to think about
Yeah I thought of that too ☺️
Oooh, interesting thought. Maybe in the next season there'll be even more kinds of guards. Like hexagons, octagons, etc.
For those who understand it, daily life will turn upside down 👉 The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 💖
A circle has infinite tho
@@kellynaz9256 this varies based on context, but generally it's better to say circles don't have any edges, or else they'd be non-differentiable at every point
Just finished watching squid game. LOVED IT! As a writer, I appreciate the way the story unfolds.
Same! Love the simplicity of it too
@@BryceEdwardBrown Yeah
You are my favorite TH-camr you are the best TH-camr in the world I love your videos you are awesome
You were spot on with the red and blue theory.. the red hair at the end is indeed symbolic.. in fact there are a lot of subliminal and symbology in this show.. but I think the red and blue colour symbology goes way further than that author you mentioned or anyone else for that matter.. it is deeply rooted to the occult.. this show is trending for a reason..
Square:manager
Triangle: military
Circle: working class
Square game
Karen: I want to talk with the square
@@bangi69xd36 ok
I want to talk with the square
@@bangi69xd36 There's literally a scene like this on the show
I’m in med school, and judging by where Sae-Byeok was impaled by the glass shard, she wouldn’t have lived to see the next game. I think Sangwoo killing her was more of a mercy kill than anything.
Spleen right? Maybe liver?
@@sorrenblitz805 It was to low, it was more than likely in her large intestine and that would of been a death sentence regardless.
@@sorrenblitz805 Nah, it was right on the inferior epigastric artery.
It's a pretty superficial vessel and it bleeds a LOT.
@@rufussweeneymd She also wouldn't of lasted that long if it was an artery. She lasted more then several hours and not only that ate dinner and moved around alot.
It was mentioned in the shows the staff consisted of “Managers (squares), Soldiers (triangles) and Workers (circles)”
Yeah I didn’t think he got it right. They used the word staff in the English dub but I think it’s the same idea. The “rank” of circle and triangle are the same, just the duties are different
Like stripes for rank in the military, the number of sides to your shape equals the number of stripes.
Circle - 1 side = 1 stripe
Triangle - 3 sides = 3 stripes
Square - 4 sides = 4 stripes
That's how I thought of it. Don't know if it's right or not, but it made sense to me.
Circle : Worker bees. Triangle : Soldiers. Squares : Managers.
Front man: Boss
No no no i think
Circle: working bees
Triangle: soldier
Squares: step manager
Front man: owner
@@ivapir004 Well technically the old man is the owner.
@@someguy7629 Yeah but
(spoiler alert)
The oldman is just a host, the owner is the man that wear black mask.
So, the oldman fund the game and the worker, manager, soldier, etc.
The black mask just make profit by VIP service and can change the game whoever he like but can't kill the oldman and the main character because he is the host. and the main character has plot armor that is 001 vest.
Polygon : director
The theory in which the color of the envelope chosen by a person determines their roles in the game is highly unlikely since this would imply that every year there is a new staff which leaves us with some questions: where do people of the previous staff go? Is it safe to the host and front man to make them go free after finishing their duties for the year and have a completely new staff? Do they simply kill them after the game? how? One can say safely that this is an impossible explanation especially with the fact that we saw how much experience and discipline the staff showed which are pretty much needed to make the games run smoothly and fairly, and the amount of very sensitive information they had like the location of the facility.
Na I pick color=role
@@schhur they shiwed someone that actually picked the red square in a scene and they were still a player
Oh ok
The director had already denied that theory
You obviously have never tried discord and their staff lmao people will do anything for power
If your physical education teacher in your primary or secondary school was overly harsh and pedantic when organising children's games for students, chances are that he/she had served as a Lethal Tournament Guard Captain (square) at some point of his/her career.
Well, it's happening to me now but she's a Physics teacher
0:05 with PlayStation controller buttons on ther masks got me dying 😂😂😂
OOO I had a friend tell me about this cool thing where the soldiers follow shape theory!!
So like when it comes to character design, there are different shapes that can impact the characteristics! This is cool caz the guards follow this too. Circle is often associated with more friendly characters, and the circle soldiers are friendlier(ish) to the players; handing them food or driving around, etc. Triangle is associated with sharper, a bit angrier characters, and the triangle soldiers are the gunmen and do the threatening. Lastly, squares are usually stern and in charge, and the square soldiers are the top soldiers and have the most authority of the other ones.
I just found this cool and thought I might share, hehe!
:plot twist there teenagers obsessed with ps4 controller
Thank you for the love
Definitely! As a character designer myself, we always keep shape design in mind and the creators of the show clearly did too.
What about the edge theory tho?
A circle has no edges / no authority
A triangel has 3 / a bit of authority
A square has 4 / has authority
Front mans mask has alot of edges = higher authority
The vips vary in how many edges their masks have and the most annoying and discusting one is getting away with everything because his mask has the most edges / most authority among VIP. Except for Ill Nam his mask has more edges and detail than any other showing his ultimate authority even over the vips.
Im the 100th like
There are female guards too btw. In the honey comb cookie episode, one of the scenes start off looking at a Triangle who seems to have female proportions, and you can see other guards with who may also be female.
I was watching that episode yesterday and my gf noticed that too.
I don't think the main the main colors of the series are supposed to be red, green and blue, but simply red and blue. Korean, like Japanese, usually use the same word for blue and green. So, the colors in the subway game are likely the same general dichotomy of red and blue as in the main game. Even if blue is actually a blue/green spectrum and red is a red/magenta spectrum. My guess is that red stands generally for power/empowerment and blue stands generally for powerlessness/submission, though the exact meaning can vary depending on context.
Its so long and boring
@@emanueldragota4475 Do appreciate the time he spent on writing this!
The director has comment this and it's just based on the Korean flag. The guards was ment to wear red suits and players blue but it didn't pop out on the screen. If the players had wear blue they would melt into the blue screen. Then he gave the guards hot pink suits so the colours would give a strong impression.
Same with Vietnamese! Blue and green are the same word for us!
And red and blue are traditionally used in games
As a guard, I am thankful for your kind informative video.
Circle - worker
Triangle - soldier
Squiare - Manager
:Karen I want your square
@@fishysoldier1418 LMAO
@@fishysoldier1418 big brain u got-
@@jannahmiraballes1550 thx
rectangle: god
It’s an interesting theory but I don’t know that I agree with the guards being criminals. I find it more believable that they recruit the guards like people recruit people for the military or law enforcement jobs, especially young people. The young guy who took his mask off felt reminiscent of people barely older than teenagers going to war. There are plenty of regular people who could be convinced to do that kind of work with the right incentives, particularly if you’re putting them in a position of power over others. It happens all the time throughout history. Just a theory though, I love hearing what other people think.
Given it's setting in South Korea, finding indoctrinated hard men in North Korea wouldn't be difficult. Better to be a guard than starve.
2:31 all it takes is just 1 gun guy to shoot the rest with element of surprise then yell something like "everyone pick up the gun were gonna break out" and then leave the building take a boat escape tell the police and this whole show doesn't exsist
How could they not see this big plot hole the triangle should have gotten pistol instead to avoid this plothole "underrated show" smh
we actually know the guard whose identity it stolen is a cop
@@SHADNEXUS the front man, the host and vips would still be a live and have the power to find and kill everyone who retaliated. They are also rich af so they would just find new ppl and continue the game again
Way he was like 20
Circle: worker
Triangle: soldier
Square: manager
X: F R O N T M A N
What I find funny about the guards in squid game the challenge is that they are called, square guard, circle guard and triangle guard yep that’s right that’s what they are called Ik Funny right
If I was in squid game…
Me: I think I’m getting taken to Disneyland.
A few hours later…
Me in the dorm: aw I thought this was Disneyland.
Other player: No.
In the first game…
Me: ooh this is red light green light I’m totally going to survive.
A few seconds later…
Me: (dies immediately).
Well said
@@RainbowCookie3645ur probably talking about the English dubbed bcz in the original Korean version they are called workers soldiers and managers
5 VIP
i was actually wondering what the shapes on them were for that was gonna be my question but im glad you cleared it up keep making amazing content cant wait to watch what you make next :)
When the main character is given the 001 sweater. I think that's a small sign of him placing his bet on him to win.
This is a theory and you didn’t hear it from me... What if 001 was the actual owner of the games? Just a thought
@@maryfletcher5834 ...have you watched the end of squid game? Cause he technically is being a V.I.P
At the end he kinda says something like he got to feel something he did when he was a kid. Like getting a friend. Or that was also just a lie and ur right x3
@@maryfletcher5834 he did create the games
@@dumbledoratheexplorer1252 ya idk
lets just until season 2 or maybe not bc idk when season 2 will be came out?
TLDR
Circle - Grunt workers and body clean up, often seen at the end of the games
Triangle - Security, Manage circles and act in a security-type role
Square - Overseers, managers of the game(s) and all other Guards, one is deployed to each game to act as referee, answers directly to the Front Man
Standard Deployment: For every square, 5 triangles, and 4 circles.
Triangle are also the executioner.
dang thats a big squad for one square
Yea i love triangle
@@dazo556 they are pretty important, they run the security cameras and are clued in on the games before everyone else
I’ve seen other TH-cam theorists talk about how the higher ups in government and police know about the games and either ignore it or can’t/won’t stop it. The games “take care” of the dregs of society so it benefits the existing power structure. If that is true, I could see the guards being recruited from prisons. It would fit the theme of exploiting the societal outcasts.
Nah, the front man said to the his bro cop that the police just don't care in general instead of, just saying "The very org you work for is in on it". There would be no reason for the front man to lie about that.
killing people in debt would just make that debt go unpaid, pretty bad fix to the problem
@@comicbookguy2326 They most likely would’ve gone unpaid anyway. These weren’t minor debts. These were bankruptcy debts or sell your own organ debts.
@@rdpaik the chance of paying them if you're dead is 0, if you're alive it's at least a bit higher
Why are the triangles so skilled?
That's easy - every young male in South Korea, between 18 and 28, MUST do military service (for females, it's optional), so that they can defend the population against North Korea at a moment's notice
It's a population that knows how to handle a gun, surely
There are very few male "civilians" in South Korea - they live on the doorstep of a regime that often threatens them with nuclear missiles (from which our female hero defected) - handling a military-class gun is just a fact of life for most South Korean males, a necessary part of their education
So - nearly any South Korean male could potentially be a triangle, a VERY large pool to choose from
I would love to ask all of the male actors in this show about their experience of doing military service, and whether I'm right in that they all know how to handle an assault rifle ...
4:30 No., No No. Not the matrix. The Prison Experiment: th-cam.com/video/QoH5gvLrlpw/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
The “wear masks outside of room” feels like it is quarantine lol
Definitely!
they predict this since 2009 wtf 🤣
“The first game in squid game is pretty unethical.”
*You don’t say*
LMAO
I don’t know what you mean, it’s only mass slaughter of innocent unknowing civilians.
Squid Game (season 2) as it portrayed by fans:
*_「China TikTok」'Squid Game' Frenzy in China Boosts the Show Views Globally_*
th-cam.com/video/CnCzwz9txNM/w-d-xo.html
just a lil mass murder chill 😑😑
@@BlueSoulGamer Sounds familiar
You have to talk about the front man and VIPs this was soo good!!
The office reference at the end was awome!
Okay, my theory behind who becomes the guards: it's those that chose to go home. We already saw the color card theory debunked so it not that's. And it couldn't be past winners because there's too large a staff and besides that, it's not likely that many of them would want to come back. But those who go home make sense...they still would need money and additionally, they were smart enough to get through the first game. Also, the fact they went home but were smart enough to keep this enterprise a secret shows that they have the capability to make good guards in the game.
That is a very interesting theory i like that
thats a really good theory, but that leaves the question why all the guards are men
Yeah and in one part the front man told a square to keep him updated on those who decided not to come back. Idk if this helps your theory but yeah
@@idkk1782 They arent rember the scene where all the guards are eating in their rooms? There was at least one if not several women
@@katelynpratt197 yeah exactly thru the whole show I've seen multiple, you can even see one in the marble episode.
There was a scene where the 'front man' asks one of the employees to track the people who didn't come back after the first episode. My theory was that they bring those people back in asking them to become guards for the next game, in return may have their debt wiped. Just a theory though, nothing concrete behind it!
There is also a point where the Front Man makes a comment about everyone on the island being equal. While obviously not true since there are VIP's I thought it might be hinting that the guards have a similar troubled passed as the contestants.
Wait how come if 17 people left the prize pool stays the same 😲
@@EonicX_21 They didn't die, so their money was never added in the first place.
There is no theory, it’s just a fuckin show 😂
@@LGvids23 are you frickin dense?
My theory is that he more edges on their masks, the more power they have.
Circle:none
Triangle:3
Square:4
Front man: a lot
VIPs: too many to count
smart!
I know.
This whole video is absurd. Despite the series being written and directed by a South Korean, about S. Korea. placed in S. Korea, about S. Koreans, filled with S. Korean culture and filled with S. Korean actors, there is no mention of this.
These are called PRIMARY SHAPES. Not some video game symbols. They appear in the drawings of early man.
Circle, Triangle, Square have always been used in this specific order as a grading system in KOREAN elementary schools.
Circle: one sided below average
Triangle : two sided average
Square : four sided above average
The entire concept of the series is based on a Korean childhood era from a particular period in our history.
@@권준수-t2g thank you
@@권준수-t2g now you are just copy pasting useless info on a joke
if you wanna be incredibly blunt and forward with your approach, my theory is that, the workers are circles, wheels are circle shaped. and if you think about wheels are the bottom layer of whatever they are moving forward, much like with anything, without workers labor, nothing gets done. Soldiers have triangles because triangles are pointy and usually if you wanna convey a sort of primal feeling of danger and lethality, points and edges are your go to, and the soldiers are the most lethal thing in the game, being the only type of staff to carry a fully automatic weapon. and finally the managers are squares because a square is an organized shape, usually from a visual aspect squares are used to represent order and organization, and managers organize almost everything with the exception of the front man. as for his and the vips mask's, idk they look cool lol
Great vid, thanks for explaining the red and blue squares.
The only issue I have with the criminal idea is the discipline they seem to possess. Maybe it's a korean thing, but the sheer... uniformity, how the guards work in sync, march in time, stand still, and resist gloating, showing off or going on a power trip, doesn't feel like a criminal deal. Or at the very least, they are trained to a surprisingly high standard.
There is no absolute personality or character of a criminal.Therr are many criminals who are very disciplined and they are experts in hiding clues.While some are messy and are not very good at hiding their crimes.Discipline means doing necessary things.
All men in Korea are supposed to be in the military for a bit. That’s probably why they were able to do all that
They do express human traits which was what the whole thing about the organ harvesting was about, it was to show us how the staff acts when the players don't see them. The only reason they have uniformity is because they are under as much if not more constraint than the players. Players can make their own decisions and plot among themselves, but the staff are not even allowed to speak, or do anything unless the front man lets them. Anyone who disobeys in the open is shot. Also the staff have specialized roles so it's very simple orders they have to follow.
They aren't completely disciplined...remember organ business? Plus if they don't follow the rules, they die.
You’re right. Criminals all over the world (well, prisoners who can be studied) tend to be undisciplined and careless about the consequences of their actions. Taking far greater risks than the average person, they wouldn’t be ideal for such a role.
The organ traders were a small group of “criminal” types. They took the risk of getting killed for some extra money, but endangered the secrecy of the organization.
1:47 “usually when people think of elimination they think, oh I’m out not oh I’m dead”
That is the most hilarious line ever
I just subbed. I really like how analytical you are about some of your theories and don’t just repeat the same things everyone else is saying, like choosing the red and blue pieces during the recruitment game and the symbolism behind it. Your analyses are great. Keep up the amazing work. I’m totally enthralled.
just found your channel! Look like i have a lot of binge watching to do
Dude when da square revealed he is almost like a kid I thought up of this crazy theory that all the guards were born and raised in a way which makes it seem like killing people for breaking the rules is normal, like they don't know that these are precious lives they're taking away, they know that they gotta eliminate rule breakers, but when it showed other guards which are way older I started doubting and rn I dont think this is the case anymore, it would be insane if it was tho
I think that the roles and ranks are based on corners. Circles with 0 corners are really the lowest, triangles with 3, square with 4 and front man with the most
Yeah, with the frontman, his mask looks like it's made of prisms and it can also apply to the VIPs and the host as well. They look like they're made of multiple squares so I'm guessing they have more corners than the frontman and they're higher in this hierarchy as well
That's what i thought in the first place. Glad im not the only one
But what about the two corner guards? Where are they? smh my head
The edgier you are, the more superior you are
Circles technically have infinite corners, it's actually based off angles, like someone else in the comments said.
When Sae-Byeok said that she wanted to visit a tropical "Juju" island, the first thing I thought is that the island they were on right now was that island idk why...
I thought it was implied as well
@@RedPhoenix550 idk
Jeju Island is a big Island in the south of Korea, relativly Close to japan
No its not lol. Jeju island is a big island famous as holiday destination (thats why saebyeok wanted to visit Jeju island) meanwhile the island where squid game were held is obviously a private island
@@yerakwon7431 I said it was the first thing that came to my mind as a possibility, not that I am certain that it's true.... LOL
While wearing a ridiculous outfit 0:50 😂😂
2:16 the ones with the guns 😎
The triangles are likely to be ex-military - probably some even imported from North Korea
Remember that all males in South Korea MUST do military service between 18 and 28 years old - for females, it's optional
So that would also suggest why all of the guards are male
I even saw the tug-of-war as a metaphor for North and South Korea in a battle to survive
@@kawaiimariagamez872 good one less bts member
@@kawaiimariagamez872 what relevance does this have to squid game lmfao... There are two years anyways, still a long time.
10:18 Look at Gi-hun's picture. When the players were taking their photos when they had arrived at the facility, Gi-hun was smiling a lot, but he is not smiling a lot in the picture of his player profile on 10:18
just noticed that, thats wierd
@@uh3331 yeah
@@ricksgameplay134 Just a continuity error, it happens.
Red and Blue also have distinct meanings in Korean culture and is tied to their flag. Red is associated with passion, rebellion, and life energy while blue is complacency and Death.
Wearing red was also considered taboo. Gi-hun goes from a complacent, controlled and considered dead in the squid game (blue cap) to passionate rebellious and definitely alive after receiving money and power.
This also ties into the movies clear anti-capitalist themes
if south koreans wants socialism and communism so much they should just let north korea win then. Or just move to north korea
@@otre3947 the director said this show was a critique of capitalism; I think you're a bit far fetched in thinking that south Koreans want to be communists :(
The directer actually debunked this theory amd said it has nth to do with what colour u choose
@@thefifthbean strange, I recall an interview where he confirmed the red hair due to its association with passion. Maybe he changed his response/idea?
@@peterm7905 he said in an interview that he dyed his hair red cause it was the craziest thing he could do to rlly show his anger after witnessing so much violence and it drove him to make a crazy desicion with his hair by dying it.Its actually common for things like this to happen whether its dying hair or shaving hair, its just a sign of one's last straw being pulled or one meeting their wits ends
The reason why 93% of the players came back to the games despite the numerous deaths was very obvious: they were no better off outside than in the games, so they returned out of desperation. And the Front Man knew that, because it happened in every previous Squid Games. Desperate people will often pick the least likely option for victory, but if they are given a chance, they will do it. That's why people in financial trouble will play the lottery. Because even if they don't win, they are given a chance.
In german, the language I watched that show in, it wasn't "eliminated", it was "disqualifiziert", which, you guessed it, translates to "disqualified". That made the first game even more shocking
I think it was kinda a mistranslation, since the word eliminated can imply death in English, but disqualified has nothing to do with death.
This is the first time I've heard of a Red/Blue theory for picking guards, although I have heard the theory of the guards being the ones who actually beat the game with the "salesman" and were perhaps deemed to be an unfair competitor
Squares- Commanders and direct the games and are armed with
revolver
Triangles- Armed guards who make the games work by executing and eliminating those who aren't willing to continue
Circles- workers, they prepare the games and handle the housekeeping of the facility
Which of them do you like the most?
@@toxido1837 They each have their own benefits and setbacks. Personally square would fit me better
Going from the circles without guns before the first game, then going to the triangles with guns after knowing people die that is really smart.
I really like the design of the guards mask's, they are very iconic, to me the guards mask's resemble the masks worn in professional Fencing, I bet the Squid Game masks are gonna become the new anonymous V for vendetta masks.
th-cam.com/video/dQw4w9WgXcQ/w-d-xo.html
The fact that a group of the guards including the squares were organ harvesting making it seem like they would leave the facility at some point as what's the point if they won't get paid for it and be able to use it.
It was literally stated by the director and creator that it was NOT in any way related to the Matrix but an old Japanese myth/folklore story.
It can be based on more then one thing. I think he visually alludes to the matrix and name checks it. Only a dumb director wouldn't use as many levels of symbolism as possible. Red and blue are also the colors of many nations. Japan, America, France, England.... heck even South Korea 🇰🇷
Besides I think that he says where he got the idea if but it would be nice to believe in that Death of the author. He doesn't name check the toilet ghosts. People from other countries bring in their own pop culture and mythology
For anyone curious about the story:
It’s about a ghost in a Japanese toilet, they ask you to pick a red or blue piece of toilet paper. If you pick the red roll, you die a bloody death. If you pick blue, you get drowned. It shows that it doesn’t matter what you picked, you still die
This is my first time to watch such a bloody film😂 like your detailed and evidence-based explanation ~
8:50 “This was a pretty mind blowing moment”
Especially for that one player
Puns, Quips, Jokes!
I'd just like to point out, not all guards are males. A few triangles are sbown on screen and they have breasts. I don't recall what game it was but the triangles were wearing some harness alongside their guns.
I noticed it very early on tho.
Same I noticed too
I wonder what the Triangle guards where like when they saw that their manager was a kid, and he took his mask off.
Well some of them might be kids too
Well…. you saw their reaction it wasn’t much.
@@patrickkirby6580 They are not allowed to do anything, if they were allowed to speak they would've probably said something surprising.
@@Uncle-Ruckus. True, but, he was the only kid we saw, so we don't know, it could've been the front mans son or something.
2:31 all it takes is just 1 gun guy to shoot the rest with element of surprise then yell something like "everyone pick up the gun were gonna break out" and then leave the building take a boat escape tell the police and this whole show doesn't exsist
How could they not see this big plot hole the triangle should have gotten pistol instead to avoid this plothole "underrated show" smh
0:32 Does anyone know the name of the actor who played the square guard in the first episode?? I am obsessed with his charisma!
hiii i know this is late but his name is Kim Byung-Cheol!!
@@rivermyerss I already knew, but it was very kind of you to reply 😊 Have a nice day/night!
@@lillaajna that’s okay! i figured you would’ve found out by now but just incase not i ran to squid game wiki 🤣 he’s a cutie right?! and thanks! you too!
He's a bit of a figurine but he's very cool😮
People: sees man dies if he moves on red light
bassically everyone: oh crap i gotta move on red light
"...underground, inside of an unknown island."
An island presumably located in the East China Sea?
Well hidden away from prying eyes?
People who do end up there dissappear?
Oliver Queen is the true organizer of the Squid Games confirmed
You're on to something 🤔
i knew this shit were happening in Lian Yu lol
so the guards are... FYERS
As a arrow stan, thats clever, fellow vigilante.
Well he definitely is rich enough to be one of the VIPs at the least. And who knows, he may be a hero, but if he sees the games as ethically justifiable than who can say if he wouldn't revel in them.
"they cannot take off their masks, if they do, they die"
isn't that like also irl?
at least they say from covid
no bc there its with a gun and here its with a very small chance of getting a bitch virus with low death chance you can get as well while wearing the mask
@@eskaban_edits_beats_and_more its a joke, stop ruining it
@@eskaban_edits_beats_and_more /r whooosh
@@sahirattri6467 how is covid a joke? is a serious thing
I’m not sure if it’s only me but I always thought the shapes relate heavily to there duties, in term of shape language and character design, correct me if I’m wrong but
The Circle soldiers mostly take care of the contestants by making/providing food = Circle mostly are used for kind gentle caretaker like characters
The Triangle soldiers mostly eliminate/kill the contestants = Triangles invoke harshness’s and/or can be associated with villains or antagonistic characters
The Square soldiers mostly facilitate and explain the games to the contestants and is positioned the leader the of the other soldiers =
squares are mostly used for characters who strong leaders
This is just my opinion, plus I’m not character designer so I might be wrong😅