Squid Game Stocks Drop After Season Finale Receives Mixed Reviews

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk (fourth from left), actor Lee Jung-jae (centre) and actor Lee Byung-hun (fourth from right) at a Squid Game Season 3 event in Seoul on June 28. PHOTO: EPA

Shares in South Korean companies linked to the popular Netflix series Squid Game took a hit on June 30 after the release of the final season. Despite dominating global streaming charts, the show's last season received a lukewarm response from viewers.

Artist Company, an entertainment agency with lead actor Lee Jung-jae as its largest shareholder, saw a 21% drop in its stock. Artist Studio, a division of Artist Company, also fell by 24%. Dexter Studios, a visual effects production company partnering on the show, experienced an 8.5% decline.

Pop culture critic Mr. Kim Hern-sik noted that much of the criticism stemmed from viewers' dissatisfaction with the show's conclusion not aligning with their expectations. Season 1's massive success made it challenging to surpass.

The third season of Netflix's anti-capitalist series, directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and featuring Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, and Im Si-wan, topped global TV show rankings on Netflix. Season 3 received an 83% approval rating from critics and a 51% approval rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Squid Game, which debuted in 2021, became a cultural phenomenon with its social allegory and visuals. It remains Netflix's most-watched show, accumulating around 600 million views across the first two seasons. The series has also won six Emmy awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Hwang in 2022.

According to the source: The Straits Times.