Bae Jin-soo strikes gold once again as Netflix’s adaptation of Webtoons Money Game and Pie Game becomes the latest Korean show to break the Netflix top 10 charts.

After receiving praise as one of Korea’s most popular webtoons, being read over 3 million times, the series has followed in the footsteps of previous adaptations ‘All of Us Are Dead’, ‘D.P.’ and ‘Sweet Home’, joining the influx of non-romance dramas continuing to gain traction with International audiences.

‘The 8 Show’ is the latest of these, not only building on the success of previous webtoons, the show has also drawn comparisons to Netflix star show Squid Game through its graphic scenes of violence. Its concept of power structures also sees similarities with the hit Korean film ‘Parasite’, as Korean directors continue fighting societal injustice and power structures in Korea and worldwide through cinematography.

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, The Korea Herald reported that the series director Han Jae-rim had said about the show’s message, 

“The series is more about the formation of power dynamics that arise when a small society is created.”

The series itself follows actor Ryu Jun-yeol (who plays the character 3rd floor), a worker in constant struggle and a mountain of debt to loan sharks, suicidal and desperate. He starts by earning 1,000,000 won per text to his phone and is convinced to join the show. 

Upon joining the show, the rules seem easy; the clock starts ticking 24 hours, with each contestant earning anywhere from 10,000 – 360,000 won depending on the floor they’re assigned, with meals provided to them every day. They cannot cover any of the cameras, participants must be in their room between 12 – 8am or their money will be halved, and finally, the show will end when either time is over or if someone dies.

Similarly to ‘Squid Game’, the show sees a range of characters with different characteristics, from the brains and knowledge of floor 7, the brawn physical strength of floor 6, and the morality of floor 2, to name a few. Each provides the perfect balance of positivity and negativity for an entertaining watching experience. 

The 8 show broadcasts a reality of the imbalance of everyday life, showing the difficulty of escaping everyday life; the use of the timer and time being added further adds to the power dynamic of the producers and the lack of power of those in the show trying to earn money and raise their social status.

These power dynamics also draw striking comparisons to the hit Netflix film ‘The Platform’, where people are imprisoned and survive on a revolving platform of food passed down each day, relying on the fairness and honesty of others above to equally share food. This is replicated in the show; contestants would find that their meals would be passed through the top floor, once again giving greater power to those living on the upper floors of the place and leading to a more tremendous power shift led by food and water between the upper and lower floors.

Focused on the role of entertainment, this is how participants earn time during the show. ‘The 8 Show’ speaks heavily about the concept of entertainment and the expectations humans have in making a show entertaining with acts of love, violence and betrayal, earning the most time and, therefore, money.

The fake set and props dissociate the participants and real life, making the series more viewable. At the same time, shots of the cameras and flashing red lights remind viewers that it is done for entertainment and that a clear power imbalance is taking place.

With extreme horror scenes and strobe flashing lights, the show is arguably more horrifying than the scenes of ‘Squid Game’, with many audience members taking to social media sites such as X to voice their opinions and horror about many of the show’s gruesome scenes. But if you are looking for something to tie you over until the second season of ‘Squid Game’, set to come out later this year, then ‘The 8 Show’ may be for you.

In conclusion, the show speaks to social status, with those on the higher floors receiving greater luxury through more spacious rooms with greater privileges to food. It also speaks to the power of entertainment and the lengths that not only people will go to for money but also the power of time, as the show emphasises how, for many, like in real life, time equals money.