If you enjoyed Squid Game, this might be worth a try. I enjoyed the show (and the Asian girls). It's a Japanese version of Squid Game mixed with a little Saw.
Second season just launched Thursday.
The first season was a long time ago it seems like and I had to go back and check a few prior episodes when I discovered that Season 2 opens exactly where Season 1 ended with no "this is where we were" kind of intro.
Basic storyline: Three guys pranking people in the middle of a big Tokyo intersection run from cops and hide in the bathroom. When they come out of hiding everybody's gone. City is deserted. Later that night they're directed to a gaming site where they're forced to play an escape-room type game with deadly consequences. Each game is identified by a playing card. Each card indicates what kind of game it is and the level of difficulty. Spades are physical endurance games, clubs are teamwork games, hearts test the player's trust in each other (and are emotion-based) and diamonds are 'thinking', logical games. Win the game, collect the card. Fail and die.
They discover that they have to keep playing and collecting cards to renew their visas - which prevent them from being brained by laser bolts from the sky.
As the series continues new characters are added (Asian girls). New games are made available. The main characters try to figure out where they are, why they're there and whether there's any chance they can get back to the world they knew.
It lags in places and some of the kills and survivals stretch the bounds of credulity but when it's good, it's actually really good. In both seasons there were "holy shit" type moments along the way.
I was really afraid it was going to St. Elsewhere us at the end of Season 2 but it dodged when I thought it was going to duck. It even threw a little dig in at Squid Game in for good measure, which I found slyly amusing.
Much like Squid Game the series spends a lot of time digging into the backstories of the main characters, explaining their histories and how those define their game strategies.
It's not for everybody, but it's something I enjoyed more than I expected. I'll watch Season 3 (and I assume there will be one) if for no other reason than the story (Asian girls).
I'm developing a real affinity for Asian films and series. This, Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead, Train to Busan, Hellbound... all of it is pretty damn good even if you have to read to understand.
Say, do any of you know where to find an Asian bride? That's what's on my mind now.
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