'Squid Game' Season 2, which faced harsh criticism for not living up to the first season, has won the prestigious Critics Choice Award in the U.S.
On January 7 (local time), 'Squid Game 2' received the award for Best Foreign Language Series at the 30th Critics Choice Awards held in California.
'Squid Game 2' triumphed over competitors such as Apple TV+'s 'Acapulco', 'Pachinko', Prime Video's 'Citadel: Honey Bunny', Hulu's 'La Maquina', Netflix's 'Lydia Poet's Law', 'Sena', and HBO Max's 'My Brilliant Friend'. Notably, last year's standout series, Disney Plus's 'Shogun' (FX on Hulu), was not classified as a foreign language series, allowing 'Squid Game 2' to secure the trophy with relative ease.
The first season also won in this category, making both series recipients of the Critics Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Series.
From the outset, 'Squid Game 2' was compared to the first season in terms of quality. Critics and fans alike expressed disappointment, stating that the sequel did not measure up to its predecessor.
However, it was nominated for Best Drama Series at the Golden Globe Awards last month and also received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Series at the Critics Choice Awards, proving its status as a noteworthy production. Although it did not win at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Award solidified its influence, popularity, and artistic merit.
It is particularly noteworthy that despite its narrative weaknesses as it leads into Season 3, 'Squid Game 2' has been recognized for its artistic value. The popularity was undeniable, with Season 2 recording 1.2819 billion viewing hours, making it the second most-watched non-English TV show on Netflix, following Season 1 of 'Squid Game', which amassed a total of 2.2052 billion hours.
The highly anticipated Season 3 of the series is set to premiere on June 27.
[SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye]