Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Korea, Netflix, Squid Game, Film and TV
Katherine Sidnell
A new South Korean reality show is now streaming on Netflix and fans are saying the series is better than the infamous Squid Game.
Reality show Physical 100 pits elite athletes against each other in a series of complex challenges for a prize fund over 300 million won ($236,450) in a similar style to those seen in the deadly drama.
However, fans of Korean TV are comparing this new series to the gory fictional thriller Squid Game, as competitors literally fight for the prize fund.
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It’s been causing such a stir that Physical 100 has quickly risen up Netflix’s streaming charts, becoming the most watched series in the UK earlier this week.
The Netflix series has gained a cult following since its release on 24 January – with its various mini challenges making for binge-worthy viewing.
Dubbed the ‘real life’ Squid Game, it features a mixture of MMA fighters, wrestlers and boxers and sees the contestants fight to survive, mirroring the premise of Squid Game.
While no one (thankfully) is brutally shot dead when they fail to complete a challenge, Physical 100 still makes for intense viewing as contestants battle in the dimly lit arena.
Fans of the reality show have been sharing the buzz on social media before the final episode airs on 21 February and the winner will take home the hefty cash prize.
Sharing stills from the series, one fan wrote on Twitter: “What's crazy about the Squid Game reality show news is that South Korea already made a better reality show than Squid Game called Physical 100."
Another on Facebook added: “Finna put y’all on.. Physical 100 is another Squid Game but much more interesting lemme know if y’all like it”.
However, viewers have been shocked about how low the prize fund is after converting it into British pounds and US dollars.
One shocked fan wrote on Twitter: “Um this show (Physical 100) is having people do something called a 'One on One Death Match' with no mouth guards or head protection!
"And there’s metal barriers around the arena. Is someone going to die on this show? And the prize is only like equivalent to $23,000 USD.”
In US dollars, the prize fund would roughly equate to $236,450 and in British pounds, the 300 million won prize fund would be around £196,000.
While many might be tempted by this, one viewer felt it wasn’t enough for the hard-working athletes.
“You should have put up a Billion dollar prize pool so that we could get the best American version of Physical 100,” they wrote on Twitter, as they tagged billionaire Elon Musk in the post.