Despite arriving late to the global phenomenon three years after it conquered Netflix, I’ve finally caught up on the first season of Squid Game – and was caught off-guard by an aspect that had slipped under the radar.
Having initially not been swept up by the hype, I felt compelled to dive into the much-acclaimed series with the announcement that its second season is slated to release on Netflix come December 26. In just a couple of sittings, I made my way through all nine episodes, acutely aware that my expectations might have been unduly elevated by those who had hyped it up as ‘perfect in every sense’, reports the Mirror.
Indeed, an online commenter stated: “No wonder this series took so long to create and it shows because there’s literally not one flaw. It’s perfect in every sense and has every major ingredient that makes it one of the best shows of this decade hands down! The acting; absolutely incredible. The lead’s acting is stunning and beautiful even without him saying anything his facial expressions speaks volumes.”
Though there were certain aspects of the narrative’s ultimate finale and the games played in some episodes that left me wanting, what genuinely surprised me was how effective the English dubbing was – a feature scarcely remarked upon amidst the general praise of what the show got right.
Initially, I was set on experiencing the series in its original Korean with English subtitles, chiefly due to the acclaim surrounding Lee Jung-jae’s portrayal of Seong Gi-hun, alongside other talent, believing the nuances would be best captured in their native tongue.
Yet, given the added focus required for foreign language entertainment and with the festive season upon us complete with gifts to wrap and yuletide tasks aplenty I opted to give the English-dubbed version a go. To my surprise, the dubbing proved to be remarkable. The performances lose none of their potency, and the translation avoids any awkwardness, never detracting from Squid Game’s thrilling sequences.
Impressively, as characters flit between Korean, English, and Mandarin in the later episodes, the dubbing stays impeccably consistent. Netflix’s own explanation earlier this year shed light on their meticulous approach towards dubbing, highlighting its not merely about linguistic conversion but necessitates a deep understanding of context.
Catherine Retat, Netflix’s Senior Director of Dubbing, revealed: “Dubbing is like a second production. We connect with the original creators to recreate the atmosphere and content in target languages. We make sure our artists and technicians feel like they’re part of the show, not an afterthought.”
Netflix’s dubbing team runs intensive workshops focused on cultural and linguistic subtleties to ensure local expressions are perfectly adapted. The platform takes special care to translate terms like ‘oppa’ and ‘unni’, which denote older brother and sister in certain cultures, while keeping the spirit of the source language intact.
John DeMita, Netflix’s Senior Manager of English Dubbing Language remarked: “We want the audience to forget it’s a dub and feel the authenticity of the original work. Listening to audience feedback from different markets teaches us how to improve, whether it’s prioritizing lip sync in one market or cultural references in another.”
Thanks to this attention to detail, viewers can dive into Squid Game’s highly anticipated second series without reservation, confident that dubbed versions will not compromise their experience. This dedication also enhances other international hits including The Trunk, La Palma, and Tomorrow+i.
I hope Netflix will keep bolstering its dubbing division. The service should capitalise on the star power it draws for its English content by recruiting top-tier talent to lend voices to dubs. Recognising that shows like Squid Game deserve matchless dubbing for their outstanding writing and performances, Netflix is committed to quality. And if it upholds these standards, there will surely be more dubbed series joining my must-watch queue.
Squid Game is streaming on Netflix, with season two is available from December 26