[HanCinema's News] "Light Shop" Premieres in the Shadow of "Squid Game - Season 2"

No South Korean drama has hit the worldwide megahit status of "Squid Game" since that show's premiere back in 2021. However, that hasn't stopped streaming platforms from making more such dramas, and "Light Shop" has the dubious honor of attempting such a success concurrently with "Squid Game - Season 2" coming out on December 26th. The horror drama based on the comic written by Kang Full also has the author as the credited screenwriter.

Advertisement

This is the second such adaptation of a Kang Full project following "Moving" last year. The Disney+ drama was a credible threat against competition from Netflix, but original dramas from both streaming companies have fallen short of traditionally produced television dramas. "Gyeongseong Creature - Season 2" on Netflix cost fifty million dollars to make, while "Uncle Sam-sik" on Disney+ took the major financial step of hiring Song Kang-ho for the leading role.

But to the extent these streaming dramas are popular at all, they struggle to compete against dramas produced for television. Of the eleven serial dramas that have led the Good Data Corporation's list of most discussed dramas on social media this year, none of them were streaming exclusive. The lack of formal or comparative ratings for streaming dramas makes their true popularity difficult to evaluate any other way.

However, television produced dramas that are at least available on Disney+ and Netflix tend to outperform the shows produced by the streaming giants in-house. "Squid Game - Season 2" will almost certainly put a halt to this losing streak. For a time. It remains to be seen, however, whether 2025 will provide a more consistant performance or if "Squid Game - Season 3" will once again be the only true breakout hit.

Written by William Schwartz