Recently, the official Netflix account conducted a poll asking: “Who is your favorite new character in Squid Game 2 this season?In the poll, in which 700,000 people participated, TOP’s portrayal of Thanos took first place, with 50% of the votes.
Second place went to Park Sung-hoon, who played Hyeon-ju, with 23%, while third place went to Jo Yu-ri, who played pregnant Jun-hee, with 19%. During the press conference, TOP’s absence due to concerns about domestic public opinion led overseas netizens to express curiosity and leave comments requesting his appearance.
T.O.P appeared as Thanos, a rapper from a hip-hop survival show in Squid game 2and his casting sparked controversy from the start. He had previously announced that he would not be active in South Korea, which sparked negative reactions regarding his casting. When Squid game 2 aired, his awkward rapping and exaggerated movements led to criticism of “bad acting” from domestic viewers. Additionally, many viewers expressed discomfort with his appearance on the show.
TOP was convicted of marijuana use in 2017 and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, with 2 years of probation. His character’s storyline, in which he plays a rapper whose career is destroyed by drugs, fueled controversy, as it closely resembled his real-life problems.
Abroad, however, things went differently. Many international viewers saw Thanos as a “game changer.” Squid game 2. The fact that they saw TOP’s performance through subtitles or dubbing, which was a different viewing experience from South Korea, may have contributed to the different reception. Since Thanos was a unique and extraordinary character in season 2 compared to season 1, he attracted the attention of foreign viewers.
Business Insider, a foreign media outlet, praised TOP’s performance, saying: “The character mentioned most often by critics is Thanos, played by TOP. From dancing in the middle of a bloody challenge to a creepy yet upbeat performance, he’s one of the best villains of the year.“
Director Hwang, in an interview, underlined: “We auditioned many people and TOP was the best among them. I don’t know him personally and I’m not a BigBang fan. I didn’t choose him to help him make his return.He also said he expected the character to be well received abroad.
Director Hwang added: “In the first season there were many who didn’t like the exaggerated beauty of certain characters. Korean audiences prefer more realistic performances and find exaggerated acting embarrassing. I thought Thanos might be welcomed like this in Korea. But abroad, people like these characters. How people view character performances varies depending on culture.“
In the meantime TOP, despite not being present at the official event Squid game 2 promotional events due to public concerns, he consistently promoted the show through his social media.
