The 8 Show (2024)

Society in 8 episodes

Note: the rewatch value is only low because i dont rewatch this type of shows.

I have enjoyed every second of this show. True it is a mash up of the platform and squid game , so maybe i m being subjective by saying this show was better because , this exact cast hit the nail perfectly for me.

In a very detailed manner, this show depicts life as we know it.

From the moment we r born, our life is partially dictated by our social class, An important factor that gets assigned to each one of us randomly.

Just like the characters picked the cards with no pre notice of the consequences, that absurdity and randomness of that moment is really what we all share in life. A moment that is familiar to all of us. A moment we have no control over, even though they made the choice themselves, we can hardly pin the responsibility of that choice on them. If you believe in luck , then that just might b the answer to this controversy.

Life starts off by randomness and absurdity. Like a cards game, the cards are dealt by chance, what you do with the cards later on is up to you. But if we r being honest , what can you even do when u r dealt a losing hand, just like the 1st floor man. He had his hopes up , just like all poor people, dreaming of climbing the social ladder, and changing their fate.He was dupped by the organizers , and thought that he could change rooms if he had 1 billion. Just like how the bottom class in society is sold fake dreams of going from rags to riches if only they work hard, if only they save up a certain amount of money. Only to find out , their dream is not really attainable. The 1st floor man walking on a tight rope -literaly- was a beautiful metaphorical image of how poor people struggle between life and death , in their journey to the top of the pyramids. The way he kept jumping only to fall in a fiery pit -literaly- and burn away to his death, was a devastating image of desperation.

I find the 3rd floor man the most intriguing one, i assume he reflects the common man in its most common aspect. During the talent show, he had no talent to show, he s not the smartest compared to the 7th floor man , he s not the strongest compared to the 6th floor man . He s not the most candid as the 5th floor woman , he s not the most sly like the 4th floor woman, he s not the bravest like the 2nd floor woman and he s not the cruelest like the 8th floor woman. If he was a drawing , he would be the stickman. easy to draw , with nothing to catch the eye. Simply trying to fit in within the crowd , his strategy was based off not attracting attention, to stay invisible. And i think it s brillant how he was the one to destroy the cameras. By doing so , he stayed true to his motto, to stay invisible.

Throughout the show we see the different ways people within a society organize themselves. They displayed many political regimes and economical currents.
Capitalism: each room had a different income , and the whole concept of the game "time is money" , the consumerism displayed by 8th floor woman ...
Socialism : sharing the work load when they climbed the stairs aswell as sharing the food..
Democracy: voting and sharing ideas as a whole community...
Totalitarianism / dictatorship: When the elite was making all the decisions , while the rest were merely suffering the consequences....

And plenty other concepts were referred to, like slavery, weapon acquisition , technocracy and others... A theme that was most memorable to me , is when the 8th floor woman bought the CCTV tapes of the other players. Just like the elites in our modern society gather data of us , track us, and have us under a microscope through social media, street cameras and satellites ...

The 8th floor woman was the perfect illustration of the rich category. The best part was when she started painting people s pain and then quickly moved on and bought a cute dog. As you may know, the high class people take interest in stupid paintings , spending fortunes of a couple of splashes of paint, pretending that they have deeper meanings, and possibly reflect someone s suffering. They love to run donation parties to help the poor, pretending to sympathize and care, but at the end of the night they all go back to their high towers, to their spoiled cute little pets who get groomed and fed 10 times the salary of the lower class man.

Now, since the game was a show meant to entertain, who r these people that are being entertained? and what were the acts that entertained them the most ?
I dont have an exact answer for the first question, that should be left to
everyone s interpretation.My theory was that the audience were the gods, because when the 1st floor man was floating in the sky, it seemed like he was ascending to the heavens. But this theory seems so far fetched since i can confidently say , the audience was entertained by the most immoral and heinous acts like sex and torture. Which doesnt align much with what
gods represent.

In conclusion, there are alot of things to analyze in this show, many human traits to study, and so much of the human's tragic comedy to think about.

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A thriller done right.

This series for me was that sweet snack you need, not too short but needlessly to say not too long either.

The cinematography from the very beginning is good and OST fitting, i didn't think much for the series as i began watching last week but i was subdued within a few epiodes and it crept up on me when i wasn't watching. The conclusion was good, in terms of how you'd like a short series to end. I'm a sucker for the Thriller, Mystery, Psychological tropes and genres and ofcourse this ended up being right up my alley. I can't stress enough how well the actors did their jobs right, and while the plot had its basis one can never know until you see it for yourself. The human psyche and what us humans can really do to one another for money is truly disturbing, and the show portrays is throughout the whole show- it felt as each step of greed and envy from every character, well more specifically the upper floors is what laid the groundwork for this series to eat my thoughts up. The little detail of not sharing their in show names to each other was really cool too, it added a layer of mystery and reality to it.

Floor 2 (Joo Young) was my favorite, she held her own, took beatings but from start to finish she shows true growth aswell as strenght. Our Main character (Floor 3, Jun Yeol) can be described as stupid and overcaring which to say aren't bad traits to have, but in this kind of environment it can lead to a bit of too many predictful choices that (me) the audience can see coming an episode ahead. Floor 7 and 8 are most despicable (but well done) characters and i won't write too much about them. Floor 6(Jeong Min)... Oh if only you were the main character but i understood that the series would have finished within 4 episodes if he was.

Giving this a 9.5 can for the right audience make sense and to others a headscratcher, for me personally it was great! The rewatch value is there too but i wouldn't hold it too high.

If you're looking for a short but exciting Thriller, you're at the right place.

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Radiography on society

This show deserves much more than a 7.7 lol. The people that has rated this drama poorly is because they cannot stand violence and sadism, which is, if course, valid, but it is not an objective criteria for rating it so low. I hate musicals with my whole soul but I wouldn't say that all musicals are terrible because I simply do not like them and I cannot stand people singing instead of talking.

Of course the drama has its plotholes, and it does not explain who or how they did what they did to them, but that is not the point of the drama. The drama through the game/show portrays society, human behavior and how privileged people oppress middle and lower classes.

The people that says that human would not behave like that in such small scale needs a reality slap. Search the Jail Stanford experiment for example.

Overall, very good drama with on point actors and satisfying ending in my opinion.

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well...same concept as all the other survival games but nothing new

I finished this show in a few hours cause honestly you can x2 speed it and watch...there wasnt any strategic plays or smart tricks so if you were hoping for those kind of shows you can skip this. This show was mostly just surviving and and once again showing how greedy humans can be. I guess one interesting thing about this show is that apart from other shows where games are set of the participants here its a blank canvas and they have to do everything themselves.

If you are bored and just want to watch something you can watch this but there isnt much of a deep plot or anything.

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Offers a gripping and thought-provoking experience

>>>Story and Themes

"The 8 Show" centers on a reality competition where eight participants endure harsh conditions for a significant cash prize. The show's premise initially draws comparisons to survival games, but it sets itself apart by focusing more on psychological and moral dilemmas than on physical violence. The series explores themes of greed, desperation, and the impact of money on human behavior, offering a nuanced look at how different personalities cope under extreme stress.

>>>Characters and Performances

The characters are diverse, each bringing unique backgrounds and motivations to the game. Ryu Jun-yeol's portrayal of Bae Jin Soo and Chun Woo-hee's performance as Song Se Ra stand out, providing depth and relatability. The actors deliver strong performances that help the audience empathize with their struggles and moral conflicts. The character development throughout the series is compelling, showing a broad spectrum of human emotions and reactions.

>>> Direction and Cinematography

Directed by Han Jae-rim, the show is visually striking with a high level of artistic direction. The use of classical music as the background score adds an unexpected yet effective layer to the storytelling, enhancing the overall atmosphere. The cinematography captures the bleakness and intensity of the game, making viewers feel the isolation and pressure faced by the contestants.

>>> Pacing and Structure

With only eight episodes, "The 8 Show" is tightly paced, ensuring that each episode is impactful and contributes to the overall narrative. This concise structure is a strength, as it avoids the common issue of unnecessary filler episodes. The series wraps up its storyline effectively, providing a satisfying conclusion without dragging on.

>>> Critique

While the show excels in many areas, some viewers might find its focus on psychological tension rather than action to be a drawback if they were expecting more traditional survival game elements. Additionally, the moral and ethical questions posed by the show might not resonate with everyone, particularly if one prefers more straightforward storytelling.

>>>Overall Impression

Overall, "The 8 Show" is a standout addition to Netflix's Korean drama lineup. It combines strong performances, a thought-provoking narrative, and high production values to create a memorable viewing experience. It's a must-watch for fans of psychological thrillers and those interested in stories that delve into human nature and morality.

In conclusion, "The 8 Show" is not just another survival game drama; it’s a deep dive into the complexities of human behavior under pressure. Its unique approach and artistic execution make it a notable series worth watching.

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Seriously: why so many haters?

I honestly don't catch the reason for some people rating so lowly this show (I even found a 1/10 - lol!).
Is it for the violence? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the scenes of tortures? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the sadism? Well, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Is it for the madness of some? Again, not your genre of show to watch, but not a reason to be so negative
Some should look at the quality of the product, without approaching it expecting a fairy tell or a romance...
That said, this show is good, even if not a masterpiece. The characters are well sorted for being part of this sort of psychological experiment, showing different kind of personalities and their evolutions alongside the development of their prisoning. According to literature based upon similar experiments really happened, the story is coherent, to include also the devolution toward violent and sadist behavior till the use of torture (with scenes inspired to The Orange Clockwise). What you watch is disturbing, disgusting, cruel, insane, perverted, sick. Which are exactly the feelings that any normal (?) being should feel. This is not a show exploring the good feelings, instead the obscure insanity which can unexpectedly show up even from people apparently sane when in specific contexts. Which is not specifically tied to a confined, I might say prisoning space as in the show, but generically to extreme conditions, the same that a hard crisis (because of a war or similar e.g.) can bring or the same where the social order is based on a strong inequality, where those managing power can easily turn to psychos, showing sick behaviors. Situations within which the humanity of each can be overwhelmed by the insanity. And actually this is what happens in the show. On a side an audience made of an elite of superrich psychopaths looking for extreme sensations. On the other side a team of assorted human beings and personalities, all together ending up to insanity in the end. Only the death is able to break this sort of collective enchantment, bringing all of them to a more normal condition (but actually: what can be considered "Normal"?).
To be honest, an ending that I found weak, since it still relates too much on the humanity of the people in general, and that in our reality is looking like a too much benevolent approach: just watch a news...
This is not the only thing I did not like a lot. Another one relates to the exploration on the past life of each of the eights. Only for "3" the reasons which pushed him to take part to the show were better explained, while the others were just roughly outlined.
All in all, it's a good show, with a well casted assortment of nice actors, a good direction, an original and effective setting.

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Very Interesting perception of society

This show was well written.
I don't understand other people how they say boring, disappointed etc etc, even tho I respect their opinions.
I found this very interesting because, they portray how society works. I mean upper floors(which were richer) controlled lower floors (poor people)
as the dhow goes on, we see how money changes people, how they control people and anything you would do for money. It's really sad, touched hearting to see that out there is just how the world is, how selfish, inhuman, animal, psychotic human can be for living, money, health, time etc. etc.

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IGNORE THE RATING, READ THE SYNOPSIS AND WATCH IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IGNORE THE RATING, READ THE SYNOPSIS AND WATCH IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This show is really good contrary to the ratings. The Lead actor Ryu Jun Yeol and is girlfriend of almost ten years broke up last year and he somehow started "dating" actress Han soo hee leading to cheating and affairs rumors so people are still a little cold towards him and his work.

(IMO it's soo obvious he had no serious relationship with her since he didn't even wanted to confirm they were seeing eachother, furthermore her company also did not want to either but was left with no choice when Soohee did so herself. Jun Yeol is no way faultless but I just think he came from a long relationship and wanted something casual base on his attitude and Hansoohee and the media play turnt it into a cheating rumor. making it more than what it was).

HOWEVER While I don't agree or disagree with what people may think of him personally I think this show is really good and deserve its props so ignore the ratings and watch because you want to and find the story compelling.

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Boring

The show was boring, I expected something more entertaining at the level of squid games but it failed. Some characters passed without pain and glory, they were boring and the main protagonist (floor 3) did not fulfill his function as the main character. Overall, if you like just the sadistic and watching them kill each other, it's nice to watch... however, it was quite unfair when so much favoritism appeared for the upper floors by so many chapters (like it's very predictable if those who suffer were always the same characters). I think I'd rather stick with what already exists than see something like this again, a reality show where people should be entertained? Being locked in a building? It's not for me.

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