Taika Waititi Doesn’t Think Squid Game Should Be Watched With English Dub

Taika Waititi revealed his thoughts on how best to watch Squid Game as a fan. Waititi is a writer, actor, and filmmaker best known for directing Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. He’s also directing the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, which is set to release in 2022. Outside the MCU, Waititi wrote and directed the 2019 comedy-drama Jojo Rabbit, for which he won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Waititi is noted for his artful films with intricately told plots, which is also apparent in his favorite shows. Apparently, the renowned filmmaker is also a fan of Squid Game, the South Korean drama that’s currently dominating Netflix charts worldwide.

Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game is a survival drama about down-and-out individuals who compete in a series of children’s games to win a massive cash prize. They soon discover the contest’s deadly catch: there can only be one winner in the end, and failing to move on to the next round means immediate execution. Squid Game premiered on Netflix on September 17 and is now poised to become the platform’s most-watched series. Despite its grim plot and gory scenes, the Korean series is praised for its underlying themes and fresh take on the concept.

In a recent tweet, Waititi revealed that he too is a fan of Squid Game and even shared his thoughts on how to best enjoy the Korean drama. The Marvel director stated that he watched the much-talked-about series in its original language and urged his fans to do the same. Waititi’s remarks started a thread on whether watching the English-dubbed Squid Game takes away the original performance of the actors. In the end, Waititi defended his point and said that he personally loves listening to “the sound of Korean films.” Read his comments below:

There’s been a debate among Squid Game fans regarding its English dub and subtitles. Many viewers like Waititi choose to watch the series in its original language to better appreciate its actors. However, there’s the issue of how Squid Game‘s captioning often botched the dialogue, taking away much of the scenes’ cultural context in the process. Other fans argued that watching it with the English voiceovers doesn’t diminish the characters’ emotions in any way. After all, Netflix chose a cast of talented voice actors to dub the series, including Greg Chun (Star Wars: Vision), Paul Nakauchi (Overwatch), and Tom Choi (Mortal Kombat).

Admittedly, every foreign film or series that’s translated will always present limitations to its international viewers. Regardless of how fans choose to watch Squid Game–with the English dub or subtitled like Waititi’s suggestion–what’s important is to appreciate the show for its plot, underlying themes, and spectacular storytelling. Despite being a Korean drama, Squid Game can be enjoyed by fans of all backgrounds. Its meteoric success bolsters Netflix’s international programming and influence not just in Asia but all over the world.

Source: Taika Waititi

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