"Just asParasitetook Cannes and the Oscars by storm in 2019 with its acerbic take on class, money, and greed,Squid Gamecaptured the imagination of audiences far beyond South Korea at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Riding a Korean Wave of K-pop and K-dramas,Squid Gameproved that the Netflix serial streaming model could be a lucrative moneymaker by--believe it or not--excoriating global capitalism.Squid Gameis a game-changer, and this essential two-volume collection pays tribute to the power of Asian popular media to speak to audiences far beyond the region about the precarious lives we share in the second decade of the twenty-first century." (Gina Marchetti, Chair of the Department of Humanities and Media Studies, Pratt Institute, Author of"Women Filmmakers and the Visual Politics of Transnational China in the #MeToo Era" (Amsterdam University Press, 2024)) ""Squid Game and Beyond" is essential for anyone seeking to understand the profound influence and intricate narratives of contemporary Asian popular media. Spanning two volumes, this comprehensive work delves into how Asian media reflects social issues in various forms of content and how multifaceted dynamics interact with each other in global contexts. Volume 1, examines gender, race, politics, and social dynamics through popular media, offering a stringent critique of socio-economic and political structures. Volume 2 expands the discussion to the global stage, exploring market dynamics, digital evolution, and transcultural narratives. Together, these volumes provide a rich, interdisciplinary perspective on the ongoing developments and global impact of Asian popular culture, making it a crucial resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike.
" (Eunyoung Kim, Associate Professor,Communication & Theatre Dept. Advisor - PRCA-AUM, Auburn University at Montgomery) "In the anthology "Squid Game and Beyond: Contemporary Asian Popular Culture," the editors explore vibrant Asian popular culture, using the Korean drama Squid Game as a starting point. With a keen focus on Netflix''s role as a global distributor and co-production partner, the collection sheds light on the pulsating core of this platform-driven content industry that challenges the existing media models. Additionally, it examines how contemporary Asian media responds to structural paradigm shifts and reflects social issues, including socio-economic oppression, national identity, and resistance. The anthology also highlights the impact of digital platforms and the soft power of Asian culture in transnational dialogues, offering insightful discussions on discourses, identities, narratives, and ideologies that transcend global and cultural boundaries." (Anthony Fung, Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) "The games aren''t always hungry - our imaginations are. This two-book series is a must read for everyone interested in Asian popular culture. Focusing on Squid Game and other texts from our times, it draws on a wide range of ideas, themes, and vantage points.
The lively, engaging essays herein connect the tissues of high and low culture, Asia and the world, and our imagined and lived realities - manifested as they are across different formats of storytelling. A much-needed, thought-provoking, intellectually-engaging, but above all, fun, critical collection!" (Sami Ahmad Khan, Assistant Professor, Centre for English Studies, School of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India) "These two volumes are remarkable for ambitiously bringing together a spectrum of scholarly and student voices to creatively comment on the contemporary saliences of Asian popular cultural outputs - "Squid Games and beyond". The perspectives presented highlight a variety of audience receptions and how these products have affectively resonated, catalyzing complex reflections on the possibilities and limitations of human agency within and against shared global capitalist entanglements." (Ivan V. Small, Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Director of Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University).