“Squid Game” has officially surpassed all previous Netflix series launches in terms of viewership. In its first 28 days, the Korean drama drew 111 million viewers, pushing “Bridgerton,” which had 82 million, off the top place. The show’s success is “beyond our wildest dreams,” according to Netflix’s vice president for content in Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand Kim Minyoung. She added: “We knew we wanted to develop world-class tales for the core K-content fans across Asia and the world when we first started investing in Korean series and films in 2015.” Korean drama fan Chloe Henry says that “Squid Game” stands out among others. She claims that the show’s characters and passionate acting keep the viewers hooked. Dr. Hye-Kyung Lee, who studies the emergence of K-drama and K-pop at King’s College London, says that some Korean dramas touch on topics of society, business, and politics, but “Squid Game” has taken a far more direct approach.

The nine-part series, which premiered in September, follows 456 people in South Korea desperately in debt as they participate in a variety of kids’ playground games. The prize is 45.6 billion Korean won (roughly $39 million), but the participants suffer a severe consequence if they lose any of the games. They were tricked (later volunteer) into participating in a fatal tournament of children’s elimination games, knowing that it was their ultimate chance to win the money they needed to survive. Due to the show’s violence, it is not advised for anyone under the age of 15.