#s well as often kiddos also have the same varying strengths and weaknesses but i think it just highlights how the old man couldve Not

[moonsun2010]

How Squid Game (2021) Reinterprets Childhood

[Major Spoilers Alert]

Perhaps because childhood games are so inbaked into the show's very premise, but ive not seen a lot of, or any analysis of Squid Game through the lens of childhood so far. Most of the analysis seems largely focused on the themes of social inequality and humanity, which is perfectly fine--these are obviously major parts of the show, which has interesting commentary on both themes. What i think is worth examining though, is how Squid Game pays homage to and reinterprets the concept of "childhood". It'll be remiss not to address them.

The episode that actually made me think about how Squid Game is linked to childhood was episode 6, appropriately titled "Gganbu" (yeah feel free to cry now I know I did when I first saw that). Like, I know that Squid Game's entire premise is Adults play Deathly Childhood Games, but only when Old man (i know he's Il-nam but it just feels right to call him Old man) and Gihun made the promise to be Gganbu did it really hit me that theyre not just forming friendships, but specifically reliving their childhoods. The set design adds to this idea too: we first begin with bright morning skies in "Red Light, Green Light", less sunny but still bright blue skies in the Honeycomb game, and now sunset skies in Ep 6. Sunset is usually when all the games end, when its time to return home. Hence the prop backalleys not just being remniscient of where these games were played, but also reminding us that at the end of the day, these games have to end. For Old man and Gihun, their game has to end as well. Previously the show let both the characters and the audience continue under the hope that maybe all these characters will survive, maybe the police officer will get help in time yknow? But Ep 6 bursts that bubble in reminding the audience that there can only be one winner. And in a game where losing is death, combined with their pact to be Gganbu, the sunset all at once represents the nostalgic feeling of regret at having to end a game, and also the death of their friendship. That's part of why its so heartbreaking when Old man is "killed", because its not just a loss of a beloved character, but perhaps also striking a personal nerve as we remember our own feelings of regret at having to end playtime with friends. And looking at Ep 9, when we find out the Old man was the mastermind, the death of their friendship becomes true in more ways than one. Jiyeong and Saebyeok's friendship represents a different kind of ending, with their friendship being more remniscient of the temporary friends youd make in the play area and then have to leave, never to see them again.

I don't think its a coincidence that when the players split into different groups (after player 101's group's murder spree), that it feels kind of like the stereotypical bully clique vs victims dynamic in schools. Whether the writers intended it is irrelevant, because that dynamic makes Minyeo's later "defection" from their group to Gihuns group for Tug of War fit so well into the "low grade bully gets kicked out from the bully group and allies with the victims" trope. Highschool dramas are rife with this! It works well in establishing a sense of camaderie and hope, which makes the later deaths all the more painful :)

Then with Gihun and Sangwoo's final showdown, we have flashbacks of them(?) as children playing squid game. It draws a direct parallel to their current grown up Squid Game. This contrast between the relatively innocent violence of the childhood version and the lethal violence of the adult version suggests the reason for such a drastic change is because of the pressure of adult life. Under the pressure of debt and death, childhood games become a microcosm of the larger "games" played in adulthood. With the artifical blue skies of the initial Red Light Green light game transformed into a dark rainy set by the natural thunderclouds overhead, it further emphasises how the line between childhood games and adult "games" are blurred.

Once Sangwoo kills himself, ending the game, the clouds clear and the VIPS (representative of the corrupting force of adulthood/debt/capitalism??) disappear. Gihun can now return to his adult life, but at the cost of his childhood friendships. The way Squid Game reenacts both the negetive and positive aspects of these childhood games really heightens its tragedy because above all, there's no real way to return to that childhood without warping it in some way.

[twruniversity-blog]

Accepted Iceland!

Hello and welcome!

Please, have all your belongings in your room within the next three days.

OOC; Name: Sin

Age: 19

Pronouns: She/Her

Activity: Usually around 5-8, depending on how school is.

Contact: Yo this (aphhk) is my main tumblr

Ships for Muse: Chemistry?? I don’t have favs.

Timezone: PST

Triggers/Sensitive Subjects: Incest/Self Harm are my main ones.

Any Concerns?: im sorry,,,,

IC; Character: Iceland

Full Name / Preferred Name: Íseldur Snævarsson

Age: 20

Birthday: June 17th

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Housing: Toutouwai Village; Shared room

Pets: Mr.Puffin, a ‘lovely’ puffin that absolutely no one knows how he has it.

IC - In Depth; Magical Branches: Air and Ice

Ahurei (Unique Ability): (Cold) Temperature Manipulation: tdlr; his two magic branches can be used to control the temperature (via cooling, wind, etc) but he can only influence in the sense of cold (ie, he can’t warm things).

Major/s: Marine Biology and Conservation

Minor/s: Frost/Ice

Type of Degree: Bachelors

Clubs: None (at the moment, this will probably change when he warms up to the idea of socialization).

Appearance: Íseldur’s appearance may be one of the most unusual (or unique) things about him— having albinism, his fair skin, light hair, and pale eyes make him rather eye-catching.

His eyes are a very light shade of lilac, though can appear more red or blue depending on the lighting. His eyes have a more narrow shape, with long lashes that match his hair. His hair is a very light platinum blond that appears to be silvery white; messy and not very well kept, it often falls into his face. He tries to keep it average length, and is a bit wavy— a ruffled, feathery like appearance that is just as soft as it looks.

His face is more of a square shape, though with some softer, fuller baby faced features— he is often mistaken for being younger than he is. His nose is quite small, turned up, and just slightly bony. His complexion is quite pale, being an albino, and has a scattering of freckles. His skin is extremely sensitive, meaning he often has to cover up his skin (or wear sunscreen). He has a birthmark on his shoulder, shaped vaguely reminiscent of a snowflake. Besides that, he has very few blemishes— just a few tattoos (he considers it a blessing he’s kept them secret from his brother).

Íseldur’s fairly average as far as height goes, standing around 5’8’’. In contrast, he’s rather underweight (despite the fact he eats rather well), most likely due to his health; weighing roughly around 120lbs. He has a rather androgynous appearance, he’s rather slender— with little muscle and his slim, lanky figure; he comes off as being rather delicate, in a word. The fact that his bones tend to protrude doesn’t help with that, and his lack of muscles helps to his weak appearance. That being said, while he might be fragile, in a sense, he certainly has a fighting spirit and hates being treated like he is weak.

His attire can vary— on a normal day, he generally wears casual-formal sort of clothing; layers and layers of clothing to protect his skin. At home (or more casual situations), Íseldur’s wardrobe is….sweaters. And more lopapeysa. Did I mention all his sweaters? It’s all about warm comfort when he’s alone. Besides that, he has a several pairs of white boots that he wears regardless of occasion, and always has a pair of gloves on. Days where he’s unable to wear contacts means he has to wear extremely strong glasses, and most of the time will have sunglasses on hand in case the lights start to bother his eyes.

Headcanons:

Íseldur had very few friends growing up, mostly due to the fact that his elder brother could be rather intimidating when he wanted to be. For the same reason, he was hardly bullied either, but…it’s really lonely when the majority of your ‘friends’ are your brother’s acquaintances.

Íseldur’s brother is actually his half sibling, from his father’s first marriage. He’s a bit jealous of him, though does care for him quite dearly despite that. He just would like it if his brother was less protective of him.

Likes nature and walking, due to the quiet, and sometimes because of the pixies and other mythical beings he’ll see. That being said, he’s usually kept from going out in nature too often because its seen as a problem with his asthma/allergies.

Despite his magical background, he has a slight fear of ghosts. Death is scary, man.

He loves all animals, which is partially related to his choice of Marine Biology. Íseldur spent a lot of time reading about the animals he was always kept away from, and at least he doesn’t have to worry about allergies around marine mammals. (He’d still probably die to have a dog though).

Íseldur rather enjoys music, and has some (very limited) musical talents that he picked up from his elder brother. His other hobbies include knitting, and photography (scrapbooking).

Íseldur has a few medical conditions, but tries to keep them secret since he doesn’t like people knowing about it, because he doesn’t want to be treated specially because of it (he knows it only contributes to his brother’s long list of reasons to treat him the way he does). That being said, one can’t really hide having albinism.

Íseldur has oculocutaneous albinism (aka he’s an Albino); meaning he has rather poor vision (uses contacts to help make up for this), and uses sunscreen and sunglasses a lot, as well as layered clothing since his skin can be pretty sensitive.

His immune system isn’t the strongest, and has quite a few allergies, but doesn’t let that stop him. That being said, it doesn’t help that he has asthma, and keeps his inhaler on him just in case he needs it.

He also has Haemeophilia, and whilst he can mostly ignore this, it definitely makes him feel a lot more fragile than he’d like to.

Due to his health, he knows he can’t probably actively pursue his career choice (in the sense of doing something that requires him to be out and about). That being said, he doesn’t let that keep him down and wishes to at least try— at the end of the day, he’s fine with the idea of sitting around in a lab somewhere and doing research.

Íseldur is often cold, which is likely a result of his Ahurei.

Also. Don’t make jokes about him being an Ice Prince. He does not appreciate. Frozen jokes? You’re fucking dead, kiddo.

Personality: 

Though first impressions might make one think otherwise, Íseldur is a rather complex person. At first one might think that he is as cold as his ice powers— which, would not be too far from the truth, as that is the façade he prefers to show. He is a bit of an introvert, very shy around people at first. He is bit reserved as he gets used to one’s presence— and hesitantly so, having a hard time opening up around people, always just a bit skeptical of people. Only then do his true colors will start to show a bit; a bit of snark and sarcasm blending in with normal habits.

A very insecure person, Íseldur is often nervous, and even a bit awkward when it comes to dealing with people (in fact, he quite honestly would much rather put up with animals than people, should he have the opportunity). He’s quite self conscious about himself, not only in the sense of his appearance, but his mannerisms and personality as well. He’s quite modest, and easily embarrassed/easy to fluster, though he won’t acknowledge it— though when he’s flustered, his blush shows quite easily and is hard to get rid of. Additionally, when it comes to showing emotions, he might not show them as easily as most, as he feels like it’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s a rather clear indicator of trust if he feels at ease enough to show them without hesitation.

Despite his ‘icy’ (hahaha) persona, deep down he’s quite passionate— like a volcano, hot tempered when riled up. He can be a bit temperamental at times, though he is usually not the confrontational type, he is more likely to be passive aggressive. Íseldur often tries to act mature to be taken seriously…though, he’s a bit immature and still a bit of a child at heart. He’s stubborn and prideful; always one to (try) be independent. Though, he finds himself to feel a bit lonely, and seeks out company among those he trusts.

Strengths:

Hardworking/Diligent: Granted, he’s as likely to procrastinate as any other teen, when it comes down to it, Íseldur knows to prioritize what’s important.

Patient: If there’s one thing he’s learned from having what might be the world’s most invasive older sibling, it’s how to have patience with someone. Like anyone, his temperament will eventually run out, but he certainly tries his best to keep it.

Snarky: Okay, maybe there’s more than one thing he’s picked up on from his elder brother. But a bit of quick wit never hurt anyone.

Weaknesses:

(Self-)Doubting: One of his worse personality traits, from appearance to what his grades might be, and even what his choice of dinner might be; he’s often second guessing himself.

Stubborn: He’s not one to give in easily, even if the odds are against him. That being said, he will give in if he realizes he’s in the wrong, or if he has some other motive to give in.

Introverted: Naturally on the shyer side, Íseldur naturally gravitates towards keeping to himself. Which is an issue, when it social situations (at least he acknowledges it, though).

…Also his health probably counts.

Backstory:

[This might? probably be tweaked later on] [cw for bullying mentions but nothing detailed]

Born and raised in the small town of Hólmavík, Iceland; Íseldur is the younger of two children, and has lived there as long as he can remember. Though, for a briefly of his childhood, his world mostly consisted of his room; deemed far too sickly to be allowed out farther than the front porch. He had to be kept in check at all times, to make sure that he wasn’t catching ill for one thing or another, or so he couldn’t somehow hurt himself.  

As a result of his health, he had a bit of a delayed start to his schooling, which would be the cause for some teasing and bullying— nothing ever serious, because there was the threat of his older sibling always around. For the poor boy, that also meant that friends were few and hard to come by; his brother often intervening in friendships that did not meet his approval and hobbies that were unsafe for him. He took solace in books— at first, fairy tales and myths of things that seemed better than life, eventually moving on to books of things about the world that he doubted he could ever experience. If anything, it was the first stepping stones for his interest in the ocean, and the life that thrived in it.

Íseldur was always a curious child, always aware of the magic in his blood (he was fairly certain it was a family thing), though did not often play with such things— not when anyone was looking, anyways. It was one of the few things he wanted to keep to himself, worried if he’d use it freely, it’d become forbidden like so many of the other things in his life. (That didn’t stop him from using it to play pranks on his brother once or twice…or like, a lot more than he cared to count)

He made it through his years of school with a fair amount of ease (save for one or two minor bullying incidents), heading onto upper secondary education following the completion of his required schooling. It was a good distraction, a bit lost with what he wanted to do, and at least he could try and pursue something….well, in theory. He spend most of the next four years feeling like he was lost, at a stand still; unable to really pursue his dreams due to feeling like he was being held back. His mother, always looking out for his best interests— and knowing that he oh so needed a break from well, everything— suggested that he look into attending Te Wānanga Ruānuku, try getting in better touch with his more magical side. And well, he figured why not; it wasn’t like he was doing much else anyways: a change in pace might help him somehow. As soon as he got accepted, he packed his things, and headed out to New Zealand; more than ready to start living life a bit more the way he wanted to.

(He hoped that in moving far enough away, his brother would finally leave him alone. Alas, things are not so simple for him)

Sample RP: It’s late, Íseldur’s certain of at least that much. He stifles a yawn as he blinks sleep from his eyes; the soft shuffling of his feet as he gets up from the chair he’d fallen asleep in after class. It’s probably considerably late to be out of his room, but this doesn’t really deter him as he quietly pads down the hallway. He has the feeling that he isn’t the only one awake at this time at night anyways.

In hindsight, the Icelander probably should have at least had some sort of destination in mind before heading out of his room instead of mindlessly wandering, but it’s faaar too late for that now and so he decides to just walk, see where he ends up. It’s kind of nice, it’s much quieter than normal and fitting for the nighttime. Not too dark either, altogether a comfortable atmosphere. He decides that this should become a far more often occurance, as long as he can remain undisturbed like this. As long as he made sure he got the proper amount of sleep, anyways.

Íseldur fiddles with his inhaler absentmindedly, tucked away in his pocket. He doesn’t think a small walk like this would really trigger anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry. There was a first time for everything, after all. He continues to walk for a while, stopping when he finds himself at one of the kitchenettes— contemplating his options.

Well…a little snack never hurt anyone, right?