Hyun-ju is the one one courageous sufficient to comply with Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) after he fails to return from accumulating extra ammo. As extra troopers breach the gamers’ quarters within the season’s ultimate moments, she prepares to make use of the ammo Dae-ho gathered and take a stand in opposition to them on her personal. The one purpose she doesn’t is as a result of Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), who has change into a mom determine of types for a number of gamers, urges her to not, wanting her to hopefully have the prospect to dwell one other day.
Regardless of how badass and heroic Hyun-ju is when it actually issues, it’s unlucky that she has to danger her life in these video games to be able to afford gender-affirming care. The fee needs to be substantial for her to willingly vote to remain after studying how lethal these video games are. As an American, it isn’t terribly stunning to see somebody put themselves via literal hell to be able to afford the healthcare they want, particularly a sort of healthcare that’s presently underneath undue scrutiny right here within the States.
South Korea has but to legalize same-sex marriage, and their Supreme Courtroom has solely lately dominated that same-sex relationships are entitled to the identical healthcare advantages as heterosexual relationships. Hyun-ju not solely displays this lack of acceptance together with her story within the present, but in addition within the actor who performs her.
Hyun-ju is performed by cisgender male actor Park Sung-hoon. Despite the fact that he does an unbelievable job at portraying this character because the compelling girl she is, the present has confronted scrutiny for not casting a trans actor within the position. And rightfully so. One of many foremost arguments utilized by TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) and different anti-trans teams are that trans girls are simply males who wish to gown as girls to “invade our areas.” That is removed from the reality of trans girls’s experiences, however casting cis males in trans roles doesn’t do a lot to assist this dangerous stereotype.
That being stated, Squid Recreation creator Hwang Dong-hyuk did intend to painting this position as authentically as doable when the position was first being created. Hwang advised TV Information that his search proved tougher than he anticipated, and it was “close to inconceivable” to discover a trans actor who might play the position. “Once we researched in Korea, there are near no actors which can be brazenly trans, not to mention brazenly homosexual,” he says. “As a result of sadly within the Korean society, presently the LGBTQ neighborhood is fairly nonetheless marginalized and extra uncared for, which is heartbreaking.”
As simple as it’s to say “effectively possibly he simply didn’t look exhausting sufficient,” it’s additionally essential to acknowledge that the U.S. is in a special place in the case of seeing the trans expertise portrayed precisely on display screen. And whereas we appear to be forward of South Korea on this regard, we’re nonetheless nowhere near the place we ought to be. Despite the fact that each the U.S. and Korea nonetheless have an extended option to go when it comes to trans illustration on display screen, seeing an in any other case unproblematic trans character characteristic so prominently in Netflix’s hottest collection is arguably an excellent factor, and I can’t wait to see Hyun-ju’s story proceed in season 3.
