Squid Gameseason 3 premiers in 2025, and Netflix already has the perfect K-drama to watch while waiting for it. Although the show had already been officially renewed for a third season before the second one came out, many were surprised bySquid Gameseason 2’s cliffhanger. The fact thatSquid Gameseason 2 felt incomplete can be frustrating, but fortunately, the show will not take long to return. That said,Netflix has some great K-dramas that are similar toSquid Gamein some waysand that can ease the wait for season 3.
Squid Gameseason 2’s castsaw the return of Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun but also introduced a lot of new characters.K-drama fans probably recognized many of the new faces inSquid Game, most of whom had already played important roles in other successful shows. Although there is a long list of K-dramas starring or at least featuringSquid Gameactors, one particularly great show to watch while waiting forSquid Gameseason 3isSweet Home– a Netflix original K-drama full of horrifying deaths and compelling characters.
Sweet Home
Cast
Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.
Starring Song Kangas Cha Hyun-su,Sweet Homeis an action horror series based on a webtoon. The first season sees the beginning of a monster apocalypse during which people suddenly start turning into giant, vicious creatures. Most ofSweet Homeseason 1 takes place inside the Green Home building, with the remaining residents having to work together to survive. Similar toSquid Game,Sweet Homeseason 1 is all about survival and finding ways to make it through a horrifying situation.Whereas someSweet Homecharacters are friends and even family, others don’t trust each other at all.
The biggest difference betweenSweet HomeandSquid Gameis the nature of the threat faced in each show. WhereasSquid Gameis a more grounded, straightforward take on the horrors humanity can inflict upon itself,Sweet Homeuses its sci-fi and supernatural elements as allegories.InSweet Home, Song Kang’s character is infected with the monster virus and develops an alter ego that represents the worst parts of himself.Sweet Homeis a more action-packed show thanSquid Game, but it also has character moments and a few overarching mysteries.
Squid Game Season 2 Has Some Familiar Faces If You’ve Already Watched Sweet Home
Squid Game Season 2 Offered A Sweet Home Reunion
In addition to all the thematic similarities betweenSweet HomeandSquid Game, the two K-drama sensations also share some cast members.Squid Gameseason 2 was aSweet Homereunion for those who had already watched the monster series, asSweet Homestars Park Gyu-young and Lee Jin-wookwere both in the new season. InSweet Home, Park and Lee play Ji-su and Sang-wook, respectively. InSquid Game, their characters, No-eul and Gyeong-seok, are particularly connected through Gyeong-seok’s daughter. Therefore,it was difficult not to think ofSweet Homewhen watchingSquid Gameseason 2.
Dr. Lim
Oh Jung-se
Sweet Home’s castwas quite impressive, withSong Kang, Go Min-si, Lee Do-hyun, and Park Gyu-young all consolidating themselves as lead K-drama actors after the first season.Unfortunately,Sweet Homecould not always give all those actors significant roles in the same season. For example, Park Gyu-young’s character was only in season 2 for three episodes, whereas Song Kang and Lee Do-hyun missed most of the second season before having larger roles in season 3.
Sweet Home Was Netflix’s First K-Drama Sensation Before Squid Game Season 1
Sweet Home Paved The Way For Other Original K-Dramas On Netflix
Another interesting similarity betweenSquid GameandSweet Homeis their trajectories on Netflix and how big they became worldwide. A year beforeSquid Gameseason 1 smashed all records and became Netflix’s most-watched TV show of all time,Sweet Homehad been the first Korean drama to appear on the streamer’s global charts.Sweet Home’s success likely opened the door for more Netflix original K-dramas to be made, with the streamer having since released dozens of other Korean webseries.Sweet Homeseason 1 did so well on Netflix that it was renewed for two seasons at once.
Why Squid Game Season 2 Only Has 7 Episodes
Squid Game season 2 has two episodes less than the first season, but after the finale, it’s clear why that was director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s choice.
The fact thatSquid Gametook three years to return but filmed seasons 2 and 3 at the same time was likely not a surprise for fans ofSweet Home, which used the same strategy.Sweet Homeseason 2 premiered three years after the first season, yet viewers didn’t have to wait much for the third and final chapter –Sweet Homeseason 3 premiered six months later. Between the shared cast members, their global success, and their release strategies, it’s interesting how many similarities are there betweenSquid GameandSweet Home.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
