Squid Game Season 2’s English Dub Misses Out A Hilarious Running Gag

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Squid Game season 2!Squid Game season 2’s original Korean audio allows one of its characters to keep engaging in a quirky feature, but it’s absent for those who listen to the English dub of the show. Many of Squid Game season 2’s best new characters have unique identifiers, but only one is impacted by the viewer’s choice when it comes to which language is selected for the audio track. It doesn’t have any real impact on the story, but it’s a fun little addition to the Netflix show’s second run.

The character in question is also one of Squid Game season 2’s major deaths, so they won’t be back as part of Squid Game season 3’s story as the show reaches its conclusion later in 2025. They have also proven very divisive among viewers, with some loving the show’s new character and others finding them irritating. Either way, the figure had a unique way of communicating with the tournament’s other players.

Thanos Keeps Slipping Into English In Squid Game Season 2’s Original Korean Audio

T.O.P’s Squid Game character is the only player to do this

T.O.P plays Thanos in Squid Game season 2. The villainous rapper, like all of his fellow contestants, speaks Korean. Given the show’s setting, this isn’t surprising, although it’s easy to forget if watching with the English-dubbed version. However, what is interesting is that Thanos quite often slips in and out of speaking English in almost every episode of Squid Game season 2 in which he appears. It’s only for the odd line here and there, but in the English version, it’s made redundant as he’s already speaking the language all the time.

Within the world of Squid Game, even with alternative dubs chosen, the characters are still speaking Korean. Dubbed movies and TV shows are simply an alternative for viewers who don’t wish to watch foreign-language media with subtitles turned on in their native tongue. That being said, dubbing can create some notable differences between the original scripts and the ones that are translated into another language. This is because the movement of the original actors’ mouths needs to be accounted for, so the translations aren’t always 100% faithful. Additionally, things like Thanos’ English lines are often lost.

Why Thanos Sometimes Speaks English In Squid Game Season 2

Thanos’ musical background can explain his linguistic talents

Just like the actor playing him, Thanos is a Korean music star. It’s not uncommon for rappers like Thanos to incorporate some English lyrics into their songs alongside Korean lines. This can help increase marketability in English-speaking parts of the world, but it has also just become one of the signifiers of certain Korean music genres. So, with Thanos often penning his own lyrics, it’s not surprising that he would unconsciously dart between two languages in everyday speech too. Interestingly, English in general isn’t that widely spoken in Korea, so it’s unclear if the other players can understand Thanos’ outbursts.

Related

Thanos’ 10 Best Moments In Squid Game Season 2

T.O.P.’s villainous Squid Game character brought something especially great to the Netflix show’s second season with many memorable moments.

There is also a slightly more behind-the-scenes reason that could account for Thanos occasionally speaking English in Squid Game season 2’s original audio. Although the show’s first season quickly became an international hit, the massive success it experienced was perhaps a little unexpected. Ahead of the second run of episodes, showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk may have consciously given English-speaking audiences something to latch onto every now and then when listening to Squid Game season 2’s original Korean audio.

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In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.

Release Date

September 17, 2021

Cast

Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung

Seasons

2

Showrunner

Hwang Dong-hyuk