BEIJING – It’s not available in China, but Netflix’s global sensation “Squid Game” has already racked up huge success in the country, with fans dodging strict internet controls to stream the show and purchase merchandise, such as her unique outfits.

The South Korean dystopian thriller has become the most popular Netflix series launch of all time, the streaming giant said on Tuesday, but it is unlikely to pass Chinese censorship due to its brutally violent content.

Yet it’s already a hit in cities, like Shanghai, where a crowd formed Tuesday at a restaurant selling dalgona – the crispy sugar candy featured in one episode – with patrons gathering in front of its billboard on the theme of the Squid Game for taking pictures.

“People were sending show-related jokes in group chats when I started watching,” a client named Li told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

After buying the candy, Li and his friend filmed their attempt at the show’s challenge, where contestants attempt to cut shapes out of the snack without breaking it.

Race to meet demand

Squid Game features a group of the most marginalized and indebted people in society who are forced to participate in a series of children’s games until all but one of the participants are dead. The “winner” receives $ 38 million.

As the show became an international hit, ever-nimble Chinese manufacturers rushed to tap demand, with products – including hot pink uniforms and odd masks worn by anonymous guards – appearing on the platform of giant Taobao online shopping.

Salesperson Peng Xiuyang had never heard of the show when a customer asked last month if he was selling the masks – a solid black coating printed with squares, triangles or circles.

But now sellers like him and plastic manufacturers in downtown Yiwu are all rushing to meet the demand from domestic and international buyers.

“Our customers are the ones who have seen the series and want to join the trend,” he added.

Illegal distribution

The lack of official availability hasn’t stopped Chinese audiences from finding ways to watch the show, including readily available unofficial streaming sites or file sharing.

The hacking problem is so widespread that South Korea’s Ambassador to China Jang Ha-sung recently said during a parliamentary audit that he called on Chinese authorities to take action.

“Our assessment is that Squid Game… is being distributed illegally on about 60 sites in China,” Jang said, testifying remotely from Beijing.

As fascination with the spectacle swirls among tech-savvy Chinese youth, they wondered what a Chinese version of Squid Game would look like.

But one user said: “It’s not like it would pass the censors if we did such a show ourselves… if it was too violent it would just be deleted.”

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