Squid Game’s Trans Character Is... | Trans Guy Reacts

[@scottumss]

haven’t finished the series but honestly she’s one of my favourites, having even just one character to represent the trans community (and said character being super badass) made me really happy!!

[@paleoberd]

Same here!

[@Viro_is_great]

Yep. Same here! :D

[@crazycatchick4111]

You're in for a massive treat the last couple of episodes, het badass level at an all-time high!!!

[@fanatica1338]

While I personally agree that in an ideal world she should have been played by a trans woman, I'm fine with giving the casting a pass because I don't think the producers would have allowed it otherwise. Especially considering she's a really well written character and defies a lot of tropes present in most badly written trans characters. - She survives to the end of the season - Her backstory has nothing to with sex or sexual trauma - She is never abused to draw sympathy from the audience (unless you count her friend dying but that happens to pretty much everyone in Squid Game) - And she has an active role to play in the season finale.

[@irismoon8435]

They actually tried really hard to find a trans actress, from what I've read, but there was understandably no one willing to risk their safety.

[@deedeeream5921]

​@@irismoon8435 Yes! An interview was done and they said they wanted a trans actress for the role, but they could not find one as many are not open about being trans. For obvious reasons.

[@JKing666]

I’m happy to see the representation, and it’s understandable why a cis man played this character as it might not be safe for a trans woman actress. Also the character is badass.

[@taylorp.-zm7hu]

The safety concern is only an excuse if they ask trans women to play the character and they all refuse.

[@aylinilya.]

@@taylorp.-zm7huit seems like that may have happened

[@Lisa-nm8ij]

Have they cast for trans characters? Is the casting process public?

[@percyyval]

​@@Lisa-nm8ij (edit: jamie does mention this) they said they were looking for a trans actor however its just not very safe for trans people in korea and if they acted in the show the actor may get very badly attacked for playing the role and being in the light, not to mention korea has basically no publicly trans actors that i could name right away

[@Lisa-nm8ij]

@@percyyval thanks, makes sense! If the society is still that discriminatory, a globally popular show wouldn't want to force a target 🎯 on a real trans women rather than the character. I like that she is such a lovely character, with her trans specific struggles but also a personality that's not only focused on her trans-ness

[@BhaktiRosin108]

I recently rewatched this series & found out that the person who did the English dub for Hyun-ju is a queer & transgender individual which is super cool to me. They also did actually have an Indian guy, from Mumbai I believe?, doing the English dub for Ali too

[@baakojernigan7095]

but the character for Ali is Pakistani... not Indian. I mean at least the both the actor and voice actor are South Asian so it's a similar region but isn't the fact that both aren't Pakistani rubbing salt in the wound?

[@amieeve4420]

As a student currently writing a dissertation on gender-nonconformity in South Korea, I was really pleasantly surprised by Hyun-ju's depiction in the show. As Jamie said, Korea lacks anti-discrimination laws protecting trans people, meaning that the community is vulnerable to all sorts of harassment. Opinions on the LGBTQ+ community are slowly changing in Korea, especially with younger generations who more regularly access the internet, but older generations, especially religious groups, can be incredibly unpleasant towards trans people. Hyun-ju is an excellent character, and I feel hopeful that future Korean media will take inspiration from this.

[@hyunjinies_dumpling]

Hii!! A thing about this character and the controversy around her is that Park Sunghoon is a big and very popular actor!! I fully understand why they casted him as gay people are not as common in South Korea as they are in the west. Trans people, especially trans women are even more hard to come across!!!! This was such a good addition to the show regardless of who played her... they actually added a trans character in a south korean show!!

[@argos_lucien]

I'll say something about the idea of casting a foreigner for the trans woman character... When many LGBT+ things are seen as ""western"", and believe me, they are, I'd rather have a korean cis actor than a western trans woman. There might have been the possibility of casting someone of korean descent who lived in another country, but like... that'd be looking for such a specific person, it might not even be worth it...

[@mothermoth39]

I was about to write a similar comment. I think it was the right choice given the circumstances.

[@Nellipusen]

My thoughts exactly

[@neo-cb9lc]

hi jamie! in response to your point re: the potential of casting outside of south korea for the role, i believe the fact that hyunju was ethnically korean is essential for the character (though they may have considered casting a different nationality such as a korean-american for example). i am an east asian trans person, though i am not korean. for a little cultural context, all south korean men must undergo a period of mandatory military enlistment by the age of 30. during this time, in hyun-ju's backstory, it is explained that she managed very well in this environment and even became highly ranked among peers pre-transition when seen in their eyes as a powerful, high status man. therefore when she begins to transition, this takes a dramatic shift for the worse. the cultural stigmas towards even cis men leaving or not undertaking military duties at all in very exceptional circumstances, even with those who have a valid medical reason to, are already enormous and can lead to their peers, family and society as a whole shunning and outcasting them. this type of backlash has been very common and public towards well known cis male celebrities who have been validly deemed medically exempt, for example the actor yoo ah-in, who failed 5 medical examinations. now imagine how badly this would affect a newly transitioning trans woman - the backlash of "how could you throw all that acclaim and status you had away just to become a woman?". this is why i believe this aspect of hyun-ju's storyline was done the way it was done, and how impactful it is to show how resilient she is despite facing all these hardships.

[@yoohsuke]

Such a good point!

[@alenapons8804]

A foreign trans character would not really have made sense... For her to be in Korea of all places where, as you say, there are no protections for trans people. Also, one of the big things about Hyun-ju is that she was in the special forces. The riot at the end works because in Korea every man has to do two years of military service that's why random players know how to use guns but obviously Hyun-ju is way above in her expertise. I see a world where they could have had a foreign trans character shoehorned in but she would have lost the military part. I really loved her character and I think it was really well done. Maybe it would have been better to cast a cis woman to play her and give her something to make "not pass" if that was important, but I feel it was over all really well done.

[@caitlinabbott7895]

7:23 "And discussed their anger over the trans character being allowed to use the woman's restroom." SMH, she's not allowed to go pee?

[@arthurmartinsgoncalves6468]

As a cis man, the phrases "real men" and "real women" really tick me off

[@alicebthegachaweirdo8378]

As a cis woman, same

[@izzywes9839]

Yes, thank you! I’m so sick of people saying “real men do this” or “you’re not a real man if you do this” it’s so closed minded and weird even when it’s said in the context of “this bad person isn’t a real man” because…yes, all of them are. If he’s a man then he’s a real man!

[@ThePkmnYPerson]

Comparing people to fictional characters should be the only time "real" is used to describe them.

[@arthurmartinsgoncalves6468]

@@ThePkmnYPerson i'm talking about the transphobes who call cis people "real men and women" and think trans people aren't real men and/or women

[@hyperswag506]

Me too. The same transphobic language is used to insult cis men and women who might not be perfectly matching their gender stereotype.

[@killedbyrabbits]

I agree that this feels like good representation, it felt like it was coming from a positive place and she is a real character, with motivations and a back story. I also appreciate the fact that they kept the character South Korean, and they didn't look outside for a trans woman actor, just because I feel like it will make a more impactful step forward for lgbtq+ rights in South Korea. It can't be looked at as "oh that's because outsiders/foreigners think differently but it's not our culture" This representation sort of reminds me of the trans woman fbi agent in Twin Peaks, she was played by a cis man, but it was the first representation in older media that I personally had come across, of a trans woman that was taken seriously and portrayed positively. Otherwise my experience was like the trans representation in Ace Ventura. Or it was not a representation of a trans woman, but a man pretending to be a woman and then a joke made out of it.

[@calliemyersbuchanan6458]

Ace pisses me the absolute FxxK off!!! Carry is a treasure and it's so funny but that ending scene literally ruins the entire film for me! I refuse to watch it. I just- I can't do it. It's abhorrent representation! and does so much damage! It's not the only example of the "liar revealed" and "all the men in the room throw up because it's gross" trope but it's a pretty solid one especially for millennials. I hate it so much i'm seething just typing about it! 🤬😤

[@argos_lucien]

I feel like the "Less people died" point has one big counter argument... The game isn't over. I mean, think about it, the last 3 characters in season 1 were part of the main cast. The losses are very similar, to be fair. The first game sees the loss of a character who initially seemed to be important - in s1, the guy that acted kinda like Thanos and in s2 is the girl Thanos (I think) flirts with. Like, it's weird because this was a whole season, but realistically we're like... Halfway through the game 😅

[@jesse-phoenixwatson6539]

Ik a lot of the controversy around Jo Hyeon-ju is because she was played by Park Sunghoon, a cis man, but finding a transwoman from Korea would've been really difficult and probably really unsafe for the actress because of how conservative Korea can be...I think Park Sunghoon handled the role of Jo Hyeon-ju with a lot of grace, he even said in an inrterview that he didn't want to play into stereotypes within media about trans women, and that he wanted to show her femininity but also her badassery because of her military background. The writing of her character was also done really well and I commend Hwang Donghyuck for his writing of Hyeon-ju. Would it have been nice to have a trans actress play the character, 100% but would it have been safe for her to do so, I don’t think so. (I am a trans guy btw)

[@Struudeli]

This character made my heart happy. I'm not trans myself, but all my closest friends are, and the worry about them is constant. We live in a country that is relatively good for trans people, but there is always hate and it has been horrifying to follow how things have changed to worse around the world. Positive representation is so important and I was so impressed how she was written and portrayed. It takes some serious empathy and depth to be able to look at people who are different and more vulnerable, and be able to act that out in a nuanced way that shows that group in a relatable, realistic way. This is true for lgbtq people and for example disabled people. Of course it would always be best to get an actor who has lived experience, but sometimes it isn't the first thing we should focus on. Especially considered how things are in Korea for any vulnerable minority, it's amazing that their stories are shown. And to include a minority that is being actively attacked right now takes dignity and I respect it. She was the favourite character of both me and my boyfriend, just because the character, the person, is amazing. She's smart, strong, kind, has a good heart and talent, but she isn't perfect; she's showing some normal human selfishness at times, makes mistakes and gets upset. She's a good person with flaws, and that's how any normal human being is. And trans people are regular, wonderful people.

[@SethWilcock-wk9nd]

Imma nerd out a bit here but the gun she teaches them how to use is not an assault rifle, it is an SMG (sub machine gun) which is a gun that, while looks like a rifle, fires smaller rounds typical for a pistol.

[@borealernadelwald]

I personally think it was the right choice to have Hyun-ju be South Korean, because it's such a big problem in SK that trans people are not accepted. If she was a foreigner it might've been interpreted as "those silly foreigners with their silly gender identities" and it wouldn't make as much of an impact in a society that desperately needs more inclusiveness. Obviously, it would've been better if she was played by a trans actor, but without having researched it myself, I already guessed that it was difficult to find a trans actor in SK. That being said. I loved Hyun-ju so much! I was always rooting for her and got incredibly nervous whenever she was in danger.

[@UltraPrimal]

I watched the show with the English dub, so I feel like I missed some things like Hyun-ju being referred to as an "older sister". But I will say that it was good of them to cast a nonbinary trans femme person, Nicky Endres, as the English dub voice actress for her

[@lesochiem]

When I first heard about there being a trans character in season two I was so excited. My mind was blown. I never expected that in a South Korean show I would get to see trans representation. No kidding I woke up in the middle of the night thinking „Squid Game is gonna have a trans character“. And then the new season came and I loved the characters. Even more than in season one (srry Ali, Ji-yeong). But Hyun-ju was a standout for me. She was so great and in the end where she steps up to teach these men how to shoot I was fangirling so much. She is a badass and the best thing is that none of these rebels question her leadership. There is no „But she is a woman“ or „But she’s trans“. They just follow her. My queen of season two. Sadly not my favorite character. That’s still Sae-byeok. My season one queen.

[@spooniejusticewarrior]

Was Sae-byeok the North Korean defector?

[@gummidon1618]

I kind of like how there’s more players alive this time around because it’s directly connected to gihun being back in the games again. Like he helped with the first game so already there’s so many people still alive who probably shouldn’t have been, but at the same time the other players don’t see it that way which is so incredibly interesting to me

[@RavenRotten]

i LOVE Hyun-ju, she’s badass as fuck but also so genuinely lovely!! Young-mi calling her “unnie” (“older sister” in Korean) made me tear up a lil ngl

[@Ester_Johana]

I’ve taken to yelling YUNG-MI whenever I see a door get closed on someone

[@Silentgrace11]

The moment you mentioned there being a contextual reason for casting a cis man for the role, I immediately assumed it was for safety reasons. Unfortunately marginalized groups, especially in gender minorities, have targets on their backs right now - that’s especially so in countries like South Korea where there aren’t many protections for trans people or other marginalized groups. I’m glad that they at least did their due diligence to consult actual people in the trans community to make sure that they could create as authentic a character as they could in that circumstance

[@anony_apis]

I think there is something to be said about not limiting trans people’s roles to explicitly trans characters. Actors act and don’t necessarily have to completely embody their character. The most important thing is in casting various actors for various roles we don’t take away roles for trans people

[@tyrongkojy]

Now now, he had no reason to believe the 001 designation was the infiltrator designation, nor a reason to think that was something they did all the time. Season 1 was the rich old guy who was already dying going for a last hurrah. There's no reason to think that's an every time thing.

[@gummidon1618]

Tbh I also think he is a little suspicious what with “how did you know my name” like I assume he thought something was up but he just had no idea what that could be

[@tyrongkojy]

@@gummidon1618 He had the excuse though, of the friend having said it. "Your friend called you that." I watched it dubbed while subbed, was the line different just subbed?

[@gummidon1618]

@@tyrongkojy no you’re right he did say that, but who’s to say gihun fully believed him, he could’ve not suspected anything too tho

[@LunaticLacewing]

I'm not into squidgame, but this is a video I've been waiting for

[@stickmanbooksyt]

i really love her! i haven't finished s2 but so far i really think she's portrayed very well, and the character development of those who were ignorant at first is also very compelling

[@Ramtamtama]

She didn't seem like a forced character and there wasn't any extra focus put on her for being trans. Her being trans was just mentioned and... everyone pretty much accepted the fact and moved on. That's the battle. Accept it and get on with life, don't make someone's whole personality them being trans. I've only started watching Jammi's stuff (fairly) recently and I wouldn't have stuck him down as trans if he didn't mention it in his intro. Also, I don't care. He makes good content.

[@km1dash6]

In the USA and Europe, some of the first steps towards LGBTQ+ acceptance was the casting of closeted actors first. However, you cannot really demand as an audience that they cast closeted actors for a role. Positive representation by (seemingly) straight cis actors seems like an important step on the journey to equality, as that creates a culture shift making it safer for people to come out.

[@jwaffles9269]

I think casting and writing her as a trans immigrant woman would have harmed the story. Obviously the ideal would be a trans Korean woman to play the role, but the fact that the reason she’s in the games is so she can get her surgeries and move away doesn’t really make sense if she’s an immigrant. If trans people are treated poorly in Korea, why would she immigrate to Korea in the first place? Her being Korean is pretty integral to her storyline, so I think the only option they had other than casting a cis man would be to find a trans woman outside of Korea with Korean heritage, and have her play a native Korean, but that’s also SUCH a specific category that casting a cis man was probably the only practical option

[@Charlie-ib2ef]

I understand why it’s important to give trans-actors the recognition they deserve (I think they should be able to play any role if they fit the role, just like a cis actor), but I think it’s wrong to say “only a real trans person can play a trans character” cause if that’s the case, every murderer in a tv show must be played by a murderer in real life cause “only a real murderer knows how it feels to kill someone” 😅 I really liked the actor they chose, because he did a really good job at impersonating a trans woman!

[@spooniejusticewarrior]

I think the reason for people saying trans actors should play trans characters is that trans actors struggle to get work to begin with, and if the trans roles are given to cis actors, that even less work for trans actors to get. Also, cis simply can't fully grasp the trans experience, so can't fully accurately portray a trans character without the context of being trans. I think people would be less adamant about trans characters needing to be played by trans actors if there was more equality in the industry for trans people. Like if more trans people were cast to play cis characters, i think the idea of a cis actor playing a trans character might be less controversial. It's a very nuanced issue, and personally, I woulf love to see more diversity in casting in general, including trans actors in cis roles and cis actors in trans roles.

[@nandresjaime2504]

I think the fact that the trans character had to be Korean is because those characters in season 1 and 2 are made to represent a certain issue that can happen to people in real life, they can be an immigrant, an ex-ceo, a North Korean who escaped, a failed criptobro, a desperate pregnant girl or a trans person, and of course people in real life can have 2 or more of these difficult situations (like a trans girl who is also an immigrant) but the point in the series is to make a character who represents one of them, give it a story in order to make people understand how life can be with those situations and that it happens to Korean people as much as in other countries

[@KeniQilin]

Big promotion in England for Squid Game S2 on Just Eat, it had an advert that said what I can only assume would be the usual 'Did somebody say Just Eat?' jingle but in Korean. They also had a Squid Game-themed competition where you could win up to £10,000 or get a set amount of money in food. Just Eat even have a Squid Game restaurant menu for Manchester people.

[@jcbshamrock]

I had a talk with my friend about it, he said that its good nobody liked the character and that she shouldnt have even been in the show since its disgusting and perverted to include them. Anyways i blocked him

[@UltraPrimal]

All things considered, I think it is good trans rep. But one thing that I kept wondering about is that the issue of HRT is never addressed. If she is on HRT, we don't see her taking it. And as a trans woman who has accidentally left her hormones at home and gone to the States(I'm Canadian) for multiple days, I can tell you that suddenly being off of them does not feel good.

[@sunny.rainbows]

I really like the character herself, as a transfem who doesn’t really have the avenues to transition as much as I’d like, and looks very masc. I love her personality, and how she is so multifaceted. But I wish they picked a more masc looking cis women if they couldn’t find any trans women to play her. That’s my only note. I love her actor, but I can’t get past the fact that he’s a cis man.

[@Speedoodleman]

I am NOT a transfem nor do I think I’m a woman or trans (atleast right now you never know 😭) so my opinion obviously doesn’t count as much when it comes to something like this but I feel like the character just being a masc cis woman would be more redundant than it being a cis man

[@Lisa-nm8ij]

But wasn't the character living as a male soldier and is pretty freshly out and needs the money for medical costs to transition. Makes sense to have an actor who went through male puberty. Idk how many trans women, who sadly had to go through male puberty, are there in Korea

[@sunny.rainbows]

⁠@Speedoodlemanig, but I don’t see it as redundant because it could reinforce the fact she’s a woman, if she had more masc facial features or music. I dunno, I just don’t like being seen as just a man in a wig, even if the text says one thing, the subtext of her being played by a cis man might not make the message clearer. Again, just my opinion. Idk

[@sunny.rainbows]

@@Lisa-nm8ijthat’s true. I just think they could’ve still had a cis woman who had more masc facial features or a deeper voice or something. Idk I like the actor, so I’m not suuuper upset, it’s just one of the things that kinda makes me feel… off?

[@Lisa-nm8ij]

@sunny.rainbows is there widely available hormon blocker/substitution in Korea? In Europe a person her age is likely to not look a lot like their assigned birth-gender. The older folks here had to go through the wrong hormones for decades and decades. A lot of them had to live the wrong gender nearly their whole life because of the society, that shows in their body. Doesn't mean these trans women are just "a man in a wig". I see fucking strong women, who dare to be themselves, even when they're not "passing" as cis women. Just my opinion

[@AlexTheUkRainbowGod]

I don't care if a gay guy plays straight guy and straight guy play a gay guy, same as trans and cis.

[@plagiarize]

I think the *character* is well written and well-acted and I credit everyone involved in that, but one thing I've heard raised that I thought was an excellent point, was to ask why they didn't cast a cis-woman instead of a cis man. Having a woman play a woman does seem like it might have brought with it less controversy. Loved the video all the same, but would also love to hear your thoughts on that point!

[@GreenWormJello]

The problem is, unless they found a very masculine looking Korean cis woman, I don’t think it would have had the same impact. Seeing a trans woman who is visibly not a cis woman trying to earn the money so she can medically transition and live somewhere where she feels she fits in is a huge motivation for this character. I think having a cis woman play her would completely downplay her struggle. As a trans man, being trans does at times means being at odds with the conditions of your sex assigned at birth.

[@jessicam3233]

Her character was needing money to continue transitioning, so I assume they wanted a male body for a more accurate portrayal of being in the middle of mtf process.

[@mirinestelle]

In Alice in borderline a Japanese series there is a cis woman playing a trans woman, I‘m not sure if it got a lot of backlash, but it’s obviously not as popular. I do quite like kuina though she is my fave character in the show!

[@plagiarize]

@GreenWormJello those of us who have had surgery didn't all get surgery so that we look more like our true gender to other people. If my only option to pay for my bottom surgery was squid game, I'd have done it but not so I could meet other people's standards of what they think I should look like. Casting a cis woman could have challenged the idea that we all transition to 'fit in'.

[@narudayo5053]

@@mirinestelle Its different because she is fully transition In Squid Game she is PRE transition not in the middle of it, which is why she needs money. Also keep in mind this is set in SKorea, where being trans can be seen as a death sentence. Now if a woman actress play that role its could impact her career in a very bad way like its already happened in the past. Japan is more open to trans and gnc characters in fiction, this is not the case for SKorea. Most Lgbtq media are 90% homemade

[@itstheuprising]

It's lovely to hear your opinion on this I think this was a very nuanced take! It's worth mentioning RE: casting a non-Korean trans woman for Hyun-Ju, Korean society by and large (not so much the younger generation but much the older ones) posses this engrained belief that queerness is something that 'foreigners' do; foreigners are gay, foreigners are trans, and that's just fine, but it's not something *Koreans* are or do. I think in light of that having her be a foreign actress would have completely undermined her character. Also if she were a foreigner in Korea, not a migrant worker like Ali and living in the very expensive area of Seoul, she would have had a fair amount of financial resources to be able to get there in the first place and presumably therefore the resources to leave. She wouldn't have been trapped by circumstance, but rather willingly have moved to a conservative country and stayed there by choice. I don't think that would have justified Hyun-Ju's desperation or done her story much justice.

[@mauhu]

season 2 was like half a season, so judging it as a full one is difficult, since it's not complete. I liked the focus on other aspects than the game, because it's showed more of the humanity in many of the contestants and not just a select few, and the series ends so abruptly with the intention to put yourself in the mind of sueong gi-hun. You can't look further to see the future play out, and it feels like there is no hope left. While he might not have said much in this season, you still view the games through the mind of sueong gi-hun.

[@lorddelibird]

I actually really loved how they handled the games in season 2. There was more focus on the voting part of it and the psychology of why people would want to stay in the games. As someone in the US it felt incredibly relevant to our recent election and our political climate here (which is surprising given it’s Korean). It’s a new take that’s similar to season 1 but it’s also an important foil to gi-hun’s goal of ending the games no matter what. We already saw the games and the psychological impact they can have and I think it would’ve been boring if they’d just done “v2”. Honestly I wasn’t expecting to but I’ve really come away preferring this season to the first and love what it has done for a show that I really didn’t think had any business having a second season at all.

[@croco-S2]

맞습니다...투표를 통해 현재 민주주의에 대한 사람들의 생각이 얼마나 쉽게 분열될수 있는지를 보여줘서 공감이 갔습니다...댓글 잘 읽었습니다^^

[@Imflippingout]

even though it's frustrating that they cast a cis man to play the mtf character I'm still very greatful for their realistic and badass portrayal of the character and the fact that they had a trans fem character in a show from a still very traditional and sexist country as well as the fact that they were able to address this with her. Even though it's not a perfect portrayal it's important to note that they did amazing with what they got right

[@luca_diaz]

Before you read this, I finished watching the video and Jamie basically just says what I’m saying, although I think he should have put that earlier as a lot of people would hear him talk about it being an issue that the actor is cis and click off before getting to the end Jamie I love you but Samatha Lux explains this beautifully. They could NOT have cast trans actor as it WAS very hard to find one. Partly because they’re very rare to find, outwardly trans actors are a miracle to find in Korea. Plus Squid Game being such a big show would possibly put the actor at risk. It is fully to protect their safety. Sunghoon did a great job and he’s so sweet (and pretty) The only trans actor playing a trans role I can think of is Elle from Heartstopper and Viktor from Umbrella Academy although he’s only trans because Elliot came out as trans so they catered towards him rather than him catering towards the character. Which is great but not really the same thing as Elle and Hyunju😭 Also, I am trans 😭

[@snap.-_-]

911 lone star has a trans character played by a trans man. Imo, it's really well done. It doesn't tiptoe around the fact that he's trans but it also isn't the primary focus

[@The-Nexus-of-Creation]

YOU’RE TRANS??? Transition goals😭

[@TransneedelectricShocktreatmen]

She's ill

[@Xylawn]

i see you're new here

[@gideonberry4520]

Thanks for talking about this. I hadn’t heard there was a trans character in s2 yet, but my parents are watching it and the heads up before I get the inevitable call about it is appreciated 😂😅

[@shr00mski]

If this was in the US, I’d be upset. For Korean LGBTQA+ visibility it’s a HUGE step forward and I’m happy they’re showing a trans character, even if played by a cus man. Plus, he did a great job and was respectful and brave, taking a step in the right direction for visibility of trans characters in such a huge way.

[@Eleon_Alosty]

To me as a trans woman I personally loved her character and how it was handled. I think it's a bit weird to immediately want to criticize a show for not having a trans actor on hand to play a trans character when it's well known that Korea does not have a very LGBTQ+ friendly culture. I feel like a lot of our community or those who think they need to step in a defend us are too quick to judge and would rather hate on something first before getting the full context of a situation. Would it have been better for a trans character to play a trans person? Always. But this was handled as best as it could have been and the character felt authentic and real. We need more characters designed this way to bring out more representation and show that we are just humans like everyone else and that those demonizing us are the true demons we should be pushing out of their places of power.

[@AylaHayden]

I loved seeing her character, and I loved seeing how the other contestants responded to her over the season. Most of the characters wind up not just accepting, but respecting her as a woman and as a capable person, as when she's showing the others how to fight. I loved her growth and the growth of the other characters around her 💖

[@maithriswamy6054]

The voice artist who dubbed Hyun-Ju’s character in Hindi is a trans singer and actor. They were also a contestant on Queen of the Universe as Rani Ko-he-nur and used the earnings from this job to pay for their friend’s medical education, who is also a trans woman.

[@Leena79]

I love her character, and I really hope she survives the game. The first season was amazing, but I did quite enjoy season 2, I just don't like cliffhangers. I think of this character as a definite step forward, in Korean film industry. I know a lot of the critisism has been from Western audiences, but I still think Squid Game is a Korean show for Korean audiences, first, and then for international audiences. That is why, I'm ok with a cis man playing the role. I found out on wikipedia that a trans woman had unalived herself after being discharged from Korean military service for being trans in 2021. I like to think that true story had something to do with Huyn-Ju being a part of season 2. The Korean culture is apparently quite traditional and judgemental, and seeing a strong, wise and amazing trans woman kick ass in Squid Game hopefully sparks up positive discussion of trans rights in South Korea. Huyn-Ju's backstory and character arc seems to be specifically written to show the audience that trans people are just people like anyone else, with skills and flaws unaffected by their gender.

[@KreaterK]

Edit: This was before I watched the video 😅 I wouldn't be surprised if they had trouble finding a willing trans actress in South Korea. Especially since, based on the writting, they're not supposed to "pass", since in the show the older mom character pointed them out at first. It's also revealed later that it's early in their transition when they talk about wanting to use the money to move and get "the operation" or whatever words they used, I don't remember. They also discuss how their life was destroyed and they were outcast, and while that's definitely a real problem in any part of the world, I would presume, based on my limited cultural knowledge, it's probably worse and more common there. But anyway, yeah, I think it was probably very unlikely for the production team to find a South Korean trans actress who meets their criteria and is willing to take on that roll on-screen. Of course, I do hope they at least tried. At least that's what I remember, it's been over a week. I should probably get around to episode 7 tonight. 😅

[@erinnadia0409]

She's one of my favourite characters! I love how she's her own person and her whole personality trait is not about her being trans, I feel like that's how you do representation. She's a badass but she's also flawed, she was someone who really made season 2 great for me

[@Duxvyrixukis]

It's so nice that they are trying even tough 85 percent of people hate us😂

[@nether2227]

I think the casting was amazing for every single character always on this show. It may not be great because its a cis-man playing a trans woman but I personally would rather a cis-man play a trans woman then a cis-woman weirdly I dont know what it is but it feels that actor did almost transition in a way for that role and it had so much heart, and she wasnt written in any stereotypes or anything like that and it felt amazing to see. And trans people in Korea is still something they hide a lot more then we do still, just having it included is fantastic. Also Jamie you say Gi-Hun like Gee-Hun the G is hard like in Giraffe, set off my autism um actually alarms on that one.

[@R41NNYTVXD]

i loved hyun-ju so much, she reminded me of kuina from alice in borderland! (idk if she was played by a cis actress too, but she probably was)

[@draig2614]

I haven’t seen any episodes of Squid Game, and don’t worry - your series intro didn’t give anything away, and I still have no idea what it’s all about and what happens in it 😂 (I’m picturing it as a Hunger Games adaptation.)

[@6jeewon]

I believe the character of Hyun-ju had to casted Korean to make her backstory being a former 특전사 중사 (special forces sergeant) more plausible. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I learned a few things from this video that I wasn't really aware of before.

[@alicebthegachaweirdo8378]

I don’t even watch the series, but I don’t mind the spoilers

[@niki7411]

East asia interestingly enough used to make more progress with trans representation than gay characters from what I've noticed. At least when it comes to bigger projects or genres that don't have to do with lgbt. I remember watching quite a few south korean movies with a trans character. I really loved one about space with a trans woman robot. And japan has some trans video game characters. But in recent years there have also appeared more dramas and anime surrounding same sex couples. Glad to see how far we have come :D

[@nicejewishenby]

*TW* I remember hearing about a trans woman in South Korea who was in the military but was fired after coming out, and she sadly died by suicide. I think it was important to portray the character the way they did in honor of her, and also to rewrite what a lot of Koreans picture when they think of a trans woman.

[@KreaterK]

2:50 Yeah, I'm not a fan of the voting happening after every game now, that's the thing that really pushes it for me. In the first season, it made more sense. After only the first game, people would be more willing to take that risk. Although I am privileged and lucky enough not to have been at that level of desperation in my life, I could be wrong. I suppose it's a nothing-to-lose sort of thing, but for some of the people who choose to keep going, I just find it harder to believe each time.

[@aceluke3098]

Bad trans rep by a trans actor is Emilia Perez, definitely look into that for the future. Absolutely not her fault as this was entirely on the director/writer

[@gabsgarcia1024]

I also love the trans characther on Alice in Borderlands. It's a cis actress acting as a trans woman, but the way it's done is awesome

[@crisperstorm]

The trans rep was really my only concern about the writing going into the season and it was such a pleasant surprise that they handled her so well

[@emmalane3528]

My opinion as a trans women is that although I really liked Hyun-ju as a character, I cannot ignore the problems that are her casting and how she is portrayed, It's not terrible but it's very cliché and mainly focused on suffering. As Lilie Simpson said in a video, you can find trans actors at many stage of transition, you just need to say it in the casting call and not rely on casting Cis people.

[@Purfunxion]

I had my doubts but for how it was done, he did the role really well and she quickly became my favourite character, especially near the end of season 2 (Trying to avoid story spoiler) It's not ideal, but given the current climate in Korea in regards to LGBTQ acceptance, it's understandable that trans women might not wanna put themselves in the spotlight and a target on their back. My only hope is as the director put it. Maybe Hyun-ju's inclusion can be the first foot in the door towards even further acceptance and openess in SK public and media, paving the way for queer actors to play queer roles in the future. I feel like it's easy to look at this with a western lense, but I think we need to imagine the current state in SK as more 90s ish. We just have to start somwhere and build up from there.

[@fern_is_happy5359]

And I'm glad she wasn't killed off quickly and I'm rooting for her till the end.

[@tobi-xo8mb]

i personally really enjoyed her character and i'm looking forward to season 3! and i think it's important to acknowledge that being openly LGBTQ+ person in south korea is still very hard and situation of queer people there is not the best. korean idols and actors don't come out usually, because that would negatively impact their careers. i think that in this case they did what was the best option and the safest. it is a big thing to have a trans character like this in kdrama so we can only hope that it will open more doors and opportunities for trans characters in the future!

[@EmpireGamingWynter]

I've seen a lot of people who aren't educated on trans people, who don't talk about us much posting pictures of her calling her a "queen" and a "diva" with the comments not featuring that much transphobia, so as representation I'd say it passes the mark. Also the casting of Anupam Tripathi wasn't from outside of Korea, he lives in South Korea and all of his career work has been in Korean productions.

[@TheDoomSlayerButPettingaCat]

I think her as a character even being in squid game is a positive for the community, she's also just a good character.

[@FriendOfMara]

I genuinely think Hyan-ju is one of the best examples of trans representation that I have seen. Maybe the best. Not only are a lot of topics around transphobia discussed and a trans character is portrayed as heroic, but she, somehow, is my transphobic dad's favorite character. My dad isn't the worst, but he is the kind to be kind of a jerk about trans people in private (not in public). We had a discussion after watching the season when I was home for the holidays where he told me he never thought he would like a trans character, but that he genuinely loves her. I think maybe he connected to the fact that she is a vet?? But he uses the right pronouns and everything, its crazy.

[@MisterMistea]

There's a character in Japanese series Alice In Borderland which shares a lot in common with Squid Game that has a trans woman as a main character. She's a pretty cool character too, her name is Kuina. Unfortunately, though, I believe she was played by a cis woman

[@thelouisemonarchy5551]

I do agree with you that overall it was a step forward, because Hyun-ju is such a great character. She's my favorite this season, her story is realistic, she makes friends that respect her, the actor is good and seems to be respectful about it, the creator clearly had his heart in the right place and truly wanted to show how trans people are treated unfairly but they're just people like any other. But casting a man was still bad, I get why they did it, still not great. But what it's done is done, we can't change it now, we can only hope this will bring more, better and more authentic representation.

[@otherrtrouble]

I really enjoyed the character and I do agree that it's a step in the right direction! personally my initial reaction was a bit of disapointment in the casting just because even if they couldn't get an actual trans woman to play the role (for the exact reasons you mentioned in the video, which understandable) I kinda felt like they should've gotten a cis woman instead of a cis man to play it. Yes, I'm aware she wasn't "finished" with her medical transition and it's precisely to complete it and begin a new life that she needed the money but it would've still worked (not hating just my opinion as someone whos trans and isn't able to pass for cis but knows trans people who are - even without a "complete" medical transition) and it could've also done a lot to subvert a huge miscomception that a lot of people unfortenately have of "always being able to tell" but like I said I do fully agree that it was a step in the right direction and the actor was awesome!

[@littlepirat1]

I love Hyun-ju as a character - she was so cute but also so cool and strong. When Young-mi called her unnie I got teary because imagine how gender affirming that must've been for her

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

It's wild that the show with a cis man is more appreciated and respectful than the movie (Emilia Perez) with a trans actress.

[@3amPizzaRolls]

Hey can you review Daed End: Paranormal Park? its rly good imo and it has trans and non-straight characters so its relevant to your channel

[@Goatz.12]

😢but we’re not squids.. w-we’re spuds…😭😭

[@perryekimae]

I really enjoyed her character, but I was curious how the character would feel for trans viewers. I'm glad to have heard from several trans viewers that the character is seen as positive representation. Good LGBTQ representation in East Asian media is unfortunately rare, and she was my favorite part of what was a pretty uneven season of the show.

[@zelpazz]

I love her so much, the actor did an AMAZING job and I love how one of the best trans representation ever gets to be on such a huge show that's part of pop culture and everything - this is a huge step and I'm so happy!! So amazing like best character damn I love her so much so badass literally

[@potatoqueen5248]

Let me make it abundantly clear that I do not actually think this is the case; however, I think it would be funny if Park Sung-hoon was actually a closeted trans woman playing this role. Some like, cosmic irony, yknow? Most likely not true but it's fun to imagine.

[@fern_is_happy5359]

I have been waiting for a trans persons recation to this

[@mintygrey]

You just made me realise something! Anyone else remember when a cis woman (Rebecca Romijn) played a trans woman in Ugly Betty?! Surely (historically) it always would have been better to have cis women play trans women. Obviously not any more. But yeah, just a weird memory!

[@florenceryu8648]

Korean here, the actor is being heavily criticized for... posting about a squid game parody porn on his insta story... FYI... For anyone trying to get into the actor himself...

[@carloscordero6695]

I don't think the issue is casting. It is on the writting and character development and making sure you are getting an authentic story being told. As far as the actor, just because you are trans, does not necesarily mean you have the skillset to show a trans character's story. You may think you do, but acting is a craft. Embodying a character and displaying genuine emotions and telling a story through using your body is not easy, and there are many cis actors who possess a great deal of skill to portray a vast range of characters.

[@moon_soap]

Considdering Squid game is such a hugely popular show, the importance of showing a good representation of a trans character and the coming to aceptance of an older person is incredibly important, and hopefully helps the wider audience who may not have had much to any exposure to trans people have a wider range of viewpoints to base their opinions on, instead of just right wing media for example

[@torqueoz3449]

I loved her for representation, I doubly loved her cos she's so badass, kind and funny. Quickly became my favourite character

[@mintygrey]

Oh god, Jamie, those numbers could have easily been 52 and 48, and just made us British people cry some more (yes, it's been 8 years, sue me, I'm still sad).

[@LovisaAhlen]

I watch your videos almost evry Day i love how fun and lightheard most of the time they are and I love how inklusive they are you the best jamie❤

[@intelfox51]

I love her character when i frist saw the show had a trans character i was worried how they would show her but overall i really like her character shameful peeps keep misgeander when i see peeps talk about her

[@wesleyewert1023]

honestly it's quite the move by the people running the games to have their insider always be player 1

[@whatashameofthat]

your beard made a bow tie on your chin, looks cute

[@ronttu6001]

I had watched to the last episode earlier today and I was like Oh hey a new video from Jammie.. Jamie? You the maker of the video. And I got to the part about talking about All of season 2 and I was like NOPE and went to finish the episode and now Im back, 45min after release of the video

[@S-cape-goat]

His beard looks like a bowtie and now need to se a drawing of jammie as a cat with a bowtie. 🤩🤩

[@user-k._.t.r]

very curious to know what this will be about bc theres alot of criticisms about the trans character and who they chose to cast but ppl dont think about why it was casted that way😥

[@enderrosemultiverse1262]

Season 2 was hype idc I enjoy how much we learn about this story and world

[@Pokiandi]

I was waiting for thissss

[@thewrathofdumbledore4867]

I have mixed feelings, but ultimately? I feel this was a better outcome. actors are now safe, we get representation. and might I add, it does feel like the character and some of the interactions were indeed written by a trans woman

[@lemonadewithstrawberries]

having not seen either season, I'm mostly lost but I'm sat

[@zusuky03]

Now u you need to talk about Emilia Perez !!!