Chinese TV show accused of copying Squid Game changes name and artwork

A Chinese video app has changed the name and artwork of a new game show originally called Squid Victory after being slammed online for copying Netflix’s hit show Squid Game.

Youku, a leading video platform in China, came under fire soon after it announced the new show on Wednesday (Oct 20) with a poster that closely resembled elements of the popular South Korean survival drama.

Not only did it have a similar name in a similar font, the same pink circle, square and triangular symbols that appeared in Squid Game also appeared in Youku’s poster.

The controversy has been a trending topic on Weibo since Wednesday, with many users calling it “blatant plagiarism” and “shameful”.

The company’s explanation also backfired, triggering a new round of criticism that it was a poor excuse.

“On the one hand we complain about Koreans stealing our culture, and on the other hand, we copy their work when they produce something popular,” one Weibo user commented.

The show itself, whose name the company changed to Game Victory later the same day, will have some of the elements made famous in Squid Game, according to its official introduction.

The company said China’s first “game and social networking show” will feature “children’s game” and “plot development” and would be a “challenge” of both intelligence and physical strength.

The show was among a long list of programmes Youku planned to release next year announced at an event to attract investment by the company in Shanghai on Wednesday, but was immediately called out for the striking resemblance to the K-drama which has become Netflix’s most-watched original series to date.

Amid fierce criticism that it was plagiarising and piggybacking on Squid Game’s popularity, Youku responded in a post on Weibo later the same day that it was a “technical mistake”.

“We made an error. We mistakenly used the initial design that had already been killed previously. We’re sincerely sorry for the misunderstanding caused,” it said.

Included in the post was a plainly designed new poster with the new name, the pink symbols removed and the font changed.

“In future, we will improve our work procedure and spend more effort presenting good productions,” the post read.

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This article was first published in South China Morning Post.