As the foreign press continues to respond enthusiastically to ‘Squid Game Season 2‘, rave reviews are pouring in for actor Lee Jung-jae‘s explosive acting.

Ayush Sharma, a news writer and film critic for The Daily List, said, “’Squid Game‘ Season 2 succeeds in raising the level of danger while delving deeper into human psychology. It has a plot that seamlessly connects thrilling action sequences and psychological games. Lee Jung-jae is great. He’s gotten bigger and better.“

Ashley, a writer for Wishnet and What on Netflix, also said, “’Squid Game‘ Season 2 is the splendid return of Netflix‘s most popular drama. The new cast is great, and Lee Jung-jae delivers another great performance. There are many amazing action sequences. It was worth the wait. Expectations are high, saying, “Look forward to it.”

Here, MPA-certified entertainment journalist Rama said, “Season 2 of ‘Squid Game‘ is even crazier than its predecessor. Even the ’Deer Hunter‘ moment makes you feel uneasy, as if you’re sitting on a bed of thorns. Season 2 is full of action based on retaliation. Lee Jung-jae delivers an intense performance,” and did not spare praise for Lee Jung-jae’s acting.

Ahead of its release on the 26th, the consistent favorable reviews from domestic and foreign media outlets that were exposed to the series before the general public are doubling the anticipation for this season.

Season 1 previously achieved syndrome-like popularity close to a social phenomenon and was recorded as the work that brought in the highest revenue in Netflix history. Therefore, it is true that some were concerned about Season 2, which was not originally planned by the production team, being released after 3 years.

However, as the critics’ surprising response continues, the concerns are turning into expectations. In particular, Lee Jung-jae, who led the play last season, is at the center of acclaim with his unique acting skills that firmly hold the center of the play even in a more complex character structure than the previous season and strongly convey the message that Season 2 is aiming for.

As if to prove this acclaim, ’Squid Game Season 2’ has already achieved the feat of being nominated for Best TV Drama at the Golden Gloss Awards to be held on the 5th of next month before its release. In 2022, Lee Jung-jae won the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Season 1 and was also nominated for a Golden Globe.

Although he was only nominated for the Best Picture category at this year‘s Golden Globes, attention is focused on whether Lee Jung-jae will continue his glory at overseas award ceremonies with the Best Picture award.

Recently, Artist Company, which Lee Jung-jae is affiliated with, is about to merge with Artist United, which has production and distribution capabilities, and is on the verge of diversifying its entertainment business in earnest. Since Lee Jung-jae swept the Best New Director awards at major film festivals with the movie ‘The Hunt’, his moves are expected to be a breath of fresh air for the domestic production market, which has been in a slump due to a recent decrease in the number of works.

‘Squid Game Season 2‘ will be released on Netflix on the 26th.

Jo Sung-woon, Donga.com reporter madduxly@donga.com