“Pyramid Game” writer “It’s not a work that advocates violence, I was surprised and saddened”

Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, TVING’s original series “Pyramid Game” (written by Choi Soo-i, directed by Park So-yeon) achieved success during its release period, topping the weekly paid subscription rankings on TVING and receiving praise from international media outlets like the BBC. The series successfully concluded last month.

“Pyramid Game” tells the story of an all-girls high school where popularity polls are used to rank students in class, and the differential treatment leads to school violence.

After the conclusion of “Pyramid Game”, writer Choi Soo-i met Xsportsnews and candidly shared her thoughts.

Q: Your thoughts on successfully completing the work.

I had finished the script long before filming began. There was a sense of relief at the time, but now that I see what has been broadcast, I feel somewhat regretful and bittersweet. When I first finished it, I felt liberated, but now looking back, I see areas for improvement.

Q: Despite being rated as not suitable for minors, the phenomenon of bullying under the guise of playing the “Pyramid Game” has spread among some young students. How did you feel about this phenomenon as a creator, and what thoughts did you have about it?

Since it’s not a drama that advocates violence, I was surprised and saddened. Personally, I had a question of “how do they know this?”. Anyway, the story we wanted to tell was “Please don’t use violence. Even bystandership can be a sin”.

Q: What does this work mean to you?

Since it received a much better response than I had expected, maybe it will be a work that I will reflect on in many aspects in the future. It made me think about the parts I need to be more careful about. “Pyramid Game” will be the benchmark for areas where I could have been more daring.