Squid Game fans are furious at South Korea for censoring Thanos in Season 2

Since the release of Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game Season 2, the survival thriller series has become a hot topic of discussion among fans.

From the heartbreaking reason behind not casting a transgender in Choi Hyun-ju's role to the controversies related to the actor and other cast members, the series continues to remain on top.

This time, it's about T.O.P. aka Choi Seung-hyun, a former BIGBANG member, who took on the role of Thanos (Player 230) in Squid Game Season 2. He's among the standout characters who are desperate to win and pressurizes players to vote for "O" so that the competition doesn't end until the final round.

However, his casting stirred up controversy due to his past, especially a scandal involving marijuana use, which is illegal in South Korea.

Due to this, the former rapper's face was obscured in MBC’s Live This Morning broadcast about Squid Game Season 2. This decision to blur T.O.P.’s face has sparked a strong backlash from fans and netizens online, notable on X (formerly Twitter).

User @leabee wrote:

"And the fact they did not blur or cut any scene showing the other actors who have committed a crime WAY WORSE THAN JUST TAKING DRUG 😑"

Another post on X reads:

"Squid Games 2 is full of criminals with crazy criminal records but MBC and Korean draw the line on smoking weed ages ago. Talk about stupidity and ignorance. At this level they just hating top for the sake of hating, pity people."

Not only this, but fans have also called out other popular artists whose faces have never been blurred but the Squid Game actor. User @29_paulinas wrote:

"Why didn't they blur Snoop Dogg when he recorded a song and music video with PSY? Why didn't they blur Wiz Khalifa at MAMA 2016? I swear, the Korean media wants to destroy TOP, and it's not even funny anymore. The guy is struggling with serious issues, and they still harass him."

T.O.P.'s fans have been frustrated with this decision and even wisg to complain about it. A user posted:

Unlike Gi-hun in Squid Game, Thanos wants the game to only end after the last round so that he can win the game. He's seen dancing during the deadly Mingle game, talking frankly with people, and highlighting his distinctive style which has made him an incredibly popular character.

While MBS blurred his face, the actor has fans worldwide who liked his performance in Squid Game Season 2. Another fan shared:

User @Rai17181516 wrote:

"SK needs a life!!! Everyone else in the world enjoyed seeing him act again but South Koreans and idk. I wish they would treat REAL criminals like that."

After exploring the backlash, non-Korean fans would wonder if there are specific legal rules requiring the blurring of faces of celebrities with criminal backgrounds. The answer is no. However, networks like KBS, MBC, and SBS adhere to their internal policies involving controversial figures.

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What did the Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk say about T.O.P.'s casting

Now that T.O.P.'s casting has generated controversy and discussions among the fans, many might wonder about the creator's vision and how he addressed the situation. Hwang Dong-hyuk sat in an interview with People Magazine, and didn't shy away from addressing the scandal and the former rapper's comeback:

"As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn't able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea."

Dong-hyuk explains this as T.O.P.'s comeback after almost nine years. Interestingly, Thanos is also a rapper in Squid Game Season 2 and can be seen taking drugs to avoid anxiety during the game. Hwang Dong-hyuk:

"I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role."

T.O.P. aka Choi Seung-hyun received a 10-month jail sentence and a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service due to drug use. Additionally, the former rapper overdosed on prescription tranquilizers and was later found unconscious.

He was hospitalized, and the drug use took a toll on both: his physical and mental health. The scandal also ended T.O.P.'s career in the Korean entertainment industry, but now with Squid Game Season 2, he has made an impressive comeback.

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Also Read: What is Park Sung-hoon's Squid Game controversy? Explained in depth

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