Watch Squid Game on Netflix? Change this caption setting immediately

Safe to say a lot of people are watching Squid game. South Korean dark survival drama is Netflix’s most successful non-English language show. According to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, the horror featuring deadly children’s games is poised to overtake Bridgerton as Netflix’s biggest show.

Here is the bite. Some viewers noticed significant differences in the translations from Korean to English. Depending on your Netflix settings, your English subtitles might lose something in translation, to the point of being downright “bad” and changing the meaning of the show, according to one viewer.

So what settings should you use? Let’s dive into all of this below.

Change this caption setting

In a nutshell, if you want “substantially better” English subtitles, use the “English” setting.

The other English language option is “English [CC], “which many have pointed out does not provide a nuanced translation.

What is the difference?

English subtitles with subtitles are intended specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing. “Subtitles not only display the words as the textual equivalent of spoken dialogue or narration, but they also include speaker ID, sound effects, and music description,” according to the National Association of the Deaf.

Basically the difference between English and English [CC] is that the closed caption setting provides descriptions of sounds, such as gasps, and prompts indicating who is speaking. They’re often generated automatically, and in the case of Squid Game according to one viewer, are more like English dubbing than English subtitles.

Lost in the translation: “the purpose of the character”

Squid Game centers on a competition where 456 desperate players from different social classes compete for a life-changing prize of 45.6 billion won.

A viral Twitter thread explained how the translation of the captions went so far as to change the meaning of the show. Youngmi Mayer, who co-hosts the Feeling Asian podcast, wrote last week, “so as not to sound snobby but I’m fluent in Korean and watched a squid game with English subtitles and if you don’t understand korean you didn’t really watch the same show. The translation was so bad. The dialogue was so well written and none of it was preserved. “

not to sound snobbish but I’m fluent in Korean and watched a squid game with English subtitles and if you don’t understand Korean you haven’t really watched the same show. the translation was so bad. the dialogue was so well written and none of it was kept

– youngmi mayer (@ymmayer) September 30, 2021

Mayer presented a scene breakdown on TikTok to illustrate some of the lost meanings.

In one scene, the character Han Mi-nyeo, a woman who claims to be a poor single mother, tries to get people to play with her. The subtitle translation says, “I’m no genius, but I still got it to work. Huh?”

Mayer says the correct translation is, “I’m very smart. I just never had the chance to study.”

Mayer added, “That’s a huge trope in Korean media. The poor smart, smart person who just isn’t rich. That’s a big part of her character. And almost everything she says. is shoddy, in terms of translation… The writers, all they want you to know about it is that… [It] seems so small, but that’s the whole character’s purpose of being on the show. “

“Very different”

In response, a Twitter user provided Netflix’s English subtitles, which are different from closed captions.

“You need to change your Netflix settings to English, not English CC. Here is a screenshot of this scene in English. (The screen is black because they don’t allow captures but the subtitle passes)”, a writes @ADeVonJohnson.

You need to change your Netflix settings to ENGLISH and not ENGLISH CC. Here is a screenshot of this scene in ENGLISH. (The screen is black because they do not allow entries but the subtitle passes) pic.twitter.com/mKi3XuraMq

– WeLosingRecipes (@ADeVonJohnson) October 1, 2021

Another Twitter user found the translation of the subtitles to match the English dubbing.

“I found you have different subtitles depending on whether you choose English or English Closed Caption (the latter corresponding to the dubbed dialogue and the former being very different),” wrote @MrTimCat.

I found that you had different subtitles depending on whether you chose English or English Closed Caption (the latter corresponding to the dubbed dialogue and the former being very different).

– Tim (@MrTimCat) October 4, 2021

Mayer has since clarified that English subtitles are “substantially better” than closed captions.

Although, Mayer added, “the shortcomings in metaphors – and what the writers were actually trying to say – are still quite present.”

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.