The popular meme that compares Seong Gi-Hun, protagonist of “Squid Game”, in two key moments of the series has transcended its origin to become a prominent trend within the otaku community. What began as an official Netflix release in October 2024, showing the character smiling in the first season and with a serious expression in the second, has evolved into a creative template that artists have adopted to redraw anime characters.
In early 2025, this template gained great popularity among anime fans and artists, who began to reinterpret the meme using characters from iconic series. For example, A Twitter user shared a redraw of Utena Hiiragi, also known as Magia Baiser, from the manga “Gushing Over Magical Girls”recreating the duality of expressions with a personal touch.
The combination of humor and visual creativity has turned this meme into a phenomenon within the otaku community, where it is used to highlight emotional or narrative contrasts in characters from various series. From iconic heroes to memorable villains, fans have found this template a fun and expressive way to pay homage to their favorite stories.
This trend highlights how memes transcend cultural and gender boundaries, adapting to different audiences and contexts. With its expansion into anime culture, the “Squid Game” meme reaffirms its place as a global phenomenon that continues to inspire creativity in multiple communities.
Fountain: Twitter
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