Death's Game

Death's Game (Korean: 이재, 곧 죽습니다) is a South Korean fantasy anthology series that aired from December 2023 to January 2024. Written and directed by Ha Byung-hoon, it adapts a webtoon by Lee Won-sik and Ggulchan. The story centers on Choi Yee-jae (Seo In-guk), a man who takes his own life after losing all hope. Death (Park So-dam), offended by his suicide note and his view of death as an escape, punishes him by forcing him through 12 cycles of reincarnation and death. If Yee-jae survives the imminent death of any host, he may continue living that life. The series streamed on TVING and is available on Amazon Prime Video in selected regions outside South Korea and China. The show received generally positive reviews, with critics highlighting its high production values and philosophical depth, though some noted a reliance on spectacle and a simplified treatment of mental health. It earned nominations for Best OTT Original and Visual Effects at the 2024 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards, and *Time* magazine ranked it ninth among the best K-dramas of 2024. The plot follows Yee-jae, who after seven years of joblessness, a fraudulent investment, and eviction, attempts suicide. Death condemns him to a game: reincarnate and die 12 times before facing hell. Surviving any incarnation lets him keep that life. Through the cycles, he confronts the power of death, the diversity of human fates, and the value of life. The main cast includes Seo In-guk as Yee-jae and Park So-dam as Death. Supporting actors portray Yee-jae’s reincarnations: Choi Si-won as a conglomerate heir, Sung Hoon as an extreme athlete, Kim Kang-hoon as a bullied student, Jang Seung-jo as a fixer, Lee Jae-wook as a mixed martial arts fighter, Lee Do-hyun as a model, Kim Jae-wook as a serial killer, Oh Jung-se as a detective, and Kim Won-hae as a homeless man. Other roles include Kim Ji-hoon as a serial killer and CEO, Go Youn-jung as Yee-jae’s novelist girlfriend, Yoo In-soo as a bully, Kim Mi-kyung as Yee-jae’s mother (also his final reincarnation), and several detectives, family members, and background characters. The series was developed under the working title *I'm Going to Die Soon*. Ha Byung-hoon, known for *Go Back* and *18 Again*, wrote and directed it. Production was co-managed by SLL, Studio N, and Saram Entertainment. Originally planned as a JTBC drama, it aired via TVING.