Photos from the set of the Squid Game show the cast having a good time

New behind-the-scenes photos from Netflix’s latest smash series, Squid Game, show the cast smiling and having a good time, in stark contrast to their character counterparts.

Squid Game premiered last month and became an instant worldwide hit, smashing Bridgerton’s viewership record to become Netflix’s most popular original series of all time.

The series has created innumerable pop culture references and even inspired real-world Squid Game-style survival tournaments since its introduction (without the killing, of course).

Smiles from the set of squid game

The show is known for its dramatic and gruesome deaths, which have claimed the lives of many of the key characters. Most, if not all, of the game’s participants, are needy, which explains why they are prepared to risk their lives for a chance to win the KRW 45.6 billion (roughly $38.7 million) grand prize.

The brutal tone of the show’s subject matter is starkly contrasted with the reimagined childhood activities from which the show draws inspiration. Despite the dark tone of Squid Game, the series was a lot of fun to make behind the scenes, as many behind-the-scenes photos show the actors and crew having a good time.

The Netflix Geeked Twitter account shared eight behind-the-scenes photographs of the cast of Squid Game having fun between shots. Characters like Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-Yeon) and Jang Deok-Su (Heo Sung-Tae) beam as they stare at camera monitors, which is a far cry from the show’s dynamic.

Take a look at the photographs below:

The images also convey a sense of the magnitude of the show’s production. Each image features massive sets, a slew of costumed extras, and, in some cases, both.

Despite the show’s comparatively low budget of $21.4 million, the production and costume designers managed to get a lot of mileage out of it. Numerous extras, many of whom are dressed in the show’s iconic guard uniforms, can be seen in the shot with Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) on a stretcher.