The Glory (Review)
(더 글로리; Part 1 released on December 30, 2022, Part 2 released on March 10, 2023; 16 episodes)
Netflix’ original K-Drama line-up for 2023 already looks amazing, first, with the release of The Glory at the end of December 2022, a critically acclaimed and popular show, and then with the release of Love to Hate You, very good and entertaining romcom.
The Glory was very successful for Netflix, as the 9th non-English show and 4th among K-Dramas, proving that investing in Korean content is beneficial for the streaming network. Also, it was very popular on social media, especially because of the realistic depiction of bullying which shook Western audiences. In my opinion, The Glory is already one of the best K-Dramas of 2023. Together with the Agency, these two shows set a high bar for 2023 for the other shows to pass.
The Glory is a thriller which follows Moon Dong-eun (in this role terrific Song Hye-kyo), who was bullied in her high-school days by a group of teenagers from young families (Jung Ji-so portrays young Moon Dong-eun). Instead of “bullied” it would be more accurate to say “tortured,” as the treatment she received was extremely cruel, and included, among others, burning her body with a hair-curling iron. The main villain of the story is Park Yeon-jin (in this role also phenomenal Lim Ji-yeon), who was in charge of the group of teenagers who bullied Dong-eun. The same group was responsible for rape and death of another teenage girl they bullied, which is an important plot point in the show. Moon Dong-eun sets out on a revenge quest against Park Yeon-jin and her group, which is the main story arc of the show.
Song Hye-kyo is the star of the show, not only the most recognizable actress in it, but also shining through her excellent performance. She is here different than in her other shows, her portrayal of Moon Dong-eun is psychologically and emotionally deep, although Dong-eun often shows emotionless mask which allows her to meticulously plan and execute her revenge. Song Hye-kyo proves that she is an excellent actress. In recent years, she was involved in some “scandals,” rather unfairly judged by the Korean public (as it often happens since Korean standards are much stricter than those in the West). Hopefully, her international fame resulting from the success of The Glory will help her with getting back the goodwill of the audiences.
Lee Do-hyun as Joo Yeo-jeong is her partner in crime: his performance was also praised, as he is a worthy male lead of the show and partner to Song Hye-kyo. He plays a plastic surgeon, an heir to the wealthy family who owns the large hospital. He also is battling his own demons, since his father was brutally murdered by a serial killer, a trauma which still brings Joo Yeo-jeong nightmares. His character makes viewers uneasy, since he walks a fine line between a hero and a villain.
Lim Ji-yeon (known also from another Netflix original, Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area) as Park Yeon-jin is also memorable. While Song Hye-kyo offers a very balanced performance, since Moon Dong-eun hides her emotions for the most part, Lim Ji-yeon’s Yeon-jin shows a behavior ranging from a calculated cruelty to deranged madness. Lim Ji-yeon really proves her acting chops, and her portrayal of the ongoing downfall of her character is excellent. As she seems to be on good terms with Netflix, hopefully we’ll see her again in the other shows on this streaming service in the future.
The Glory is not your typical K-Drama: the overall tone is very serious, with little to no comedic elements (so typical for K-Dramas), especially in the second part of the show. It is very dark, sometimes even gruesome, and at times even shocking. Clearly, Netflix allowed creators to make some very bold choices. I love that the showrunners are getting creative freedom like that, since the result is so good. I hope Netflix will follow that policy with their other Korean productions.
While the shocking story of Moon Dong-eun was borne out of the imagination of the show writer, Kim Eun-sook, she was inspired by the real-life events which happened in South Korea in recent decades. The bullying is an ongoing problem in South Korea, the topic many recent shows feature. None, though, in such a realistic way as The Glory. However, the problem is not only an issue in Korea, for example in my own country there are recent news stories of teenagers bullying and beating their peers, and posting that on Tik Tok. Therefore, The Glory serves as an important reminder of the issue which the society is so far unable to resolve. This problem continues to produce victims, who, like Moon Dong-eun, are emotionally and physically scarred for life.
In sum, The Glory is a gripping thriller show, with great and engaging writing, well written characters, and excellent performances.
The Glory on Wikipedia and MyDramaList
