The Glory (2022)

Overly authentic : the reason why it's good

I usually don't like dramas/movies about school bullying because to me, it always looks like they make it look "better" than what it actually is. The bullies end up begging the victim at the very first moves, etc. And it's all the same thing. We know that there's some bullies that don't regret their actions at all. And this drama we got to see the harsh reality of it.

I started watching this drama because everybody around me were saying that this drama is what comes closest to how bullying actually is in South-Korea. So I was expecting for something that make me break, a drama that doesn't make me empathize for bullies one bit. And this drama was "The Glory".

The violence of some of these scenes was unbearable. Really. Sometimes I had to look away because it was just too much for me. I never gotten bullied but I was in pain, just watching those. The hot iron, the humiliation, the sexual assaults, everything was too much. Not negatively too much for this drama, but too much because I was thinking "I can't believe that somebody is probably experiencing the same thing or worse, right now as we speak". This is why I really liked this drama, it was harsh, it was real, it wasn't polished.

At first, I didn't really like how she got close to a guy that might be her love interest in the future. Because I thought he was going to try to convince her not to go about her revenge, but he followed through. Even Yeonjin's husband is about to follow through because he's the only one in his right mind.

I liked how we get to see inside the bullies clan and how they actually don't really like each other. How they would look down on their "friends" who have less money than them. How they would throw each other under the bus to save their own ass.

I like how in this drama no one is trying to stop her and tell to be the "bigger person", they ALL understand her, they understand her pain. And they know the people that made her went through it, need and deserve the worst punishment. No matter what is it is.

The devil's flower look up in the sky and the angel's flower look down on the ground. No matter how you interpreted, this saying of that old lady in the first episode is important to retain in all our minds.

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I’m afraid I’ll forget what I should be doing if I start laughing. – Moon Dong Eun

okay, so this would be one of 2023's top tier kdrama ever since the first quarter of the year. Seems the story has not yet ended for dong-eun's revenge, I guess the ending seems to getting clearer and brigher... but at the same time, the grey areas are coming in. With the never-expected plot and based on real-life events especially the school-student's system in sk, i guess this was too brutal for a student to be bullied. And it's not the same as what other wester dramas or movie portrays, but the drama was too realistic that even viewers could say that this was too violent. It's far from fantasy, turns to a deep fact check reality for everyone. So, I'll go with the note, from its cinematography, ost, casts and characters, including the story/plot.

STORY AND/OR PLOT
so the story started to get into when it discovered about how Moon Dong-eun escaped from the pain she has. A student who was the second bystander/victim from a bullying scandal, involving the other student who transferred and went missing. Moon Dong-eun, who started from getting hate and no one cares about what she feels and how she escaped and plans to get revenge to the kids who messed her badly. As she was dreaming to be an architect, but due to her situations with the kids bullying her physically, mentally and emotionally, she worked at a factory at a young age in her late 20's, until she continued studying in college in an late age then turned to be a homeroom teacher of Park Yeon-jin's first daughter. And with that the kids who bullied he,r such as Park Yeon-jin, who married a wealthy man and has a biological daughter and works as a news broadcaster, while Jeon Jae-joon, who was yeo-jin's biological father who owns a luxury business. Lee Sa-ra who was an addict and owns an art-cafe, Choi Hye-jeong who works as a flight attendant and constantly regrets a little of what she did to Dong-eun, Son Myeong-oh who was an ass and the one who harrassed Dong-eun in high school. And lastly, Yeon-jin's husband, Ha Do-Young who slowly gets involved with his wife's case. But then, Dong-eun slowly gets to meet Joo Yeo Jung, a plastic surgery doctor from his mother's big owned hospital, and Kang Hyun-nam, who she discovered to give revenge and asked for justice and needs from Dong-eun from his husband who was an abuser. As the two of them discovered Dong-eun's secrets and situations that she won't ever forget, until the were all together to be with dong-eun and give revenge and justice as one.
Well this was a long note, but the story seems to be very VERY interesting tbh. With the bullies who had their successful careers and dreams, while Moon Dong-eun still suffers inside. I guess her life was pretty tough and she doesn't event believe in faith. What she wants and craves for more justice is the revenge that she would badly want.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND OST
in this part, I guess i'm neutral with the ost. Nothing to be so special about it but then I like the every ending of the episode, get me hooked with it. The cinematography was better, blending with the atmosphere of each and every scene.

CASTS AND CHARACTERS
So, here I am getting excited to type what I was expecting with the casts. Especially most of them were very new to me. Starting with one of my fav hallyu kdrama star, Song Hye-Kyo. After her divorce controversy with Song Joong-Ki, she really changed so much. From her facial expression and feelings that I couldn't see her smiling so much specifically her role in the glory. She discovered this drama that gives me excitement that I have never expected her to be part of this type of brutal roles. Tbh, she has soooo much potential. The second time I saw her is this drama from the descendants of the sun. Now with her character, Moon Dong-eun was a relatable character that every victims has. As what I have heared, SK has the most cases of bullying that even administrators or teachers doesn't mind about it. Again, I was pretty proud for her and rooting for her next role, she is so unstoppable. Next, Im-Ji Yeon. woahhh she was far from her character, and she fits so well with this role. As she was a villain, I guess she was very lucky to shine with this drama and the first time I saw here with this drama. Her character was so much annoying like I wanna punch her. Not to hate the actress, but she really fits with her role. I love her so much but Park Yeon-jin was heading too far from what she did to Dong-eun. Rooting for her as well! Next up, Lee Do-hyun. From what his roles are from, I guess this one I was pretty neutral with his role. So far, I can't get over to his role from 18 again, but I guess since he doesn't have that time scene much yet, hope he would give most of the time to show the background story of his character, Joo Yeo-Jung, up to the end of the season 1 I wondered why he was joining with Dong-eun except falling in love with her? But yea, also rooting for him! Yom Hye-ran was also on another level, the first time I saw her + her character was very promising, hoping that she would not betray Dong-eun. Kang Hyun Nam, her character was a softie to her. What I mean is that she gives everything Dong-eun wants to give revenge as well as Dong-eun knows her story of being abused by her husband. And with the other casts, I know this part of the note was very long, I really appreciated their roles and characters, way too promising. hoping that there would be a good ending for season 2!

Overall, rating it a 10 out of 10, how I wish that the episodes of season2 would came out faster. The story was way too interesting especially the last episode, hoping that Dong-eun deserve a good ending for her justice.
A good watch, great for time kill, not quite beginner friendly since it was too "violent" and "brutal" :'))
Oh, and even my mom liked this drama haha.

Looking forward to the casts :333

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Will Dong-eun be able to get her glory?

A very sorrowful and heartbreaking portrayal of bullying shown on the first episode was enough to make me grip my hands to take my own version of revenge, I mean, to make me invested with this show right away. At times, I forgot that it was not me being bullied with how ecstatic they were whenever they bullied Dong-eun. It was as if it was me being bullied instead of her, and sadness is truly an understatement.

That's why Dong-eun meticulously planned her revenge to get back to them. It was utterly easy for her to just give up, but her determination was just gritting, and personally, I just couldn't feel anything but be inspired with her. In a technical sense, I loved how the pacing was done from her being kicked out of the school towards the present. Her growth as amply shown and her "love letters" to Yeon-jin just added intensity and vigor for her inevitable revenge.

This show is divided into 2 parts, with here focusing on the backstory and the planning stage of the revenge itself. Initially, I was not a fan of the split release but after watching the first part's ending with a cliffhanger and a shocking plot twist, I was able to get why they did it in the first place - to maintain the momentum of the increased tension and enthrall going in the second part. It was very successful at that aspect.

For now, I'm not as emotionally-invested on Yeo-joong's (Lee Do-hyun) story as with Dong-eun's (Song Hye-kyo). There's massive story potential shown in the first part and I know quite well that it will be tackled more on the second part. Furthermore, Yeo-joong's role at this part isn't as significant as Dong-eun, so this is why I will restrict this review on the main story.

On the other hand, this role has got to be Song Hye-kyo's best acting role as of the moment. She was really able to personify Dong-eun the best. Maybe it's because this is entirely different from her previous roles, but the stoic, almost emotionless personality was perfectly-written for this actress and she was also able to portray it very well. This project basically squashed the recurring criticism that Song Hye-kyo is a one-dimensional actress. Wasn't a big fan of hers prior, but she is able to own it and I'm being converted as a fan as of this moment. But can she transpose it on her next projects or was she lucky that a one-dimensional character suited her very well?

My other comments will be reserved for the second part, since it will be more cathartic, if not gruesome (I hope). Still, this 8-episode first part was greatly done in setting the tone for the overall show. The first part doesn't need all of the big twists and shocking events, yet I'm expecting it on the next.

The big question now lies: will Dong-eun be able to get her glory?

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Acting spot on.

I would love to focus on the actors, they were terrific throughout the development of the storyline. Their body language and expression guide you to understand their emotions and allow you to understand and feel what is happening around them.

The storyline develops slowly which is perfect for understanding what is going on, but the language gap caused me to rewind a few scenes to understand the subtitles on Netflix. There were a few scenes that i had wished would have been expressed a bit earlier however i believe it was to keep us on the edge.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants some action-driven acting, and especially realistic incidents.

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Almost dropped it but pushed thru

The first episode was absolutely infuriating. I was planning on dropping this 3/4 of the way thru it. I instead came to the reviews to see why I should keep watching. I was mostly convinced. I went to S2 to see how it would progress. It looked promising so back I went. I then found out the bullying was something that had actually happened. While I still found the basis of the series appalling and almost unbelievable, but knowing it was "based" in reality made me push through. I wanted to see this revenge play out because boy was it warranted!

There were still parts that frustrated me to no end but overall the two leads won me over and kept me watching. Will I watch it again?Probably not. Would I suggest it for everybody to watch? Absolutely not. There are A LOT of triggering scenes especially in the first episode so be aware before you start. There are various scenes throughout that are hard to watch also.

Only you know what you can handle but know you have been warned!

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Good at holding interest, even better visuals

This was my intro back to drama after quite a long hiatus and it set the bar pretty high. I went in with lowish expectations based on my experience of how 'revenge' dramas pan out in kdramas, especially when it's the FL pursuing the revenge. But so far, so good.

I like the way the story will weave between the past and present to uncover things gradually. The drama can take a slow, meandering pace in order to fully get things set up but its not unenjoyable. The story itself feels well thought out. It can be a bit dramatic at times but never veers too much into makjang territory. I do like how the characters have some depth in them; the antagonists, while evil, are not cartoonishly, 1D caricatures. The acting is very well done on everyone's part. Our FL really shines here and I am very much enjoying SHK's performance.

The drama has really good visuals and scenery. The music, while not really memorable on its own, does add well to the mood and vibe. Let's move on to Part 2!

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The Fall and The Glory

How did I watch: Two years after release. On Netflix. Painfully watching episode 1 and 2, breeze through 3-16.
Why did I watched: was in the mood for a more gripping watch
Themes that I like in the drama: Revenge
1. Most favorite character: Moon Dongeun
2. Most favorite interactions: Dongeun and Hyeonam
3. Most memorable scene/ plot point: All the part in ep 1. Jung Jiso did stellar part as Moon Dongeun's Younger Actress. That scene when dongeun roll in snow is the most painful for me. Shin yeeun deliver as the young Yeonjin and wow even looking at her face incite terrible feelings.
4. Why did I stay for this drama: Have to see the plan carried through. The dialogues are deliciously manipulative, triggering, mean spirited and fit like a glove for this drama.
5. What I would like to see more: I know they purposely making the people as bad people without a lot of reasoning i would want to get a little bit sprinkle of reason. But the drama is executed well so im just nitpicking for my hopes and wishes.
6. What I would like to see less: The graphic of all the terrible things. I want my eyes to unsee.
7. Would I watch it again? Probably No. It is difficult to watch.
8. When will be the best time to watch? When i am mentally stable.
9. Radar alert for the future watch: I need to watch at least three fluffs after this.

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Cruel tale amazingly acted! Brace yourself!

This series could have been another common revenge story...Instead, it turned out to be the captivating first part of a cruel tale amazingly acted. The script was well-built with effective setup payoff and credible plotlines. The well-thought pacing creates a very bingeable show. The tone of the drama is really dark making the few instants of respite and hope really bright for the protagonists.

The ensemble cast is great: most of the actors are doing an impressive job. I found the younger characters particularly gifted: each of their scenes left a strong impact on me. Song Hye Kyo successfully plays the complex (anti)-heroine. The performances of the others characters (allies and enemies) are not to be outdone either. I totally fell for the charm of Lee Do Hyun and will be looking forward his new -(and old) dramas.

The production is really great, there are a lot of scenes that are poignant and even harrowing for your soul while still at the same time being beautiful and healing in some way. The opening generic is fascinating as well as the overall soundtrack, haunting at some points.

I would recommend this to people looking for a captivating revenge drama. If you like dark stories and have appreciated thematic around social classes like in "Parasite", this one is for you! Be aware that this is a really brutal story which can be very triggering as it is centred around bullying and very violent.

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Add to Watching List!

I binge watched this so bad, I started yesterday evening and ended in the same night! I didn't think I would watched all at once, but I have to say that it was really good. It comes with a lot of revenge dramas around, revenge is a tipycal guide line in kdramas, but sometimes it gets tired to watch or you just start loosing interest because it's dragged, this one is really well made in my opinion, the pace is stable and the characters are well developed.
I mean, with the end of season one it's not like nothing happened, but the real revenge it still has to come, within all season one the story is built, you see the developoment of all the characters and some new entry, and how the protagonist is paventing the way for revenge, and did not get bored, you stay there and watch every episode with curiosity.
The acting is amazing, a really high level, you can receive all emotion from them, the choices for young/adult are really amazing as if they 're real! And maybe I' m a sucker for villains, but I have to say that Shin Ye Eun and Im Ji Yeon who play the same character (young/adult) are really spectacular, when I looked at them I got shivers!

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Nothing lifts the heartbeat better than a revange goals

Song Hye Kyo (as Moon Dong Eun) and Im Ji Yeon (as Park Yeon Jin) were beyond amazing. The way they conveyed the relationship between their characters, the emotions swirling inside and the madness in their eyes was all unforgetable. I already knew in Descendands of the Sun that Song Hye Kyo is a very good actress, but here ... paired with Im Ji Yeon, she is untamed ? She bloomed like a flower.

I don't know if I've ever seen such a well-created evil female character. I'm not just talking about Korean productions, but generally everything I've ever seen. Im Ji Yeon seems to have played role of her life as she was flawless from start to finish. ? But praise should also go to the young actresses that playes teenage versions of main characters Shin Ye Eun as young Yeon Jin and Jung Ji So as young Dong Eun. They gave character and dynamics to the relationship of the main characters.

Moving on to other perturbators. Each of them contributed to the destruction of the life of the main character and several other girls from high school *********** SPOILER *********** and I will reveal that each of them received the punishment they deserved.*********** END OF SPOILER *********** When it comes to their acting, they also did well because you hate them from the beginning of the series to the very end without a moment's hesitation ?

I don't know what else I could say about the series without revealing its content .... It's brilliant and that's probably the only thing that matters before you start watching it ?

If you want to read more about my thoughts about The Glory (and other dramas): visit my blog: my-asian-dramas.blogspot.com

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