When I came across the synopsis of this movie series, I knew I would need to mentally drill myself to be able to watch it. Heck, I had to steel myself to be able to watch Eve and that wasn’t as draining as this one. In this two part series, we meet Moon Dong-Eun, a Pre-School teacher with a past. Bullied during high school, Moon Dong-Eun vowed to take revenge on her perpetrators.
The Glory, is a dark psychological thriller series centred on the social issues around bullying. Written by Kim Eun-sook, The Glory is also based on true events that happened in 2006 in Cheongju, Korea. It stars Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Sung-hoon and Jung Sung-il.
The premise of the movie struck me as odd at first, but then it became gripping as it progressed. Quite alright, my stomach churned at the sheer brutality of it all, but all that was necessary, I would learn later.
Moon Dong-eun, the main character, as cliche as it sounds has to be my favourite. I also think that the actors (both young and old) played their roles so well, it was disgustingly beautiful.
I watched the progress and development of Dong-eun’s character turn from helpless to determined. I have come across some revenge plots especially in romance where the characters get torn about their ultimate decisions. Dong-eun was viciously dedicated to her goal. This didn’t mean that it all went smoothly.
To my delight, I got to watch Dong-eun re-strategise and rethink her whole approach towards her revenge when conflict arose in the person of her mother. While she was always a calm storm waiting to happen, she weaponised her past, drawing upon the humiliation and the pain she went through, raising walls impenetrable.
It was also worth every moment watching her roll the dice. From the onset, the antagonists had a toxic relationship already going. It was only a matter of time till they finally brought each other down. Dong-eun’s return only sped up their demise.
What I found unrealistic is the sudden affection between Dong-eun and Yeo-jeong. While I understand where their fondness began from, especially with Yeo-jeong availing himself to be of help to her cause, there wasn’t much that happened between the two privately to warrant the “Love” scene.
However, some people would agree that their quest for revenge probably is bond enough to seal the beginning of a love story. Yeo-jeong helped Dong-eun and she would return the favour.
The Glory was well paced. The story was well written and it highlighted social themes that is a reality today.
One fun fact I found was that Kim Eun-sook, the screenwriter also wrote some of my favourite Kdramas. Among them are Goblin: The lonely great god, King: Eternal Monarch, Descendants of the Sun also starring Song Hye-kyo, Mr. Sunshine and The Heirs. These are only a few. She has a great track record if you ask me. Goblin lives forever in my heart.
I give this a rating of 8 out of 10 stars. A beautiful piece it was.
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