too much is too much
What starts like an original and powerful story with a lot of expensive technical support, soon becomes a real mess, with too many killers - about 7? - and rapists and whatever... Im sure the director wanted to make it big, so he/she kept taking out of his sleeve all kind of tropes and twists.The cast was great - especially supporting parts, acting was on point, but the FL was not the best choice, and also the young villain was better than the mature one. No chemistry between the FL and the ML.
Kinda like a lakorn, but more polished.
Had they toned it down, it could have been a gem.
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Good
The plot was pretty good and well thought out. I like that the FL did not give up her revenge halfway. My only problem is that my OTP wasn't the FL and ML but the FL and the villain's husband. Anyway, I am okay with how it turned out.The acting was mostly good, but there were still some instances of good old Korean shouting. That said, the facial expressions were very on point and the director was quite clever to occasionally focus on it. The cast's clothing was also quite good, especially Yeon-Jin.
The music was good and brilliant in some instances.
Overall, the drama is worth watching and rewatching.
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How Far Would You Go For Revenge?
I had started to lose interest in kdramas around April and slowly started moving away from it as I was unable to find a drama I could indulge myself in without quitting half way or not even bothering to catch up anyways. That was until the trailer for The Glory came out. Now, I would have to admit I am quite biased towards high school revenge plots and was pretty excited to watch this. I went in with high expectations and The Glory, without a doubt, exceeded those expectations. It was dark, gritty, it left me with that bitter feeling of revenge and hopelessness as we watched every single person involved in Dong Eun’s life absolutely fail her. And that was just what I wanted to see, the revenge of someone who has nothing to lose. In the end, I got what I came for and way more.Was this review helpful to you?
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A fantastic drama that could've been even better
Season 1 was an incredible build-up season and season 2 totally delivered on the expectations set by the previous one. Season 2 was a masterclass, but I felt like some things could've been better.As anyone familiar with this drama knows, the story is about the main character's journey to achieving revenge. And I'd say that satisfaction from this drama would ultimately come from the antagonists' downfall -- and how it led to their downfall. So let's talk about who's ending I liked and who's ending could've been changed.
List of antagonists' endings I liked:
- Dong-Eun's mom
- Yeon-Jin
- Myeong-Oh
- Mr. Shin
- Yeon-Jin's mom
- Lee Seok Jae
- Kang Yeong Cheon
List of things that could be changed:
- Sa-Ra: Leading to her ending, the things that were happening to her was perfect, but the final thing she did to end everything was stupid imo.
- Hye Jeong: It would've been better if instead of her voice, her face should've been the thing taken from her.
- Jae Jun: They shouldn't have killed him. And Ha Do Young "killing" him just tainted Ha Do young's clean image.
- Kim Gyeong Ran: Her being revealed to have dealt the final blow to Myeong-Oh's death ruined things for me. Because of this, I felt like Dong-Eun failed to complete her revenge "honestly" at the last hurdle. It would've been better if she just sided with the antagonists, her existence in the drama was unnecessary to be honest.
Overall, the drama was great, and the Glory as a whole has great rewatch value. 10/10 would recommend.
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AMAZING
Definitely something i would like to re-watch when i have spare timeI will admit at first season two was a bit underwhelming compared to the last season, and the plot had a few holes in it. However, it GETS BETTER. The ending was mostly super satisfying and I loved how Dong-eun didnt just become good and forget everything that happened to her. She was still hurting, but she was getting better and Yeon-jin's punishment was perfect. however, I do feel like Jae-jun didnt get the ending he deserved, and what happened to Sa-ra?? She went to prison and then was never heard from again?? Lmao
I also wasnt a huge fan of the romance at the start but that also got better. At first I felt like it was really rushed and they were forcing a relationship between them when there wasn't any, but afterwards they became kinda cute, especially towards the last few episodes (when they hang out at the lighthouse with drinks)
The cast was one of the best i've ever seen. They all played their roles perfectly and I have nothing against them
Overall, definitely recommend and it's great to see a female badass lead on Netflix
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The most relieving drama I've watched to date
In a country where "convicts are innocent until proven guilty," perpetuators of horrific school bullying can often get away with serious crimes such as assault and, at times, manslaughter without receiving a big punishment due to either their wealth or their age. In many Korean dramas centered around revenge, the victim(s) often get revenge by breaking laws and causing harm upon their perpetuators.What was so refreshing for me while watching this drama was that the victim did not physically do anything to achieve her goals -- all she did was trick them psychologically to turn themselves against each other and bring their downfalls to themselves, whether that be by confinement or by death. In South Korea, there are many cases where teachers look away as rich students prey on the poor. I found it exciting that, despite a very obvious difference between their social status, the FL was able to bring them down without even touching them.
I want to get kudos to the magnificient directing, writing, acting, and editing that went into this masterpiece. I'm glad that I was able to witness how Kim Eun Sook developed as a writer, from "The Heirs" to "The Glory," and how Song Hye Kyo matured as an actress. I am excited about all future works that these two women will bring in the future.
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Review of part 1 and 2 as a whole
The Glory, this Korean drama series struck a nerve on many occasions. The subject matter of bullying is not new. However, the production of this series brings to light the matter in a very strong way.The Glory covers several issues masterfully with incredible acting, and a storytelling.
It portrays the devastating consequences of bullying and resilience's power. The series also highlights the courage of Moon Eun and her resurgence and courage to stand up to the bullies, and the power of trust and love.
In the series Moon Eun (Song Hye Kyo) endures hardship on many levels. Her childhood lacks love and support. The bullying she endures from her terrible schoolmates and their perceived entitlements manipulates her social status, knowing she has little to no support.
Bullying scenes are intense and don't pull any punches. You immediately feel for the main character and seek justice for her. Even the school administration is no help. One of the main ring leaders of the bullies is Yeon Jin (Im Ji Yeon) She is heartless and evil in many ways. As well as betraying her own family by her adulterous ways, she causes mental and physical pain to others. The character of Yeon Jin is one I despise yet cannot forget. Because she represents such evil, you want her punished for her crimes. The abuse by her can be seen as an example of the consequences of such behavior. Her character is very well portrayed by Im Yeon. Her performance deservedly earned her an award. (And she is on my list of favorite actresses) :)
A great feature of this series is the story telling structure. I can see why the director received many praises and a Baeksang award. Moon Eun's revenge plan has a lot of depth. In itself, the use of Mrs. Kang Nam (Yeom Hye Ran) and Yeo Jung (Lee Do Hyun) as her assistants is remarkable. Kang Nam has also been a victim. A revenge plot involves her abusive spouse becoming a chess piece. As she struggles to escape her abusive spouse, Nam's growing friendship with Kang Nam motivates her to help Moon Eun.
There is more to Yeo Jung's story than just a love interest for Moon Eun. It's different for Jung's family unit, they are more successful than Moon's upbringing. It is tragic that Jung's father was murdered. As a result of the development of this backstory, a new revenge narrative is bred against the psychopath who murdered his father.
All of these characters and stories are very well woven together in The Glory. As a result of Moon's years of planning, the bullies slowly destroyed themselves by just being themselves. one by one. Of course, with Moon's help. The message was powerful about how your own actions can ultimately lead to your downfall. Moon's journey of self-discovery and transformation also played an important role in making the bullies pay.
Part 1 was slightly slower than part 2 but overall, the series was pretty enjoyable.
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"I may be the one who set up the board, but they're the ones who destroyed themselves."
The Glory was a drama that I couldn't stop thinking about in between waiting for part 2 to come out. I binged it all in 2 days and it did not disappoint! A dark, emotional drama that will have you kicking your feet, cheering for the "underdog" and smiling with Dong-Eun as her revenge is playing out. I will say there are super heavy scenes in this drama (mostly the first part but some flashbacks in part 2), so keep that in mind before you start a watch. TW: bullying, child death, suicide mention/attempt, etc.Part 2 was everything I needed it to be and more. Dong-Eun set up her revenge perfectly and every decision lead to one of her bullies' downfall without lifting a finger of her own. Every piece of information is crucial and when it's put out in the open, the group turns on each other all the while knowing Dong-Eun is the one behind it all with help from her sidekicks, Dr. Joo Yeo-Jung and Kang Hyung-Nam. Even they are not the only people helping as it becomes more apparent that Dong-Eun has saved a lot of people in her life who feel the need to pay it back. She has help from all sides and that leads to her finally finding her happiness.
There are so many plot twists and pieces of the puzzle that even I didn't see coming that made this drama even more entertaining to watch. While you're constantly guessing along with the bullies as to how something happened, Dong-Eun is already onto her next target. One thing that I did find super realistic is how none of them felt sorry for her in the slightest. They knew what they did was evil, but felt that they would have no consequences because of their statuses. It was a masterpiece to watch it all crumble down piece by piece, person by person, until Yeon-Jin was a shell of her former self like Dong-Eun felt. She didn't care about anyone but herself and in the end, that's all she has left.
Props to the actors/actresses in this drama because everyone played their part fantastically. Even background characters such as Dong-Eun's coworker were acting their asses off. Im Je-Yeon played Yeon-Jin so well that watching the flip switch within her character was amazing. She could go from staring daggers to screaming and acting psychotic in a split-second. Kim Hi Eo-Ra and Cha Joo Young also stood out to me in particular and I couldn't get enough of them on my screen.
I did need a little more added on Joo Yeo-Jung's revenge because his storyline interested me so much too, but I was okay with what we got even if it was a small portion. I'm hoping that the ending left it open enough to where we could possibly get a whole series/season on that. I need more of Dong-Eun, Yeo-Jung and Hyung-Nam together. Especially Dong-Eun and Yeo-Jung. I knew from Part 1 that I would want them together and I'm so glad that it naturally blossomed. He didn't push for her to love him back and waited for her to feel and say it on her own. I loved that he was the definition of "If he wanted to, he would." Him and Do-Young were stand up guys and I'm glad that they walked away happy too.
This ending did not skip over ANYONE and they all got what karma was coming to them. Every person that they victimized was working behind Dong-Eun and she did it no questions asked. Learning that they not only killed a girl after Dong-Eun, but kept going with bullying people after was sick and added another layer to the story. It made it more satisfying when they all were brought down and So-Hee working behind them in spirit. I'm glad that she got the justice she deserved and wasn't left behind in the fallout. I did wish that we could've seen more of a happy ending with Hyung-Nam, but knowing her child is studying abroad safe was enough for me. I'm glad we got to watch hers and Dong-Eun's friendship blossom and that she got her somewhat happy ending.
I would recommend this drama to literally anyone. After finishing part 2, this one is definitely going on the favorites list. Every moment is a rollercoaster that never slows down until you get to the end smiling and cheering.
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THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH PART 1&2.I almost passed on this drama because I thought it would be gory and senseless like "My Name," which I dropped, but I'm glad I didn't. Although I did not find this "super amazing" like most people, The Glory, as a story of revenge and redemption, was quite good. I had trouble stomaching the violence that was shown in the first few episodes, and the scenes where Moon Dong Eun was subjected to a curling iron, but this made me so angry that I really wanted to see the comeuppance due to the perpetrators.
Song Hye Kyo is great as the long-suffering victim who is intent on bringing hell on Park Yeon In and her band of bullies. It was oddly satisfying to see how the FL calculates through her revenge plot, not by directly going after the bullies, but by infiltrating those who are around them for years. We see Dong Eun's practiced patience as she waits for opportunities like she does in the game of Go. But sometimes, this waiting gives way to frustration, especially when her plans are thwarted by the very people who are supposed to have your back (ahem, your mother-phuker).
As a thriller, melodrama, The Glory delivers, but if you are expecting romance, it falls flat. Despite the presence of Lee Do Hyun as a romantic partner for Song Hye Kyo's character, Joo Yeo Jung is at most a love-sick puppy following after the woman of his dreams. They are only lumped together for convenience's sake and their kiss was underwhelming. Moon Dong Eun had better chemistry with Yeon Jin's husband, Ha Do Young, but of course, the plotline won't allow such a scandalous pairing. In the end, the perpetrators' supposedly got their just deserts, but I can't help feeling that somewhere down the line, the vicious cycle of revenge will continue again.
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Slow, sweet, sweet revenge done right
It was worth the build up and wait. If part 1, was slow-paced and taking the time to introduce all assholes and to prepare for the world of pain awaiting them. Then part 2 has delivered and then some. The show itself, this time, seemed well-paced. Especially when compared to part 1, as it takes some patience to get through the bullying past. And yet the promised revenge came slow and sure.This is a pure revenge story, so if that's what you're looking for, no need to look further. And they wrapped up so well with all the characters that there's no frustrating incomplete feeling at all. Yet with a proper set up in case they want to go for a part 3 which I'd be totally down for!
A 9/10 for setting up the right expectations and then meeting all of them.
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Gripping and yet disturbing
Gripping? YES!! It’s one of those where you have to binge watch. I waited for quite awhile to watch both seasons at one go. Also, you have to be in the right frame of mind (ready to watch a revenge drama) to fully appreciate it.Disturbing because the scenes are quite graphic. It’s rated 18+ and has lots of vulgar language, sex scenes, and multiple violent scenes including using hot curling iron and domestic abuse. Most of these scenes I had to fast forward, because I myself couldn’t stand to watch. I couldn’t understand why and how those bullies could get away with it; plus the home room teacher who just slaps the victim multiple times in the staff room! I read that this drama was based on a true story. I’m not sure how justice was carried out, but if it was not, the police and education system in Korea need to buck up!!
The two actors that stole the show imo were Lee Do Hyun and Shin Ye Eun. LDH played the ML, a young doctor who lost his father in a very tragic way. Haunted by the perpetrator, he was living in hell and wanted to help the FL (song Hye kyo) with her revenge plan. He managed to pull off a variety of personalities in this drama- the professional doc, the caring and protective man and (this is the best part!) the devil in him who will seek revenge and dreams of killing the murderer. His acting was top notch!
Shin Ye Eun played the teenage Park Yeonjin, who is the ring leader of the 5 person bully gang. I read that the director chose this actress because of her smile, and man was he spot on! Her eyes and smile in the most eerie and condescending manner gave me the chills just watching her! Her acting was just right, unlike Lim Yi Jeon who played the adult Yeonjin, whom I felt overacted wayyy too much. In fact the 5 gang bullies were quite ridiculous and overacting most of the time imo. Too much cursing, shouting and throwing rich kid/ can’t get my way tantrums.
Another character I liked was Ha do Yeong, the husband of Yeonjin. He in all his sophistication did everything right- gave her many chances to repent, and be remorseful of her past actions- but all he saw was the devil in his wife. I’m glad he had a happy ending.
The production and music background was just fantastic! Very modern and updated, chic and sophisticated. The music is like those you will find in US dramas, extremely compelling and draws you in. There were times where the plot became quite predictable, whereby the good guys “always win” and even when it seems they were losing, they were somehow one step ahead. Haha..
It’s a very good recommended watch. Again, be in the right frame of mind when you start this. The first episode is the most difficult as it has 90% of the bullying school scenes. :)
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