"There will be no forgiveness, and so... there will be no glory either." - Moon Dong-eun
The Glory is a South Korean television-series written
and executive produced by Kim Eun-sook, who molds a harrowing tale about a disfigured victim of high school violence who carefully plots her revenge against those that have wronged her. Song Hye-kyo delivers a commendable leading performance as the scorned woman, Moon Dong-eun, who has cashed in all her chips toward this path of no return. Ahn Gil-ho provides a masterful direction for the series. Allowing the viewer to take a backseat to this grand scheme orchestrated by Dong-eun, narrating every step of her growth to the leader of the oppressive group, Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon) whom I must share was the perfect choice to portray an apathetic villainess. The casting for this series is impeccable as the performers handle their roles seemlessly. The storyline provides a valuable lesson to the audience on how you reap what you sow. Be weary of your actions and whom they may affect because everything in life has a price. The series contains social commentary on the upper class abusing their power and how they are able to evade heinous crimes such as human humiliation and abuse, tying into the severity of school bullying within South Korea. Showcasing very gruesome and grotesque scenes which are not for the faint of heart.
The series' weakness lies within it's predictability as the viewer can already tell how this storyline is going to end. The theme feels familiar to other popular revenge stories such as "Lady Vengeance" and the "Kill Bill" duo-logy. But I believe the narrative is truly about the journey rather than the destination and this certainly has been a memorable experience as I unapologetically binge-watched the season in two days. I am looking forward to the release of Part 2 and the conclusion of this potently written drama.
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