![]() They are reminiscent of action scenes but, instead of punches or slaps, the characters use words to hurt the other. Tensions run high whenever there’s a confrontation between Dong-eun and her perpetrators. This fleshed-out narrative allows audiences to sympathize with Dong-eun and feel that her revenge is justified, making her almost two-decade-long revenge plan feel even sweeter once she’s pulled the strings into motion. Instead, viewers see her painful experiences in grave detail, starting from 2004 all the way to the present. The Glory’s pacing doesn’t brush off Dong-eun’s experiences either. The K-drama’s strength lies in its character-driven story the use of voiced-over letters from Dong-eun to her bully makes this story feel all the more personal. Kim takes a simpler approach and, with the help of director Ahn Gil-ho, crafts a revenge thriller filled with edge-of-your-seat twists. With The Glory, screenwriter Kim redeems herself after the ambitious yet convoluted The King: Eternal Monarch. When bullied students ask for help, under-resourced teachers often dismiss such requests in The Glory, we see teachers simply tell Dong-eun that “friends hit each other once in a while.” A Somewhat Satisfying Redemption Courtesy of Netflix. Due to their families’ status and influence, many bullies never face any consequences, and go on to become even more successful as adults. Prominent cases include twin athletes Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong of South Korea’s national women’s volleyball team, actor Kim Ji-soo, and Kim Ga-ram, a now-former member of the K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM.Īs The Glory shows, such discussions about bullying get wrapped up in angst around South Korea’s hyper-competitive society, and often highlight socioeconomic disparities. In recent years, there’s been a #MeToo-style reckoning over high-profile figures who’ve been accused of bullying while they were in school. While South Korea’s survey-reported bullying rates aren’t necessarily higher than other countries’, bullying occupies an outsized position in public discourse. School bullying has been on the rise in South Korea since at least the 1990s. Depictions of bullying in K-dramas are not new, but what sets The Glory apart is the graphic execution. Bullies use a variety of methods to torment Dong-eun, including using a hair iron to burn parts of her body-which is based on a real 2006 bullying incident of a student at a girls’ middle school in Cheongju. ![]() ![]() ![]() Real Life Torment Courtesy of Netflix.Īt the heart of The Glory is the bullying that Dong-eun experiences. The drama’s first eight episodes are now available on Netflix, with a second part expected around March 2023. As a result, Moon drops out of high school and plans to take revenge upon her tormentors, no matter what it takes. In The Glory, Song plays Moon Dong-eun, a young aspiring architect who becomes the victim of school bullying. The series sees Kim reunite with famed actress Song Hye-kyo, who also starred in Kim’s 2016 hit Descendants of the Sun. Netflix capped off its 2022 K-drama slate with The Glory, a highly anticipated series from renowned screenwriter Kim Eun-sook.
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