The Glory (2022)

reality though...

aw, it was a good idea to address the problem of heavy school bullying - but sadly not the way it was done here -
here is why:

what is good about it:

1. some few actors are good (especially some older side characters), the younger leads are ok - at best.
2. the storyline sounded promising
3. the soundtrack is rather good and fitting the topic

what is bad:

1. well, the main problem for me is reality. So the female lead shows us in 2022 what she does when she gives extra tuition to a bratty youngster. He verbally gets quite offensive, she listenes to it and then - tada - gets out her cellphone and tells him it's all been recorded, his mum heard it and this was his last lesson with her. So in the very first or second episode she shows us what anyone with half a brain cell would do in such situations.

So, we then get to see our female lead as a teenager at school and some really awful torture scenes of school bullying,

(that is my point 2 by the way, there was no need to show these scenes so excessivley, it had quite a touch of torture p0 rn which addresses the very wrong audience...to get over the message what happened to the poor girl a third of the scenes would have been way enough)

we fast forward to the year 2022 again, when our female lead has forged her revenge plans for years and finally gets to be the teacher of her arch enemie's little daughter. (I here do ask myself though how would a girl coming from her background with no parents, bodily heavily disfigured and traumatised, with no money and no connections get into college alone and study to become a teacher?) But I see the point that this is supposed to be a revenge story so let's get on.... all that happens then is nonsense. Her former torturer is now obviously very rich, (which lets me question by the way why a very rich person would send her daughter to the same school she was in together with our female lead, a very poor kid? Wouldn't a rich woman send her precious daughter to a private school, especially in South Korea?), our lead becomes the teacher of her little daughter and then - threatenes her verbally several, many, many times openly? Why would her enemy not simply tape all of the open threats ('you need to be punished and I will punish you' etc). She is rich and certainly has influential connections, so why would she let this go on for a single minute? Also our female lead tells her she should 'not dare to take her daughter out of this school' - well, why would she not do that? as she simply can?

So this whole revenge thing gets absurd as in the way it's shown it simply would be impossible. What would happen in reality is the rich woman, espcially one as cold blooded as this one is shown, would tape her threats, go to the cops, use her connections and either get our female lead arrested or even worse.
Also, if the police would find her room with aboot a thousand photos and news articles about the woman, they would certainly call her insane and obsessed and would take claims of threat against the woman and her child even more serious. Even if our female lead would then claim all the wounds on her body were inflicted by that woman in their teeager time? She would have no proof, and with the obsessive photo room the police would declare her dangerous and insane and claim she is just obsessed with the beautiful weather forecaster on TV because she herself didn't make it far in life, and she probably always has been jealous about the other woman, even back in their teenage years.

3. the dialouges were mediocre at best. The whole 'romantic' storyline with the young doctor? Didn't work for me. No chemistry, and the dialogues were horrid and seemed artifical and forced many times. (Especially in that scene in the park, where he asks her a concrete question and she suddenly starts to talk pseudo-poem stuff about the snow and whatever else) Also the whole storyline with these two seems so 'created' and not real to me.

4. Compared to other dramas with heavy content I found the acting ability of the leads rather bad to be honest. The bullies as adults were too overdrawn, they didn't seem like real people to me. Same reasons, artificial dialoges, speaking too loud or even screaming, some scenes looked like rather bad school theatre to me.


Conclusion:

a good idea to address the topic of school bullying - but not like that? You simply couldn't take revenge like it's shown here for at least 5 different reasons, most importantly because the possibility of taping and nipping all the great revenge plan in the bud.
It's more like a juvenile revenge fantasy, not thought through to any end. having immature fanatsies about revenge is just that - immature and far from intelligent. But as least for me, it has to be an intelligent, thought through story, otherwise it's more like playing ego shooters, no brains but what a satisfaction with brains off Oo
Disappointing.

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The Glory

The Glory is the best drama this year that relates to real life of people from childhood to adulthood. A lot of people go through life being hurt by others unnoticed. People are being hurt from childhood and the scars are on their arms and legs covered with clothes. The Glory should teach bullies a lesson. Wait and see the end of the wicked, that is what The Glory tells us. When the teacher Dong Eun tried to take revenge there were a lot of people who have been hurt similar way who were ready to help. People are always afraid to voices out what is happening to them and or they do not have enough words to express themselves. The story line is accurate, the actors are perfect. When people are hurt they either become aggressive or dull and there is always no in between. The characters are acting and reacting based on what they went through from childhood. Who can stop you then when your are badly hurt inside. People live good life and they do not have mercy for others who are not fortunate like them. They teach their children and they also become like them if they are not stopped by a bold and confident person. The story is true. Most school children are suffering from bullies who come from rich families. How many people from the poor family can actually get the nerve to bully someone, except those who have the backing of parents who can pay their way through with money. In this modern world children who are bullied usually bury themselves in their computer but this story is taking it raw so it covers from when there was no computers and games and movies to this modern times. The acting is perfect for people who have been hurt in the past through physical violence and verbal abuse. The speed of the acting is correct, Dong Eun is trying everything she can to get money for her activities. She is relating to children the way she should. The music should have been a bit frightening, more fearsome and more violent, for the wicked to fear more for their lives. Ju Yeo a calm person in nature is also doing his best to help. What I did not understand from the beginning was that was he also a victim of the bulling? If he was did he have any plans to revenge. Park Yeon was a good example of school bullies, no consideration not even people she called friends. The house helper who suffered domestic violence what a shame to men who raise their hands to their wives. Watching someone’s reaction at the mortuary reminding them of what they have done in the past is excellent. This is a good drama showing that no one can play God. There is only one God that I give this Glory to. People should learn because there is lessons learned going on here.The abuser was so scared of her own daughters life.

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DRAMA QUE TODOS DEBERIAN VER!!

Bueno que decir, este drama ya lo termine hace algunos días, exactamente hace 3 días, pero recién tengo el tiempo de poder hacer su reseña, siendo sincera, no tenia muchas expectativas de este drama, la verdad no me llamaba la atención, y eso que los actores me gustan mucho, pero simplemente, no me apotecia de verlo, pero que gran sorpresa me lleve cuando empecé el primer capitulo, fue un sin fin de emociones, como el odio, la tristeza, cuando los bullies, agredían a la protagonista me daban ganas de meterme a la serie, y defenderla, de verdad que grandes actuaciones por parte de todo el elenco, me gustaron ambos papeles de edades, tanto de jóvenes como de adultos, pero mi favorito por así decirlo, fueron cuando eran adolescentes, ya que creo que cuando hay maltrato en colegio, se siente mas realista, y de verdad que le agarre odio a todos los bullies, la escena en donde le queman, fue muy difícil de ver, porque el dolor que sentía se vio tan real, y pensaba de que la agresión iba a ser mas moderada, pero no ,fue todo lo contrario, eran demasiados crueles con todas sus acciones.

Ahora si quiero hablar acerca de la trama, al comienzo pensé q me iba a aburrir, pero no fue así, yo si quería ver como la prota se va vengando de todos, quería que sufrieran, absolutamente todos, ahora vámonos al único buen personaje hombre y es nuestro estudiante de medicina, que hombre para mas lindo, él siempre estuvo para nuestra prota, la quería mucho desde el primer encuentro, como se preocupaba por ella, y si tal ves, pudo a ver sido porque iba a ser medico, pero después, si se ve el interés, aunque me hubiera gustado mucho que le den mas tiempo en pantalla, era el único buen personaje masculino, y no el esposo no cuenta, perdón pero ese tipo no me cae, pero bueno, en si todo el drama estuvo bueno, y el hecho de que no solo la trama de la venganza sea lo único importante, sino también hay otros temas interesantes, como el hecho de que el tipo que no puede distinguir los colores, este pagando su karma en su hija, eso me gusto mucho, y espero en que la 2 temporada o parte, ese tipo sufra mucho, y su hija no lo acepte, cuando se entere todo lo que hizo en su pasado.

Hablemos un poco acerca del personaje, que sin ella, la prota no hubiera logrado todos sus objetivos, o al menos la mayoría, y ella la señora que es victima de abuso por parte de su esposo, que personaje para más divertido, siempre cuando estaba enojada por los bullies, ella me hacia sacar un sonrisa con todas sus ocurrencias, ella se convirtió en una de las personas mas importantes de nuestra prota, y a pesar de ella no le demuestra cariño, ella la quiere mucho con sus acciones, como el hecho de que le da miedo que ella se ponga en peligro, me gusta mucho su relación es como madre e hija.
Bueno ahora si creo que ya termino, solo espero que la 2 parte sea igual de buena que esta, hasta marzo tengo que esperar, para ver que sigue, y espero que nuestra prota logre todos sus objetivos, y que se quede con el chico doctor, porque se lo merece, ella merece ser feliz por fin, y se con la ayuda del chico todo será un poco mas fácil, y espero que no se muera ningún buen personaje, porque sino denuncio a netflix JAJA.

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Very very slow burn revenge

I was drawn to the overall premise. A victim dedicates her whole life and personality to seeking revenge on her high school bullies. You can see the PTSD and long term injuries she faced as a result of the extreme violence, even over 15 years later. And that, is to show just how much of an impact bullying can have on a person, which Korea really should learn by now.

Every episode being less than an hour was a huge blessing, and I sped through the first couple eps. But then, the drama slowed down a lot, more than I am used to. They cut to a different scene often to focus on each of the many characters, but the scenes themselves are boring to watch. This drama is an example of nothing's going on, but actually everything's going on.

The casting bothered me a lot at first. The older version of the male students looked believable, and so did Park Yeon Jin. But Song Hye Ko was an older actress than them, and the age gap was very obvious. The other girls also looked nothing like their past selves. Not a big issue, but just a hindrance if we want more accuracy of the casting. I know Song Hye Ko is suppose to play a cold woman who lost all emotions since the bullying, but her face was literally a stone, outside from the one time she (forcibly) laughed. And there was a lot of forced laughter in this show. On the other hand, I really enjoyed watching Jung Sung Il's performance! He plays a stoic guy as well, but I see sooo much expression with every blink and facial movement he makes.

A lot of parts are still confusing to me, but it's great in getting me ready to watch part 2 of the drama. Also, these comments make it seem like this show is a romance drama with the ships. I wish we talked more about the actual things going on, because this drama is a mess.

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Honestly Boring

I was expecting the revenge drama of the century from what I was told from other people. It felt like everyone and their mothers was watching this and raving about it, and when I finally get round to doing so myself, it has fallen completely flat.

What even was that I'm sorry lads but likeeee. So slow. No revenge. Song Hye Kyo's character was so boring I'm sorry but I just have to say it, girly showed zero emotion in my opinion and had no personality, she wasn't compelling at all. I agree it was horrible what happened to her, and I think the flashback scenes and actors were done very well to show those horrors, but I felt no passion towards her adult self's "revenge" because WHERE WAS IT? I literally feel like nothing happened. Fine you could say "ah it's a slow burn, she wants to destroy their lives slowly and subtly", but right like give me anything at all please, the burn was so slow that the fire got put out completely and I didn't care about the destruction at all. It didn't even end with a bang.

Also Lee Do Hyun's character felt so wedged in there, I feel like he just appeared and we are just expected to accept it, like bro what do you mean you've stuck around for that long without reciprocation and now you're willing to lay down EVERYTHING for this woman. I'm sorry bestie but I'm not buying it. I liked Im Ji Yeon's character, I thought she portrayed her role well, as did Jung Sung Il, I think him finding things out was the most exciting part of the drama because it was like oooo something is actually happening FINALLY because secrets are actually getting out, when secrets are being leaked between the bullies it is all just silent threat like who cares within that little bubble, they're all aware of the bullying anyway, but Jung Sung Il on the other hand ooooo if *he* knew then that would change things. His character and storyline would honestly be the only thing making me mildly inclined to watch the second season. I also liked Yeom Hye Ran's character because woooo personality!!! Proof that not everybody in this universe is an absolute robot.

I wanted to see Song Hye Kyo actually do things to make these guys' lives hell, make them genuinely fearful and remorseful, (and maybe I will get that if I watched the next season but lets be real lads I really cba) but all I really saw in this is people just take her side way too easily and roll over for her, it wasn't even like she was silently scary, I felt no emotion when she was giving threats, and felt no shock when things got "revealed" by her hand and when she "blackmailed" people. Maybe I'm just asking the wrong thing of this drama and my taste is just too naïve to enjoy such a subtle revenge drama like this but fine sue me for wanting something big and bold and shocking to happen. I lowkey wish they just like committed and made her a full blown psychopath or something, I need her to adopt crazy b**** mode, get some real revenge girly, and show some chaotic joy as you see them burn. Instead we just got Song Hye Kyo like :| 24/7. We aren't seeing you reap the benefits of your "revenge" which makes me question if it's even there in the first place!

Again, maybe I'm asking too much and this is the wrong kinda drama for me, and I'm just being impatient but come onnnnn *something* could've happened this season surely, it felt like we got absolutely nowhere. People might say to me "season 2 will give you everything you desire from this drama! Just watch it and the revenge starts properly!" but brooooo be for reallll I went through an entire season and got nothing, what was it even for, you can't tell me this whole season was just building the foundations, what a waste of time. Surely there was a better way of setting up for the real showdown without spending an entire 8 episodes on it. I'm not gonna wait a whole season for a tiny little spark. Sadly pretty damn disappointed eek ://

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Is There A Justification For Revenge

Watching this title, a viewer has not only the responsibility to look after themselves and their mental strength to cope with what seems to be fiction but is pretty close to reality, but also to reflect on this show and prohibit something like this from ever happening again. Usually, we don´t get this structured and thoroughly planned type of behavior from a victim of bullying. Most of us don´t even act on what was done to us at all. So watching this show actually portraying someone who devoted their life to take revenge is something weirdly fulfilling but warning at the same time. What is portrayed in "The Glory" shouldn´t be happening at all, there is no justification for ruining someone´s life for reasons such as boredom and the feeling of entitlement over others. Ignorance doesn´t protect a bully. Many don´t even know what long-term, lifetime wounds they have inflicted. The Glory is a rather radical and enlightening series revolving around what fury can cause and what bullying can destroy that the viewer can take as a lesson to learn from.

STORY / PLOT 9.0
The screenwriting is amazingly done. Compared to other Korean dramas, I even got the feeling that they found the perfect pacing here. Not too fast and not too slow most of the time. However, in some moments I personally desired that they dragged the moment a little further, then I would have totally bragged about this production. Moving from screenwriting and storytelling to how the characters are actually written also intrigued me, even though I wished there was a little bit more depth in one, or two characters (but that might be happening in the second part). All in all, I think the story is very well written and to my surprise makes a lot of sense and is not that unrealistic.

What really satisfied me was the cinematography in this series. I just wished that it would never end so I could watch these beautiful shots forever. The lighting in the most vulnerable and dynamic scenes inflamed my interest in those areas again.

ACTING / CAST 9.0
The story left aside, the acting is superb and I´m loving the tip-toeing in theatrical facial expressions, Sa-Ra (Kim Hi Eo Ra) taken as an example: The actress portrays a lot of histrionic reactions, most work done with her widely opened eyes. It undermines the traits of her character's personality, who has issues when it comes to identity and solid life. Her crazy facial expressions in her unstable and chaotic lifestyle just fit very well, without making things uncomfortable for me to watch acting-wise.

Song Hye Kyo´s (Moon Dong Eun) acting did not disappoint, she´s got the skills and talent to portray such a conflicted and deepest sorrowful, and from agony suffering woman. I don´t have to mention that her acting carries the series. On one hand, she is, of course, the main character but on the other hand, her acting is on-point. Every emotion she portrays is shown just in the right amount, making it even more stirring to watch.

The acting overall is very satisfying and pleasing to watch. There are a few exaggerations here and there, especially when it comes to Jae Joon. Despite his aggressive outbursts matching his choleric and inhumane nature and those exaggerations probably being a conscious choice of the director/ screenwriter to get its image stuck in the memories of the viewer, it felt a bit unnatural to me. (e.g.: when he met Ye Sol at the crosswalk)

MUSIC 8.0
I´m a fan of the intro, as well as the OSTs and songs that were chosen for this series. Most soundtracks set and fit the vibe of the series and I have no complaints about those.

REWATCH VALUE 7.0
Despite being a well-produced and written series, the triggers are very strong. It´s not an easy show to watch, especially when you know that Moon Dong Eun is one of many victims of bullying and the images and acts of inhumane violence against a schoolmate shown were hardly exaggerated.

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THE STARS

Although Dong Eun is supposed to be the main and most important character, the people ruling over my heart are Jae Joon, Yeon Jin and Sa Ra. Their badass attitude puts the screen on fire. Claps to Park Sung Hoon, Im Ji Yeon and Kim Hi Eo Ra for their incredible acting.
Despite knowing that Dong Eun had been badly bullied, I feel that wasting the remaining years of her life just to come back for revenge is killing herself. She escaped the torture but ended up torturing herself. Moving on would have been tough but holding back is tougher. She had the option to lead a better life but she herself destroyed it. The ones who had bullied her have experienced all the joys of life and lived life to their fullest so even if she manages to wreck their life, its fruitless. They are already happier than her. She would still be the one at the loosing end no matter what.

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This drama was very “matter of fact” for lack of better words. It sorts out the Good and Bad for you so you couldn’t even think twice to pick a side; the evil were unquestionably evil you couldn’t help but root for the main character.

First it traumatizes you exposing you to the absolute worst that a person can go through then lures you in, dangling that carrot of sweet, sweet revenge. Now you’re invested and can’t help but see this journey through. And for some reason this was exactly what I found to be wrong with it.

The drama relied heavily on your feelings of absolute hatred for the bullies and placed all of its bet on your desire to see them hit rock bottom ignoring everything else.

Everything was just too convenient. How people blindly sided with the FL, how crimes were casually committed and how, for some reason, people were more than O.K. with it and how there was a pattern to everything that after a while you could predict exactly what was going to happen next.

There were no apparent plot holes and the acting was superb but there was still something missing. The characters lacked depth and the plot, despite its heavy nature, did too.

Our FL, Dong Eun, despite going through the absolute worst of abuse, displayed some very random, nonsensical trauma responses that seemed to only arise at times of convenience.

Which brings me to the romance. I don’t see why it needed to be included in the first place. It was so forced and did not add up nor make sense when taking into account Dong Eun’s past.

It was almost like the writer woke up one day and was like, this is how things would go, no questions asked. Now let’s take them there no matter what. Lots of cringy moments were born thanks to this and I almost dosed off in a lot of parts.

But guess what? I still tuned in ‘cause I wanted to see how these motherf’ing bullies go down, which was also for some reason not as climactic as I would’ve like/thought it would be. All thanks to the writer’s “convenient” way of sorting matters.

So yeah, will I be rewatched this ever again? Don’t think so, but I still enjoyed it. Not the thriller I expected but still a fun watch as long as you turn off your brain and leave the character analysis at home.

I understand the buzz around this drama, but it could’ve been much better.

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The best revenge drama of 2022

The Glory is the drama that 'Eve' wanted to be! This one is honestly the best drama of 2022.

Plot review- the plot is nothing new but the way it is treated is way more raw and real. While I was watching The Glory, I kept thinking about how 'eve' was also a revenge-oriented drama but it failed to connect with me as much as the glory did. the past scenes in the beginning eps truly make you feel hatred toward the bullies and root for Dong Eun even if that meant killing them. and the way the romance is there but subtle and the way even the attraction from Do Yeon is used to create more mystery about the ending is what I want from a thriller drama.

I've a small quip though, although I liked the majority of how Dong Eun goes about avenging her bullies, but her being physically powerless every time she meets the bullies and threatens them is very naive. Every time she met Myeong O or the gang alone, my mind would go to how easily she could be overpowered if they lost their temper and killed her there and then. I mean killing a nobody is not gonna be a big deal for these rich bullies. So training in some kind of martial arts or keeping a gun with her is not so bizzare. the physical powerlessness of Dong Eun annoyed me. the revenge planning in 'My Name' is a good example for that when Han So Hee knows how to fight if it comes down to it.

I loved the brewing love between Dong Eun and Yeo Jeong. It was not too fast to be unbelievable nor too slow, the relationship progression was quite realistic and both of their reactions to each other is what makes me think they will be the end game. Although I also feel there is not gonna be any happy ending for any of the good people.

Casting and Acting- Frankly, the best performance from Song Hye Kyo after a long time. You see one episode and you know why everybody is praising it. There is one thing about using expensive locations and stunning BG score, but you can’t fake your way into viewers’ hearts with monotonous dialogue delivery and honestly bad acting from even side characters. And that’s the best thing about the glory, not even a single supporting actor delivered badly. Truly, each actor be it the high school students, the main actors or the old actors did not disappoint.

The Glory not just has the most perfect casting; the young actors and the older ones are so well casted who match exactly how they might’ve aged. I found Shin Ye Eun so akin to Lim Ji Yeon. Also, Ye Eun is turning out to be a fine actress considering her last project was in exactly the opposite side of bullying. The way she portrays this rich spoilt and truly evil bully is so convincing that I totally lost all my sympathies for her. And Ji Yeon has acted the mannerisms to the T from the younger actress. Song Hye Kyo has undoubtedly proved herself after the disappointing performance in her previous drama. Maybe she is a director’s actor who knows, but she has performed Dong Eun brilliantly. You never doubt if she is the same girl who went through horrific bullying in highschool. Lastly, praising the actors wont be complete w/o mention Jung Ji So, who has incredibly portrayed a bullied highshooler to the T. The past scenes were heart-breaking to watch because the bullies and Ji So has acted so perfectly that it all seems so real. The fact that it’s a drama was the only way I could watch through those scenes. But it honestly made me teary eyed a bit.

The cinematography, and the ost are all amazing. The mix of past and present, the color grading of some scenes and all the beautiful shots make for an absolutely stunning drama (if only the past scenes weren’t so heart-breaking)

The Glory is a glorious revenge of Dong Eun whose vengeance consumes each person, even slightly related to her bullies. A game of avenging Dong Eun's incomparable pain that is executed so beautifully and magnanimously. I definitely recommend this drama if you want to be engulfed in Dong Eun's hatred and see her emerge victorious. And also definitely watch this if you forgot how amazing of an actor Song Hye Kyo is!

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Finished yesterday and already rewatching

I don’t usually write reviews but i have to admit that this is one of the best suspense kdramas i’ve watched in awhile. i love how the female lead is determined to get revenge no matter what, not letting anything get in her way. if i was her i’d want revenge too considering all that was done to her. then the male lead being so eager and willing to move cities for her and kill her her says a lot, she has people who are loyal by her side and honestly without them i don’t think she’d be able to complete all that she has. i just can’t wait for season two because the cliff hanger we were left on is NOT IT!!!!!

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A very relatable story that you shouldn't miss!

Story: The story is very compelling to watch and you can really sympathize with Moon Dong Eun. Revenge isn't the answer to anything, but for her, it is and it could also be her salvation. This a very well-written scenario that shows how cruel people can be because they believe that they can get away with anything and how determined, daring, and tough someone can be to deal with the ones that destroyed their life before it ever began. I am sure we can all relate to the story, the characters, the circumstances, and whatnot. Moreover, it is an unpredictable story. For example, after each Dong Eun meeting with them, you are on your toes to see what's going to happen. We see that even though Son Myeong Oh and Choi Hye Jeong agreed to cooperate with her, they get so desperate for their own reasons that they end up digging their own grave instead. I don't think that Dong Eun really needs them but she has studied all of them enough to manipulate them and ultimately destroy them.

Cast: The cast is awesome and the acting is top-notch. Nothing much to say really. The actors/actresses make you feel all kinds of emotions which is what you want from an actor/actress at the end of the day.

Overall: I enjoyed watching The Glory. It is a story that makes you think and feel. It's a story that can happen to anyone. Give The Glory a chance, and I can assure you, you won't regret it.

Score: 10/10

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