The Glory

Good, but sending an odd message

The Glory is a gripping drama that kept me watching from episode to episode. I really liked the overall story and found myself hooked on how the plot unfolded. However, the show presents a very intense and somewhat unusual approach to dealing with bullying. While the protagonist’s journey for revenge is emotionally strong, it sometimes felt like she had help a little too easily, with several people supporting her despite not having a very convincing reason to do so.

The cast did a great job, and the acting felt genuine and impactful. The music wasn’t really my style, though it didn’t take away from the experience either. Overall, it’s a compelling drama with a strong storyline, even if some parts feel a bit stretched or dramatic. If you like emotional thrillers and revenge plots, this is definitely worth watching.

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Revenge but it's a slow burn

The foundation could've been written better. I get it's a revenge based story but there isn't much to the foundation. Why are the bullies, bullies? How do they get away with it?

I would've enjoyed the younger actors getting more details and story. Yes bullying is bad and it shouldn't be done. It just feels like they missed a chance to give us context. I have had friends that ended up being bullies and had to stop being their friend because they couldn't or wouldn't change. It's clear there's one main bully, why are the rest still that person's friend??? Context would've given this a 10.

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Revenge can be so Satisfying

In an era when school bullying remains a serious problem, The Glory feels particularly relevant. The drama is highly emotional, especially for someone like me with a strong sense of justice. The bullies are so vicious and cruel - almost psychopathic - that I absolutely hated them. Then there is Dong-eun's useless, drunken mother, who should protect her daughter but is more interested in money, and the teachers who turn a blind eye because the bullies come from wealthy and influential families. They are all equally infuriating.

This review covers the complete series — both Part 1 and Part 2 — rather than looking at them separately as they are streamed continuously.

Perhaps this is why the drama is so satisfying. Moon Dong-eun grows from a helpless victim into an intelligent and calculating woman capable of matching her wits against the people who destroyed her childhood and dashed her dream of becoming an architect. Of course, someone carrying that much pain is unlikely to emerge completely unscathed. Dong-eun is damaged, obsessive and consumed by revenge.

This is where The Glory becomes more than a simple revenge story. When a country's legal and policing systems fail to protect the innocent and deliver justice — especially when the perpetrators are too powerful to be held accountable — people may feel driven to seek justice through dark and personal revenge. Dong-eun's revenge is helped by others who have also experienced pain and suffering and can understand her.

The drama becomes a fascinating game of psychological warfare as the two sides counter each other's moves, while Dong-eun cleverly uses people on the fringes of her enemies' lives to get closer to her main target. There are morally questionable moments, and revenge sometimes takes dark and disturbing turns, but there is still an undeniable satisfaction in seeing the perpetrators finally face the consequences of their actions.

I did have a few minor quibbles about realism. Can someone really learn Go and become that proficient so quickly? And could a teacher realistically accumulate enough money to finance such an elaborate revenge plan, including a car and a separate apartment used mainly for surveillance? I also wondered whether chauffeurs and personal assistants would really go to such extraordinary lengths to cover up their employers' crimes rather than expose them.

These, however, are minor issues. The emotional tension kept me thoroughly invested — so much so that when Dong-eun appeared to be contemplating suicide towards the end, I was thinking, if she dies after everything she has been through, I am going to 'curse' the screenwriter and director!

The cast delivers excellent performances, with Im Ji-yeon particularly outstanding as the main villain. It is interesting to see her in such a different role from her leading role in Royal Nemesis.

Overall, I found The Glory highly entertaining, dark and immensely satisfying. The bullies will make your blood boil, but watching Dong-eun cunningly turn the tables on them makes the journey worthwhile. It is a gripping revenge drama about what happens when justice fails — and the victim decides to take matters into her own hands.

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The Glory- A game of Go

The Glory- A game of Go

From episode 1-8, I have been so hooked on the plot of this drama. I think it’s my first time seeing a school violence kdrama where the victim retaliates in such an interesting and well-planned way ad I’m enjoying this new take.

Although some of the line deliverance is slow (like most kdramas), the plot itself moves at a steady speed so it isn’t at all boring.

Song Hyekyo: I haven’t seen her play such a calm yet devious character and I am definitely impressed. She’s done a great job so far. As for her character, Dongeun, I am highly impressed with how the writers developed her- she changed in an fascinating yet comprehensible way which I liked.

Lim Ji-Yeon: WOW WOW WOW. I first saw her in High Society years ago and thought, ‘Aw, they should give this cutie more roles!’ CUTIE?!! I hated her character so much that I can’t look at her without associating her to Yeonjin- what a fantastic job she’s done. I’m looking forward to more great acting from her. As for Yeonjin herself, I really don’t understand how she thought she’d get away with lying to her daughter. Sooner or later, the kid would grow up and ask questions so what was her plan..?

Shin Yeeun: Sometimes I feel like I hate young Yeonjin more than the older version. Her expressions send me into literal RAGE! I can’t believe how impactful her acting was even though he has very little screen time compared to older Yeonjin.

Park Sunghoon: I loved him in Squid Game S2; I hated him here. Brilliant acting, mister.

Lee Dohyun: I refuse to believe someone who looks like him waited for the same unresponsive girl for 8 years- it just didn’t work for me. However, the way he was a mere loser in the beginning but had a lot more to his personal story later on, was very surprising.

The casting is PERFECT.

There are so many things that really caught my eye and held great significance which added to the plot: the significance of Go, the green shoes (and its painting), the ‘mememto mori’ tattoo and the tape covering it, the garden of devil’s trumpets… Whoever came up with all of this: hats off for the little details because I’m someone who loves little details.

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Truly powerful and intense experience

in my opinion, it is an outstanding show, but it comes with a strong content warning: it features severe abuse scenes that are very difficult to watch.

Learning that parts of the bullying are based on a real-life incident makes the viewing experience even more harrowing.
At the same time, the series reflects trauma and violence in a raw, realistic, and unfiltered way—a refreshing and important departure from typical K-dramas.

Because the core subject touches upon real-world issues, it is very easy to empathize with the female lead, feel her pain, and support her meticulous, years-long revenge strategy.

Song Hye-kyo delivers a phenomenal performance—cold and calculated, yet deeply layered with emotion.

Beyond the personal revenge plot, the series raises profound questions about human nature, class privilege, and the way institutional systems often fail victims of severe violence.

It is a brilliant, gripping, and masterfully crafted drama, but it is definitely not recommended for viewers who are sensitive to heavy depictions of abuse

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Great revenge drama!

I really liked this drama especially the twists and turns it takes which keep you engaged in the plot. It never wavers or drags. There were few light moments, so keep in mind that you will be watching a lot of intense violence and cruelty in these episodes. Song Kye Hyo shines in this drama in a very understated way as the adult victim of high school bullying who sets out to take revenge on her sold classmates.

The drama depicts a society in which victims are terrorized by the rich and powerful who get away with crimes by buying off the right people. In this case, Moon Dong Sun (Kyo) is a student who is targeted by the worst bullies in her high school. Her torment is exacerbated by the fact that her cry for help falls on deaf ears and, with money, anything can be swept under the rug. The sense of hopelessness this creates propels our FL into action as she wills herself to live for revenge.

Kyo, and actress Jung Ji Soo, play the older and younger Moon Dong Sun respectively. They masterfully bring the tormented teen and steel-willed adult together to birth an avenging angel, ready to mete out punishment on her perps, while discovering the humanity she thought lost thanks to the help of caring adults she meets along the way

The perps are unfortunately depthless caricatures of how school bullies behave. Their cruelty is so over-the-top that it transcends the line between standard bullying and criminal deviancy. There is no backstory on any of these perps. You only get a glimpse of their family lives and the subtle hints of the superficiality and lack of genuine care to explain their deviancy. In the end, there is more to these teenagers than just normal teenage aggression, and this is done for the sake of dramatic purpose. The drama could not be as compelling were it just a case of high school bullying, as that kind of behavior is often forgotten with time and maturity. So, making them straight up criminals makes for a stronger plot and justifies our heroine's need for revenge.

The surprising thing is that these perps have not lost touch with each other. They are all tied together by their criminal secrets, love affairs, and selfish intentions. There is no camaraderie or love lost among these five bastards, and you wonder why they still suffer each other? At least it makes it easier for Moon Dong Sun to plot her revenge.

The romance angle is the weakest part of the plot. There wasn't any chemistry between the female and male leads. I wish they could have thought of a better way to keep them in each other's lives without resorting to that tired old story. Perhaps that was the respite to the heavier plot points.

It was still a better written drama than I was expecting, so I am pleased with the results. It also had a nice soundtrack and I would recommend this to audiences that like revenge plots.

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There will be neither forgiveness nor glory.

"There will be neither forgiveness nor glory."

Forgiveness can mean many things. And it is telling that the Pie Jesu Domine from Fauré's Requiem is the last thing we hear in the final episode, as the two protagonists enter the prison. From a Christian perspective, it means entrusting oneself to God and choosing to accept things as they are. "Lord, forgive those who have offended us." Mortal justice would serve no purpose. That kind of forgiveness does not grant absolution. A loophole that can sometimes save lives… Or impose silence and impunity, depending on who offers it. The heroine chooses neither option. She will take her revenge. They will pay for it, just like in that first scene at the motorway checkpoint.

It's exhausting to stay angry. A destructive emotion. It feeds on itself and needs to be fed. You mustn't lose focus and must keep in mind the source of that inner rage. But at times we allow ourselves joy because we're entitled to it ; those moments prove that we're alive... How many days does that add up to in total ? Not many, no doubt. Revenge doesn't change the past and we have a lot to lose, of course, but what about someone who has already lost everything ? The truth is that harassment seeps into the flesh and revenge destroys everything. The two are completely unrelated.
Not understanding it means you're in luck.

An ideal role for Song Hye-kyo, who had just learnt of her divorce from the press whilst she was in China. Her cowardly husband is forcing her to make this choice in public. A rather disgraceful attitude.

"I am not looking for a prince, but for an executioner who will join me in my dance of sacrifice"

I've read that the bullying aspect was exaggerated and too violent. But the (talented) screenwriter drew on a true story. Those wealthy young people who brutalised, confined, burned and SAed a disadvantaged pupil at their school : it really did happen, as the first episode shows. The school, the doctors and the police failed to defend the victim and instead protected the perpetrators.
(Seeing Shin Ye-eun as a sadistic villain wasn't something I expected at all, and her cruel smile is truly cold-blooded)

"Why do poor people believe that good always triumphs ?"

The mere mention of Kim Eun-Sook's name in the credits usually suffices to make you want to watch it. The story unfolds brilliantly, with each element falling into place according to its own logic. And the plot builds tension skillfully, knowing exactly how to show rather than tell, and then confirm without imposing. Exceptional.

I absolutely love the way the protagonist doesn't even try to make these privileged pieces of [redacted] feel guilty. They don't understand what she wants. Simply unthinkable to these people that anyone wouldn't want to make them confess their crimes or squeeze money out of them. And they feel no guilt whatsoever, so it becomes unbearable in their minds. Their "enemy" doesn't think like them ; that is the worst torture they could face. "When one has the intelligence to understand, one has the sense not to ask", wrote Balzac. They will ask, take offence, drive themselves mad, turn on one another, but they will never have the intelligence to understand. Too used to seeing things work out for them. How could it be otherwise ?

These wealthy families inflict violence on others and on themselves. That is simply what Dong-eun, their victim, exploits. Their world is violent ; to survive, they must be violent, to stay at the top of the hill of wealth. People underestimate the violence of the rich. Consequently, revenge isn't even particularly satisfying ; it is simply a continuation of this oppressive logic. Dong-eun derives no satisfaction from it. A clever narrative choice. Very clever. No doubt the reason why some people find the series disappointing or boring ? I, for one, find it fascinating.

The music remains understated for the most part. Bowed strings, violin harmonics, a shift from one chord to another with a pad added. At times it becomes lyrical, with strings and a piano taking centre stage. Kim Joon-seok and Jeong Se-rin do a fine job.

_Sa-ra, the painter, her paintings are reminiscent of Olivier Debré’s. Clearly beautiful.
_The alcoholic mother sent to a psychiatric hospital... I’m not a fan.
_A fine performance by Lim Ji-Yeon ! you almost feel sorry for her character whilst hating her.
_Yum Hye-ran, always in roles as mothers having a rough time on this earth.

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watch it

i really enjoyed watching this, it shows her getting her revenge the way she had planned to. The acting was truly amazing and really wowed me, everyone played their role amazingly and for how much of a sensitive and dark topic it is there is nothing i can criticise them on. The whole time i definitely felt on edge and felt very sympathetic for the main character, the reason why i gave emotion 7 is just because yes i did feel a lot of things but not what i thought i was going to feel. The plot twists were so on point and jaw dropping like you definitely did not expect it to happen! I think it is kinda a slow burn but not at the same time ykwim? like it goes into DEPTH about everything and i feel like the proper proper revenge only takes place in the last few episodes but i didn’t find one episode boring and it always left you on the edge of your seat for sure!!!

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Revenge is a dish best served COLD

I actually started this drama for Song Hye kyo and came to like Lee do Hyun more. And for some reason I liked Jung sung il character and Yoem Hye ran character too.

The storyline of this drama starts off with severe violence and the burn marks and forced kiss made me sick really. If this kind of bullying actually happen somewhere, I think I am so lucky I am not there. Seriously, it's so complicated that the victim can't even fight back. The worst part is the teacher being abusive as well. When the teacher beat her, no one in the room stopped or questioned him. How in the name of God, did they become teachers- seriously. The body shaming done by the boys in latter episode was not physically abusive but is emotionally worse than abusive. The way they say that they change target after one falls is a bit scary.

Even among the five there are 2 underdogs and they bite severely on those below them making them the worst and deserving of all sorts of punishment. All of them are in their personal hell as well.
This drama is a little bit scary really. I am not a fragile person but I feel like this because this drama brings out the violence side of me. I actually didn't feel the lead's revenge, unwarranted. I think the bullies deserve it. Especially, The scene where dong-eun fears grilling meat and has panic attack and when she cries of fear and disgust after meeting jae-jin in bathroom explains why they deserve it.

The parts that deserve applause are:
1. When Yeon Jin fears if her daughter finds out about her being a bully
2. When dong-eun says jae-jin that she is a daughter of someone too and hands him the little girl's colourless drawing
3. When yeo-jeong says to dong-eun that he'll be her executioner
4. When dong-eun teases jae-jin that he doesn't know what colourful means
5. When dong-eun instructs her students not to bully others
6. When dong-eun uses sa-ra for money and says she is going to hell
7. When hye-jeong's mother-in-law adores dong-eun which makes her kneel
8. When the teacher confronts dong-eun infront of his son (but seriously as much as I hate this teacher, being killed by his own son for what he has done is ****)

There was this scene that made me think a lot and cry a bit. It was the confrontation scene between Yeon-Jin and dong-eun where she says "Don't apologise. You need to receive punishment. Criminal punishment if God is on your side and divine punishment if God is on my side. Let's slowly wilt and die together, Yeon-Jin". Why would dong-eun want to die with her, after revenge she may continue to live right. But somehow I felt that after her revenge, she would lose the purpose of her survival because Yeon-Jin is her dream. What kind of a twisted story is this.

Throughout this drama, there are many what if's came through my mind like What if she had good parents though poor! What if the teacher was a better person! What if the school nurse was braver! What if she had one good adult to listen to her!

The house-keeper character is one of the best character of the drama. From making a deal to kill her husband To trying to develop an honest friendship with dong-eun, she was one person who seemed like a normal person in this drama. (Dong-eun is definitely not normal, living solely for the purpose of revenge, however justified, is definitely not normal)

Yeo-jeong's story was not detailed in this season. But however it was one of the reason I continued watching this series in the start.

Ha do-yeong, the rich husband of the antagonist. I can't categorize him in either way. However, he realises how evil his wife is in the last episode and we don't know how he is going to respond to it. But his character built-up was special. So he is one of the reason I am waiting for the season 2.

I think every actor has given their best in this drama. No special mention to anyone. Although I loved Song Hye kyo's acting in this drama, at times my mind wondered about an irony (i.e.) how powerful she is in real life than others and how powerless she seem in the drama.

Why I recommend this drama?!:
1. It conquers emotions well
2. The actors have done their job quite well
3. It will make you cry at times
4. I don't know what more to say really

Why I won't recommend this drama?!:
1. It's so dark and has extreme violence ( using stapler and hair straightener iron on someone.... And the red marks...)
2. It will make you uncomfortable at times

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Overly authentic : the reason why it's good

I usually don't like dramas/movies about school bullying because to me, it always looks like they make it look "better" than what it actually is. The bullies end up begging the victim at the very first moves, etc. And it's all the same thing. We know that there's some bullies that don't regret their actions at all. And this drama we got to see the harsh reality of it.

I started watching this drama because everybody around me were saying that this drama is what comes closest to how bullying actually is in South-Korea. So I was expecting for something that make me break, a drama that doesn't make me empathize for bullies one bit. And this drama was "The Glory".

The violence of some of these scenes was unbearable. Really. Sometimes I had to look away because it was just too much for me. I never gotten bullied but I was in pain, just watching those. The hot iron, the humiliation, the sexual assaults, everything was too much. Not negatively too much for this drama, but too much because I was thinking "I can't believe that somebody is probably experiencing the same thing or worse, right now as we speak". This is why I really liked this drama, it was harsh, it was real, it wasn't polished.

At first, I didn't really like how she got close to a guy that might be her love interest in the future. Because I thought he was going to try to convince her not to go about her revenge, but he followed through. Even Yeonjin's husband is about to follow through because he's the only one in his right mind.

I liked how we get to see inside the bullies clan and how they actually don't really like each other. How they would look down on their "friends" who have less money than them. How they would throw each other under the bus to save their own ass.

I like how in this drama no one is trying to stop her and tell to be the "bigger person", they ALL understand her, they understand her pain. And they know the people that made her went through it, need and deserve the worst punishment. No matter what is it is.

The devil's flower look up in the sky and the angel's flower look down on the ground. No matter how you interpreted, this saying of that old lady in the first episode is important to retain in all our minds.

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I’m afraid I’ll forget what I should be doing if I start laughing. – Moon Dong Eun

okay, so this would be one of 2023's top tier kdrama ever since the first quarter of the year. Seems the story has not yet ended for dong-eun's revenge, I guess the ending seems to getting clearer and brigher... but at the same time, the grey areas are coming in. With the never-expected plot and based on real-life events especially the school-student's system in sk, i guess this was too brutal for a student to be bullied. And it's not the same as what other wester dramas or movie portrays, but the drama was too realistic that even viewers could say that this was too violent. It's far from fantasy, turns to a deep fact check reality for everyone. So, I'll go with the note, from its cinematography, ost, casts and characters, including the story/plot.

STORY AND/OR PLOT
so the story started to get into when it discovered about how Moon Dong-eun escaped from the pain she has. A student who was the second bystander/victim from a bullying scandal, involving the other student who transferred and went missing. Moon Dong-eun, who started from getting hate and no one cares about what she feels and how she escaped and plans to get revenge to the kids who messed her badly. As she was dreaming to be an architect, but due to her situations with the kids bullying her physically, mentally and emotionally, she worked at a factory at a young age in her late 20's, until she continued studying in college in an late age then turned to be a homeroom teacher of Park Yeon-jin's first daughter. And with that the kids who bullied he,r such as Park Yeon-jin, who married a wealthy man and has a biological daughter and works as a news broadcaster, while Jeon Jae-joon, who was yeo-jin's biological father who owns a luxury business. Lee Sa-ra who was an addict and owns an art-cafe, Choi Hye-jeong who works as a flight attendant and constantly regrets a little of what she did to Dong-eun, Son Myeong-oh who was an ass and the one who harrassed Dong-eun in high school. And lastly, Yeon-jin's husband, Ha Do-Young who slowly gets involved with his wife's case. But then, Dong-eun slowly gets to meet Joo Yeo Jung, a plastic surgery doctor from his mother's big owned hospital, and Kang Hyun-nam, who she discovered to give revenge and asked for justice and needs from Dong-eun from his husband who was an abuser. As the two of them discovered Dong-eun's secrets and situations that she won't ever forget, until the were all together to be with dong-eun and give revenge and justice as one.
Well this was a long note, but the story seems to be very VERY interesting tbh. With the bullies who had their successful careers and dreams, while Moon Dong-eun still suffers inside. I guess her life was pretty tough and she doesn't event believe in faith. What she wants and craves for more justice is the revenge that she would badly want.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND OST
in this part, I guess i'm neutral with the ost. Nothing to be so special about it but then I like the every ending of the episode, get me hooked with it. The cinematography was better, blending with the atmosphere of each and every scene.

CASTS AND CHARACTERS
So, here I am getting excited to type what I was expecting with the casts. Especially most of them were very new to me. Starting with one of my fav hallyu kdrama star, Song Hye-Kyo. After her divorce controversy with Song Joong-Ki, she really changed so much. From her facial expression and feelings that I couldn't see her smiling so much specifically her role in the glory. She discovered this drama that gives me excitement that I have never expected her to be part of this type of brutal roles. Tbh, she has soooo much potential. The second time I saw her is this drama from the descendants of the sun. Now with her character, Moon Dong-eun was a relatable character that every victims has. As what I have heared, SK has the most cases of bullying that even administrators or teachers doesn't mind about it. Again, I was pretty proud for her and rooting for her next role, she is so unstoppable. Next, Im-Ji Yeon. woahhh she was far from her character, and she fits so well with this role. As she was a villain, I guess she was very lucky to shine with this drama and the first time I saw here with this drama. Her character was so much annoying like I wanna punch her. Not to hate the actress, but she really fits with her role. I love her so much but Park Yeon-jin was heading too far from what she did to Dong-eun. Rooting for her as well! Next up, Lee Do-hyun. From what his roles are from, I guess this one I was pretty neutral with his role. So far, I can't get over to his role from 18 again, but I guess since he doesn't have that time scene much yet, hope he would give most of the time to show the background story of his character, Joo Yeo-Jung, up to the end of the season 1 I wondered why he was joining with Dong-eun except falling in love with her? But yea, also rooting for him! Yom Hye-ran was also on another level, the first time I saw her + her character was very promising, hoping that she would not betray Dong-eun. Kang Hyun Nam, her character was a softie to her. What I mean is that she gives everything Dong-eun wants to give revenge as well as Dong-eun knows her story of being abused by her husband. And with the other casts, I know this part of the note was very long, I really appreciated their roles and characters, way too promising. hoping that there would be a good ending for season 2!

Overall, rating it a 10 out of 10, how I wish that the episodes of season2 would came out faster. The story was way too interesting especially the last episode, hoping that Dong-eun deserve a good ending for her justice.
A good watch, great for time kill, not quite beginner friendly since it was too "violent" and "brutal" :'))
Oh, and even my mom liked this drama haha.

Looking forward to the casts :333

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