Twisted love tainted with blood
When society punishes people for being not beautiful in their eyes, some become monsters.Every episode features a vignette of specific characters' moments in life. From the 80s to current times, we follow how characters without being self-aware punish themselves and their loved ones.
Young-lady hiding her face for love.
Young-man searching for love through streamers.
Old-lady that creates lies about her son to be adored by society.
Young-lady who finds friendship in dark places.
Young-girl disregarded by society due to her blood.
One of the most beautiful korean shows of 2023. Cinematography was creative and aestheticly done throughout the series. The main highlights were episode 1 and 7.
For those that like heavy-scripts, comedic horror and ill-fated tragedies.
Do not watch trailer. It spoils everything. Watch it blind.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " Mask Girl " is a mini series with a suspenseful story.The drama is bold, with mature themes, dark scenes, black humour, and a lot of murders. It spans over many years, telling the story of Momi, a girl with a mask literary and metaphorically. And even though the time jumps didn't do the drama any favours, often messing and confusing the plot, while spoiling the momentum, the story itself is enough griping to keep things interesting. The ending was also shocking and perfect for the story.
The performances, in addition, were outstanding, especially by the leading ladies who did great portraying Momi throughout the years.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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Not the kind of story I was expecting from a kdrama
I haven’t seen a kdrama this raw in a while. Some scenes are very disturbing so don’t watch this if you’re expecting a True Beauty vibe just because it’s about an ugly girl who wants to be pretty- FAR FROM IT.The turn of events from a psychological thriller to a literal thriller did seem a little sudden to me, but since this drama is the story of one specific character and her specific story, I suppose it makes sense. Regardless, there were some parts that didn’t fit into the storyline and made me think ‘why did she do that??’, ‘why wouldn’t she do this?’, etc.
Kim Kyung-Ja was a horrible character- perfectly written. I hated her character so much because she portrays the perfect ‘boy mum’ that irks you to the core!
The drama is good for a one-time watch and has a captivating storyline to keep you hooked but beware: there are uncomfortable scenes and touchy topics. Very heartbreaking.
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★ Mask Girl – A Brutal, Beautiful Tragedy Beneath the Makeup
There are shows that entertain, and then there are shows that haunt.Mask Girl is very much the latter — a gritty, painful, and deeply layered K-drama that drags you down into the ugly underbelly of beauty standards, shame, and vengeance. It's not a comfortable watch, but it's unforgettable.
At its core, Mask Girl is a story about identity — how it’s shaped, broken, and stolen. It follows Kim Mo-mi, a woman relentlessly judged for her appearance from a young age, and the devastating ripple effect this rejection has on her life. And from the moment you hear her voice in that childhood recording, declaring “I want to be loved by everyone,” you realize — this isn’t a story about vanity. It’s a story about survival in a world that denies you love unless you’re perfect.
"A Monster Isn't Born — It's Created"
That one quote could summarize the entire essence of Mask Girl.
Mo-mi doesn’t begin as someone malicious or dangerous. She’s just a girl. A girl with dreams, with pain, with an aching need to be accepted. But she grows up constantly told she's not good enough, not beautiful enough, and slowly, over the years, she learns to wear masks — literal and metaphorical — to be seen.
Every phase of her life plays out like a new tragedy. Different actresses portray her through these stages, and yet somehow, it never feels disjointed. That deep, heavy sadness remains consistent — especially in the eyes. It’s a masterclass in casting and acting. Each version of Mo-mi carries the trauma of the last, slowly unraveling until there's nothing left but pain and desperation.
The show subtly and powerfully highlights how society creates the very monsters it later condemns. From parental pressure, misogyny, and superficial beauty standards to online harassment and revenge culture, every theme hits hard — because none of it feels exaggerated. It’s grounded. Real. And that’s what makes it all the more painful.
Social Commentary in Every Frame. The show excels as both a beauty drama and a societal critique. It dissects the obsession with appearance and the way society punishes women who fall outside the mold — or worse, women who fight back.
Mo-mi’s journey is contrasted sharply with those around her — other women clinging to power, men using and discarding her, and even her eventual transformation into something unrecognizable. But the tragedy is that she was never truly ugly. The world told her she was, and that lie changed everything.
The Acting is Phenomenal. This point can’t be stressed enough. Every actress who plays Mo-mi gives a gut-wrenching performance, especially in the scenes where everything starts to fall apart. Whether it’s her quiet desperation, explosive rage, or crushing isolation, the performances are raw, human, and impossible to look away from.
You feel for her. Even when she’s done terrible things.
Because you understand why.
And that kind of empathy is powerful — and rare.
The final episode is where everything truly sinks in.
Her daughter — the only one left to carry on Mo-mi’s story — finds an old tape where young Mo-mi is asked:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be loved by everyone.”
And that’s the moment you realize — it was never about fame or revenge. She just wanted love.
But instead, her life was consumed by rejection and judgment.
Just as the daughter begins to understand the truth, she’s shot dead by another broken woman — one obsessed with her son’s death, blind to the fact that her son was never innocent. It’s a cycle of grief, denial, and generational trauma that ends not in redemption, but in silence.
That final moment doesn’t offer comfort — and that’s the point.
It offers reflection.
A chance to sit in your discomfort and think: What happens when the world doesn’t let you be loved?
Mask Girl is cruel. Heart breaking. Messy.
But it’s also beautifully told, emotionally rich, and unafraid to hold a mirror up to society and force us to look. It doesn't paint heroes or villains — it paints people. Broken, flawed, desperate people.
A devastatingly honest, beautifully acted, and emotionally layered critique of beauty, identity, and how easily the world turns love into punishment.
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Trending the wrong way
I watch Kdramas because they aren't as gritty or raw as what tends to be popular in the USA. Not so with Mask Girl. I binged it on turbo with lots of 10 seconds ahead clicking. I finished it but have a sour taste in my mouth. Same reason I haven't watched beyond Season 1 of the Squid Game. If I want the sleaze, gore, excess profanity, etc etc I'll just watch what Hollywood grinds out. Actually, I won't. I'll pass on all of its ilk.Was this review helpful to you?
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I got lost at Ep 6 because what was really happening?
Not going to lie—this was an unexpectedly powerful drama.I had Mask Girl sitting in my watchlist for ages, collecting digital dust. I finally gave it a chance—and I’m glad I did. What started as a seemingly shallow exploration of beauty spiraled into something far darker and more compelling.
Is This Really a Comedy?
Calling this drama a “comedy” feels misleading. The only genuinely funny moments were during Kim Mo Mi’s time in prison—specifically, her recurring fights with the same gang leader every time she left solitary confinement. It was so absurd, I couldn’t stop laughing. Nana’s performance in those scenes was brilliant—nuanced, fierce, and completely unforgettable. That alone had me looking her up to learn more about her work. She deserves every bit of praise.
From Predictable to Unpredictable
At first, I assumed this would be another overused narrative about inner beauty—something along the lines of True Beauty with a darker twist. But around episode 3, everything shifted. The story took unexpected turns, and by episode 6, I honestly didn’t know where it was going.
That’s not to say the storytelling was perfect. It felt like the writers tried to cram too many plotlines into a limited number of episodes. By episode 6, I was questioning whether episode 7 was truly the end, because there didn’t seem to be a proper setup for a conclusion. Yet somehow, episode 7 managed to tie things together—rushed, but impactful.
The Tragedy of a Broken Bloodline
One character I couldn't stand was the grandmother. Cold, obsessive, and emotionally destructive. I kept wondering—what if Kim Mo Mi had just told her the truth? That she was her granddaughter? Would things have turned out differently? I believe they might have. As twisted as the grandmother was, her obsessive love for her son might’ve made her accept Mo Mi, even protect her.
The show also leaves a major question unanswered: why did Kim Mo Mi’s mother sever ties with her family even before the “Mask Girl” saga began? That silence creates a narrative gap we’re never allowed to fill.
And then there’s the family history—an almost Shakespearean level of tragedy:
* Father sexually abuses mother.
* Mother kills father.
* Mother is pregnant.
* Mother In-law kills mother’s mom.
* Mother In-law kills mother.
It’s a generational collapse—layer after layer of trauma buried under silence and shame. You’re left wondering if Kim Mo Mi will ever learn the truth about her origins, and whether she can break the cycle. Sadly, the show never gives us that closure.
Disturbing, Raw, and Worth Watching
Even the most minor characters leave a mark. One scene that stuck with me was the motel incident—the attempted assault on Mo Mi by a man whose own end was swift and ironic. Disturbing, yes. But somehow, also a form of justice.
Final Verdict: Watch It. Reflect On It.
Mask Girl is far from light entertainment. It’s dark, messy, emotionally unsettling, and at times, brutally honest. It forces you to sit with uncomfortable truths—about beauty, identity, generational trauma, and how silence can destroy lives.
If you’re looking for something different—something intense, thought-provoking, and beautifully acted—this is a drama worth your time. Watch it, and let it sit with you. You won’t forget it anytime soon.
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Mask girl ?
I went into this drama completely blind, I thought it was just about a girl who has a dream to become an idol but I was so wrong it's much more than that, So before watching this drama I'm going to write the trigger warnings so you guys know what you're getting yourselves into. TW: Rape, Sexual Assult, Cyber Bullying, Bullying, Self Harm, AssultThis series is rated 18 for a reason so please keep this in mind when watching this drama as it is not an easy watch. Other than that this drama is amazing and got me hooked from the first episode. The story of Momi is both beautiful and traumatic, Mask Girl tells the story of a girl called Momi who wants to become an idol but as she gets older she gets "uglier" and even though she has so much talent she possibly could never become an idol, So what she decides to do is start going live on a website where she can dance and show her talent but she needs to wear a mask so that people don't judge her on her looks and just see her for her talent, while doing this she gets a fan whos a sasaeng, she works as an office worker and has a huge crush on her boss but she finds out he's in a relationship with someone else in the office and decides to out there relationship out of jealously this results in the boss and the girl losing their jobs. I'm not going to spoil any more of the drama so if you want to watch it please beware of the TW and take care of yourselves other than that enjoy this amazing thriller.
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a disturbing story with an interesting aesthetic
(TW: domestic violence, bullying, sexual assault, misogyny and more) there is so much awful behaviour in this, it's not an easy watch. it's also shot in an overly arty, almost try-hard way that adds to the vertiginous sensation as you claw your way through this drama. yet these are not negatives. they are the reason this is a compelling watch. although the series occasionally loses a little of its early impetus, it has enough to carry it through its fairly short, but very much not neat, run.overall thoughts: this is like looking at art photos of an accident scene, it will probably leave you feeling dirty but there's an acid gloss to it that is perversely attractive.
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SOOO GOODD
Kim Mo Mi is an ordinary office woman with a severe sense of inferiority in appearance, and is caught up in various incidents while as an internet broadcast jockey with her face covered with a mask.Joo Oh Nam is Kim Mo Mi’s coworker. He harbors a one-sided crush on Kim Mo Mi. As a character who also feels inferior about his appearance and lacks presence in general, Joo Oh Nam’s only source of joy is watching internet broadcasts. He will get swept up in an unexpected incident with Kim Mo Mi.
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Chaotic, but fun
I don’t think I fully understood what this drama was going for. I liked it, sure, but the plot flew over my head. A lot happens in a very short amount of time, and it got hard to follow, but I liked the four or five stories they tried to cram into one.The actors did a fantastic job, portraying a flawed character, but this show took drama extremely literally. There was so much going on and so many characters, I don’t even remember any of their names. I like shows that are extremely chaotic and I watch shows based mainly off of aesthetics, and this show had both.
Overall, very entertaining, but not something that changed my life or resonated with me.
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Like entering a deserted alleyway at night - tread carefully.
There are a lot of dark truths depicted in this drama.It starts with Kim Mo Mi's childhood dream of making it big as an entertainer. She has the body and the talent, however, her face does not conform to societies standards of beauty. Her solution to wear a mask and live stream fulfills this desire,
Her fans are men who lust after her and during a brief encounter with a shamelessly flattering man she is attacked and almost raped. The man is accidentally injured and her rescuer is another fan who has been stalking her. Her instinct is to call the police but she is persuaded by Joo Oh Nam that he will fix things.
Each chapter reveals more about the the individuals.
Their fears and lack of autonomy leading to reaction without plans. We learn some of their back story and how their family upbringing has emotionally crippled them.
The decisions made are reactions that they justify;
She asked for it
He deserved it
God wants me to punish her
I was pulled into the drama by the terrific acting and the moody lighting and sets. A tawdry element overlaid with gritty reality and a serious lack of glamour is reflected in the choice to have plastic surgery to become beautiful but still have the inner ugliness show through.
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