This review may contain spoilers
No character growth, missing scenes, and overall felt rushed and disconnected. (spoilers)
No character development, a lot of scenes felt out of place or completely missing, and overall, the drama felt disconnected from reality. (spoilers)1. There was a scene where I think it was Kim Se Hyeon or Choi Hui Won who said that Yun Ga Min and the teacher had “changed the school.” I was just sitting there wondering… what exactly did they change? Did I skip some episodes? Or am I dreaming?
2. The scene where the teacher is about to be attacked—possibly mauled to death—by the YB gang, and suddenly the detention team and several others (who made no significant impact earlier to the group) show up to help... I was just like, what is going on? When did these random bonds and relationships even form?
3. Pi Han Ul’s father's role was almost insignificant for someone who’s supposed to be a gang lord. Are you telling me he couldn’t easily stop the bullying/violence committee? Please make it make sense. For someone in such a high position, his impact was about as important as the glasses Yun Ga Min wore.
4. Hwang Min Hyun did a great job, but Yun Ga Min as a character was soulless. He showed literally no emotions and at some point felt like a puppet. (Maybe that’s how he is in the webtoon?) But still, he felt too empty.
5. The drama severely lacked depth and connection to the characters. This basically summarizes my whole review:
a) Kim Se Hyeon – I couldn’t relate to his sob story. It wasn’t well-executed; it felt half-baked. Him leaving the group also came out of nowhere. I’m guessing the webtoon explored this more, but in the drama it was seriously underdeveloped.
b) Pi Han Ul’s statement that the school wouldn’t even change without Kim Se Hyeon feels 100% true—according to the drama’s plot, since it lacked so much depth.
c) Showing multiple scenes in the final episode—scenes that should’ve been spread throughout the series—just felt like a rushed attempt to justify the “Study Group’s” close bond.
d) What was even Park Geon Yeop’s role or importance to the plot? I thought he’d join the group or help fight to protect the teacher... but nothing happened. What the heck?
e) Lee Jun joined the group so Yun Ga Min could teach him how to fight—and they didn’t show any of that until the end. I’m just lost. What’s really going on?
f) Choi Hui Won – this role was just too empty. No backstory, no context, no development. Nothing.
The only truly relatable and well-delivered sob story was Kim Sun Cheol (yellow hair). His story and his performance were phenomenal. I genuinely felt bad for him.
The drama started off great but quickly spiraled downward. It felt rushed, sloppy, and lacked the emotional depth needed to connect with and understand the characters.
I’m sure the webtoon tells the story way better than the drama did (I haven’t read it, but I’m assuming—because books/webtoons are usually more detailed and in-depth than their adaptations). So much was lost from the plot—it felt incomplete, rushed, and just... off.
At some point, I seriously felt like I had skipped a few episodes.
I would have given it a 0/10, but “yellow hair” carried the entire series so "2"
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This review may contain spoilers
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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