Note that after the 854376 things Sarah sacrificed and did to build her brand, the only people who ended up actually profiting from it were still the upper class chairwoman of Samwol department store and Nox's CEO. You can say that Sarah won at the end because she protected her legacy despite losing everything, but the true winners were still the rich.
Sarah knew this very clearly but chose to protect what mattered to only herself -- her obsession with becoming a "real", perfect elite. Oh, the irony.
She is a former ballet dancer. Many people who have had intense ballet training in young years keep a skinny body…
I agree with your point but she isn't a former ballet dancer. She just learned basic ballet for one drama before lol. She had no dance experience prior.
The details!Ep. 1:- The red counterfeit Birkin bag was later revealed to be made by Kim Mijeong. Nox’s CEO consulted…
And in episode 7, the intro is placed at the end instead, after Sarah Kim "confesses" to impersonating Sarah Kim and is actually Kim Mijeong. The intro swipes from right to left, instead of left to right like the previous episodes. This signifies that Sarah Kim has decided to go all the way back to the start -- going back to having nothing at all -- all for the sake of her brand.
Ep. 1: - The red counterfeit Birkin bag was later revealed to be made by Kim Mijeong. Nox’s CEO consulted a specialist who confirmed that it was fake because it was too perfectly made. She then fills it with stones and throws it into the sea. Kinda reflecting of what happened to Mijeong herself, eh? (Yeah this is a reach lol)
Ep. 2: - Sarah Kim glared fiercely at the employee's friend (and she screams) not because the friend was admitted into the store without permission, but because Sarah had already recognized her as someone she met as Mok Ga-hui. When she overheard her saying that she thinks she saw Sarah somewhere before, she knew she had to take action (get rid of them).
Ep. 3: - Mok Ga-hui gained photoshop / design skills when she was reselling luxury goods. She ended up using pretty much the same method to design her Boudoir bags. In fact, whatever experience she gained as Mok Ga-hui was the early foundation for her future ventures.
Ep. 4: - We see that Kim Eunjae voluntarily sneaked out with the male host to eat tteokbokki. This is likely because she was required to go on a healthy diet prior to the kidney donation, as shown later in the food she ate -- but she never intended to donate it in the first place. So she had cravings for junk food.
This is probably a reach (it totally is), but was the leather scene a foreshadowing of Mijeong attempting to murder…
Also several details that I almost missed. Sarah Kim was someone who didn't leave any traces of herself everywhere she went. E.g. She desperately deletes any photos taken of her, she "doesn't leave traces of lipstick on cups" -- literally wipes it off with her finger every time. "Sarah didn't unpack her bags and always seemed ready to move" literally what she did the entire show.
When and how did the entire idea of "faking it till you make it" plant into her head? Untying her hair and removing her staff badge allowed her to use the client bathrooms. She just had to look the part. Being granted one small privilege made her realize she could do more. No point in honestly using the staff restrooms anymore.
This is probably a reach (it totally is), but was the leather scene a foreshadowing of Mijeong attempting to murder Sarah to replace her? The one at the marketplace where Sarah held the flame to the piece of leather to prove that Mijeong's prediction was right. Since she proved that as faux leather, it is automatically assumed that the other piece is the real one... But it could actually be a fake as well! Which applies to what Mijeong says to her: "I can be you because you're also a fake". Destroy the old fake and the new one can replace it.
There are some other metaphors that aren't as subtle. Like how the Birkin bag is a fake because it's too perfect -- just like Sarah Kim. Which is why the loan shark told her to say her Oxford degree was ghostwritten -- faking imperfections actually makes you more convincing.
Also, people who aren't satisfied with the ending ought to pay attention to the opening scene. When it's snowing at the party, Sarah Kim holds the umbrella over the Boudoir bag, not herself. Immediately tells you what is the most important to her and what she will choose to protect.
As a piece of fiction, I enjoyed the show and its social commentary. It made me think. It was somewhat like a fable that tells how society is all about keeping up appearances, blurring the lines between the real and fake. Sarah Kim is an extreme case but honestly, doesn't everyone put on a mask to get ahead? Sarah Kim put in actual work into her brand and ironically operated it like many other luxury brands -- yes, she faked her resume, identity and the history of Boudoir -- but really, how different was it from the legitimate luxury brands?
Another memorable part is Sarah's claim about how there were no victims so it wasn't a scam. She successfully conned all those people because she "looked at what they didn't have, not at what they have". She fulfilled their needs and desires in exchange for their money and trust -- a family member for the loan shark, a nice apartment for the sugar baby, a "friendship" with Nox's CEO etc. It might have been a con, but it always looked like there was something genuine there. I especially liked her story with the loan shark, it felt a little like a father-daughter relationship.
As for the ending, I found it fitting for the themes of the drama and also a little ironic and bittersweet. Sarah Kim made use of the wealthy's insecurities to sell those bags, and she saw through the loopholes in the system. But she was actually the most insecure person in the entire show. Her entire self-worth is tied to Boudoir and the Sarah Kim she created. We see that even as Mok Ga-hui, she projected herself onto that silver bag, telling it to flee as it didn't belong there. When Boudoir was at risk of being exposed, she sees herself drowning yet again -- she is unable to continue living without it. Yes, she succeeded in protecting her art, but in the process, she lost something important. The ending may be up to interpretation, but for me, it shows that Sarah Kim didn't know or love herself. Which ties back to the hints of her unstable childhood, leading to her instability as an adult as well.
TLDR; it was a unique watch and one of the more interesting kdramas as of late.
Sarah knew this very clearly but chose to protect what mattered to only herself -- her obsession with becoming a "real", perfect elite. Oh, the irony.
Ep. 1:
- The red counterfeit Birkin bag was later revealed to be made by Kim Mijeong. Nox’s CEO consulted a specialist who confirmed that it was fake because it was too perfectly made. She then fills it with stones and throws it into the sea. Kinda reflecting of what happened to Mijeong herself, eh? (Yeah this is a reach lol)
Ep. 2:
- Sarah Kim glared fiercely at the employee's friend (and she screams) not because the friend was admitted into the store without permission, but because Sarah had already recognized her as someone she met as Mok Ga-hui. When she overheard her saying that she thinks she saw Sarah somewhere before, she knew she had to take action (get rid of them).
Ep. 3:
- Mok Ga-hui gained photoshop / design skills when she was reselling luxury goods. She ended up using pretty much the same method to design her Boudoir bags. In fact, whatever experience she gained as Mok Ga-hui was the early foundation for her future ventures.
Ep. 4:
- We see that Kim Eunjae voluntarily sneaked out with the male host to eat tteokbokki. This is likely because she was required to go on a healthy diet prior to the kidney donation, as shown later in the food she ate -- but she never intended to donate it in the first place. So she had cravings for junk food.
When and how did the entire idea of "faking it till you make it" plant into her head? Untying her hair and removing her staff badge allowed her to use the client bathrooms. She just had to look the part. Being granted one small privilege made her realize she could do more. No point in honestly using the staff restrooms anymore.
There are some other metaphors that aren't as subtle. Like how the Birkin bag is a fake because it's too perfect -- just like Sarah Kim. Which is why the loan shark told her to say her Oxford degree was ghostwritten -- faking imperfections actually makes you more convincing.
Also, people who aren't satisfied with the ending ought to pay attention to the opening scene. When it's snowing at the party, Sarah Kim holds the umbrella over the Boudoir bag, not herself. Immediately tells you what is the most important to her and what she will choose to protect.
Another memorable part is Sarah's claim about how there were no victims so it wasn't a scam. She successfully conned all those people because she "looked at what they didn't have, not at what they have". She fulfilled their needs and desires in exchange for their money and trust -- a family member for the loan shark, a nice apartment for the sugar baby, a "friendship" with Nox's CEO etc. It might have been a con, but it always looked like there was something genuine there. I especially liked her story with the loan shark, it felt a little like a father-daughter relationship.
As for the ending, I found it fitting for the themes of the drama and also a little ironic and bittersweet. Sarah Kim made use of the wealthy's insecurities to sell those bags, and she saw through the loopholes in the system. But she was actually the most insecure person in the entire show. Her entire self-worth is tied to Boudoir and the Sarah Kim she created. We see that even as Mok Ga-hui, she projected herself onto that silver bag, telling it to flee as it didn't belong there. When Boudoir was at risk of being exposed, she sees herself drowning yet again -- she is unable to continue living without it. Yes, she succeeded in protecting her art, but in the process, she lost something important. The ending may be up to interpretation, but for me, it shows that Sarah Kim didn't know or love herself. Which ties back to the hints of her unstable childhood, leading to her instability as an adult as well.
TLDR; it was a unique watch and one of the more interesting kdramas as of late.