The Glory is the latest K-drama by South Korea’s most beloved writer Kim Eun-sook, whose dramas have a cult following internationally. The popular ones are Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, The Heirs, The King: Eternal Monarch and so on. The Glory is a complete shift from Kim Eun-sook’s previous works. Here is my review of the K-drama, The Glory.
When I say a complete shift, I mean a shift in every way. There is a deliberate attempt to try a new writing style and making in the drama. The most important change here is that the project is headlined by a female protagonist played by Song Hye-kyo. All of Kim Eun-sook’s previous dramas had more weightage on the male protagonist despite her being a female writer.
So, the change here, is very refreshing. The making style is more arthouse than commercial. The entire series is very dark and we see the protagonist wearing black mostly. It is a slow burn and there isn’t much color, but of course in a good way.
Song Hye-kyo is in a never-seen-before avatar here, at least in the TV space. She plays a protagonist obsessed with revenge with utmost conviction. Her transformation as the character is brilliant. What I liked the most about her portrayal here is the way she smiles at her enemies. It says a million unsaid things.
All the supporting characters are impeccable. They all are ruthless villains who have got no grain of humanity in them. Im Ji Yeon as the unsympathetic, unkind antagonist steals the show completely. Another actor who stands out is Kim Gun Woo.
The Unsatisfactory
The playing out of raw cruelty on small screen might not be for everyone, but still the show achieves something in talking about bullying. There is nothing new in the way the revenge is played out. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to a protagonist whose only goal in life is to seek revenge on her wrongdoers. There is no element of suspense here.
We are literally thrown into this revenge world of the main character which is always dark. One thing that I felt, which could have been improved in the writing is to reduce the intensity of cruelty in the beginning to gradually increase it throughout. The impact would have been better if it was so. There is also a lack of clarity in the chronology of events.
Music was a let down here. The drama mainly uses a generic music which we have seen in such revenge-thrillers. The music usually do not leave you whenever you watch Kim Eun-sook’s dramas. That aspect seems to be lacking here. The music do not stay with you.
Overall, The Glory is a good one time watch. We are yet to watch the second part of the series.
Arya is a curious soul and nerd who loves books and cinema. You can read her articles on Medium. You can also follow her on Instagram where she talks about her favourite books and movies.