The meeting of actors Song Hye-kyo and writer Kim Eun-sook was successful. The brutal revenge drama they portrayed had an unforgiving ending, as promised, and garnered a warm response from viewers. “The Glory” Part 2 rose to third place in Netflix’s global rankings just one day after its release on the 10th.
“The Glory” depicts the story of Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo), whose soul was shattered by the violence she suffered in her school days, and her quest for revenge against the perpetrators, including Park Yeon-jin (Im Ji-yeon) and her friends. Following the release of Part 1 at the end of last year, Part 2 was unveiled with much anticipation and attention.
According to Flix Patrol, an online video service (OTT) ranking site, “The Glory” Part 2 ranked third worldwide in the Netflix TV program category as of the 12th (Korean time), heralding another success. It also took first place in 26 countries, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Mexico, as well as Korea. “The Glory” Part 1 started at the global 5th place immediately after its release and maintained its spot in the top 10 for five weeks.
Kim Eun-sook’s reaction was as she said, “Part 1 received such a good response that I went back and read Part 2’s script. Part 2 was also written so well that it’s scary even when I watch it.”
In Part 2, Moon Dong-eun’s refreshing revenge was played out. While in Part 1, Moon Dong-eun decided on revenge and strangled the perpetrators, in Part 2, she collected the breadcrumbs she had scattered and embarked on a full-fledged revenge with the help of Kang Hyun-nam (Yum Hye-ran) and Ju Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun).
Park Yeon-jin used Moon Dong-eun’s mother, Jung Ji-hee (Park Ji-ah), as a new “hair straighteners” and retaliated, causing Moon Dong-eun more pain. However, the end was bittersweet. Moon Dong-eun succeeded in her revenge against Park Yeon-jin and the other perpetrators. Park Yeon-jin, who made Yoon So-hee (Lee So E) and Son Myung-oh (Kim Gun-woo) disappear in the past, was imprisoned in a correctional facility when the truth was revealed. Han Do-young (Jung Sung-il), Ye-sol’s father, left for the UK with his daughter.
Lee Sara (Kim Hieora), Choi Hye-jung (Cha Joo-young) and Jeon Jae-joon (Park Sung-hoon) also met a tragic end. Lee Sara was arrested by the police for trying to kill Choi Hye-jung, and Choi Hye-jung lost her voice after being stabbed in the throat by Lee Sara. Jeon Jae-joon lost his vision and died in agony.
Moon Dong-eun finally achieved all the revenge she had prepared for over the past 18 years and found glory and peace. She pursued her desired architecture studies and no longer had to hide her burn scars. She was able to stand up again thanks to good people such as Ju Yeo-jeong, Kang Hyun-nam, and health teacher Ahn Jung-mi.
Celebrities who watched ‘The Glory’ also praised the drama. Kim Young-chul wrote on his Instagram, “Everyone did a great job. I cried so much in the last episode. Every line and word made me tear up. I hope Dong-eun and Yeo-jeong laughed a lot. Ju Yeo-jeong, make Dong-eun laugh more.”
Hong Suk-chun also commented, “Meeting a good writer and director is lucky for all actors.” He continued, “What kind of person am I? I am full of mistakes, but I need to become a better person. Thank you, Dong-eun.”
Time Magazine also paid attention to ‘The Glory.’ Time evaluated it as a “narrative about bigger social inequality that both teenagers and adults can relate to” and “focuses on the mental pain that school violence victims who were not protected by adults experience as they grow up.”
During a recent talk event, Song Hye-kyo expressed her gratitude, saying “as it was my first attempt at this genre, everything was difficult and challenging, but I am grateful for the positive response as much as we suffered.”
However, the gratitude should perhaps go to Song Hye-kyo for challenging herself in this genre and to Kim Eun-sook for delivering great works, from KBS2’s ‘Descendants of the Sun’ in 2016 to ‘The Glory’ in 2023. The meeting between Kim Eun-sook and Song Hye-kyo was certainly the right decision.
Source: Daum
