The Glory ~ Bullies Beware! Victims Come Back!

8 Comments | 2023 K-dramas, award-winning Korean dramas, binge-watch, binge-worthy, bullying, K-drama, K-dramas with 2 seasons, Korean drama, Netflix | By cmoneyspinner | December 18, 2023 | 4 minutes of reading

“The Glory” is a Korean drama series with 2 seasons. Season 1 was released in 2022, with 8 episodes, and Season 2 was released in 2023, with 8 episodes. Both are streaming on Netflix.

“The Glory” has a common enough plot. Moon Dong-Eun was viciously bullied in high school. Her body shows all of the outward scars. One can only imagine what her inner scars are like. When she grows up she takes revenge on those who bullied her and is even more vicious.

♦ Even Though You Get Bullied, You Can Still Dream

“The Glory” begins by introducing Moon Dong-Eun, an average ordinary poor student who just wanted to make it through high school. Unfortunately, she became the victim of several school bullies.

The ring leader of the bullies was another high school girl named Park Yeon-Jin. She was as pretty and petty as they come, and she had a dream. All she wanted to do when she grew up was marry a rich man, have a child, and live a luxurious life happily ever after. Moon Dong-Eun had a dream too. Her dream was to destroy Park Yeon-Jin’s dream.

Ever play Go? Go is a strategic board game that originated in ancient China. It’s a very compelling game. You fight against your opponent silently and you tear their house down. If you’re good at the game, you can play for money. That’s what Moon Dong-Eun did. She needed money for her revenge dream, and a school teacher’s salary would not be enough.

♦ Revenge is Scary and Deadly

In “The Glory”, there were five (5) bullies, plus a nasty school teacher who had retired. Getting revenge on the school teacher was a piece of cake! Next, Moon Dong-Eun met up with one of the guys who used to bully her in high school. He was still the same.

In other words, he was still dumb and lacked ambition. The only difference between then and now was that he couldn’t scare Moon Dong-Eun anymore. Now when she looked him in the face, her eyes spit daggers.

Since he had not accomplished anything in his life nor had he garnered any wealth, what could Moon Dong-Eun do to get her revenge on him? Easy! Trick him!

Moon Dong-Eun was more fortunate than another bully victim. She lived. The other girl died and it was written off as a suicide. But Moon Dong-Eun knew she was murdered and she knew who the killer was. She told the guy who bullied her to confront the killer. Surely the killer would want to hide the truth and would gladly pay him to keep his mouth shut.

The guy’s got all excited. This was a great plan!! Shortly after their encounter, the guy went missing. DUM-DUH-DUM-DUMB!!

His fellow bullies looked for him but did not report to the police as missing. Why? Because if the police started investigating a missing person the police might discover their evil deeds. Bullying was not the only rotten criminal thing they did.

The revenge scheme is going according to plan. The teacher and one idiot bully were eliminated. Only four (4) more bullies left.

For Moon Dong-Eun, carrying out revenge might not be easy, but some things help to make it easier for her.

For one thing, when you confront bullies about their past deeds, they remember and then react by trying to cover it up. Their reaction often makes things worse for them.
Another thing is that bullies are only loyal to themselves. If they have to betray the other bullies to save themselves, they’ll do it.

Why do bullies never realize that victims can come back? “You reap what you sow.”

Main Characters:

Moon Dong-Eun (played by Song Hye-Kyo)
Park Yeon-Jin (played by Lim Ji-Yeon, “Spiritwalker“)
Joo Yeo-Jeong (played by Lee Do-Hyun)
Ha Do-Yeong (played by Jung Sung-Il)
Jeon Jae-Jun (played by Park Sung-Hoon, “The Kidnapping Day“)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

IMDb: 8.1 out of 10 stars
MyDramaList: 9 out of 10 stars
Dramabeans: 9.3 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is 9 out of 10 stars. “The Glory” deserved and received glorious recognition. “The Glory” won several awards at various 2023 award ceremonies:

Best Drama Series, Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) Gala Final.
Three Awards at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Drama Award; Best Actress Award; and Best Supporting Actress Award.
Two awards at the Blue Dragon Series Awards: Grand Prize (Daesang); and Best Supporting Actress.

The dialogue in this K-drama series that struck me was when one of the bullies tried to threaten her if she did anything to his young daughter. She said harming his daughter was not her intention. Then she added: “But you know … I was also someone’s daughter.”

LINKS OF INTEREST:

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

♦ Netflix K-Content. “The Glory | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB].” YouTube Video. YouTube, December 15, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqVVrTvrI8U.

‌♦ Netflix. “The Glory Part 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix.” YouTube Video. YouTube, February 9, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haF6q1N5vJo&t=1s.‌

8 replies

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Member

862 messages 46 likes

#1 Dec 19, 2023

"The Glory" hits close to home for me. I was bullied in school too, and watching Moon Dong-Eun take charge is incredibly empowering. I love how the show captures the strength that comes from facing your past and turning the tables. It's not just revenge; it's reclaiming your dignity. Moon Dong-Eun is my hero!

British Columbia Made

423 messages 44 likes

#2 Dec 19, 2023

Moon Dong-Eun's character development is commendable. However, I couldn't help but question the ethics of her revenge tactics. Does the end justify the means? It's a gripping series, but it leaves me pondering the thin line between justice and vengeance.Moon Dong-Eun's approach to revenge is both fascinating and cautionary. It's a stark reminder that while seeking justice is important, we should tread carefully. The consequences of revenge can be unpredictable, and the show captures this complexity brilliantly.

Lungs Evangelista

Bags are my passion

135 messages 7 likes

#3 Dec 19, 2023

I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling after watching the curling iron scene in "The Glory." As a former victim of bullying, the series had me hooked with its empowering theme, but that particular moment hit close to home. It's a stark reminder of the dark depths revenge can reach. The show doesn't shy away from the raw, uncomfortable reality of the aftermath, making it a haunting yet necessary depiction. It left me disturbed, questioning the thin line between justified revenge and crossing into something much darker.

Well-Known Member

277 messages 26 likes

#4 Dec 19, 2023

That curling iron scene in "The Glory" really shook me. Having experienced bullying myself, I found the show empowering until that moment. It's one thing to seek revenge, but the brutality of that scene was unsettling. It made me reflect on the fine line between justice and revenge and left me questioning whether the ends truly justify the means.

UniversalDreamer

New Member

302 messages 15 likes

#5 Dec 19, 2023

I tried watching "The Glory," but honestly, the scenes of bullying
made me squirm. Maybe it's just me, but the graphic nature of the payback felt a bit too much. I get it's a revenge story, but the explicitness made me question if it's glorifying revenge more than condemning bullying.

Member

278 messages 24 likes

#6 Dec 19, 2023

I gave "The Glory" a shot, but certain scenes felt gratuitous. The revenge plots were uncomfortable to watch, almost as if they were going for shock rather than substance. It made me question the storytelling choices and whether the discomfort was truly necessary.

Saranghae Oppa <3

119 messages 4 likes

#7 Dec 19, 2023

This drama hits differently. Moon Dong-Eun's line about being someone's daughter struck a chord with me. It adds a profound layer to the revenge story. The karma scenes aren't just about payback; they're about reclaiming dignity and showing that victims can rise above. That emotional depth makes "The Glory" a standout.

Member

298 messages 16 likes

#8 Dec 19, 2023

The dynamics of the revenge plan are fascinating. Moon Dong-Eun's strategic approach, exploiting the bullies' weaknesses, is a stroke of genius. I can imagine the satisfaction in watching each bully's downfall. The psychological aspect of the drama makes it more than just a typical revenge story.

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