3
12
1
Maritza
Serbia
The Price of Beauty
...Can I just say,before delving into this review head first...What a good KDrama. Honestly. It`s been A WHILE since I saw something this controversially twisted yet...beautiful.
As always,if this is your first time coming across my reviews,I like to thank the crew,staff,actors and everyone involved in making this(and any other)drama. As an aspiring writer myself,I`m well aware of trials and tribulations one must go through to deliver dramas,movies and many other forms of art. Thank you.
To start this particular review off,I`ll probably be leaning more towards my own feelings towards this drama`s message,as someone who doesn`t fit in ANY beauty standard,be it of my own country and/or foreign. I mean,I do like to begin by listing off the positives,after all.
With Kim Mo Mi being played by a wonderful array of actresses,from striking rookie actress Lee Han Byeol,wildly impressionable Nana to seasoned competitor Ko Hyun Jung,you can really get the feeling of Mask Girl growing and changing. With every hand that handles her differently. But what is so thought-provoking about this drama,that`d warrant a lengthy review from yours truly?Well,let`s take a looksie at the plot itself. More than your straightforward affair,much of this character study(both of one character and one GENERATION of characters) relies heavily on both utmost stylization(purposefully) and female experience. You see,if I had to compare this drama(based on a webtoon by the same name,which ran from 2015 to 2018.) to any piece of media,it reminds me so much of a gem that should definitely be reevaluated today,a movie by the name of `Helter Skelter`(2012). `Mask Girl`s insistence on weaponization of male gaze(helped by the fact that all female characters of this drama suffer because of the labels superimposed on them by society they want so desperately to please) makes it feel like `Helter Skelter`s more adult cousin. Hammering in even more just how much damage one can cause to self and others by simply wanting to be accepted into the mold,yet stand out all the same.
Across the board,every actor did great with their respective roles,with Lee Han Byeol and Yeom Hye Ran being my personal standouts. Despite it covering about two decades(with 80s being referenced slightly,yet shaping a lot of Mo Mi`s perception),`Mask Girl` feels very modern in its execution. And it also doesn`t feel much like a KDrama at all. And in this context,that`s a good thing,you see. Much like Mask Girl,an entity the whole country of South Korea seemingly became obsessed with(with men chasing and tailing her even after what she does,while women almost exclusively seem to hate and want to bring her down),many KDramas discussing infamous Korean beauty standard,undergo a certain level of...performative shallowness(dramas like `She Was Pretty`,`True Beauty` and `Oh My Venus` come to mind). These are noticeable in their wish to `have their cake and eat it too`. Ergo,these specific examples are ready to discuss how damaging these severe expectations in the form of a beauty standard are...as long as they`re still adhered to and ultimately make the protagonist happy and fulfilled. At best patronizing,at worst damaging to many people,this form of storytelling communicates that the one writing it never questioned the existence of the standard itself.
Whilst `Mask Girl` has other conflicts to pad out the runtime(some of which work, others not so much),it is without a doubt,Mo Mi`s necessity to be loved by everyone,that catapults her into a whirlpool of trauma,crime and a new life.
Another aspect of this drama that isn`t all KDrama like,is how not one character here is GOOD. You could make a strong case against any of them and I`d agree. Mo Mi is not a good person,but you,as a viewer,can clearly see why and how,her twisted nature came to be. Many of her decisions bear weighty consequences. At some points,I COULDN`T anticipate her next move. But not in a ready to shock only for exploitation way. More in a,oh this character is layers and layers way. Do not be mistaken,there ARE some exploitative aspects. But they do service a bigger picture,almost like exploitation movies of the 70s. I prefer this. I`d rather have hard hitting scenes with a purpose,than unnecessary fan service to warrant that Netflix +18 rating. I`d go as far as to say that this drama`s payoffs are seriously punishing,something Korean dramas in particular have a hard time balancing(most recently,dramas like `Flower of Evil` have this issue).
Storytelling,though jumpy for most of the runtime(may turn people off),feels fluid too,mostly because Mask Girl very much could serve as a concept,rather than a character outright. The ending is both heartbreaking and positive,depending on which side of the justice spectrum you fall on.
As for drawbacks,there aren`t many but they are noticeable. For one,I would have preferred this as a 12 episode KDrama(asking for more episodes is not something I expected to want at this point in my KDrama journey). There are some story elements and key plot points left unanswered and put to the wayside for some other storytelling devices.
Secondly,this drama does something I`m not very fond of and that`s relying on coincidence to push the story along,something glaringly obvious like that happens in the last two episodes.
Finally,while it`s not a drawback for me at all(in fact I WANT KDramas to get more experimental,even at their own detriment because God knows they could use a challenge),`Mask Girl` might be too much for an average KDrama enjoyer used to tried and true tropes and bland thrillers. I`d gauge your readiness for this drama by how well you know and enjoy JDramas,because much of `Mask Girl` is reminiscent of more mature crime JDramas.
And that`s about it. Truthfullly,I didn`t expect to like this drama as much as I did,especially given the rating it holds on here. What I found,however,is that unlike a well polished veneer hiding hollow space,`Mask Girl` is more akin to a dark,macabre fantasy. You`ll either love it or hate it. At least it`s not empty. It`s ugly,and yet...so beautiful. And incidentally,it wears no mask.
As always,if this is your first time coming across my reviews,I like to thank the crew,staff,actors and everyone involved in making this(and any other)drama. As an aspiring writer myself,I`m well aware of trials and tribulations one must go through to deliver dramas,movies and many other forms of art. Thank you.
To start this particular review off,I`ll probably be leaning more towards my own feelings towards this drama`s message,as someone who doesn`t fit in ANY beauty standard,be it of my own country and/or foreign. I mean,I do like to begin by listing off the positives,after all.
With Kim Mo Mi being played by a wonderful array of actresses,from striking rookie actress Lee Han Byeol,wildly impressionable Nana to seasoned competitor Ko Hyun Jung,you can really get the feeling of Mask Girl growing and changing. With every hand that handles her differently. But what is so thought-provoking about this drama,that`d warrant a lengthy review from yours truly?Well,let`s take a looksie at the plot itself. More than your straightforward affair,much of this character study(both of one character and one GENERATION of characters) relies heavily on both utmost stylization(purposefully) and female experience. You see,if I had to compare this drama(based on a webtoon by the same name,which ran from 2015 to 2018.) to any piece of media,it reminds me so much of a gem that should definitely be reevaluated today,a movie by the name of `Helter Skelter`(2012). `Mask Girl`s insistence on weaponization of male gaze(helped by the fact that all female characters of this drama suffer because of the labels superimposed on them by society they want so desperately to please) makes it feel like `Helter Skelter`s more adult cousin. Hammering in even more just how much damage one can cause to self and others by simply wanting to be accepted into the mold,yet stand out all the same.
Across the board,every actor did great with their respective roles,with Lee Han Byeol and Yeom Hye Ran being my personal standouts. Despite it covering about two decades(with 80s being referenced slightly,yet shaping a lot of Mo Mi`s perception),`Mask Girl` feels very modern in its execution. And it also doesn`t feel much like a KDrama at all. And in this context,that`s a good thing,you see. Much like Mask Girl,an entity the whole country of South Korea seemingly became obsessed with(with men chasing and tailing her even after what she does,while women almost exclusively seem to hate and want to bring her down),many KDramas discussing infamous Korean beauty standard,undergo a certain level of...performative shallowness(dramas like `She Was Pretty`,`True Beauty` and `Oh My Venus` come to mind). These are noticeable in their wish to `have their cake and eat it too`. Ergo,these specific examples are ready to discuss how damaging these severe expectations in the form of a beauty standard are...as long as they`re still adhered to and ultimately make the protagonist happy and fulfilled. At best patronizing,at worst damaging to many people,this form of storytelling communicates that the one writing it never questioned the existence of the standard itself.
Whilst `Mask Girl` has other conflicts to pad out the runtime(some of which work, others not so much),it is without a doubt,Mo Mi`s necessity to be loved by everyone,that catapults her into a whirlpool of trauma,crime and a new life.
Another aspect of this drama that isn`t all KDrama like,is how not one character here is GOOD. You could make a strong case against any of them and I`d agree. Mo Mi is not a good person,but you,as a viewer,can clearly see why and how,her twisted nature came to be. Many of her decisions bear weighty consequences. At some points,I COULDN`T anticipate her next move. But not in a ready to shock only for exploitation way. More in a,oh this character is layers and layers way. Do not be mistaken,there ARE some exploitative aspects. But they do service a bigger picture,almost like exploitation movies of the 70s. I prefer this. I`d rather have hard hitting scenes with a purpose,than unnecessary fan service to warrant that Netflix +18 rating. I`d go as far as to say that this drama`s payoffs are seriously punishing,something Korean dramas in particular have a hard time balancing(most recently,dramas like `Flower of Evil` have this issue).
Storytelling,though jumpy for most of the runtime(may turn people off),feels fluid too,mostly because Mask Girl very much could serve as a concept,rather than a character outright. The ending is both heartbreaking and positive,depending on which side of the justice spectrum you fall on.
As for drawbacks,there aren`t many but they are noticeable. For one,I would have preferred this as a 12 episode KDrama(asking for more episodes is not something I expected to want at this point in my KDrama journey). There are some story elements and key plot points left unanswered and put to the wayside for some other storytelling devices.
Secondly,this drama does something I`m not very fond of and that`s relying on coincidence to push the story along,something glaringly obvious like that happens in the last two episodes.
Finally,while it`s not a drawback for me at all(in fact I WANT KDramas to get more experimental,even at their own detriment because God knows they could use a challenge),`Mask Girl` might be too much for an average KDrama enjoyer used to tried and true tropes and bland thrillers. I`d gauge your readiness for this drama by how well you know and enjoy JDramas,because much of `Mask Girl` is reminiscent of more mature crime JDramas.
And that`s about it. Truthfullly,I didn`t expect to like this drama as much as I did,especially given the rating it holds on here. What I found,however,is that unlike a well polished veneer hiding hollow space,`Mask Girl` is more akin to a dark,macabre fantasy. You`ll either love it or hate it. At least it`s not empty. It`s ugly,and yet...so beautiful. And incidentally,it wears no mask.
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