The best revenge drama of 2022

The Glory is the drama that 'Eve' wanted to be! This one is honestly the best drama of 2022.

Plot review- the plot is nothing new but the way it is treated is way more raw and real. While I was watching The Glory, I kept thinking about how 'eve' was also a revenge-oriented drama but it failed to connect with me as much as the glory did. the past scenes in the beginning eps truly make you feel hatred toward the bullies and root for Dong Eun even if that meant killing them. and the way the romance is there but subtle and the way even the attraction from Do Yeon is used to create more mystery about the ending is what I want from a thriller drama.

I've a small quip though, although I liked the majority of how Dong Eun goes about avenging her bullies, but her being physically powerless every time she meets the bullies and threatens them is very naive. Every time she met Myeong O or the gang alone, my mind would go to how easily she could be overpowered if they lost their temper and killed her there and then. I mean killing a nobody is not gonna be a big deal for these rich bullies. So training in some kind of martial arts or keeping a gun with her is not so bizzare. the physical powerlessness of Dong Eun annoyed me. the revenge planning in 'My Name' is a good example for that when Han So Hee knows how to fight if it comes down to it.

I loved the brewing love between Dong Eun and Yeo Jeong. It was not too fast to be unbelievable nor too slow, the relationship progression was quite realistic and both of their reactions to each other is what makes me think they will be the end game. Although I also feel there is not gonna be any happy ending for any of the good people.

Casting and Acting- Frankly, the best performance from Song Hye Kyo after a long time. You see one episode and you know why everybody is praising it. There is one thing about using expensive locations and stunning BG score, but you can’t fake your way into viewers’ hearts with monotonous dialogue delivery and honestly bad acting from even side characters. And that’s the best thing about the glory, not even a single supporting actor delivered badly. Truly, each actor be it the high school students, the main actors or the old actors did not disappoint.

The Glory not just has the most perfect casting; the young actors and the older ones are so well casted who match exactly how they might’ve aged. I found Shin Ye Eun so akin to Lim Ji Yeon. Also, Ye Eun is turning out to be a fine actress considering her last project was in exactly the opposite side of bullying. The way she portrays this rich spoilt and truly evil bully is so convincing that I totally lost all my sympathies for her. And Ji Yeon has acted the mannerisms to the T from the younger actress. Song Hye Kyo has undoubtedly proved herself after the disappointing performance in her previous drama. Maybe she is a director’s actor who knows, but she has performed Dong Eun brilliantly. You never doubt if she is the same girl who went through horrific bullying in highschool. Lastly, praising the actors wont be complete w/o mention Jung Ji So, who has incredibly portrayed a bullied highshooler to the T. The past scenes were heart-breaking to watch because the bullies and Ji So has acted so perfectly that it all seems so real. The fact that it’s a drama was the only way I could watch through those scenes. But it honestly made me teary eyed a bit.

The cinematography, and the ost are all amazing. The mix of past and present, the color grading of some scenes and all the beautiful shots make for an absolutely stunning drama (if only the past scenes weren’t so heart-breaking)

The Glory is a glorious revenge of Dong Eun whose vengeance consumes each person, even slightly related to her bullies. A game of avenging Dong Eun's incomparable pain that is executed so beautifully and magnanimously. I definitely recommend this drama if you want to be engulfed in Dong Eun's hatred and see her emerge victorious. And also definitely watch this if you forgot how amazing of an actor Song Hye Kyo is!

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Missed Opportunity for Character Growth

Loved it! Although I'd have loved it even more if they had planned a couple more eps, showing how Su Hyeok becomes more expressive and Bora learns to be more genuine in their relationship, Right now, they didn't really show any character arcs for both of their characters; both of them had a breakup in the beginning and had a tough time dealing with it, then fell in love w/ each other, but their character growth was almost nonexistent. Su Hyeok still can't properly express his feelings, even at the very end, and Bora has barely learned her lesson to not treat relationships as a game. And I'm very sad about the missed opportunity w/ this drama. Considering how realistically they portrayed the reality of breaking up and moving on, a couple more eps focusing on their relationship dynamics and character growth would have definitely made this one the best drama of 2023. Nevertheless, I did love it for the exceptional acting by each and every actor. Incredibly disappointed about the missed opportunity; just 2 more eps of them focusing on their relationship and working on their character flaws would have made such a big difference. 

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