Inflection points discovered only in ‘The Glory’

《Kim Ji-won’s Net Reason》
Reporter Kim Ji-won of Ten Asia picks out only the essentials from OTT platforms such as Netflix and TVING, which are filled with tons of content. From must-see masterpieces to highly anticipated new works, we recommend works that you can enjoy in the first row of your room.

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Song Hye-kyo's unfamiliar face revealed in a revenge drama is surprising everyone. Through Netflix's 'The Glory', he showed off a different acting style than before. Song Hye-kyo's acting, which created a profound impact, added persuasiveness to the development of 'The Glory'.

'The Glory', which was released on the 30th of last month, is a work that depicts the revenge story that Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo), who suffered school violence during her childhood, risked her entire life to carefully prepare. 'The Glory' recorded 25.41 million viewing hours within three days of its release, quickly rising to third place in Netflix's Global TOP 10 TV (non-English) category. In the Netflix Global TOP 10 TV (non-English) category, it was named to the TOP 10 list of 19 countries, including Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Singapore, Morocco, and Hong Kong.

Song Hye-kyo has stood out in melodrama so far. Song Hye-kyo's representative works include the dramas 'Autumn Fairy Tale', 'All In', and 'Full House' in the 2000s, and 'Descendants of the Sun', 'Boyfriend', and 'Now We're Breaking Up' in the 2010s. Song Hye-kyo's melodrama, with her melancholy eyes and classic atmosphere, has both liveliness and lyricism.

Although Song Hye-kyo specialized in the romantic genre, she also had hidden talents in other genres. Song Hye-kyo has previously shown a diverse acting spectrum, but it was only when 'The Glory' was released belatedly that the public realized it. We looked at works that were like inflection points in Song Hye-kyo's acting.‘The World They Live In’ (2008) | Wave, Coupang Play

‘The World They Live In’ is a work that depicts the lives and loves of people in the broadcasting company’s drama production department and the people around them. Song Hye-kyo played Joo Jun-young, a new drama producer who is attracting attention in the broadcasting industry. He meets Jeong Ji-oh (played by Hyun Bin), whom he dated in college, again at the same drama bureau, and a conflict arises when Joo Jun-young applies for a work directed by Jeong Ji-oh.

It depicts a kind of office romance between Jeong Ji-oh and Joo Jun-young. Although the basic framework is a melodrama, it contains reflections on life. Despite the difficulties she faced as a female producer at the time, Song Hye-kyo showed a confident and unstoppable side by making dramas with all her conviction. In the drama, she showed off her lovely charm to her boyfriend by being honest about her complaints and cuteness. The narration that points out the meaning of life through a moment of everyday life was delivered calmly and elegantly. Song Hye-kyo wore her hair short for a boyish look, but female viewers at the time tried to follow suit and were met with 'failure'.‘That Winter, the Wind Blows’ (2013) | Netflix, Wave, Coupang Play, Tving

'That Winter, the Wind Blows' is about a man who was abandoned by his parents as a child and who lives a meaningless life after failing at his first love, and a woman who lives a lonely and difficult life due to her parents' divorce, a breakup with her older brother, and a sudden visual impairment, meeting each other, giving hope and hope. A story about finding the meaning of love. Oh Young, played by Song Hye-kyo, never skips exercise and business studies to avoid remaining an heiress in name only. There are times when sudden visual impairment feels painful, but through thorough self-management 24 hours a day, you can secure your own area. Oh-su (played by Jo In-seong), who needed money, visits Oh-young, claiming to be her missing brother, and Oh-young experiences a change in her life.

‘That Winter, the Wind Blows’ is a work that combines romance, thriller, mystery, and human elements. The breathtaking moments until Oh-su's identity is discovered provide the fun of mystery and thriller, and the sight of Oh-young's colorless life becoming more colorful is touching. His mother who passed away without ever visiting him, his secretary who lies to him, and even the head of the company who conspired with his secretary for money and tried to marry him. The sight of Song Hye-kyo standing precariously in a cruel world is thrilling. Ohyoung suffers from visual impairment, but lives as if she can see everything with both eyes. The sight of Song Hye-kyo trying not to show others her weaknesses and treating others colder brings up a sorrowful feeling in my heart.‘The Glory’ (2022) | netflix

‘The Glory’ is the story of Moon Dong-eun, a victim of school violence, who prepares for a long time to take revenge on her perpetrators. Moon Dong-eun, who tried to take drastic measures after being a victim of school violence, dreams of meeting Park Yeon-jin (played by Lim Ji-yeon), the instigator of school violence, again and becomes an elementary school teacher and becomes Park Yeon-jin's daughter's homeroom teacher. At the same time, they are strangling each and every one of those who participated in the school violence.

‘The Glory’ also has a melodrama line. Joo Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun), who had strange feelings for Moon Dong-eun, volunteered to become an accomplice. But it is secondary. The Lord is Song Hye-kyo's revenge drama.

Song Hye-kyo's acting is cool and solid. It's sad to see Song Hye-kyo carrying out revenge that seems to be gnawing at her, but on the other hand, it's refreshing to see her stabbing the perpetrator with a merciless 'blade'. Song Hye-kyo's revenge, which calmly drives the perpetrators to destruction in the end, is 'elegant'. His fierce revenge hidden behind his ‘fake smile’ makes viewers sad.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr