A Lição Parte 2 (2023)

Excellent

For those unfamiliar with kdrama, 16 episodes is the typical episode order of Korea tv dramas, so both parts of The Glory is part of the same series/season and one continuous story arc rather than being two separate seasons. The writer is a veteran of addictive hits that are hits and misses in terms of quality for me personally, but The Glory is an objective masterpiece. I wouldn't call it a fun watch considering the painful subject matter, but it is a most cathartic one. The acting is wonderfully led by Song Hye Gyo in her best work to date along with the writer and wonderfully supported by Lee Do Hyun who is Netflix's Sweet Home alum, and all of the support cast on either sides of the revenge accomplice and bully spectrums.

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An actual revenge stpry!

What a journey!

I had so much fun watching Part 2 of The Glory. Seeing all the pieces from the last episode fall into place and actually getting a long detailed show of the villains getting their comeuppance in the last episodes was sooo satisfying.

I really love that they did not skimp on the conclusion to the revenge. No halfassing, no stupid forgiving; just completely destroying the villains and giving them what they deserve.

The actors did a phenomenal job. Honestly, even despite how toxic the villain group was, I lived for their "friendship". It was just so hilarious seeing them together and watching their dynamics/conversations. Such a crazy group of villains but so entertaining. Song Hye Kyo's acting range also really impressed me.

My only issues with the show were the romance b/w Dr. Joo and Dong-Eun and Joo's story with the serial killer guy. For the romance, I still feel it was unecessary. Honestly, the whole character/actor, I was not impressed with at all. The romance felt so awkward to me because Dr. Joo was cleary so into DE but DE always just had an impassive expression (obvs since she's just trying to focus on her revenge mission). And although there were moments where DE and Joo would be laughing together or being playful, I juat wasn't feeling the chemistry. So yeah, I would have preferred for there not be any romance. As for the serial killer plot, I just didn't like seeing that serial killer's annoying smirk all the time lmao. Also, wasn't sure what the purpose of that whole story was aside from giving Joo something else to focus on beside DE.

Anyway, overall it was a very enjoyable revenge series that makes you feel relieved and satisfied.

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Satisfying ending

It's a satisfying ending and the loose ends are tied up. It's fun to see how things that were set up in Season 1 run their course in Season 2 like dominos. Although the characters all deserve it and I'm glad everything turned out the way it did, I am also glad to see that revenge can have consequences, big or small.

The acting was great, even better than Season 1. After the leads, my favorite would probably be Yeom Hye Ran. Kim Jung Young was also another who did not show up a lot but stole the scene every time she did - I just loved her and her son's interactions.

The music add well to the vibe, as does the tone and color gradations. Overall, this was my intro back to dramas after a long slump and it gets the bar pretty high.

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Lives up to its expectations

In the second installment, it becomes clear why the show is titled “Glory”. Everyone chases glory in their own way and all the characters are led down a path of destruction in their pursuit of it.

There’s no judgement on whether particular interpretations of ‘glory’ are good or bad – the point that this show makes is that all glories must come at a cost.

Here's the thing: If you thought part 1 had absurd moments and events that were timed almost too conveniently, part 2 is the same. It's unclear how some parts of the revenge plot unfolded the way it did because there was a huge element of luck and coincidence in so many events.

If you're looking for an elaborate, heist-style revenge scheme, this doesn't really scratch the itch. But the colourful characters and constant drama is enough to compel.

I also wish more time (or a new season?!?!?!) was devoted to Dong-eun helping Yeojong with his revenge.

Overall, this was a good revenge story with decent pacing and interesting characters.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/04/20/the-glory-s2-2023-review/

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A satisfying and great end, which is quite rare for revenge dramas usually.

Honestly I didn't know what to expect for this drama to be concluded, but I'm quite enjoying the ride Part one let us witness Dong-eun planting her seed of vengeance all around and preparing her ultimate revenge. So part two is when we're finally able to see how Dong-eun utilize everything that she have planned!

Have to say that I really was so excited here, since part one had been leading us to the climax and the climax in part two managed to keep the momentum going without faltering. And something that is worth to note in this part two was, that so far as much as she have been planning this revenge for so long... her side hadn't really taken any active aggressive actions against her enemies and instead use her opponents weaknesses and arrogance to cause them to lead themselves to fall to ruin. If that wasn't brilliant, I had nothing else to say. But seriously I'm enjoying the mind games. It's nice to see that as much as Dong-eun barely committed any illegal acts aside from stalking people, instigating and manipulating people's actions to suit her plan; she still managed to get her revenge plan going. It was pretty clever, like I know revenge is bad and all that jazz, but dang... technically it'll be hard to prove that she have committed any wrongdoing (cos ultimately the ones who ended up doing the deeds of destroying her enemies was not her.) Real world moralities aside, who would not enjoy a story where people who do bad things be punished and getting their just desserts? And in this story, we're seeing stuff like victims of violent abuse taking charge of their lives and taking back their honor and selfworth.

And as much as there's no glory in doing bad deeds or even of committing acts of revenge, I'm really glad that this drama had a happy ending for Dong-eun. I mean, in the past, for revenge dramas that aren't daydramas, we usually don't often get a real happy end... and the MC tends to get sad endings after their revenge was completed. But this trope didn’t happen to Dong-eun. And as much as this part 2, still have some loose ends left wide open... it's still a pretty good conclusion to the story. Got to say that the whole cast and production team really did well to make this drama so engaging.

While some might say that it's dissapointing that Dong-eun's revenge didn't end up becoming more violent, I really like this outcome since despite the fact that the original five bullies did bad things deserving of violent punishments, there are still innocent people like Yesol and Doyeong. And I'm just happy that Dong-eun's revenge did not end up consuming her and allowed her a chance of a happy end (to which many other MCs of past revenge dramas didn't get. )

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Sin palabras

No tengo suficientes palabras para describir este drama. Los actores han actuado tan bien que hacia qué te creyeras la misma historia. La ambientación, estética, etcétera. Son de diez y sinceramente no hay nada malo que pudiera decir.

He sentido que la protagonista se ha tomado su tiempo, el que necesitaba, para planear su venganza y aquí vemos cómo a pesar de que no todo salga como lo tenía planeado ya iba surgiendo. Sobre todo es increíble como los mismos “amigos” del grupo se iban traicionando a ellos mismos, todas las situaciones se iban enlazando, cobrando un sentido. Al final me ha encantado que Yeseul se quedará con su padre, el único que la iba a cuidar y querer como es debido. El hecho de que él no la rechazara en ningún momento pese a que no era su hija biológica me pareció súper bonito, pensaba que iba a ir por un rumbo que no me iba a gustar nada (y sin sentido) pero lo han tratado como es debido.

En fin, ha sido increíble, muchos sentimientos acumulados y con un final justo.

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A truly satisfying second part of this captivating revenge drama!

I was once again super impressed by the scenario of the drama: every little details in the script were full of impact and meaning on the story. It was a real pleasure to see all the pieces of the puzzle falling perfectly together. Over and over, I found myself captivated by the plot which maintained a good pace, totally bingeable with its engrossing intrigue.

The performances of the ensemble cast uphold the ones from the first part. Even though we saw seemingly a bit less the teens actors, they remained consistently great. The relationships between several of the adults couples / pairings was further developed providing some truly emotional and sometimes disturbing scenes. I loved to see how evolved some of the most unsettling and quite toxic partnerships.

I continued to be totally immersed in the soundtrack: the songs ending the episodes were particularly moving with their agonizing vibe. Production-wise, the show maintained a high standard: quality of the sets with its luxury accessories and magnificent houses as well as gripping scenes kept luring the viewer deeper into the series.

I would recommend this to people that love the first part of the show (it would be criminal to not finish it) and that are in the mood for a dark revenge drama with a well-built scheme, beautifully directed and acted. Be aware that this series can be triggering.

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Well done and satisfying

I started watching The Glory with no particular expectations or much thought. All I knew was that it became hot topic in less than a week and appeared on my instagram feed continuously. So, I gave this series a chance, and I do not regret it!

Throughout the whole time, I was amazed by the beautiful cinematography, the well done plot, and the talented actors. I usually watch TV series with dark concept and more serious plot, so I have seen similar dramas, but this is definitely one of the best revenge dramas out there! I enjoyed both the first and second part; they were dark, well detailed, and insteresting.

There were a lot of overwhelming and sad scenes, some of them I cannot stop thinking about; especially when Yesol was crying while hugging her father and apologizing. That kid did nothing wrong, yet suffered so much!

I also enjoyed the romance, and could feel the chemistry between DongEun and YeoJeong.

The revenge was satisfying and very clever. I really liked the fact that the female lead didn't become a murderer herself but turned the bullies against each other. All of them either died or lost something very important. Yeonjin lost her husband, child, and the job she actually enjoyed. Jaejoon lost his vision and drowned. MyeongOh died painfully at a place he hated. HyeJeong lost her voice and her chance to marry into a rich family. Sara was humiliated and got into prison. All of them suffered and lost the same thing they took away from DongEun 18 years ago - glory.

I know some people expected more and were disappointed. However, I think it was satisfying enough and is definitely worth a watch!

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Dong-Eun mi ídola máxima

[Escrito el 07 de abril del 2023]

Han pasado algunos días desde que terminé esta serie, pero sigo impactada por el tremendo trabajo de producción al desarrollar una historia de venganza tan interesante, sin caer en lo cliché y con la cantidad exacta de romance.

En cuanto al casting, opino que fue muy acertado. ¡Las actrices y los actores de este drama! cuánto talento, me dejaron fascinada, sobre todo Im Ji Yeon personificando de forma detallada a una cruel y perversa Yeonjin.

Hubo momentos donde pensé que el final sería distinto y que habría algún plot twist, que la protagonista no conseguiría su tan anhelada venganza. Sin embargo, me alegro de saber que no fue así y que, finalmente, el calvario que atravesó tantos años tuvo un desenlace justo para Dong-Eun. Además, fue bello apreciar cómo no sólo obtuvo la justicia que deseaba, sino que también pudo recordar aquellas acciones que le permitieron ganarse el cariño de diversas personas y, por ende, la ayuda que tanto había querido tener en su traumática adolescencia.

Una serie bastante cercana a la realidad respecto a que tan deshumanizados pueden ser las personas, no sólo quiénes agreden psicológica y/o físicamente, sino que también aquellos/as que no prestan ayuda a las víctimas y permiten que enfrenten en soledad una situación tan compleja como lo es el acoso escolar.

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La mejor segunda temporada, satisfactoria resolución

El título no es tan interesante pero es porque, es lo que tiene. Esta temporada supera a la primera porque acá es donde explota todo, y haciendo spoilers no generales, es donde se destruye la gloria de Park Yeongjin. Entonces, a continuación SPOILERS GRANDÍSIMOS indirectos, pero si hablan de lo sucedido.

Me gustó todo diría, y me gustaría comentar como manejaron ciertas y escenas y mensajes que las hicieron más bellas. Como, cuando se descubre cuál fue el destino de Myeongoh y por quién, está esa escena en la que una joven Dongeun en su clase de español decide traducir la parte del tatuaje del chico, "memento mori", solo la parte que no estaba tapada por una cura, y se traducía "me morí". Fue hermoso como lo unieron a sus escenas actuales. También, hablando del desarrollo del otro acosador, Jaejun, a este costó más dar su merecido pero mientras, se me hizo divertido como le importaba el descubrimiento de que era padre y giraba siempre en torno a eso sus acciones, como cuanto molestaba a su abogado porque le diga que sí hay alternativas para el tener su paternidad. Y como sus intentos de parecer el padre ejemplar al final morían al siempre mostrar de vuelta su susceptibilidad, explosiones de ira y violencia. Sobre las otras dos chicas, Lee Sara y Choi Hyejoong, no tengo mucho que decir, son también el mayor de ejemplo de acabar hundiéndose, por su propia culpa. Querían las dos satisfacción personal y eso las llevo a llegar más rápido a su sentencia.... Dejándonos hablar de las víctimas que hicieron que el plan de Dongeun se consumase.
El doctor Yeojeong y la especie de espía Hyeonam; me gustó la parte realista en la que la venganza deseada por el primero, no estaba yendo bien. La frustración mostrada por parte de Lee Dohyun, las escenas en las que lloró las sentí y la verdad fue muy bueno su interpretación. También más en sus escenas en las que actuaba como el verdugo, antes solo los veía en facetas amables y acá se le veía ese alterego más frío y dispuesto a hacer daño por esa justicia que la policia u otro no te puede dar. Y sobre Hyeonam, me gustó su la parte en la que decía (Aunque creo que esto fue en la primera temporada), que aunque le pegasen no significaba que no se podía reir o ser graciosa, me pareció un personaje muy cálido y fuerte, sobretodo.
Como se puede ver, eran diferentes tipos de victimas. Estaba la protagonista, vacía, que no recordaba sonreir casi, estaba Yeojeong, que intentaba hacer parecer que todo estaba bien pero vivía perturbado, ansioso, y luego Hyeonam, que transmitía esa calidez solo mientras su hija estuviese bien entonces ella podría ver el lado positivo.

Otra cosa, es que me gustó el papel del esposo de Yeonjin, de hecho, sonará vergonzoso pero hasta hubo una parte en la que hasta lo llegué a shippear con la protagonista pero es que, no sé, aunque todo estaba calculado se veía ese misterio genuino por parte de él en un principio, por su forma de jugar. En general, este hombre me pareció casi el único rico educado y que le dio el beneficio de la duda a su esposa, aunque al final no sirvió de mucho.

Yeongjin... su desenlace, creo que es inmejorable. Literalmente, de a poco, le arrebataron todo lo que ella conseguió y pensaba que sería para siempre o merecía. La más satisfactoria para mi fue cuando su propia progenitora la traicionó. Fue hermoso, aunque suene retorcido. Y también, la actriz que la interpretó hizo un trabajo excelente al expresar todos los momentos de frustración, lágrimas, por sentir que nada estaba en su control ni siquiera lo que antes estaba segura. Muy bueno.

Dejándonos con la opinión mía del final final, que me gustó también. Ver a la protagonista y el doctor juntos se sintió correcto, y suficiente. No antes, sino en ese momento, pues al final no se trataba de un romance sino el proceso de una venganza. Y bueno, fue satisfactorio sentir que el doctor podría tener lo que tanto había deseado y acompañado de a quien tanto se había aferrado, aún con sus desapariciones. Fue un 9.5, quiero pensar solo porque no caló tanto en mi como en otro, y la música sin tantos puntos solo porque no le presté tanta atención. Igual cumplió las expectativas.

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