Written by Kim Eun-sook and Directed by Ahn Gil-ho

Developed by Studio Dragon 

Rating: ★★★★★

As I’ve mentioned before, “Mr. Sunshine” marked my initial deep dive into South Korean drama, and since then, anything scripted by Kim Eun-sook automatically grabbed my attention. “The Glory,” was based on real events, which sparked my curiosity even further. A recent interview with the author shed light on the inspiration behind the series. In an intriguing revelation, Kim Eun-sook shared a poignant moment where her teenage daughter posed a thought-provoking question: “Mom, which is worse: me nearly beating someone to death or someone else nearly beating me to death?” This glimpse into the author’s personal life adds an intriguing layer to the series.

“The Glory” serves as the response. We see the protagonist’s psychological and physical suffering, detailing their torment. Sadly, there is no other way to tell it. Kim’s careful research explores the long-standing issue of school violence in Korean society. Bullying is a widespread problem, with suicide being the leading cause of death among young people since 2007.

In recent decades, it has also become much discussed as the government works to combat the problem. In 2004, Korea passed a law called the Special School Violence Prevention Law after several teenagers died by suicide after being bullied. This topic was also heavily covered in “Twenty-Five, Twenty-one”, “D.P. Deserter Pursuit” and many more, unfortunately. The legislation led to the formation of school committees to monitor bullying, but according to a recent article in The Korea Times, it is still a problem far from resolved. Does this only happen in South Korea? In short, a real series, brilliantly directed, with a super synchronized cast, who share a very special chemistry. Highlight for Lee Do-hyun – what an outstanding actor! Three seasons done very well.

Image courtesy of Netflix