The Glory Season 2 (2023)

A satisfying end... which is rare in the kdrama world as we're all familiar.

The first thing that needs to be applauded is the actors and their masterful acting. Without the acting the plot would've withered as another project with lost potential. They literally breathe the life, the fury, the glory into this drama.

As a sequel, it is commendable that the show did not go overboard or underwhelm in any aspect. It was just enough to make you sigh a breath of satisfaction. Lives upto everything the first season built upto and the trailer predicted. No non-sensical plot points which were forced to make the story coherent. It was woven smoothly start to end. They delivered the dramatics perfectly. Their was no unnecessary romantic part which ruined the slow-burn. Despite all the first season's information, there were twists and turns and the thrill was maintained. If anything was over-done, one wouldn't really give this show much of a rewatch value. But the makers took their jobs seriously and made sure that people can come back to this and find hope in the victory of everything good.

People might argue about the amorality of the whole revenge plot itself, but we know that justice does not take place in our world very often, the world is very unfair, and people we know, people around us, and people like us may feel wronged everyday, but what we can take from this as a positive learning is that we all need to come together and help the Dong Eun's all around us by giving them support, and being a friend in their time of need. Of course is doesn't have to be an elaborate revenge plot, but even the smallest effort would go a long way. And at the end of the day what goes around comes around. So it is by each other's support that we move forward, otherwise we'll find ourselves stuck at a point in life which will sooner or later drive us crazy.

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Satisfying ending, however the Netflix issues were worse.

I enjoyed Moon Dong-eun and Joo Yeo-jeong's stories a lot! I was so relieved as, there was a point there where it almost seemed like they wouldn't get a happy ending. This part really hit hard on obstacles in Moon Dong-eun's way, especially her mother, but I felt satisfied that the punishments doled out were proportionate.

This part digs more into Moon Dong-eun's terrible mother. In some ways, the ending of her career at the school felt unaddressed. She says farewell to Yeon-sol, but since we didn't get many shots of Moon Dong-eun at the school in this part, it almost felt like she wasn't there that much, despite it being her job. A couple of things felt somewhat dropped in this part.

We find out that Jae Jun apparently got Yoon-hee pregnant, but we don't really dig into that any further. For a character that was so important to Yeon-jin's story, his ending seemed a little brushed aside. Sa-ra's undoing was a little confusing as everyone seemed worried she'd be in big trouble after the press photos at the church, but then she was just at home playing around on her computer like nothing happened. It took her stabbing Choi Hye-jeong in the neck for her to get in any serious trouble, and I don't think Moon Dong-eun could've predicted that.

Ha Dong-yeon's ending was happy, I think. I was a little curious why he didn't have any further goodbye with Moon Dong-eun, but I was glad he wasn't caught in the crossfire too badly after Yeon-jin's conviction.

Again, my issues with this series were Netflix produced drama's tendency to have unnecessary nudity, unnecessarily drawn out violent scenes and unnecessary sex scenes. I have never seen a kdrama with bare breasts - I also don't think that was necessary. We have an unnecessarily drawn out (and repeated) sex scene with Myeong-o and Sa-ra. Also, a really weird note, the scene where we find out there's a creep at the elementary school taking pictures of children showed the pictures and I don't think they needed to. You can convey what he was doing with that. There were a lot more scenes of characters just screaming at each other and that didn't make for drama, it skewed into melodrama, in my opinion.

However, overall, I enjoyed the series and it's ending. I think it would've been even stronger if there didn't seem to be this focus on adding the kinds of scenes that draw in international audiences.

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Underwhelming

======EDITED======
I finally get to rewatch. And my opinion stays the same. It is underwhelming and didn't live up to expectations- especially the excitement.

The build up was good during the first 3 episodes. However, after that, everything started to get boring and fell into that cliché path that most revenge drama has.

1. Everything suddenly seems easy for DH - suddenly people just keep coming to help her. So it makes me wonder, what if those people didn't come to help her? What if she didn't meet those people? She spent more than a decade to plan but later on I cannot help but think "what was her original plan?" - you know the plan she created without those "sudden helper" which suddenly pops up for her to use.
I am yet to see a revenge drama with a solid plan and kept that plan until the end without the sudden boost of helper.

2. Suddenly everyone is screaming. One character screaming would've been believable but when almost everyone is screaming and started to act hysterical? Gosh

And I do not get why these villains who used to be powerful, calm and always seems to know what to do - suddenly becomes this weak character who - for whatever reason just do not know what to do except panic and scream.
When in truth, they can just order their men to kill the avenger but none of them think that way. They didn't even think of a way to punish this avenger and stop her from ruining their life. The only thing they did was to pay her mom to humiliate her and force her to leave her job. Really? Is that all you can do?
They started hating each other and fight each other but none of them decided to fight the avenger?

3. They went crazy in the end. These people who never felt guilty for ruining someone's life and live well all these years suddenly lose it. Lee Sa Ra seems fine at first then suddenly went full blown drug addict. PYJ was fine and then in the end she also started losing it - I don't know what's the purpose when that happens because if they were to be punished, I want them to be totally sober - with their conscious, and clear mind still intact -so they can feel all the hardships and pain of my revenge.


Another scene that I hate was Lee Sara's scandal - of her playing herself. I just don't like that part, she was drugged and to shame her -- everyone has to see her playing with herself as if that's some bigger sin than her being involved in bullying and drugs. That's so wrong. She was a victim in those videos.

And what was that thing with the Shaman? That was so unnecessary!

I am not sold out with the romance either. There was no chemistry at all.

I think that it could've ended with just 5 episodes but they had to stretch it out. It felt that they do not know what to do or what to add to make up for the rest of the episodes so they resorted to flashbacks.

The ending where DE was leaving the school and looking happy would of been the perfect ending. Everything that happens after that just... seems forced, like "yeah let's add some more scenes to complete this episode."

And their world is small indeed, suddenly almost everyone has met DE before.

And the avenger team at the end 🤦‍♀️
The assistant could of message her daughter at least but we didn't see that. I thought she was going to follow her daughter or try to live a different life for her daughter or for herself, but nuuuuh, in the end she became part of their avenger team.

JYJ - I thought that after seeing the killer of his father who seems be a psychotic who doesn't feel anything no matter what - thought he will at least realize that dealing with him will just be a waste of time.
No matter what he do, to punish that man, it will have no effect on him. He will not feel guilty or regret, instead he will just be happy to see JYJ dirtying his hands, he will be happy that he still has control over him because he made him that way- AND that's exactly what he wanted.
But tbh he will just waste his time on that guy. People like that don't deserves attention, it would be better if JYJ showed himself really happy in front of that guy - that kind of revenge is better - after all, there are many ways to get revenge, not just by hurting them,killing them or ruining them, sometimes being happy and moving on is also a revenge - because some people just hate to see you happy, so seeing you happy is a torture for them. So I was disappointed that they decided to create an avenger team just for him.

So far my favorite scene and the scene that marked on me the most in this season is DE's scenes with her mother. She never cry when facing her bullies, she didn't cry when remembering the past. But seeing her mother trying to ruin her- she cries. She started to break. In the end, the one who truly hurt her is her mother- compared to the pain the the bullies gave her, the pain that she received over her mother's betrayal hurts her the most.
I understand when she said that she is glad that her mother didn't change bcoz it will feel like she will have to erase what she did to DE back then and heal from it and learn to forgive her mother if ever she showed any affection. Knowing that her mother doesn't care for her even a bit and will never change, she accepted that and so, her mother can no longer hurt her, she's done.

I must praise all the cast of this series, they all did a fantastic job and deserves recognition- everyone - especially the villains.

Anyway I will rate it 4
Though disappointing at some parts of the story, I love the characters and the tension during the first episodes.

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The revenge was meh.

I love revenge plots, especially in the hands of a highly intelligent and capable female protagonist but with the proper motivation, of course. And, there was no doubt that the people who made Moon Dong-eun's (Song Hye-kyo) life hell on earth were all more than deserving of the kind of old school, biblical vengeance reserved for the very wrathful God of the Old Testament.
And, actually, I thought that the series might have wanted to say something about the hot-button issue of school bullying and spousal abuse but opted instead (in typical K-Drama fashion) to focus on the obligatory fan service of a romantic pairing of the two leads with less than zero chemistry between them.
The level of gratuitous violence on display in both parts 1 & 2 felt unnecessary at times because the payback was nowhere equal to the damage inflicted on the victims.
Maybe if she would've exacted her revenge in the very gym where the majority of the bullying took place I would've felt more satisfied with the conclusion.

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Let's die in the spring

"I think that there should be atleast one person on your side" - Landlord lady

What a satisfying revenge drama for me. Everyone who made other people's life, met their demise may it be figuratively or literally, which they definitely deserved.

Definitely worth the wait and I am happy that our Dong Eun finally realised that she's not alone. That there are people who loves her and cares for her.

Some may complain about Yeo Jung's case but I think it's "just" that they do his own revenge thing after they concluded Dong Eun's journey. Why? in order for them to move on and have their own version of peace, they should have a conclusion with their unfinished business.

We should remember that these two are badly damaged souls and their mental health is really not good, so some might say they're toxic to each other; but for me, they serves as an anchor for each other. They do balance one another and give themselves a purpose in life; or else, there's no reason for them to live, and would rather die.

I really hate Dong Eun's mother and how she uses their relationship to abuse her child. I love what the landlady said to Dong Eun, that even if families are determined by the heavens, sometimes heavens commits mistakes.

** Also, at first I was rooting for Ha Do Young and Moon Dong Eun, but then I realised it's not gonna happen. Why? Because of Ye Sol, who's greatly affected with all of this and like what Dong Eun told the child, she'll be forever sorry and will apologize to her for the rest of Ye Sol's life if she wanted to, as Dong Eun ruined her world. Ha Do Young maybe inlove or fascinated with Dong Eun but his love will never be enough to fill all the void that's lacking in Dong Eun's life. We all know he is a very good father to Ye Sol in spite of him being not the biological father of the child. So their life will be stressful and they'll be toxic for each other in the long run. So I am really happy that Dong Eun and Yeo Jung ended up together.

What a ride! Everyone got their justice and their own happy ending. Binge watch worthy!

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Contrived, Confused, Inglorious Conclusion

The second half of The Glory always had its work cut out for it--not because it had to live up to some lofty standard its predecessor had set, but because it had to make up for its flaws. A dozen loose strings, some narrative incongruities, and a curious pacing to its story progression (or, in some senses, lack thereof) had left more than a few worries that the series might not be able to properly exact its tale of revenge--even if the hope was there in equal measure.

And, sadly, those worries turned out to be entirely warranted: The Glory (Part 2) is a bit of a mess, rushing its way to a series of endpoints possible only by the great efforts of not only its heroes but also its villains to reach them.

A story of this kind typically relies on what are technically conveniences or coincidences as much as it does on the willingness of the audience to not be bothered by such...but The Glory goes to the suspension-of-disbelief well one (or several) too many times, asking its audience to ignore a string of contrived beats, character inconsistencies, and unnecessary narrative detours on the way to its strangely toothless dramatic ends.

Ultimately, it's a disappointing (and at times confusing) conclusion to an otherwise watchable show, with far too much going on and far too little happening, giving you exactly what you want in almost the least satisfying way possible.

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I just don't see the glory

I wasn't too impressed with the first half of The Glory, which I gave a 5.5. After finishing the second half, I'd say this second part was only marginally better because things actually happened.

At *no point* when watching this show I ever thought, "WOW THIS IS AMAZING OMG. BEST DRAMA EVER" Of course, everyone has a different experience and reaction so this may not be your experience. I still spent my time watching the show so it has entertainment value in some form.

The ending scene made me LAUGH because of the delivery. Legitimately, I laughed out loud and I know the producers and writers had zero intention of making that scene funny (or did they? Who knows!). I really don't think this show needed romance - the only positive thing that came from this was a role for Lee Do Hyun. The romantic beats fell flat. I also started finding it funny whenever Song Hye Kyo just showed up on the screen dressed in all black staring at one of the baddies who then gasp when they find her staring at them.

Don't get me wrong, I like all the actors in this show and thought they all did a fantastic job for the most part. Im Ji Yeon really gave her all as Yeon Jin and Kim Hi Eo Ra as Sa Ra.

I really feel that the domestic and sexual abuse depicted on screen can be triggering. In addition, unfortunately, few shows seem to be free from having a mom you absolutely loathe. We get her here. Joy!

You will see the pains that the leads have to deal with. The positive is that you do get to see the FL's revenge in action. I do have to give props to the writers who had no problem going all the way with punishing our favorite bffs.

But yes, I still view this show as nothing more than something you'll view for some shock value and entertainment for a day. Enjoy!

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Satisfying

As someone who writes stories as well. There is no better ending for this drama.
Acting of all the casts are on point kudos to the ahjumma. So much finesse on the cryings scene after her husband died.

This other watchers are expecting for more? What are you guys anticipating?

Actually death doesn't deserve them. They effin deserve to be in prison all their lives. Death is just too fast. They need to savor the pain while living,

Song Hye Nailed this role.

To all who said Lee do Hyuns character is a nuisance lol. He had been a part of the story from the start without him the revenge plot wouldn't happen at all.

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It's an okay watch!

It was a slow-burn revenge story. The plot is excellent; it's thrilling and mysterious. I have nothing else to add about this other than that! It can be prolonged in some parts, but I was shocked at the plot twists and turns. It's filmed well, and it shows the cruelty behind the issues of bullying in Korea. Some might say that it's "too much" or "unrealistic," but it's ordinary for such severe bullying to occur in Korea. It's heartbreaking, but that's the reality.

Moreover, this is a thriller, but there were scant thrills throughout most of it. The plot's central concept was intriguing: activating self-destruction mechanisms, lighting the fuse, and stepping back. It offers numerous opportunities for tension-building, but the overall production didn't make the most of them. Overall, it's an okay watch.

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There will be no GLORY

The second half of the drama starts right from where it left us in the first with Moon Dong Eun trying to bring the people who bullied her to hell especially Park Yeon Jin whom she wants to be in the same helpless situation as her with no one by her side. Although it was not as dark as the first half. But it was still good enough. This season followed more of Moon Dong Eun hunting her preys while they fight among themselves.

The most I missed from this season was Shin Hye Sun as teen Park Yeon Jin. Man she sent shivers down my spine in the first half. But I must say that we see more of Im Ji Yeon, Park Sung Hoon brilliant acting. Evem though Kim Hi Eo Ra and Cha Joo Young's had a support role but they damn nailed there characters. And also we see a whole lot of Lee Do Hyun in this part who was pretty much a support according to me in the first half. But is an executioner in this one. He is turning into a wonderful actor even though he is only 27 at this point.

And now lets talk about the lead of the drama Song Hye Kyo. I think this is by far the best acting performance by her in any of her drama. Maybe we can argue on That winter the wind blows but we can still agree that she nailed her performance. And would love to see her in more girl crush characters in the future.

So in all the drama is great with a unique plot in korean dramas. Was waiting for it to drop since the first half aired. I binge watched both the halves on the day of the release. Hopefully you too can find a feeling of glory watching the drama.

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They were right when they said "there will be no glory"

I was promised a dark, gruesome revenge drama where the FL spent 10y+ planning how to hit back the perpetrators who provoked her such intense pain during her teenage years and left marks deep enough to push her to suicide, so she has no limits and boundaries when it comes to what she would do for revenge.
What I got was a moderately entertaining drama whose value consists in the gorgeous acting of the villains and the heartwarming subplots of the side characters. The main issues I noticed within this drama were:
1) LDH's character was pretty much out of place for this entire drama (and I LOVE LDH, so this was particularly disappointing for me); it's like the writer was following the drama recipe where there needs to be a male lead obsessed with the female lead that she can count on, so they just added him into the mix and tried to add a backstory that would link him to the revenge plot, but it just felt overall out of place and not fitting with the rest of the story; the romance was also unnecessary, but I didn't particularly mind it;
2) not much emotional expression from SHK; I was really contemplating for a while whether maybe I'm just biased based on her previous dramas and this is just how her character is supposed to be, or whether her acting was really lacking in this drama as well; what made me lean towards the second option is that the actress who played the younger Moon Dong-Eun really KILLED the role and made me feel her pain and despair and consuming need for revenge in every moment, which I didn't really feel with the adult Moon Dong-Eun;
3) not that much.. revenge? almost all the villains' "punishments" came from their own doings and 'karma', I didn't feel like the FL did much to inflict pain upon them; this is not inherently a bad thing, but it didn't feel satisfying to me because I thought that the FL would have a more active role in taking revenge against these people, but in the drama she just played some strategic moves and let them push each other to their own downfall; again, this is not a bad thing, but it ultimately felt unsatisfying to me because I felt like I was promised cruel, merciless revenge and what I got was just the mere consequences of the villains' own actions, without SHK playing a significant role; this, combined with the acting points I've mentioned, made the villains' characters shine the brightest in the whole drama, while the FL was pushed sideways and wasn't in the center of storyline; honestly, I feel like if they removed the FL and ML, the drama would've been even better, the centerpiece was the villains' terrifying actions followed by their well-deserverd fates provoked by the consequences of their wrongdoings.

Overall, I can't say it was a bad drama, but definitely not a masterpiece and it didn't feel satisfying enough for me to even call it a "revenge drama". It's a decently entertaining watch though.

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