I totally missed that this drama premiered last week goes to show it’s not my cup of tea. Netflix premiered Mask Girl, adapted from a popular dark webtoon, with three female leads all playing the same character. Newcomer Lee Han Byeol is getting rave reviews for her acting and visuals straight from the webtoon pages with Nana taking over post plastic surgery and Go Hyun Jung winding out the story as the older version. The drama got as high as number 2 on the worldwide viewership chart and remains in the top 10 a week later. It’s about the twists and turns of an ugly duckling wanting to be pretty and famous which sounds rather generic but reportedly the drama story is dark and twisty enough to be gripping.
This show is the perfect example of a Netflix-style kdrama: provocative, dark, edgy. I can’t imagine this show airing on any Korean channel.
The acting standouts are Anh Jaehong and Yeom Hyeram who gave tour-de-force performances as crazy son and mom. AJH was so good I am actually suspicious of how he was able to nail his character so convincingly.
The switch between 3 actresses broke the flow. They should’ve just kept Nana on.
This drama was overall one of the best uses of screen time. I felt it was a good pace w/ no filler. Every scenes leads to its purpose and drives the story nicely. The leading lady starts off very unlikable. There’s a phrase in Thailand that says she not even pretty yet she not a good/nice person either( indicating there’s nothing good about her). But life is so unfair to her and actions only leave to more bad faith. But then NaNa continues her story and you can’t help but start to feel bad for her. Due to certain event, she is changed as a person trying to stay a quiet life on the run, but as soon as she is put in a corner she a total badass. It’s like bad gals against bad gals. NaNa really shines here. If I never cared for her as an actress, she has made a huge mark. GHJ finish off the story nicely but her character was at a stage where she starts to accept her faith and melon down, so her character was not memorable. But the closure was the post appropriate.
My only complain is how hard it was to get rid of the antagonist. The lady was so old already and yet it’s the only person that leading lady seems to fear.
I’m only on episode 1 right now (busy with work so can’t binge-watch it yet haha), but I have to agree about the protagonist’s unlikeability. I hate how she hates Ah Reum for having an affair with her crush (the married dude), but she’s not at all disgusted with him, when she should be because he’s the one who’s married and he’s the one who broke his vows, not Ah Reum. Classic case of internalized misogyny, only blaming the woman. Also, she’s totally fine sleeping with him on the same bed knowing full well he’s married, and she’s on a high horse? Lol.
I do feel bad for her experiences as an ugly girl, but I don’t like her at all, at least for now. Hopefully she changes for the better in the next episodes
I watched it initially for Nana (who to me is still the most beautiful Korean actor/ idol out there), but what really sucked me in is the style of the show – it’s like a Quentin Tarantino movie but 7 hours haha. very dark though, one where you know things won’t end well/ bittersweet
You know, I’ve always wondered why Nana is not more popular. She’s gorgeous, has great acting chops, and has the same edgy, bad girl vibe going on that Han Sohee has, except Nana’s feels more effortless.
probably because she’s still signed to Pledis, which is an idol agency first and foremost, instead of an agency for actors. I recall seeing in a recent interview that her agency rarely sends her out to variety shows or talk shows for whatever reason.
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It’s like the others… violence with no real message. There was no character I could feel empathy or interest in.
I didn’t like the use of the 3 actresses because I saw no connection between the character, it was like watching 3 different persons.
For now, only DP used well violence.
The sex & nudity tag made me reluctant. Can anyone give a hint on which episode those thing appear
eps 1, 2, and 6. very minor nudity and sex though, nothing (too) explicit/ vulgar.
Feel the same as @Sayaris , i didn’t feel anything for the character . I feel that some korean dramas tend to drift apart of the quintessence of what make them different from the western ones . A kind of globalization to reach more viewers, suscribers,…which is understable but sad . That’s just my point of view . I may be wrong .
I loved it, though the show’s beginning was more promising than the end. I wish they focused more on the social commentary of restrictive beauty standards, (internalized) misogyny, nice guys, etc. than on the insane grandmother.
I can’t look at Anh Jaejong the same after this. Every time I see him now my brain sees a pervert. He acted his role a little too well.