SEOUL– Actress Song Hye-kyo, widely known as the “Melodrama Queen,” is returning with a new Netflix series, “The Glory,” a grim revenge drama involving bullying at school.
Set to stream on Netflix on Dec. 30, “The Glory” tells the story of a woman who suffered school violence and elaborately takes revenge on her former bullies. Ahn Gil-ho took the helm of the two-part series, with the second part scheduled for March.
Song reunited with star writer Kim Eun-sook for the first time in six years since their mega-hit drama series “Descendants of the Sun” to venture into the new genre.
The 41-year-old said she tried to portray the lead protagonist, Moon Dong-eun, as a strong woman determined to punish her former bullies who made her high school life hell.
“As I mostly appeared in melodramas in the past, viewers may find my new role unfamiliar,” Song said during a press conference Tuesday. “Acting (for the character) was difficult, but I really enjoyed it.”
Following a failed attempt to take her own life, the main character turns into a deadpan, standoffish woman who plans a fierce revenge on her former classmates.
“Moon Dong-eun’s soul is destroyed due to the suffering and pain from the bullying, but she is neglected by school, her parent and police,” Song said.
Screenwriter Kim said she got a major wake-up call about school violence while talking with her daughter in high school and poured over many writings by victims to delve into their state of mind.
“In the moment of violence, (victims) lose invisible things, such as dignity, reputation and glory,” Kim said. “They need apologies from their bullies to start anew, so I decided to title the series ‘The Glory’ to root for victims.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency