SEOUL — “Someone please help me!” Dong-eun, a high school student, yells as a fellow student burns her arm with a curling iron while she is held down by two other tormentors.
The gruesome scene in a school gymnasium is one of the pivotal early moments of “La Gloria,” the 16-episode drama focused on bullying, social status and revenge that has become the latest South Korean mega-hit on Netflix. Launched in two parts in December and March, it is now Netflix’s fifth most popular non-English language TV offering. Executives said they were surprised by how well it did internationally, making the top 10 list of non-English-language television shows in 91 countries.
It was one of the Korean hits, along with “The Squid Game,” the streaming channel’s most popular series of all time, and “Physical: 100,” which Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, quoted in April when he met with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and announced a $2.5 billion investment in South Korean content over the next four years.noting that the country’s stories “are now at the heart of the global cultural spirit.”
“The Glory” revolves around Moon Dong-eun, who makes it her life’s mission to get revenge on the people who bullied her in high school. Her scars serve as physical reminders of the pain she suffered and as the motivation behind her years of seeking revenge. As she ages and develops her own complicated revenge scheme, she transforms from victim to perpetrator.
By intertwining the themes of bullying and revenge—plot devices that have animated dramas for centuries—the series has attracted a large audience hungry for justice.
Some recalling their own experiences with bullying, “The Glory” fans admitted that they found it cathartic to see Dong-eun turn the lives of their enemies upside down. “’La Gloria’ is simmering revenge,” said Amy Lew, of Temple City, California, whose children have been bullied. “That’s the dark side of everyone, right? You want to see the underdog win.”
There’s a reason so many people can relate. Nearly one in three students reported being bullied in 2019, according to a UNESCO report.
“The Glory” joins “The Squid Game,” “We’re Dead,” and “Woo, Lawyer Extraordinaire” as the four Korean series among Netflix’s top 10 most popular non-English-language TV offerings of all time. Now, the company wants to continue the success by launching more than 30 Korean non-script series, movies and shows this year.
The global success of Korean productions demonstrates the international reach of Netflix — which can subtitle or dub shows in more than 30 languages — but also the growing power of Seoul as a creative hub, said Don Kang, Netflix’s vice president of content for Korea.
“Korea is a storytelling powerhouse with the ability to showcase Korean culture and issues, while conveying universal emotions that resonate with people around the world,” he said.
By: Jin Yu Young and Matt Stevens
BBC-NEWS-SRC: http://www.nytsyn.com/subscribed/stories/6759491, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-06-13 21:50:07
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