Mask Girl Series Review – An Engaging Korean Thriller with a Message

Posted on August 22, 2023

BOTTOM LINE: An Partaking Korean Thriller with a Message

Pores and skin N Swear

Violence, Nudity, Profanity

What Is the Story About?

Masks Lady relies on the Naver webtoon of the identical identify, and follows Kim Mo-mi, a daily workplace employee who has grown as much as be deeply scarred and insecure about her seems to be. She turns into a masked web persona, an in a single day sensation to cowl up her insecurities. Nonetheless,issues take a wild flip as she will get caught up in murders, one after the opposite and a brutal story of vengeance.

Performances?

Masks Lady‘s greatest asset is it’s star-cast. Each single actor provides a efficiency that knocks their earlier performances out of the park.

The titular function of Kim Mo-mi is performed by three actors all through the course of the sequence. Lee Han-byeol performs the insecurities, introverted-ness and double lifetime of Mo-mi seamlessly within the first two episodes. Regardless of being the least well-liked amongst the three actors taking part in the half, she’s the one who you empathise essentially the most with.

Nana performs Mo-mi submit *spoiler* and her jail scenes are so uncooked and gritty. One would immediately demand a serial killer story with Nana within the lead function taking a look at her on-point aggressive efficiency.

Go Hyun-jung performs current day Mo-mi and the veteran actress proves why she is who she is with a efficiency for ages. She deserved extra screen-space within the present.

Evaluation

Based mostly on a Naver webtoon of the identical identify, Masks Lady is against the law thriller that primarily can also be a narrative of a traditional woman who grew as much as be insecure of her personal self as a consequence of societal constructs of look, will get caught in a sequence of uncomfortable occasions thereby altering her life ceaselessly.

Masks Lady begins off on a really reasonable notice establishing the premise and the whys of our protagonist, Kim Mo-mi. A girl who’s conventionally not thought of handsome by a society that obsesses over seems to be. Mo-mi’s insecurities, rejections she faces from each stroll of her life, even from her household and the heart-breaking double life she lives because the sensuous web persona ‘Masks Lady’ are clearly sketched within the first two episodes.

All Mo-mi needs for is a life the place she might get appreciated and liked for who she is & the web persona she takes up is a transparent cowl up for what she sought from life. Nonetheless, issues take a drastic flip in her life, at her most susceptible state of affairs, she will get embroiled in a homicide, then one other and that leads her to methods one wouldn’t think about about. The implications she faces on account of the murders varieties the principle crux of the plot.

Coming to the strengths of the present, it’s exceptionally forged. The actors are pitch good of their roles and makes the present much more impactful. The protagonist and antagonist will get their very own tales, properly written and correct arcs the place one might empathise with however probably not absolutely root for. There are humorous moments till some extent after which there’s solely violence and massacre.

Coming to what doesn’t work, the story is just too formidable and tries to go to far lengths however will get muddled in the identical vicious entice of repetitiveness. The finale episode specifically is so elongated. The color palette of the present and the narrative template it units up mirrors the Japanese movie ‘Recollections of Matsuko’, the place the content material is nice however the ranges of tragedy that looms over the principle character makes the present too darkish to put money into after some extent. I imply, present some mercy on her!

Briefly, Masks Lady is a a lot wanted present that talks concerning the very critical obsession individuals have round seems to be and the horrors of insecurity that roots from them. However it’s very triggering to look at the protagonist by no means discovering an escape from the entice set round her and there’s nobody however the circumstances responsible.

Different Artists?

Regardless of the present titled ‘Masks Lady’, the actor who owns the present via and thru is Yoem Hye-ran as Kim Kyung-ja. Her spectacular arc from a grief stricken mom to that of essentially the most fearful lady with a coronary heart stopping at nothing apart from Vengeance is a deal with to look at. She has some impeccable comical moments as properly.

Kim Min-seo who performs Kim Chun-ye is also spectacular within the few scenes she shares with Kyung-ja and Mo-mi.

Shin Ye-seo’s efficiency as Mo-mi’s daughter Mi-mo can also be actually good. She represents generational trauma, frustration and anger of a teenage woman rising up with the tag of a homicide mum painstakingly properly onscreen.

Ultimately, not the least Ahn Jae-hong as Joo Oh-nam is one other watch-out worthy efficiency. He portrays the horrors of loneliness and social-awkwardness completely onscreen.

Music and Different Departments?

Masks Lady is a virtually written present. Though it grapples within the beginning, it does give properly fleshed out character arcs to his main characters, and loads of characters to empathise with regardless of circumstances.

Jang Younger-kyu’s music is enough and the digicam work within the sequence is especially worthy of all appreciation. The neons of the early 2000s and the greys of the ten’s are aptly captured.