I’m glad that I watched this drama at the same time as I finished reading “Overshadowed Smile” by Anna Sawińska. Both positions complement each other and say a lot about the situation and position of women in Korean society and their powerlessness against the pathetic law and tradition where a man is allowed to do everything.
What is this drama about? Kim Mo Mi loved to dance since she was a child. Unfortunately, as a young girl, she was openly ridiculed, even by her own mother, for failing to meet Korean standards of female beauty. She gave up her dreams of performing and became an ordinary office worker. However, she had a secret. In the evenings, she would dress up in colorful outfits, put on a wig and mask, and dance on her channel as Mask Girl. She became very popular, she had many fans. Over time, it turned out that one of her most faithful fans works with her in the office and knows her secret.
“Mask Girl” is a drama about women left to themselves, without love and support, including the legal one. It is also a story about mothers, the cold ones (the main mother), the possessive ones (the stubborn freak mother), the ones loving despite the bad fate and ready to do anything for the child (the main one and the lady from prison). It’s sad to say, but in this drama, mothers are the source of all this evil. If they were attentive to their children, if they took care of their emotional needs, nothing bad would probably happen. On the positive side, the final act of the main character healed her own daughter’s soul. This shows how powerful the mother figure is in a child’s life, especially in Korea, where men are practically absent.
In my opinion, the most expressive character of this drama was Kim Kyung Ja (Joo Oh Nam’s mother), and Yeom Hye Ran who played her reigned on the screen. Her character was amazing. Tough, relentless, clever and stubborn. She, through all these episodes, became the glue for the rest of the characters. It was her actions that drove the plot. The rest of the cast did a great job as well, even Nana, who I’m not a big fan of. I love guest appearances by Lee Jun Young. He always plays bad boys like that. It’s amazing how well he works in such roles (D.P, Class Of Lies).
It was a good drama about women. Well acted and interestingly filmed. I liked that each episode told a different person’s story. It allowed you to see the story from their perspective. It’s not a drama for everyone (and neither is Somebody). This story cannot be interpreted in black and white, because the perpetrators in this drama are also victims.
