[Aisha's Take] "Mask Girl" Unveils the True Darkness of Desperation and Desires

To be loved. To be accepted. To attain justice.

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"Mask Girl", based on a webtoon of the same name, stars Nana, Lee Han-byeol and Yeom Hye-ran to lead the drama. The drama became available for streaming on 18th August on Netflix.

It has kept the fans on the brink of their chairs and was appreciated world wide. But beyond the whimsical outlook, "Mask Girl" delivers a much darker message.

"Mask Girl" tells the whole story of Kim Mo-mi's life, all till her death. Alongside Mo-mi, the drama digs into many other characters and discovers the darkness desperation can hold.

We first met the 27 year old Kim Mo-mi (Lee Han-byeol). Someone who always loved to perform on the stage and be applauded by the masses. As a young child, she was able to carry out her dream, but as she grew older, she became insecure about her looks. It was others who made her insecure. She was taunted for being 'ugly'. So she ended up having a normal life. But that wasn't what she wanted.

She was desperate to live her dream. Desperate to be loved. Mo-mi was confident about her body so she decided to become a BJ. She would put on a mask and dance before her streamers, becoming known as "Mask Girl". Her desire to be loved becomes so far fetched that when Mo-mi (now played by Nana) turns herself in, the amount of reporters surrounding her makes her feel like a celebrity.

Little did she know that her dual life would get her in so much trouble.

Then came Joo Oh-nam (Ahn Jae-hong), Kim Mo-mi's colleague. He, too, was a victim of bullying because of his chubby physique.  This leads him to lead an invisible life and cut off from any human interaction. Unlike Mo-mi, he wished to hide his desires. He would talk about life-sized dolls and activities to fulfill his sexual desires. He was also a fan of The Mask Girl. He quickly recognized that Kim Mo-mi was the Mask Girl. Soon, she became his desire and desperation. Enough for him to kill her and even force himself on her.

His story ends when Mo-mi gets on top and stabs him.

His death deeply wounded his mother, Kim  Kyeong-ja (Yeom Hye-ran). Desperate for revenge, she sets out to find Mo-mi. She ultimately gets to her even though she has changed her face through plastic surgery. Even after knowing the truth about her son, as a possible rapist and murderer. She remained in denial. Revenge was the only drive that kept her alive. She tracked her down and even years later, she began to target Mo-mi's daughter, Kim Mi-mo (Shin Ye-seo).

Mi-mo was also desperate to find herself, but the news about her mother never left her. She was bullied and hated for being a murderer's child. Angered by them, she grew violent. But beyond that laid a child desperate for love. This was shown how innocently she adored her tabeokki grandma, without knowing that she wanted to harm her. "Mask Girl" touches on many lives of those isolated from society and how that could turn out to be.

The Netflix series is available to be streamed.

 

By Aisha Adnan

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"Mask Girl" is directed by Kim Yong-hoon-I, written by Kim Yong-hoon-I, and features Lee Han-byeol, Nana, Go Hyun-jung, Ahn Jae-hong, Yeom Hye-ran, Choi Daniel. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2023/08/18~Now airing, Fri on Netflix.