‘The Glory’ follows a homeroom teacher who sets in motion, an act of vengeance upon her high school bullies, one which she has been planning for over a decade.
Revenge is a theme found in abundance in all of fiction, with its ability to provide catharsis and comfort in retributive justice carrying a mass appeal rivaled by few other subgenres.
Netflix’s latest revenge Kdrama, ‘The Glory’ has climbed up the streaming charts rather quickly, with a lot of viewers resonating with the themes of anti-bullying in the series.
Here are 10 other Kdramas that follow in the same vein, with cold and calculated revenge schemes, cathartic paybacks, and atmospheric thrills aplenty:
My Name
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Han So-Hee, Park Hee-Soon, Ahn Bo-Hyun, Kim Sang-Ho, Lee Hak-Ju, Jang Yull
‘My Name’ follows Yoon Ji-Woo, who on her birthday bears witness to the horrific death of her father. Obsessed with vengeance, she sets out to find his killers.
Ji-Woo finds help from a powerful crime boss, who later directs her to enter the police force. Following that, Ji-Woo contends with a series of perilous encounters and revelations.
A strong female lead seeking revenge is one of the most striking resemblances the Kdrama shares with ‘The Glory.’
Taxi Driver
Available on: Viki
Cast: Lee Je-Hoon, Esom, Kim Eui-Sung
‘Taxi Driver’ follows Kim Do-Gi, a former special forces soldier who works for a secret organization that operates under the guise of a taxi company.
Do-Gi moonlights as an agent of retribution for the victims of injustice, working with his team of revenge-seekers who share the motto and purpose.
Remarriage & Desires
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Kim Hee-Seon, Lee Hyun-Wook, Jung Eugene, Park Hoon, Cha Ji-Yeon
Another revenge series, ‘Remarriage & Desires’ tells the tale of a woman who seeks to exact vengeance upon her ex-husband’s scheming mistress.
Seo Hye-Sung has been dealt a rather cruel hand by destiny and a woman who seduces her husband, who leaves Hye-Sung, only for him to be tricked by the woman and die later on.
It’s Hye-Sung’s only mission in life now — destroy the woman who subjected her to such misery.
Hotel del Luna
Available on: Viki
Cast: Lee Ji-Eun, Yeo Jin-Goo
‘Hotel Del Luna’ follows Jang Man-Wol, who’s the owner of the titular hotel, an establishment that caters exclusively to the souls that are yet to move into the afterlife.
The other lead is Goo Chang-Sung, a living human, and an exceptional manager, who arrives at Hotel Del Luna to assume the managerial position.
While not as grounded in reality as ‘The Glory’, this Kdrama also deals with themes of revenge, albeit with a different approach.
The Penthouse
Available on: Viki
Cast: E Ji-Ah, Kim So-Yeon, Eugene
A woman wishes to enter high society by becoming the “queen” of a luxury apartment’s 100th-floor penthouse.
But this Seoul apartment has some of the most insatiable and ambitious residents who will shed all morals and cares to get their hands on wealth and power.
Revenge of Others
Available on: Disney+
Cast: Shin Ye-Eun, Park Solomon
A high-teen revenge thriller, ‘Revenge of Others’ follows Chan-Mi and Soo-Heon as the former tries to find her brother’s killer while the latter is a terminally ill boy who helps victims of bullying pay back their harassers.
Similar to ‘The Glory’, this Kdrama also deals with the prevalent bullying culture in schools.
Itaewon Class
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Park Seo-Jun, Kim Da-Mi, Yoo Jae-Myung
A revenge Kdrama that deviates from the norm in its tonality and content, ‘Itaewon Class’ follows an ex-con and his friends fight a powerful enemy to achieve their ambitious dreams.
In a David v. Goliath story, an ex-con gets out of prison and dreams of opening a street bar while also going up against the Jangga Group.
VIP
Available on: Viki
Cast: Jang Na-Ra, Lee Sang-Yun, Lee Chung-Ah
This Kdrama sees the staff of Sung-Un Department Store cater to the desires of their top 1% of clientele while navigating their personal lives as well.
The plot kicks in when one day, Na Jeong-Seon receives a call telling her that her husband is having an affair with one of her co-workers.
Tell Me What You Saw
Available on: Viki
Cast: Jang Hyuk, Choi Soo-Young
This revenge thriller follows Oh Hyun-Jae, a brilliant profiler who has returned from seclusion, and Cha Soo-Young, a rookie detective hailing from the countryside who also wields a photographic memory.
Together with other detectives, the two work towards solving a series of serial murders, and Hyun-Jae’s fiancee was one of the victims of said murders.
Fates and Furies
Available on: Viki
Cast: Lee Min-Jung, Joo Sang-Wook, So Yi-Hyun, Lee Ki-Woo
‘Fates and Furies’ follows the beautiful Goo Hae-Ra seeking revenge for her sister who committed suicide. What’s more, is that her father is dead.
To escape her miserable situation, she approaches Tae In-Joon with ulterior motives and makes him fall in love with her. However, she must contend with a number of hurdles to see through her revenge.
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