Fall 2023 SDLC111
Monthly Language Learning Journal #4
David Kim
30262888
david.kim123@richmond.edu
For November, my language partner and I watched episodes six and seven of the Korean drama show “Mask Girl” on Netflix. Episode six “Kim Mo-mi” is about Kim Mo-mi’s life after she gets imprisoned. The episode starts with black and white. She is dressed in a prison uniform with the number 1047. She is famous due to the Mask Girl case and does plastic surgery consulting for people inside prison. She meets An Eun-suk, another prisoner who is the strongest figure inside the place. She has connections with politicians and made the rule that people who are imprisoned by adultery can not have any food for three days. This scene shows that An Eun-suk is more powerful than the officers. She regularly gets coffee with the manager of the prison. However, Kim Mo-mi doesn’t care and shares her food with the person who was caught for adultery. Even though Kim Mo-mi fought with An Eun-suk’s people, she was the only one getting a penalty. She did not give up and kept fighting with An Eun-suk to the point that An Eun-suk told her people to not mess with her. It becomes 2023 and the episode brings in the colors. One day, Kim Mo-mi receives a letter: "You should also feel what it is like your child is getting destroyed.” She tries to escape but fails and gets a penalty of one month to stay alone in a small room only with a bible. Now Kim Mo-mi gives a testimony and promises An Eun-suk to donate a kidney for her daughter. During a bible study inside the prison, Kim Mo-mi and Kim Kyung-ja meet again. Kim Kyung-ja was one of the volunteers for the bible study. She escaped the car back in 2010. She got plastic surgery, made a fake ID, and bought a new house. She was the old woman who sold tteokbokki and spread the rumor that Kim Mi-mo was the daughter of Mask Girl. Episode six reminded me of the previous episodes. First, the threatening mail sent by Kim Jyung-ja reminded me of the threatening email sent by Ju Oh-nam in the beginning. I was surprised that they were son and mother. Also, the rumor appeared in the show again. I realized how a rumor can ruin someone’s life without any effort or money. It is dangerous because no one is responsible for it and it is difficult to stop it.
Episode seven “Mo-mi and Mi-mo” is about the last story between all the characters. Kim Mo-mi is taken to a hospital for kidney donation. She escaped the hospital and ran away with a car. Meanwhile, Ye-chun finds out that the rumor about Kim Mi-mo was started by the tteokbokki grandma. Kim Mi-mo’s grandma, Ye-chun, and Kim Mo-mi are all heading to Kim Kyung-ja’s house. Kim Kyung-ja already had Kim Mi-mo at her place and tied Kim Mi-mo up with a camera recording her. Kim Mi-mo’s grandma was killed by Kim Kyung-ja. Kim Mi-mo was able to defeat Kim Kyung-ja and save her daughter. However, Kim Kyung-ja was still alive with her gun. The police shot her but Kim Kyung-ja’s last bullet was shot toward Kim Mi-mo, and the mother saved her daughter with her own body. Ye-chun’s parents became Kim Mi-mo’s guardians and the drama ends with Kim Mi-mo watching her mother’s kindergarten tape.
When I first finished the whole drama, I thought it was very violent and dark. I could only see the dark sides that they tried to capture. However, I can now see the unseen relationship that only families can have. Even though Kim Mi-mo, Kim Mo-mi, and Kim Mi-mo’s grandmother had bad relationships, they all cared for each other deeply. They were even willing to sacrifice their own lives to save each other. When the drama Mask Girl did a good job capturing the dark reality of South Korea, it also did a wonderful job capturing the strong connection between family members.
Comments
It's cool that you watched Masked Girl for your SDLC sessions! I also watched the show a while back and found it quite absurd, and I agree that it captures the heavy beauty standards + dark reality of South Korea.