"Perfect Marriage Revenge" Sung Hoon Reveals His Transformation into a Perfect Man
Based on the webtoon of the same name, the Netflix series Mask Girl (written and directed by Kim Yong Hoon) follows the story of Kim Mo Mi, an ordinary office worker with appearance insecurities, who leads a double life as an internet broadcast BJ (streamer) by night, wearing a mask to hide her face. Unintentionally entangled in unexpected events, the drama depicts Kim Mo Mii's eventful journey.
The story begins with the character of 'Kim Mo Mi.' Kim Mo Mi (Lee Han Byeol), who loves music and dance, had to give up her dreams early on due to her appearance. Unable to learn how to be loved, she grew up into an adult who only knew how to gossip about others at work, creating enemies and isolating herself from others.
In her quest to fulfill her thirst for love, Kim Mo Mi becomes an internet broadcast Broadcast Jockey, named Mask Girl. By day, she is an ordinary office worker, but she wears a mask by night and presents herself as a Broadcast Jockey, appealing to male subscribers, emphasizing her slender figure and natural beauty. She lives by hearing only what she wants to hear and ejects viewers who don't match her taste, protecting her world.
Living trapped in her world, Kim Mo Mi murders her due to several events. Another coworker, Joo Oh Nam (Ahn Jae Hong), a fervent viewer of BJ Mask Girl and knows Kim Mo Mi's true identity, helps her through this process.
Kim Mo Mi's life takes a drastic turn after the central incident of murder, leading her to live her second life with a new face. Having surgically altered her appearance to match the mask she used during her Broadcast Jockey activities, Kim Mo Mi (Nana) assumes a new identity, Areum, and lives as a recluse at night in the bar, competing against Bar Ace. She becomes entangled in yet another murder by helping her close friend and competitor, Kim Chun Ae (Han Jae Yi), and ends up being pursued by Kim Kyung Ja (Yum Hye Ran), Joo Oh Nam's mother, for vengeance following the death of her son.
Thus, Kim Mo Mi becomes a suspect in multiple murder cases and a fugitive pursued by Kim Kyung Ja, eventually getting arrested by the police. Having nothing to lose, Kim Mo Mi (Nana) survives in prison with various exploits. After several years, Kim Mo Mi (Go Hyun Jung) decides to escape prison to protect her remaining daughter, Kim Mi Mo (Shin Ye Seo), whom Kim Kyung Ja is threatening.
The drama contains various social issues. The most prominent are superficial appearance standards and private revenge driven by distorted morals, which are integrated into the work's themes and messages.
While some messages might have been omitted or changed while condensing and popularizing the expansive original story, Kim Yong Hoon's "3 choices" resonate well with the audience.
Due to the fame of the original work, Mask Girl garnered significant attention even before its release. Interest in the cast was also high. The three actresses, Go Hyun Jung, Nana, and Lee Han Byeol, portrayed three types of Kim Mo Mi's life, creating a remarkable performance. Through these three distinct portrayals, the director's unconventional choice of casting '3 actresses for 1 role' proves correct.
Kim Yong Hoon's other choices were Ahn Jae Hong and Yeom Hye Ran. Ahn Jae Hong's performance in Mask Girl creates discomfort and even shivers, transcending aversion. Despite the discomfort and aversion towards the work, Ahn Jae Hong's likability and acting ability, as the director mentioned during the production presentation, partially offset the discomfort and aversion, leading to positive feedback on his performance.
Yeom Hye Ran, in contrast to her previous roles, injects fear into the work with her different portrayal. As Kim Mo Mi gets closer to revenge, Yeom Hye Ran's eerie expression and voice add to the tension of the work, making even viewers shiver.
Furthermore, the accolades for Mask Girl extend to its "high-quality production team." Due to their previous works and awards, production designer Ryu Seong Hee and music director Jang Young Gyu are names familiar to drama fans and film enthusiasts. The opening video's imagery, music, and the work's eerie and nuanced aspects are well-preserved. Moreover, Ryu Seong Hee's idea of using Kim Mo Mi's dream beauty and Nana's surgically altered face to design Mask Girl's mask enhances the quality of the production.
Director of Photography Joo Seong Rim maximized the unique characteristics of each character through camera angles and movements that change with every episode. Makeup artist Song Jong Hee primarily contributes to Kim Mo Mi's transformation. By naturally blending the characters with the passage of time and character development, she eliminates the unfamiliarity between the actors and their characters.
On August 18th, Mask Girl was released exclusively on Netflix.
