"The Glory" was a hit. Now Netflix is ​​spending more on K-Dramas.

As the series, which focuses on bullying and revenge, has become the latest global sensation to emerge from South Korea, Netflix has announced that it would spend an additional $2.5 billion on Korean content.

"Someone please help me!" High school student Dong-eun screams as a classmate shoves a curler into her arm while two other tormentors hold her down.

The gruesome scene in a school gymnasium is one of the pivotal early moments in “The Glory,” the 16-episode drama centered on bullying, status and revenge that became the latest in a succession of South Korean mega hits. for Netflix. His sensation, "Squid Game," became the streamer's most popular series of all time.

"The Glory," which was released in two parts in December and March, is now Netflix's fifth most popular non-English TV offering. The executives said they were somewhat surprised at how well the show fared internationally, noting that it reached the top 10 on non-English speaking TV lists in 91 countries.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">It was one of the Korean hits, along with "Squid Game" and "Physical: 100," that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos cited last month during his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. He announced a $2.5 billion investment in South Korean content over the next four years and noted that stories created in the country "are now central to the global cultural zeitgeist."

Don Kang, Netflix Korea Vice President of Content, said it's been exciting to watch the show take off globally. "'The Glory' is a great example of a story that resonates authentically with local audiences, but also depicts themes of human psychology and social issues, which audiences around the world can relate to," said he said in a statement to the New York Times. < /p>

"The Glory" revolves around Moon Dong-eun, who sets out on a mission to get revenge on the people who bullied her in high school. Her scars serve as both physical reminders of the pain she suffered at the hands of bullies and the motivation behind her years-long quest for revenge. As she ages and develops her complicated recovery plan, she transforms from victim to perpetrator.

Combining the themes of bullying and vengeance - plot devices that have animated dramas for centuries - "The Glory" has drawn in throngs of justice-hungry viewers in South Korea and beyond, even without the grandiose sets and striking visuals that have propelled "Squid Game" popularity. travel as well as she did. They said they decided early on to release the episodes in two batches, in part because of the heavy content.

In a country where traditional broadcasters still censor the smoking, Netflix is ​​among the platforms that have paved the way for content creators to delve into topics long considered too risky, said Yu Kon-shik, assistant professor of communications at Konkuk University in Seoul and a member of the committee. of the Korean Broadcasting System's production planning.

"The Glory" fans, some of whom recalled their own experiences of bullying, admitted that they found it gratifying and cathartic to watch Dong-eun turn the lives of her enemies upside down, even when she did things they never would have considered.

"" The Glory "is this slow combustion of revenge," said Amy Lew, of Temple City, Calif., whose children were bullied at school. "It's everyone's dark side, isn't it? You want to see the underdog win."

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