'The Glory' Kim Geon-woo, to avoid being a 'Kim Woo-bin lookalike'

≪Choi Ji-ye’s Epilogue≫
Ten Asia reporter Choi Ji-ye objectively and keenly points out events that have occurred throughout the entertainment industry every Tuesday. We carefully analyze the ‘glitch’ you missed from a reporter’s perspective.

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The person who survived the most viciously, but died the most vainly. A character who appears to be a perpetrator, but is closer to a victim. This is an evaluation of Son Myung-oh in ‘The Glory’.

In the Netflix original series 'The Glory' (written by Kim Eun-sook, directed by Ahn Gil-ho), Son Myung-oh is the lowest-ranking character among the five perpetrators of school violence (Park Yeon-jin, Jeon Jae-jun, Lee Sa-ra, Choi Hye-jeong, and Son Myeong-oh). He comes from a poor family with nothing to show off, and his only family is his grandfather. Because of this, Son Myung-oh figured out his position in the group of five early on.

Myeong-Oh Son followed the instructions of Yeon-Jin Park and Jae-Jun Jeon and tormented his friends by putting blood on his hands. He took on the role of leader of the action, committing not only physical violence but also sexual abuse. Despite this, he is called out to run errands by the remaining four and is ignored as a person, and grits his teeth as he endures continued contempt and belittling.

Son Myeong-oh is a mysterious character whose characteristics stand out among the five perpetrators. A being who embraces the irony of being both a perpetrator and sometimes a victim. In this dilemma, Son Myung-oh runs to the same ending as the victims who made extreme choices due to the school violence he caused. Son Myeong-oh ends up dying at the hands of one of the people he called his friend.

Son Myung-oh's character was portrayed vividly when he met actor Kim Geon-woo. For Kim Geon-woo, whose main weapon is strong impressions, the character of Son Myeong-oh was a perfect fit. Writer Kim Eun-sook, who wrote 'The Glory', saw Kim Geon-woo in the audition video and shouted, "Director, this is the guy!" Kim Geon-woo, who wore Son Myeong-oh's clothes that was unanimously selected, showed an excellent performance as if living up to the expectations.

What was most impressive was the scene where Moon Dong-eun (played by Song Hye-kyo) was asked who killed Yoon So-hee, a victim of school violence. Son Myeong-oh spreads out five fingers and searches for the culprit, saying, “I will bark at you day and night. I will not let you eat or sleep. I will make you very tattered and place it in front of you.”

In this scene, Kim Geon-woo overwhelmed the screen with his complex eyes containing various emotions. Those eyes are a mix of primal curiosity to know who the culprit is, joy at being able to repay the grievances that have accumulated over ten years, and hope to start a new life by taking a big chunk of the money. Kim Geon-woo's eyes, which encapsulated the narrative of Son Myeong-oh's character, were enough to captivate viewers.

In addition, Son Myeong-oh, who visited a travel agency in order to secure a fresh start by taking responsibility for the murderer, said, "A moment like this is coming to my life too?" and shouted "Vladivostok, one way", a scene that clearly revealed Myeong-oh's immature personality full of bravado. It was. This scene of Son Myung-oh, with his sunglasses half down and a confident look in his eyes, was completed with Kim Geon-woo's strong visuals and colors, leaving a great impression.

At the end of the 5th episode of 'The Glory', the phrase 'Me Mori' (Spanish, 'I am dead') was illuminated following the image of Son Myeong-ho lying covered in blood after being hit by someone with a blunt object, and it is interpreted that Myeong-ho has died. Among the five perpetrators of school violence, Son Myung-ho, who was the first to die while paying the price, was not significant, but Kim Geon-woo's presence was certain. In particular, since clues to his death are expected to be uncovered in Season 2, the prominence of the character itself is expected to increase.

Kim Geon-woo, who debuted in KBS 2TV's 'Fight for My Way' in 2017, is in his 7th year as an actor. For Kim Geon-woo, who has mainly played villains such as serial killers and top stars since his debut, Son Myung-oh of 'The Glory' was a character that could highlight the acting color that Kim Geon-woo had been honing over the years. Kim Geon-woo succeeded in leaving a strong impression through the role of Myeong-oh, a villain close to his major.

Even though he is a villain, his appearance also played a role in being able to portray a complex character that sometimes had to endure helpless situations. Kim Geon-woo has a face with thick lines, matchless eyes where good and evil coexist, and a dimple that is deeper on the right side. The cool mask is masculine, and the temperature of the eyes changes depending on the gaze processing. Thanks to the dimples, there is a large difference between when smiling and when not smiling.

Regarding Kim Gun-woo's visuals, some say he resembles actor Kim Woo-bin. In fact, on a radio broadcast regarding the response to the 'Kim Woo-bin look-alike', Kim Gun-woo shyly expressed his stance, saying, "I sometimes hear such stories, but I feel so embarrassed every time. It's just a passing glance." However, it is unclear whether the modifier 'Kim Woo-bin lookalike' will have a positive effect on Kim Geon-woo. Because his appearance reminds me of Kim Woo-bin, he needs to show a charm that goes beyond the 'look-alike'.

In order to have a long career as an actor, you must become a big tree yourself rather than being in someone else's shadow. To do so, you must build your character through overwhelming acting skills, and above all, you must not limit yourself to just playing a villain. ‘Lookalike’ senior Kim Woo-bin also started out as a villain, but gradually broadened his spectrum. If you do not stop and continue to challenge and develop, the time will come when you will shine solely with the name ‘Kim Geon-woo’ rather than someone else’s resemblance.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr