Queen of the Mask (2023)

Do You Wear a Mask?

This drama was led by four women: Do Jae Yi, Yoon Hae Mi, Go Yoo Na and Ju Yu Joeng. These women were not only beautiful, strong, influential but had a sense of bonding, friendship and loyalty. It was nice to see in this drama that no matter what twist, turns or malicious behavior befell each of them in the end they remained true to not only themselves but to each other.

We were dealt with two crimes in this drama which was the catalyst or driving force throughout. Who killed Gi Do Shik, son of the assemblyman Gi Yoon Chul and fiancée of Ju Yu Joeng and the rape of Do Jae Yi by a masked assailant in Suite 2401.

Another subplot was who was the mastermind of the Angel Club which was below an orphanage that belong to the Yeongun Cultural Foundation. The club's criteria consisted of each member wearing a mask to attend all events and they must be rich, powerful, political, and influential.

Of all the ladies that suffered the most it was Do Jae Yi. She never shared with any of the women what had happened that night in Suite 2401. She privately dealt with this matter, and it was horrible to see. She endlessly collected every type of mask to find the one that was worn the evening of her assault. Never allowed herself to become close to anyone especially the man who loved her silently, Choi Kang Hoo. But just when things were finally getting better (meaning she finally knew who her rapist was), we watch the happiness that they both waited for so long end as he dies in front of her. His death really tore me up. It was so sad to see his throat being slit just as he called her name for the last time. That death led to other surprises. Such as: Ju Yu Joeng marrying the rapist of Do Jae Yi and Do Jae Yi finding this information out the same day of her best friend's wedding.

There were many twists and turns throughout this drama that kept you guessing. Just when you thought you were on the right track something else would happen. But the thing that remain true were these women. They may have for a minute thought of being disloyal and thinking of only themselves, but they always knew there was a better way that they could survive without hurting each other.

In the end to find out who was the mastermind behind the Angel Club was the biggest surprise to me. You never really look his way because he seems so insignificant. He hovered in the background always looking smug. In listening to the reasons for him doing all that he did with killing Gi Do Shik, Song Je Hyeok and Choi Kang Hoo along with all the other tasteless things he did was shocking to say the least. His explanation to Do Jae Yi: "Power defeats the law" really didn't help him in the end. He tried to take everything away from Do Jae Yi and even tried to get her to run the "new" Angel Club which he envisioned for her, but the one thing power couldn't buy him was his own mortality. His own man that he trusted all along ended his life. So much for loyalty.

One final thought that was said: "To survive in this world people put on a mask either knowingly or unknowingly. You think you get credit for living without a mask? What do you see behind the mask? Truth? Look. What do you see right now? Truth is always ugly and dirty. Thats why you have a mask. Because the ugly truth gets hidden if you put on a mask. Are you wearing one now?"

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