Mask Girl (Korean: 마스크걸) is a 2023 South Korean black comedy crime thriller television series written and directed by Kim Yong-hoon, and starring Lee Han-byeol, Nana, Go Hyun-jung, Ahn Jae-hong, and Yeom Hye-ran.[3] It is based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Mae-mi and Hee-se, which was published between 2015 and 2018.[4] It was released on Netflix on August 18, 2023.[5][6][7]
Synopsis
Kim Mo-mi, an office worker who is insecure about her looks, becomes a masked internet personality by night—until a chain of unexpected, ill-fated events begins to overtake her life.
Cast
Main
Lee Han-byeol as Kim Mo-mi/Mask Girl (in 2009, before surgery)[1]
Nana as Kim Mo-mi/A-reum (after plastic surgery)[8]
Lee Jun-young as Choi Bu-yong: Chun-ae's boyfriend in a special appearance[17]
Episodes
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original release date
1
"Kim Mo-mi"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Kim Mo-mi grew up with dreams of becoming a pop star, but was thwarted by her plain looks. By day, she works in an office, and by night she runs a popular livestream channel where she wears a mask and performs as "Mask Girl". Mo-mi's life is upended when she discovers that Park Gi-hoon, her boss and the man whom she has feelings for, is having an affair with another co-worker, Lee A-reum. Mo-mi's popularity plummets after she loses her livestream and confesses her woes to a regular Mask Girl viewer, unaware he is her co-worker, Ju Oh-nam.
2
"Ju Oh-nam"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Ju Oh-nam is a loner and a regular viewer of Mask Girl's channel, recognizing her to be Kim Mo-mi based on her hands. Oh-nam falls in love with Mo-mi, but is unable to express his feelings. Mo-mi meets a Mask Girl's obsessive fan who tries to rape her, but he is knocked out in a scuffle. Oh-nam comes to Mo-mi's aid; he kills the man and disposes of the body. Traumatized by her experiences, Mo-mi abruptly quits her job and undergoes plastic surgery, exasperating Oh-nam. Oh-nam rapes Mo-mi, and Mo-mi stabs him to death.
3
"Kim Kyung-Ja"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Kim Kyung-ja is Oh-nam's overbearing mother, who struggled to raise him as a single parent. When Oh-nam becomes uncontactable, Kyung-ja has the police break into his apartment, where they find the remains of Oh-nam's victim. Later, the police also find Oh-nam's remains in a suitcase. Kyung-ja believes that Mo-mi, who has been revealed to the public to be Mask Girl, is Oh-nam's murderer, and vows revenge. Kyung-ja's investigation leads her to a woman named Kim Chun-ae, whom she kidnaps. Chun-ae insists that she is not Mo-mi, but claims to know her.
4
"Kim Chun-ae"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Kim Chun-ae convinces Kyung-ja that Mo-mi is her rival at the club they work at, and offers to help Kyung-ja get her revenge. In reality, Chun-ae and Mo-mi have become close friends as they grew up similarly ostracized and had plastic surgery in order to start new lives. Mo-mi helps Chun-ae kill her abusive live-in partner, and the pair make their escape. Mo-mi reveals to Chun-ae that she is pregnant. They are confronted by Kyung-ja, and in the melee, Kyung-ja shoots Chun-ae, and Chun-ae bludgeons Kyung-ja's head before dying. Mo-mi dumps the bodies in a lake. Sometime later, Mo-mi is arrested.
5
"Kim Mi-mo"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Kim Mi-mo is Mo-mi and Oh-nam's daughter. As a baby, Mi-mo was given to her grandmother shortly before Mo-mi surrendered to the police and was sent to prison. Growing up, Mi-mo is bullied for being Mask Girl's daughter and becomes a loner who lashes out. At a new school, Mi-mo befriends Ye-chun, a compulsive liar who is also a loner. The pair plan to run away together. Mi-mo overhears that the other students have learned that she is the daughter of Mask Girl; Mi-mo beats up Ye-chun, assuming that she told everyone. However, the info was spread by Kyung-ja, who is still alive.
6
"Kim Mo-mi"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
In prison, Mo-mi initially antagonizes An Eun-suk, a prisoner with powerful connections. Years later, an older Mo-mi receives a letter from Kyung-ja that contains a news article about Mi-mo's troubled life; Mo-mi attempts to escape but fails. After over a month in solitary confinement, Mo-mi seemingly turns over a new leaf and offers to donate her kidney to Eun-suk's daughter, who needs it. Kyung-ja, who has had plastic surgery, meets Mo-mi and tells her about how she befriended Mi-mo, repeatedly sabotaged her life, and intends for Mo-mi to feel the same pain of the loss of a child.
7
"Mi-mo and Mo-mi"
Kim Young-hoon
Kim Young-hoon
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Mi-mo runs away to live with Kyung-Ja, who is surprised when Mi-mo treats her lovingly. Despite having second thoughts, Kyung-ja attempts to strangle Mi-mo to death in front of a camera. Mo-mi is taken to the hospital for a kidney transfer and escapes. Mo-mi, Ye-chun, and Mi-mo's grandmother individually race to Kyung-ja's house. The trio arrives in time to save Mi-mo, but Kyung-ja stabs Mi-mo's grandmother to death. After the police arrive, Kyung-ja attempts to shoot Mi-mo, but Mo-mi sacrifices herself to protect her daughter and dies in Mi-mo's arms while Kyung-ja is shot to death by the police. Afterward, Kyung-ja's crimes are exposed while Mi-mo is adopted by Ye-chun's parents to find new meanings in her life. In order to recover from her trauma due to her mother's death, Mi-mo watches a childhood video of Mo-mi, who dances at a talent show, thanking her late mother for making her dream to be "loved by everyone".
Accolades
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
^ abcdMoon Ji-yeon (February 3, 2022). [공식] 고현정의 파격 변신..'마스크걸' 안재홍·염혜란 라인업 확정 [[Official] Go Hyun-jung's shocking transformation... 'Mask Girl' Ahn Jae-hong and Yeom Hye-ran lineup confirmed]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Naver.
^다크서클 고현정·정수리 탈모 안재홍...'마스크걸' 싱크로율 무슨 일? [엑's 이슈] [Dark circles Goh Hyun-jung, hair loss Ahn Jae-hong... What is the match rate of 'Mask Girl'? [X's issue]]. Xports News (in Korean). July 25, 2023. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023 – via Naver.
^넷플릭스 '마스크걸', 원작과 차이?...웹툰 재조명 [Netflix's 'Mask Girl', difference from the original?... Reexamining the webtoon]. Top Star News (in Korean). August 19, 2023. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
^Kim Kyung-hee (February 3, 2022). '지푸라기' 김용훈 감독, 고현정, 안재홍, 염혜란과 넷플릭스 '마스크걸' 제작 ['Straw' Director Kim Yong-hoon, Ko Hyun-jung, Ahn Jae-hong, Yeom Hye-ran, and Netflix's 'Mask Girl' production]. MBC Entertainment (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
^Kim Ji-won (January 17, 2023). '더글로리' 파트2→'D.P.' 시즌2...넷플릭스, 올해 한국 작품 28편 공개 ['The Glory' Part 2 → 'DP' Season 2... Netflix to release 28 Korean titles this year]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
^Jung Tae-yoon (July 20, 2023). 고현정X나나, 2인 1역...'마스크걸', 8월 18일 공개 [Go Hyun-jung X Nana, 2 people 1 role... 'Mask Girl', released on August 18th]. Dispatch (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim Na-young (May 3, 2022). 고현정·나나 '마스크걸' 동시 캐스팅...2인 1역 선보인다 [Simultaneous casting of Go Hyun-jung and Nana 'Mask Girl'... 2 person 1 station will be introduced]. MK Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Naver.
^Ahn, Byung-gil (September 4, 2023). 마스크걸' 모미 딸 신예서, 염혜란과 한솥밥[공식] [Mask Girl' Momi's daughter Shin Ye-seo, Yeom Hye-ran and Hanokbap [Official]]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023 – via Naver.
^윤, 기백. 장원영, 넷플릭스 '마스크걸' 신스틸러 맹활약. entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
^Jang, Woo-young (August 25, 2023). 밀수'→'콘유'→'마스크걸'...화제작 속엔 '이선희'가 있다 ['Smuggling' → 'Kon Yu' → 'Mask Girl'... The buzz is about 'Lee Sun-hee] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kang Hyo-jin (November 10, 2022). [단독]이준영, 넷플릭스 '마스크걸' 특별출연...'열일' 행보ing [[Exclusive] Jun-Young Lee to make a special appearance on Netflix's 'Mask Girl'... 'Working hard']. SPOTV News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (May 7, 2024). '무빙'→'서울의 봄' 대상..'파묘'는 4관왕 [제60회 백상예술대상][종합] ['Moving' → 'Seoul Spring' Grand Prize..'Buried Grave' wins 4 awards [60th Baeksang Arts Awards] [Comprehensive]] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Naver.
^Hwang, So-young (April 8, 2024). 60회 맞은 '백상예술대상' TV·영화·연극 후보 공개 [60th 'Baeksang Arts Awards' TV, Film and Theater Candidates Revealed] (in Korean). JTBC News. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024 – via Naver.