Based on the popular webtoon of the same name by Mae-mi and Hee-se, the South Korean Netflix drama Mask Girl follows Kim Mo-mi who works as an accountant but dreams of being a performer.

The young woman is often ridiculed for her looks but finds popularity on a streaming platform where she dances and flirts with her viewers while hiding her face behind a shiny mask. As Mo-mi’s double-sided life poses new complications, she finds herself covering up a murder and going on the run.

The main character is portrayed by three actors during the series, including Lee Han-byeol, Nana, and Go Hyun-jung.

The series, which premiered on August 18, 2023, has found massive success with a worldwide audience and reached the Top 10 in non-English television in 14 different countries during its premiere week. 

Decider’s Joel Keller praised the show in his review, writing, “Mask Girl feels like a show that could go just about anywhere, and that’s a welcome thing. We appreciated that, while the story is due to take some twists and turns, we’re given a good opportunity to get to know Mo-mi in the first episode, and see both sides of the actor who plays her in the first episode.”

As Keller expressed, the show throws its audience for a loop – especially as Mo-Mi grows further embroiled in her life of crime and embarks on a mission to protect a loved one. Confused by the ending of this twisty drama? No fear – continue reading for a breakdown of the massive showdown in the Season 1 finale. 

The series introduces Mo-mi as an insecure woman working as an accountant. She gets berated at her job for not being skilled and her bosses are disrespectful towards women. Mo-mi has always dreamed of being a performer and has an incredible stage presence but was always harshly judged for her lackluster appearance. Instead, Mo-mi begins to dance on an online streaming platform while concealing her identity under a mask. She grows extremely popular.

Earlier in the series, Mo-mi gets fired from work after spreading gossip about seeing two of her colleagues kissing in the office. She also gets suspended from the online platform for stripping naked on a livestream. As all of this is going down, Mo-mi gets a mysterious email threatening to reveal her identity. 

The email was sent by her coworker Oh-nam Ju (Ahn Jae-hong), but she does not know that.

Mo-mi goes on a date with one of her fans who goes by the pseudonym Handsome Monk (Park Keun Rok). The man attempts to sexually assault Mo-mi and she fights back. Oh-nam Ju, who knows about the date, finds out that she’s in trouble and goes to help. Together, they kill Handsome Monk and run away. 

Mo-mi undergoes plastic surgery and begins performing under a new identity. Her kinship with Oh-nam Ju doesn’t last and he attempts to sexually assault her, as well. Mo-mi kills him and gets rid of his body. The singer continues on a killing spree, joined by another singer Kim Chun-ae (Han Jae-Y). 

Mo-mi falls pregnant with Oh-nam Ju’s daughter, gives birth to a young girl named Mi-mo (Shin Ye-Seo), and eventually turns herself in to the police. From here, things get more complicated. Mi-mo has a tough time adjusting to society as she is known as the killer’s daughter and often argues with her grandmother, Young-hee (Mook Sook), who is her caretaker. Mi-mo seeks comfort from a local vendor — “Tteokbokki Granny” — later revealed to be Oh-nam Ju’s mother Kyung-ja (Yeom Hye-ran), who Mo-mi also attempted to kill.

While in prison, Mo-mi has outside help to keep track of her daughter. She becomes aware of Kyung-ja’s existence and tries to convince prison guards that her daughter is in danger. She devises a plan to donate a kidney to a powerful person’s daughter which allows her to temporarily be removed from the prison. Mo-mi escapes from the hospital and makes her way to Kyung-ja’s house after retrieving her address from her mother who has reported Mi-mo missing. 

At this point, Mi-mo has been kidnapped by Kyung-ja and is being held hostage in her basement. The vengeful old woman plans to videotape the young girl’s death and show Mo-mi. Before the escaped convict reaches Kyung-ja’s house, Young-hee arrives. Kyung-ja stabs the grandmother to death. Mo-mi arrives and gets Mi-mo out of the basement, and the two escape outside where the police have arrived. 

Mo-mi throws her hands up in surrender, but then hears a noise from behind. She turns around and sees Kyung-ja emerging from the house with a gun. She goes to shoot Mi-mo but Mo-mi jumps in the way and takes the hit. The police shoot and kill Kyung-ja. Mo-mi grows motionless in her daughter’s arms, seemingly dying. 

A brief time jump shows Mi-mo living with a school friend Ye-chun (Kim Min Seo). In a voiceover, translated to English, she says, “Since that day, so much has changed… the hate I felt towards other people, I don’t feel that anymore. Also, that woman who used to appear in my dreams never appeared again.” The young girl finds an old video camera in her late grandmother’s belongings and watches a video of her young mother performing at a talent show.

Tearing up a little? Me too. An unexpectedly sweet ending to a really messed-up story.