Queen Charlotte, Mask Girl, and the 20 best Netflix Original shows of 2023

We've almost reached the finish line, Netflix Lifers! 2023 is almost over, and we can't believe what a year it's been for Netflix. We've seen so many great releases this year, and can't wait to see what's to come in 2024.

In 2023, we saw the return of many popular Netflix original shows such as Ginny & Georgia season 2, Outer Banks season 3, You season 4, The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, Heartstopper season 2, Sex Education season 4 and so many others.

But that's not all! There were also tons of new Netflix original shows that came out this year like The Night Agent, Queen Charlotte, XO, Kitty, Beef and the One Piece live-action series.

Overall, it's been an amazing year for Netflix, and we thought we'd create a list of the best Netflix original shows of 2023. However, we must mention that these are our opinions. You might think differently, and that’s okay. Now, let's get into our first show, The Glory.

The Glory

Even though The Glory started in December 2022, I think it's fair to count it as a 2023 series since the second half of the show came out in March 2023. Plus, the first half was released on December 30, so most people didn't watch the show until 2023 anyway. This riveting South Korean drama series premiered to high viewership numbers and critical acclaim, with particular praise going to series leads Song Hye-kyo and Lim Ji-yeon.

The Glory centers on Song Hye-kyo's character Moon Dong-eun. As a teenager, Dong-eun was relentlessly bullied by a group of students led by ringleader Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon). The bulk of The Glory follows Dong-eun and Yeon-jin as adults, with Dong-eun putting a methodical plan of revenge into action to get back at every single one of her high school tormentors, with assistance from a housekeeper (Yeom Hye-ran) who needs help from Dong-eun to escape her abusive husband and a handsome plastic surgeon played by Lee Do-hyun.

Actresses Song Hye-kyo and Lim Ji-yeon received Baeksang Art Awards for their performances in the series, but I want to give a special shoutout to Hye-ran, too, who plays the fan-favorite character Kang Hyeon-nam and also starred in another excellent Netflix Korean series from 2023, Mask Girl. If you missed out on The Glory or haven't given it a chance because it's an international show that requires subtitles, I implore you to reconsider!

Written by Maddy Lennon