"The Devil Wears Prada 2" is back in the best way! Glamorous, bitter, and beautiful. A story of "work and aesthetics" that strikes a chord with us 20 years later [Movie Review/Impressions]

Good morning.
This is Tenmame.

I went to see the movie "The Devil Wears Prada 2" on its opening day!

It has been about two weeks since its release.

The excitement for "The Devil Wears Prada 2" has not cooled down at all.

In Japan, it recorded 1,299,057 admissions and a box office revenue of 1,915,991,200 yen in its first six days, already surpassing the 1.7 billion yen final box office revenue of the first film.

The momentum did not stop there, and it took the number one spot in the weekend box office rankings in its second week of release.

Furthermore, as of May 19th, it has reached a cumulative box office revenue of 3.42 billion yen, becoming a massive hit that has entered the top 6 in the annual box office rankings for films released in 2026.

I believe these are numbers that cannot be reached by mere nostalgia alone.

On social media and review sites, comments like "It was the best sequel," "I want to see it again," "It made me want to rewatch the first one," and "It hit home because I'm an adult now" have been pouring in. This film, which has returned after 20 years, has truly reached not only the generation that loved the first one but also the hearts of audiences today who are working, feeling lost, and trying to protect something.

This article is a review and impression of the movie "The Devil Wears Prada 2."

The first half is spoiler-free and covers the connection to the first "The Devil Wears Prada" film, the charm of the four main cast members—Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel—as well as the fashion, music, and luxurious cameos.

From the second half onwards, there will be spoilers as I delve deeply into the core and conclusion of the story, the meaning of the ending, and the reasons why this film strikes a chord with us 20 years later.

This has become quite a long review, so if you are interested, feel free to jump to the headings you want to read from the note's table of contents.

I hope those who haven't seen the movie yet will enjoy up to the first half, and those who have seen it will enjoy the spoiler-filled analysis in the second half, at your own pace.

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" Review/Impressions | A glamorous, bitter, and beautiful story of "work and aesthetics"

The moment it finished, I savored the lingering feeling for a while.

The streets of New York.
The light of Milan.
Perfectly calculated costumes.
Miranda's sharp gaze.
Andy's mature look.
Emily's as-sharp-as-ever wit.
And Nigel's aesthetic sense, which remains unchanged no matter how much the world changes.

Ah, it's back.

That was the first thing I thought in my heart.

It was the joy of watching a sequel to a movie I was obsessed with 20 years ago.

Even before that music starts playing, my heart is already standing a little taller.
The city lights on the screen, the sound of heels, the sway of coats, the tense atmosphere of the editorial office.

All of it brings back memories of the past in an instant.

The movie 'The Devil Wears Prada' has a unique kind of magic.

Even if you haven't watched it in years, just remembering it lifts your spirits.
It makes you straighten your back.
It makes you want to wear slightly nicer clothes.
It makes your mindset toward work feel just a little bit sharper.

Even after leaving the theater and returning to the light of reality, the reflections of Milan still remained in the back of my eyes.

When I get home, there is my usual work.
There are emails I have to reply to.
There is an article I'm in the middle of writing.
There is tomorrow's schedule, my life, and reality.

Even so, a part of my heart was still walking down the halls of Runway.

But the emotion that remained after finishing this film wasn't just nostalgia.

Nostalgic.
Glamorous.
Fun.
Stylish.
Exciting.

Of course, all of that is there.

But that's not all.

This movie asks us, who watched 'The Devil Wears Prada' 20 years ago, once again:

What do you find beautiful as you live your life now?

What are you working to protect now?

In the very center of your life, what are you letting go of, and what are you trying to hold onto now?

This is not just a sequel.

This is for us, who 20 years ago,

Work is scary.
But how glamorous and stimulating it is.

felt our hearts flutter, and now, 20 years later,

Is it really this difficult to keep doing the work you love?

It is a movie to watch after you have learned that.

The devil in the previous film was Miranda.

But the devil in this film is not Miranda.

It is the era itself.

I watched this movie not just as a fashion film, but as a work film for adults that depicts how to protect one's own aesthetic sense and pride in work within a changing world.

And I thought from the bottom of my heart.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 might not be a better movie than the first one.

But as a sequel 20 years later, it is a very correct movie.

Because we ourselves are no longer the same as we were when we watched the first film.

20 years ago, The Devil Wears Prada was a 'bible for workers'

First, I would like to look back at the previous film for a moment.

Released in 2006, The Devil Wears Prada was a work film set at the top-tier New York fashion magazine 'Runway' that was incredibly lighthearted, incredibly stylish, and yet actually quite sharp.

The protagonist, Andy, is a young woman who aspires to be a journalist.

Although she actually wants to be a hard-hitting reporter covering politics and social issues, she ends up becoming the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of the world-class fashion magazine 'Runway', by chance.

Andy has absolutely no interest in fashion.

She doesn't know brands. She doesn't dress stylishly. She can't keep up with the atmosphere of the editorial department.

However, Miranda, who reigns at the pinnacle of that world, does not allow such softness at all.

She is cold, perfectionistic, and merciless.

She freezes the atmosphere of the editorial department just by throwing her coat. She comes to stop a person's heart with a single 'That's all.' She steals someone's entire day with one phone call.

But she is not just a mean boss.

That was the brilliance of this movie.

Miranda was someone at the extreme peak of her profession.

An overwhelming understanding of beauty.
The intelligence to decipher global trends.
An uncompromising attitude.
A professionalism that demands no mercy from herself or others.

She is scary.

But if she were just scary, that movie wouldn't have left such a lasting impression.

Deep within Miranda's scariness was the intensity of her work.
She had an eye for discerning what is beautiful.
There was the loneliness of someone who believes in the value of their world more than anyone else.

At first, Andy rebels against that world.

What is the point of clothes like these?
Is there any need to follow a boss like this?
Is it worth wearing myself out in a place like this?

Even while thinking that, she eventually receives help from Nigel, dons fashion, meets Miranda's impossible demands, acquires speed and precision in her work, and gains recognition in the editorial department.

The exhilaration of that transformation scene.

That music.

That New York.

Those clothes.

Just watching it made me feel like straightening my own posture.

But this movie is not just a "makeover story."

Andy becomes good at her job.

But at the same time, she begins to lose the things she held dear, little by little.

Time with her boyfriend.
Relationships with friends.
The original intention for the work she truly wanted to do.
And, her own sense of self.

That is why I think the essence of the previous work was this.

Success is beautiful. But what are you willing to sacrifice for that success?

Going up is fun.
But every time you climb those stairs, what do you leave behind?

That movie, while wearing the face of a glamorous fashion film, simultaneously depicted the 'pleasure of being recognized at work' and the 'fear of being consumed by work'.

That is precisely why it hasn't aged in nearly 20 years.

It wasn't just because it was stylish.

It's because it captured the feelings within us:

I want to be recognized.
I want to change.
But I don't want to lose myself.

It etched those earnest feelings deep behind the vibrant clothes and poisonous conversations.

This film is a story where not Andy, but 'Runway itself' is put to the test.

And 20 years later.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 depicts what happened after that glamorous world.

This time, it's not just Andy who has changed.

The atmosphere surrounding print magazines, the flow of advertising, the dynamics of brands, and the speed at which readers receive information have all become something else entirely.

Once upon a time, 'Runway' was an absolute authority.

Print magazines had power, the editor-in-chief had god-like influence, and brands, advertisements, and celebrities all revolved around that authority.

However, in the world of 2026, that is no longer the case.

There is social media.
There are influencers.
Brands have their own media.
AI writes articles, creates images, and generates plans.
Readers are accustomed to getting information for free.
Advertising revenue is wavering, and the survival of print media is being questioned.

Runway, which was once so dazzling, is now both a 'dream workplace' and an 'organization fighting for survival'.

If the previous film was a story about 'whether Andy would be consumed by Runway,' this film is a story about 'whether Runway itself will be consumed by the times'.

This is incredibly interesting.

Miranda, who was once at the center of the world, is now being shaken by the changes in the world.

This alone was already more than I could handle.

Because this isn't just a story about the fashion industry.

Publishing, film, music, writing, education, and content creation—every job is now standing before the same question.

Can the value of the work we have cherished still survive in this day and age?

Does the aesthetic sense we have honed still hold meaning in an era of speed, efficiency, and numbers?

To continue doing the work we love, what must we change, and what must we protect?

The Devil Wears Prada 2 slips that question into a mix of terrifyingly glamorous costumes, witty dialogue, and the reunion of nostalgic characters.

This is why it is not just a nostalgic sequel.

Even though we returned to a place we remember, it is no longer the same place it once was.

Even though we reunited with people we remember, they, too, are carrying 20 years' worth of wounds, experiences, and choices.

We, the audience, are the same.

Back then, we still looked up to our work. Now, we know that work cannot be sustained by admiration alone.

That is precisely why this sequel hits home.

It is a film about returning to that world once more, after the dreams of our youth have turned into the realities of adulthood.

Cerulean was not over yet

There is a famous scene that is impossible to forget when talking about the previous film.

Cerulean.

It is that scene where Miranda talks about the blue sweater Andy was wearing so casually.

You might think you chose that garment yourself.

But that color started at Runway, flowed through designers, brands, department stores, and mass-produced clothing, and finally arrived in your closet.

In short, the world of fashion, which you think is irrelevant, is actually woven into every corner of your life.

In that scene, Andy learns for the first time.

Clothes have context.
Colors have history.
Choices have structure.

That was not just a fashion lecture.

It was a cruel lesson that 'the life you think you are choosing entirely on your own is not unrelated to society, the industry, and the currents of the times.'

We think we are choosing for ourselves.

These clothes.
This job.
These words.
This lifestyle.
These values.

But in reality, there is the atmosphere of the times there.
There is the structure of the industry.
There is a trend created by someone.
There is an aesthetic sense that we have accepted without knowing it.

If cerulean has meaning again in this film, it is not just fan service.

The cerulean that confronted Andy with her ignorance 20 years ago becomes, 20 years later, a color that symbolizes the intelligence Andy once acquired and the memories she cannot escape.

Andy left Runway.

But the sensibilities she gained at Runway have not faded.

How her clothing is read.
How her words are received.
That to survive in work, one needs not only ideals but also strategy.
That aesthetic sense is also a form of power.

She is someone who has come to know that.

That is why the Andy in this film is no longer the Andy from the first one.

She hasn't just become fashionable.

She has become a professional.

And this perspective pierces us in 2026 just as sharply.

We, too, are choosing our own words, expressions, and work amidst AI, social media, and algorithms.

Even when we think we are choosing for ourselves, we may find ourselves using trendy words, selecting formats that are easy to get reactions to, and leaning toward ways of presenting things that generate numbers.

Perhaps I am no exception myself.

Even when writing on note, I find myself worrying about the reaction somewhere.

Will these words reach anyone?
Will this title get read?
Will this angle ensure I don't get left behind in this day and age?

I think about things like that.

That is precisely why the question is asked.

Are you truly choosing based on your own aesthetic?

Or are you just wearing 'cerulean' prepared by the times without even knowing it?

This film presents that question once again, in a glamorous way.

Behind the glamorous reunion, Runway was quietly beginning to crumble

The story of this film doesn't just end as a rewarding class reunion saying, 'Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel are back!'

Rather, behind the glamour of the reunion, the world of Runway itself is placed in a quite precarious state from the very beginning.

Andy 20 years later is not the rookie assistant she once was.

After leaving Runway, she walked the path she believed in and built a career as a news reporter.
She is someone who has faced society with her own words and reporting, rather than in the world of glamorous fashion magazines.

However, the newspaper company where Andy works is also hit directly by the waves of the modern media recession.

Layoffs.
Downsizing of the editorial department.
The instability of writing jobs.
Words that were needed until yesterday are cut the next day due to budget constraints.

Andy and her fellow writers lose their jobs themselves.

Andy, who had once left Runway to pursue the 'job she really wanted to do,' is pushed out of that very workplace as well.

This setup is bitter right from the start.

In the ending of the previous film, Andy chose her own path.

But 20 years later, that 'own path' is also being exposed to the waves of the times.

This hurts.

It hurts so much.

Because we know it too.

That 'choosing a job you love' and 'being able to keep a job you love' are two completely different things.

Meanwhile, Runway is also in crisis.

Miranda is still the symbol of Runway and a figure with influence over the fashion world worldwide.

However, it is no longer an era where an editor-in-chief can move the world with a single print magazine like in the past.

In the midst of this, a controversy erupts at Runway over an article approved by Miranda.

In the past, Miranda's judgment was absolute.

If she said it was good, it was the right answer. If she said to cut it, it was cut.

But things are different now.

A single article goes viral. It spreads on social media. The brand's credibility wavers. Internal meetings become heavy. Compliance, PR, and management stand in the way of Miranda's words.

Miranda is still Miranda.

But the world no longer allows the old Miranda to be exactly as she was.

At that moment, the parent company's chairman Irv Ravitz and his son Jay bring back Andy, who once left Runway, as an editor for a feature article to rebuild Runway's credibility.

This is incredibly ironic.

Twenty years ago, Andy was someone who had 'wandered' into Runway.

But 20 years later, Runway needs Andy's credibility as a journalist.

Andy, who once knew nothing about the fashion world, is now called back to rebuild a crumbling Runway.

And Miranda doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms.

Of course.

To Miranda, Andy is someone who once adapted to her world, but ultimately left it.

She is someone whose talent Miranda recognized, nurtured, and acknowledged, yet she is also someone who slipped out of her control.

And now, that same Andy is returning to 'save' her magazine.

Could there be a more fascinating reunion?

Moreover, a major turning point is about to arrive for Miranda herself.

She has a long-standing relationship of trust with Irv, the chairman of Runway's parent company, and Miranda is about to be entrusted with an even greater role, such as overseeing Runway's international division.

From a former editor-in-chief to a more global symbol of the brand.

Her career is far from over; it is about to ascend to the next level.

However, this film does not offer a sweet dream.

The organizational theories of a new era stand in Miranda's way.

In the past, she could freeze a subordinate with a single word and dominate a conference room with one glare.

But in today's workplace, there is HR, compliance, the threat of social media backlash, and an era where a single remark is instantly taken out of context and spread.

It is not that Miranda has become weak.

It is that the times have changed.

And those changes in the times eventually push Runway into a corner through a decisive incident.

The charm of the four main cast members of The Devil Wears Prada 2

This was not just nostalgia, but a reunion layered with 20 years of life

The greatest joy of this film is, after all, being able to meet those four again.

Miranda.
Andy.
Emily.
Nigel.

Just seeing these names together makes my heart race a little.

But what makes this film wonderful is that it's not just about 'the four familiar faces returning'.

They have all returned, properly wearing 20 years of life experience.

This is true for their characters, and it is true for the actors as well.

Meryl Streep has become an even more unshakable presence as the greatest living actress in film history.

Anne Hathaway, having won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 'Les Misérables', has become a great actress capable of portraying not just a 'cute heroine', but also pain and nobility.

Emily Blunt, who left a strong impression as a mean supporting character in the previous film, has since become a top-tier actress nominated for Academy Awards after roles in 'A Quiet Place', 'Mary Poppins Returns', and 'Oppenheimer'.

Stanley Tucci remains a treasure of the film world, continuing to embody intelligence, humor, and dignity.

In other words, this is a reunion of characters, but at the same time, it is the culmination of the actors' 20 years.

When we watched the first film, we were thrilled by Andy's transformation.

But in this film, the time spent by all four of them shines quietly in the background.

That is why this reunion is so powerful.

It is not just about nostalgia.

Actors who have continued to shine on the front lines for 20 years have returned to the same world once more.

That alone gives the film a certain sense of celebration.

Miranda Priestly hasn't aged; the world has changed.

First and foremost, Meryl Streep.

There is no need for explanation anymore.

A three-time Academy Award winner with over 20 nominations, she is an actress who will go down in film history in both name and reality.

If asked who the greatest living actress is, I would still want to name her.

Meryl Streep.

She changes the atmosphere just by appearing.

Just by sitting in a chair, she lowers the room temperature by two degrees.
Just by moving her gaze, you feel like someone's career is about to end.
Just by being silent, she speaks of power more eloquently than any line of dialogue.

The role of Miranda Priestly was almost perfect 20 years ago.

Normally, it would be difficult to bring her back in a sequel.

That is because that Miranda is already a legend.

One wrong step, and it would just be a self-parody.
It would end up as nothing more than the reappearance of a nostalgic, famous character.
It would just be tracing the 'fear' that the audience was waiting for.

But the Miranda in this film is not just recreating the 'scary boss' from the previous work.

She is still strong.

Shrewd.
Strict.
Her drive for work remains unchanged.
She shows no mercy to herself or her subordinates.

However, the world itself has changed.

The business model of magazines is wavering.
The value of the brand is also being questioned.
Neither publishing nor journalism functions as it once did.

And above all, it is no longer an era where Miranda's words are accepted as the absolute truth as they once were.

Her silence in the conference room.
Her expression, which does not easily show agitation even while catching the aftermath of a controversy.
And yet, her gaze, which seems to waver just a little.

Meryl Streep shows us that.

She doesn't play at being old in an exaggerated way.

She doesn't show off her weakness either.

But in a sudden silence, she lets the exhaustion of a queen cornered by the times seep through.

This is amazing.

The Miranda of the previous film was almost a myth.

Miranda in this film is a myth, yet she is also human.

I absolutely loved this interpretation.

Miranda hasn't just grown old.

The world has changed.

And yet, amidst that change, she refuses to let go of her own aesthetic.

Miranda's red is the color of the devil, the color of power, and the color of blood.

The contrast between her white hair and the red makes her look not like a 'person of the past,' but like someone 'still burning.'

She is cold, yet she has blood running through her veins.

She is strong, yet lonely.

She is frightening, yet somehow sorrowful.

Ah, I thought, this is Meryl Streep.

She doesn't just play a scary person.

While wielding power, she quietly wraps herself in the shadow of a human who cannot fully win against the passage of time.

When the value of the work you have believed in is shaken by the times, can you still fight?

When you are told that what you have done is now old-fashioned, can you still stand tall?

Miranda is still fighting.

That alone gives this sequel meaning.

Andy has become not a 'transformed newcomer,' but a 'professional carrying the weight of experience.'

And then, Anne Hathaway.

I loved the Andy from the previous film.

A little frumpy, a little stubborn, but with a core of steel.
She didn't quite fit into the fashion industry, but that's exactly why the audience could follow her.

She was our eyes.

We were peering into that bizarrely glamorous and bizarrely harsh world of Runway right along with Andy.

But the Andy in this film is no longer just a proxy for the audience.

She is someone who has walked her own path over these past 20 years.

At the end of the previous film, she chose the work she believed in.

Knowing the glamour and the harshness of Runway, she chose not to stay there.

The Andy who exists beyond that decision is in this film.

And that path was by no means smooth.

She built a career as a journalist, making a living through words and reporting.

But the media recession of 2026 shows no mercy, even to someone like Andy.

Andy is not just someone who achieved her dream.

She is someone who knows the reality of how that dream is shaken by the times after it has been achieved.

I think this is where the depth of Andy in this film lies.

She has professional confidence.
She knows how to navigate within a company.
She also knows that you can't keep a job on ideals alone.

But that doesn't mean she is completely unshakable.

This is what's good.

Andy has matured.

But she is also a little tired.
She is also a little doubtful.
But she is also someone who still wants to believe in something.

Anne Hathaway's transparency has become something a little different from the sparkle of her youth.

In the previous film, she had the radiance of youth.

In this film, she has the bitterness of someone who has gained experience.

Having won an Academy Award for 'Les Misérables,' she has since become an actress capable of portraying not just glamour, but also wounds, conflict, fatigue, and rebirth.

Those 20 years are etched into Andy's expressions.

For the Andy of the past, returning to Runway might have looked like a defeat.

But the Andy of today is different.

She knows that returning is not necessarily a step backward.

Sometimes, you return to a place you once left, but with a different kind of power.

A place you once fled from can, 20 years later, become a place to test your own experience.

Andy hasn't just become fashionable.

She has become a professional.

And I was strongly drawn to that version of Andy.

She has ideals. But she also knows reality.

You can't make a living on platitudes alone. But if you throw away all your ideals, you won't be able to love your work anymore.

Swaying between the two, she still tries to walk her own path.

In this film, Andy carries that adult pain.

And yet, she hasn't lost her integrity as a person.

I think that is the most beautiful thing about Andy.

Emily Charlton finally gains real power.

I think the most 'satisfying part of the sequel' in this film is Emily, played by Emily Blunt.

Emily in the previous film was the best.

She was mean, high-strung, fast-talking, always angry at something, yet somehow funny, sad, and impossible to hate.

Back then, she was Miranda's first assistant, yet she was always terrified.

She was running. She was being worn down. She dreamed of going to Paris. She was jealous of Andy. And she was desperate to be recognized by that world.

Honestly, when we watched Emily Blunt back then, how many people could have predicted she would become such a world-class actress?

Of course, she was intense.

But that role could easily have ended as just a 'mean supporting character' if one step had gone wrong.

However, she didn't end there.

She made 'The Devil Wears Prada' her breakout role, steadily expanded her career from there, showed terror and motherhood in 'A Quiet Place,' glamour and song in 'Mary Poppins Returns,' and a presence cloaked in anger and sorrow in 'Oppenheimer,' eventually even being nominated for an Academy Award.

Emily Blunt didn't stop as just that 'Emily'.

She truly became a great actress.

That is precisely why, in this film, the fact that Emily has moved from the 'used side' to the 'influential side' works incredibly well, both as a character and as an actor.

In this film, Emily is no longer on the 'side that wants to be recognized'.

She stands in the way as an important figure on the luxury brand side, one who holds the future of Runway in her hands.

This structure is incredibly interesting.

Emily, who was once worn down under Miranda, now has influence over Miranda.

But it's not a simple revenge story.

She is a person raised by that world.

She absorbed Miranda's logic into her body, learned the rules of the fashion industry, swallowed the poison, and implemented it as her own ambition.

That is why Emily in this film looks like the one who 'survived' the most.

She hasn't become a kinder person.

She's still as chaotic and blunt as ever, and probably complains about the humidity in the air, haha.

But she has grown so much more than in the previous film.

Emily Blunt's comedic sense is truly magnificent.

She commands the scene in an instant. Her timing for sharp-tongued remarks is perfect. She's funny even when she's angry. And even when she's funny, there's something poignant about her.

And in this film, beneath that humor, there is the composure and precariousness of someone who has attained power.

The meanness I felt from Emily when I was younger looks a little different 20 years later.

She, too, was desperate.

To survive in that world. To ensure her seat wasn't taken. To avoid being treated lightly by anyone. To prove that she was a person of value.

Sometimes, people who just seemed like jerks when you were young start to look like people who were hurt by the same structures as you as you get older.

That, too, is the richness of this sequel.

As long as Nigel is here, the aesthetic of this world will never die.

And then there's Stanley Tucci's Nigel.

I love Nigel.

He is like that 'fairy godfather' figure who transformed Andy in the first film.

But he was never just a kind person.

He loves fashion. He has an eye for seeing what is beautiful. And he knows the cruelty of this industry as well.

That is why his kindness always had a bit of bitterness to it.

Stanley Tucci, the actor, is also someone who has gained even more depth over these 20 years.

He is not an actor who shouts loudly.

But just by being on screen, he commands the space.

He has intelligence.
He has class.
He has humor.
He is a bit cynical, yet his gaze toward humanity is warm.

Whether it's the eeriness that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 'The Lovely Bones,' the warmth in 'Julie & Julia,' or the quiet sorrow in 'Supernova,' his acting always possesses 'human depth.'

And that Stanley Tucci is returning once again as Nigel.

This alone makes me happy.

In this film, Nigel is still working silently in the same place, even though the entire industry has changed.

This premise alone makes me want to cry.

Everything has gone online, become digital, and both media and fashion have changed.

Yet, Nigel is still there.

He hasn't lost his eye for seeing beautiful things.

I think this is important.

Miranda seems to serve power.
Emily seems to serve ambition.
Andy is wavering between integrity and reality.

Amidst all that, Nigel serves 'quality'.

To recognize beautiful things as beautiful.

To recognize sloppy things as sloppy.

To look for dignity, not trends.

This seems simple, but in this day and age, it is incredibly difficult.

The speed of social media.
The pressure of buzz.
The temptation of numbers.
Efficiency through AI.
Cost cutting.
Cheap mass production.
An era where 'things that look the part' can be created in an instant.

As those things come rushing in,

'But, is it truly beautiful?'

There are those who keep asking that question.

Nigel is one of them.

As long as he is here, the sense of beauty in this world will not die.

When I was young, Andy's transformation made my heart race.

But now, I am moved by people like Nigel, who continue to work without losing their own vision even as the world changes.

This world needs not only queens like Miranda, but also craftsmen like Nigel.

People who quietly protect quality behind the scenes of a glamorous show.

Because of them, this beautiful world remains intact.

Changing your clothes means changing your way of life.

The biggest appeal of The Devil Wears Prada 2 is, of course, the fashion.

But the clothes in this film are not just for show.

They are not just costumes meant to dress people up and please the audience.

Rather, the clothes themselves tell the story of the characters' lives over the past 20 years.

In the previous film, Andy entered the world of Runway through her clothes.

I still cannot forget the exhilaration of that transformation scene.

But in this film, Andy is no longer the 'newcomer being transformed.'

She is not someone who didn't know fashion, but someone who once understood the meaning of clothes and chose her own path regardless.

That is why Andy's attire in this film has a sense of distance characteristic of someone with experience, rather than the thrill of a flashy transformation.

Quiet luxury.

This term suits her perfectly.

It doesn't make too bold a statement.

But it doesn't look cheap, either.

It isn't trying too hard.

But it isn't sloppy, either.

It is the clothing of a mature woman who has walked the world as a journalist, seen things with her own eyes, and lived by her own words.

A Coach bag, Phoebe Philo white, a Gabriela Hearst dress, a Ralph Lauren Purple Label jacket, a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier suit, the sparkle of Rabanne.

None of it looked like she was just wearing a brand.

She isn't playing the part of a 'fashion industry person,' but rather wearing clothes with an understanding of the fashion context, tailored to her own work.

That is so Andy.

For example, the Coach bag was symbolic.

Instead of being fully armed with perfect luxury, it is a bit closer to the reality of a working person.

Putting in documents.

Carrying a manuscript.

Traveling.

Conducting interviews.

It is beautiful, but it also clearly looks like a tool for work.

Andy is no longer just someone stretching to reach for the world of Runway.

Having known both the beauty and the terror of that world, she now has her own footing.

That is why there is a maturity to her clothes.

Meanwhile, for Miranda, the costume itself is power.

Miranda Priestly's clothes are not just beautiful.

They silence people.

The moment she enters a room, she commands the atmosphere.

In the previous film, Miranda was like ice.

White hair, sunglasses, a perfect coat, and cold tones.

There was a sharpness that felt like you would get cut if you got too close.

But in this film, red is added to that.

Red is also the color of the devil.

It is also the color of power.

And it is the color of blood.

She is still burning.

She is still fighting.

She still has no intention of compromising her aesthetics.

That will resides in her clothes.

A Lanvin coat, a Gabriela Hearst skirt, Gucci shoes.

Quiet and strong silhouettes reminiscent of Dries Van Noten and Balenciaga.

None of them are just clothes that follow a trend.

Miranda's clothes have 'class' rather than just trends.

They are the clothes of someone who judges trends, not someone who chases them.

Moreover, the Miranda in this film is not in the exact same place as the previous one.

The authority of magazines is wavering, the form of media is changing, and the atmosphere surrounding Runway has shifted.

Yet, she still stands beautifully.

That is why Miranda's clothes in this film have a power that comes from someone who has weathered time, not just mere intimidation.

'I am still here.'

It looks as if she is saying that.

And Emily.

Emily's clothes in this film probably tell the story of 'success' more than any of the other four.

In the previous film, Emily was someone who ran around under Miranda.

She was always anxious, angry, worn down, but desperately clinging to the world of fashion.

But 20 years later, she has become a senior executive at Dior.

This is huge.

She is no longer the one being used.

She is the one placing the ads.

She is the one who can influence the survival of Runway.

In other words, she has moved to the side that holds power.

That is why Emily's clothes have changed from the 'desperation' of the previous film to the 'hard-won status' in this one.

The Dior logo.

Sharp sunglasses.

Corset-like layering.

Edgy styling.

It is somewhat aggressive, somewhat excessive, yet perfectly calculated.

Emily hasn't become kinder.

If anything, she has become sharper.

But that sharpness is no longer just the impatience of the past.

She proves how far she has come through her clothes.

"I am no longer anyone's assistant."

"I have survived in this world."

"I have moved from being the one watched to the one watching."

That is the kind of clothing it is.

And Nigel.

Nigel's clothes are not the flashy attire of a protagonist.

But just by him being on screen, the dignity of the world is maintained.

His style possesses the aesthetic sense of a craftsman.

Monochrome suits.

Checked tailoring.

Turnbull & Asser shirts, Tom Ford sunglasses, Berluti briefcases, David Yurman jewelry.

He doesn't shout loudly.

But everything is in order.

Nigel's clothes are not clothes that flaunt power.

"I have seen beautiful things."

"I can spot something shoddy."

"I have protected quality from behind the scenes of this world."

It is clothing of such quiet pride.

If Miranda is the queen, Nigel is the craftsman.

If Andy is maturity, Emily is ambition.

And Nigel is dignity.

The clothing of these four people tells the story of their respective 20 years.

Andy's clothing speaks of maturity.

Miranda's clothing speaks of power and aesthetics.

Emily's clothing speaks of ambition and career advancement.

Nigel's clothing speaks of dignity and craftsmanship.

That is why in "The Devil Wears Prada 2," clothing is dialogue.

No, it is more eloquent than dialogue.

People try to become someone through what they wear.

At the same time, they show who they are not by what they do not wear.

Twenty years ago, Andy entered the world through her clothing.

Twenty years later, Andy measures her distance from the world through her clothing.

Miranda continues to maintain her aesthetics through her clothing.

Emily shows the position she has won through her clothing.

Nigel quietly says through his clothing, "The eye for seeing beautiful things is not yet dead."

In this film, fashion is not mere decoration.

It is a resume of one's life.

What that person has lost, what they have gained, and what they are trying to protect.

Their clothes tell the whole story.

That is why, after watching this movie, you feel like taking another look at your own closet.

It is not about wanting to buy expensive clothes.

It is about what you will wear tomorrow and with what mindset you will head to work.

It is about what you find beautiful and what attitude you take when standing before others.

Changing your clothes means changing your way of life.

And I believe that choosing your clothes means choosing your stance in life all over again.

The moment the music plays, the door to that world opens

And when talking about this film, the power of the music cannot be overlooked.

The movie 'The Devil Wears Prada' has a magic that makes you straighten your posture the moment the music starts.

It was the same with the previous film.

The moment the song plays, the morning in New York, the sound of high heels, the time spent choosing clothes in front of the mirror, the speed of the editorial department, and the exhilaration of that world all come rushing back.

In this film, too, the use of music is truly masterful.

It is not just about placing nostalgic songs.

While making you think, 'Ah, I'm back,' it simultaneously makes you feel, 'But it is no longer the same era.'

This balance is very characteristic of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2.'

In particular, the presence of Lady Gaga was absolutely perfect.

Gaga is not just a cameo.

She is someone who has traversed fashion, music, acting, self-presentation, and pop culture entirely through her own body.

A person who turned wearing clothes into expression.
A person who turned being seen into art.
A person who turned herself into a medium.

That is precisely why Gaga's presence in the world of The Devil Wears Prada 2 is so incredibly meaningful.

If the fashion power of 2006 resided in magazine editors-in-chief, brands, and runways, then the fashion power of 2026 also resides in those who know 'how to present themselves'.

Gaga is the symbol of that.

And there is one more thing I absolutely must touch upon: Madonna's 'Vogue'.

That song never gets old.

No, it's truly amazing.

No matter how many decades pass, the moment that intro plays, the atmosphere changes.

It makes you straighten your back.
It makes you want to lift your chin.
It makes you feel like there is still a little bit of a runway left somewhere in your own life, haha.

The song 'Vogue' is not just a nostalgic tune.

It is a song that still instantly reminds us that fashion, poses, gazes, and self-expression can change a person.

Times change.

Magazines change.

Work styles change.

But the feeling of your heart being moved when you see something beautiful does not get old so easily.

The music proved that.

It's not just about the clothes.

It's not just about the city either.

The music, too, was fashion in this film.

David Frankel and Aline Brosh McKenna did not make a sequel based on "nostalgia" alone.

And here, I want to give a round of applause once again to director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna.

I believe the biggest reason this sequel works is that they didn't just recreate the original.

Normally, they could have chosen an easier path.

Make Miranda say scary lines. Make Andy wear glamorous clothes. Make Emily spout sharp-tongued remarks. Make Nigel say kind, memorable quotes. Make them run through New York. Show the Runway editorial department.

And then, to the audience,

"Isn't it nostalgic?"

If they had said that, it would have been successful enough.

But if that were all, this movie would have just ended up as a high-end class reunion.

What makes them great is that they didn't freeze-dry this world as it was 20 years ago.

They properly exposed it to the atmosphere of the present day.

The magazine recession. Social media. AI. The era of brand-led influence. Women's careers. Continuing to work as you age. People in power still being cornered by the times. The fact that you can no longer protect the work you love just by loving it.

They have properly incorporated that bitterness of 2026 into the story.

Of course, it might not be a film with as beautifully straight a line as the original.

The original moved incredibly sharply, centered on the relationship between Andy and Miranda.

This film is more complex.

There is a lot to handle. There are many people. There are many themes. At times, it looks a bit cluttered.

But even that clutter, I thought, felt very 2026.

Today's media, fashion, work, and life can no longer be told in a single straight line.

Magazines, social media, brands, AI, influencers, journalism, corporate acquisitions, and individual expression.

Everything is intertwined.

If you were to make The Devil Wears Prada again in this era, it would actually be right for it to be a little messy.

The devil in this film is not just one boss.

That is because it is the era itself.

I prefer this kind of 'sequel that lives in the present' over a perfect sequel.

Instead of leaning on past glory, it is trying to protect the soul of the original work while being wounded by the current era.

That very stance overlaps with the theme of the movie The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Changing.

Protecting.

Letting go.

And yet, not losing one's sense of aesthetics.

The creators of this film made not only the characters but the work itself carry that question.

That is why I do not want to call this sequel just a nostalgic movie.

This is a film that took on the challenge of how to bring a masterpiece from 20 years ago to life in the atmosphere of 2026.

And that challenge is quite sincere and quite beautiful.

New York and Milan. Cities of work, beauty, and betrayal.

The setting is also wonderful.

New York is, after all, a city of work and ambition.

The New York of the previous film had the exhilaration of young people searching for their place in the world.

The feeling of Andy trying to keep up with the pace of this city.
The rigid atmosphere of the Runway editorial department.
The morning rush.
The sound of heels.
The speed at which coats fly through the air.

Everything functioned as a 'city being swallowed by work'.

New York in this film is a little different.

There is nostalgia.

But at the same time, there is the atmosphere of a modern media company.

Publishing, advertising, digital, brands, social media.

Amidst the glamour, there is the pressure of management.

The Runway editorial department of the past was a 'place of longing'.

The Runway in this film is a 'place fighting for survival'.

And Milan.

This works perfectly as well.

Milan is a city where beauty, power, and betrayal intersect.

If New York is a city of work and ambition, Milan is a city of tradition, luxury, and maneuvering.

Historic architecture.
Galleries.
Hotels.
Showrooms.
Fashion shows.

The more beautiful the place, the colder the negotiations happening behind the scenes.

The scene Anne Hathaway talked about, where Meryl Streep reaches the pinnacle as Miranda in the Galleria in Milan.

The fact that she couldn't help but go to watch it,

'It is the most beautiful Meryl has ever been'

is an anecdote that makes you want to watch it already.

In the most beautiful place in the world, Meryl Streep exists perfectly as Miranda Priestly.

Perhaps that alone is reason enough to watch it on the big screen at the cinema.

Beautiful people in beautiful places, wearing beautiful clothes, making cruel decisions.

That is the world of "The Devil Wears Prada".

And this film shows us everything behind that beauty: management, power, aging, succession, and even betrayal.

It is glamorous, yet bitter.

That is what makes it good.

On a slightly personal note, I am planning to go to Italy next month to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary with my wife.

We are planning to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Vatican, and actually, I had left Milan out of our itinerary this time.

But after watching this movie, I have a few regrets, haha.

The light in that Galleria, the magnificent architecture, the heat of the fashion show, the overwhelming atmosphere where the whole city becomes a runway just by Miranda walking through it.

On the screen, I felt like I had fully traveled through Milan.

So, I will decide to be glad that I was able to travel to Milan through the movie this time.

And if I have another chance to go to Italy, I definitely want to visit Milan.

Movies have the power to turn cities you have never been to into "places to visit someday" in your heart.

The Milan in "The Devil Wears Prada 2" was exactly that kind of city.

The luxurious cameos are not just for show. They are a correlation map of modern culture.

And this film also features an incredibly luxurious lineup of cameos.

Lady Gaga. Mark Jacobs. Donatella Versace. Dolce & Gabbana. The Brunello Cucinelli family. Naomi Campbell. Heidi Klum. Karolina Kurkova. Ciara. Ashley Graham. Winnie Harlow. Anok Yai. Amelia Gray. Law Roach. Edward Enninful. Vanessa Friedman. Kara Swisher. Jia Tolentino.

Just listing their names is powerful enough.

The fashion world, the music industry, the media, sports, literature, and journalism.

It is truly a grand business card exchange for modern culture.

However, I don't think this lineup of cameos is just for show.

Each one serves as a symbol of our current era.

Lady Gaga is the symbol of self-presentation and pop culture.

Donatella Versace is the symbol of an era where brands have personalities.

Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum are the afterglow of the supermodel myth.

Ashley Graham, Winnie Harlow, and Anok Yai are symbols of the diversification of beauty.

Law Roach is the symbol of an era where stylists become stars.

Fashion power used to be held by editors-in-chief and magazines.

But it's different now.

Brands, models, stylists, journalists, podcasters, and social media stars all have their own media presence.

In other words, the cameos in this film are not just a star-studded list.

They visualize the shift from an era where 'magazine editors-in-chief moved the world' to an era where 'everyone has their own media presence.'

Miranda still attracts a world this large around her.

But that world can no longer be controlled by magazines alone.

I think this irony is what makes the cameos in this film so interesting.

Runway in 2006 was a pyramid with an editor-in-chief at the top.

The fashion world of 2026 is a network where countless stars, brands, creators, critics, stylists, and influencers are intertwined.

So if this film seems a bit scattered, that is, in a sense, correct.

Because the world today is itself scattered, fast, dazzling, and restless.

From this point on, there are spoilers. I will touch upon the core of the story, surprising developments, and the meaning of the finale.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, please experience this glamorous world on the big screen first, then come back.

If possible, I want you to see this movie in a theater.

Meryl Streep's silence.
Anne Hathaway's maturity.
Emily Blunt's venom.
Stanley Tucci's warmth.
The speed of New York.
The light of Milan.
The texture of the costumes.
The laughter of the audience.

You might be able to enjoy those on a home screen, too.

But for the first time, a theater is definitely better.

If it's a movie where you know the audience will be excited, it's absolutely more fun to join them.

From here on, I would be happy if you read this after watching the film.

Irv's death changes the atmosphere of Runway completely.

And that shift in the era pushes Runway even further into a corner due to a decisive incident.

Irv Ravitz collapses and passes away.

For Miranda, this is not just the death of a corporate leader.

It means the loss of someone who understood her, knew the value of the Runway brand, and understood the weight of Miranda Priestly's existence.

Every company has someone who understands things that aren't visible in the numbers alone.

Because that person is there, some things are protected.
Because that person is there, some things manage to avoid being cut.
Because that person is there, the aesthetic sense of the front lines sometimes reaches the management boardroom.

I think Irv was that kind of person for Miranda.

And then, the real power of the parent company shifts to his son, Jay.

The atmosphere changes from here.

Jay is not a person who understands Runway's aesthetics, history, or the soul of the editorial department like his father did.

What he sees are costs, numbers, growth, optimization, layoffs, profitability, and business value.

Of course, business requires numbers.

A company cannot survive on dreams alone. Magazines, editorial departments, movies, courses, and writing cannot be completely free from sales and revenue.

I understand that.

But the moment you look at things only through numbers, something disappears.

A garment chosen with great care. A magazine page someone agonized over until late at night. The tension captured in a single photograph. The work that has been built up in unseen places to deliver beautiful things while keeping them beautiful.

Those kinds of things don't fit into spreadsheet cells.

With Jay's arrival, Runway is no longer a glamorous editorial department.

It becomes a place that might be acquired, downsized, or erased.

Andy's job is in jeopardy. The future of the writers working with her is in jeopardy. The aesthetics that Nigel and the others have protected are in jeopardy. And Miranda's empire is also in jeopardy.

Here, finally, the true devil of this movie reveals itself.

It is not Miranda.

It is the era itself, which tries to carve up aesthetics with nothing but numbers.

And in the midst of this crisis, they head to Milan.

This part is both sad and funny.

In the past, if Miranda Priestly were heading to Milan, the fashion capital, it would naturally have been first class, with perfect travel, perfect treatment, and a perfect environment.

However, in this film, due to cost-cutting pressures, Miranda and her team head to Milan crammed into economy seats.

That Miranda, in economy.

This alone is laughable.

No, it's laughable, but quite heartbreaking.

Because it is a symbol that the world of Runway no longer has the abundant budget and authority it once had.

Even though they are supposed to be heading to a glamorous fashion show, the journey is mired in the reality of cost-cutting.

I think this gap is exactly what 'The Devil Wears Prada' in 2026 is all about.

In New York, the organization is falling apart.

In Milan, the world's greatest beauty awaits.

This contrast is irresistible.

And then the film plunges into the overwhelming beauty of Milan.

Magnificent architecture reminiscent of the Duomo. A city of stone carrying the weight of history. The Galleria bathed in light. Luxury showrooms. A gorgeous, spectacular show where designers, models, journalists, and celebrities from all over the world gather.

And, Lady Gaga's performance.

This was, quite simply, a total treat.

But it wasn't just a treat.

By having Gaga stand there, the film's theme is instantly modernized.

Fashion used to be something chosen by magazines, judged by editors-in-chief, and presented by brands.

But it's different now.

A single artist becomes a massive media entity through their own body, voice, costumes, and worldview.

Gaga is the symbol of that.

With her performance included, the traditional fashion power that Runway is trying to protect and the modern self-produced culture collide on screen.

Miranda's era. Gaga's era. The era of magazines. The era where individuals become media.

Both of these were intersecting in that glamorous space.

That is why I don't want to end my thoughts on that scene by just saying, 'It was gorgeous.'

That was the very meaning of this film being made in 2026.

Milan is not just a filming location in this movie.

What Runway is on the verge of losing.

Faith in beauty.
Respect for history.
The magic that clothes can change the way a person lives.

It has become a place that makes these things visible.

That is precisely why the betrayal that happens in Milan is so painful.

There is nothing more cinematically cruel than a betrayal that takes place in a beautiful setting.

The betrayal in Milan. Did Emily just want to succeed?

The story takes on the color of a corporate suspense thriller once they enter Milan.

Andy runs around trying to save Runway.

She, who once left Runway, is now trying to protect it.

This part hits home.

Andy does not necessarily endorse all of Miranda's methods.

She hasn't completely re-immersed herself in the world of Runway either.

Even so, she knows.

Runway has value.

It contains not just Miranda's strictness, but Nigel's aesthetic sense, the work of the editorial department, and the pride of the people who have captured the world through clothes, words, and photographs.

That is why Andy takes action.

And the person she teams up with for this is Emily.

This is incredibly interesting.

In the previous film, Andy and Emily had a relationship that was completely out of sync.

To Emily, Andy was someone who suddenly appeared in the workplace and nearly stole her spot.

To Andy, Emily was a mean, fast-talking, and constantly grumpy senior colleague.

But 20 years later, they are also two people who have gone through the same hell.

The terror that only those who worked under Miranda know. The speed of Runway. The cruelty of the fashion industry. And the exhilaration that only exists in that world.

That is why the development of Andy and Emily joining forces is not just fan service.

People who were once hurt by the same structure are now moving to protect that world.

This dynamic is incredibly compelling as a sequel for adults.

The plan Andy and Emily come up with is to have Emily's boyfriend, billionaire Benji Barnes, buy out Runway.

Benji, who appears here, is truly the "new devil" of this film.

He is not someone who loves fashion.

He probably has no interest in the history of the magazine, its aesthetic sense, or the soul of the editorial department.

To him, Runway is a brand, an asset, a box with influence, and a business that can be "optimized" through efficiency.

In other words, he is the type of power-wielder Miranda hates the most.

He doesn't love clothes. He doesn't love words. He doesn't love beauty.

But with money and the power of acquisition, he can own it all.

I think this is the kind of "new devil" that this film wanted to depict.

However, Andy reaches for that dangerous card to save Runway.

Without telling Miranda, she teams up with Emily to try and move forward with Benji's acquisition plan.

Here, the audience thinks.

Andy, aren't you getting close to the same path again?

In the previous film, she realized she was becoming like Miranda and left Runway.

But in this film, she works behind the scenes without Miranda's knowledge to protect Runway.

To protect someone, you deceive someone else.

For the right purpose, you find yourself on the verge of choosing dangerous methods.

This is the terror of working as an adult.

When you are young, right and wrong are a bit easier to see.

But as you keep working, it doesn't go that simply.

You tell lies because there is something you want to protect.
You negotiate with dangerous people because there is a place you want to preserve.
You dirty your own hands to protect someone's employment.

It's not about whether it's good or not; those moments exist in the workplace.

The Milan arc of "The Devil Wears Prada 2" depicts exactly that.

In a beautiful city, quite raw things are happening.

And here, a shocking truth is revealed.

Emily wasn't just trying to save Miranda and Runway.

Her true aim was to have Benji buy Runway, remove Miranda from the top, and take control of Runway herself.

In other words, Emily isn't becoming Miranda's successor.

She intended to push Miranda aside and become the face of Runway herself.

This is quite intense.

Thinking back to the Emily of the first film, it makes sense in a way.

She always wanted to be recognized.

She always wanted to go higher.

I always wanted to prove that I was the one who belonged in this world.

That pain of feeling like Andy stole my trip to Paris.

The humiliation of being used and worn down by Miranda, yet still longing for her world.

All of that blossoms into a lust for power 20 years later.

Emily succeeded.

She became a Dior executive.

She gained power on the side of luxury brands.

But I think even that wasn't enough.

Perhaps what she really wanted was to be recognized by Miranda.

Or perhaps it was to surpass Miranda.

To put it another way, she might have thought that by sitting in Miranda's seat, her life would finally be rewarded.

What makes Emily's betrayal interesting is that it isn't just simple malice.

This is the hunger of a successful person.

Even though she won, it's still not enough. Even though she climbed, there is still more above. Even though she was recognized, she is still not fulfilled.

That is exactly why Emily is painful.

It's funny.

But it's a little sad.

And Andy is stunned.

The person she teamed up with to protect Runway was actually trying to make Runway her own.

Benji, too, did not have respect for Miranda or fashion itself.

He doesn't love Runway; he sees it as a brand that can be acquired.

Andy is betrayed.

Miranda is also betrayed.

However, Miranda saw it coming.

This is Miranda Priestly.

She is not just strong.

She reads human ambition.

She sniffs out the scent of power.

With a single glance, she sees through who truly wants what.

Miranda likely saw through Emily's ambition, Benji's shallowness, and Andy's vulnerability from early on.

And finally, Andy makes her move.

This is where the film's twist begins.

The counterattack of Andy and Miranda. The one who saves Runway is the person who once left it.

Andy and Miranda find a different buyer, not Benji.

That is Sasha Burns, played by Lucy Liu.

She is Benji's ex-wife and a billionaire philanthropist. She is also the person Andy wrote a viral article about in the beginning.

This is clever.

Because Andy's work as a journalist is what ultimately saves Runway.

In the previous film, Andy left Runway and returned to the path of journalism.

In this film, she saves Runway through the credibility, connections, and insight she built as that journalist.

In short, the 20 years Andy spent after leaving Runway were not in vain.

It was precisely because she left Miranda's world that she became the person who could save Miranda.

This is truly beautiful.

Andy returning to Runway is not a step backward.

Because she once left, she has returned with a different kind of power.

In life, these things happen.

The place you left back then. The place you thought was finished. The world you decided was not for you.

But sometimes, the time you spent walking away from that place becomes the power to save it in a different form.

For Andy, Runway was once the place that tested her.

Runway 20 years later becomes the place that tests the strength Andy herself has cultivated over those 20 years.

This is the real thrill of a sequel.

It is not about retracing the past.

It is about re-examining the answers you gave in the past from a different angle 20 years later.

That is why The Devil Wears Prada 2 is so interesting.

The previous film was a story about Andy becoming free from Runway.

This film is a story about Andy, now free, choosing to protect the value of Runway nonetheless.

This is not merely a return.

It is maturity.

Nigel takes center stage. It was a quiet tribute to the pain of 20 years ago.

And Miranda, too, changes just a little.

In a crucial scene in Milan, Miranda entrusts Nigel with the speech she was supposed to give.

For audiences who know the previous film, this carries immense significance.

In the first film, Miranda sacrificed Nigel's dream to protect her own position.

Nigel was the person who had served the aesthetic of that world more than anyone else.

Yet, he was kept away from the spotlight by Miranda's decision.

Those who remember that pain will find this moment in the new film deeply piercing.

Miranda does not apologize.

She probably doesn't cry in an obvious way, either.

Miranda Priestly would never say, 'I'm sorry, Nigel.'

But she makes up for it, just a little, through her actions.

What she took away 20 years ago, she returns in a different form 20 years later.

Nigel finally stands in the spotlight.

The person who continued to serve aesthetics represents Runway before the world.

This is not a flashy catharsis.

But for those who have worked for a long time, it strikes a deep chord.

Being rewarded does not always mean receiving loud applause.

Things that have been built up in unseen places for a long time suddenly, one day, bathe in the light.

In that moment, a long stretch of one's life can be saved, just a little.

Nigel's scene holds that quiet salvation.

Even more importantly, it is revealed that Nigel was actually working behind the scenes to pave the way for Andy's return.

Nigel is just the best.

As expected, this man is not just a kind uncle.

He possesses not only an eye for beautiful things but also an eye for people.

He knew Andy was needed.

He saw that for Miranda, for Runway, and for Andy herself, it was necessary for their paths to cross once more.

As long as Nigel is around, the sense of aesthetics in this world will never die.

These words were true after all.

Emily's defeat and the beginning of an adult friendship

And in the end, Runway is saved.

Emily's ambition is crushed.

Her relationship with Benji also falls apart, and Emily ends up moving from Dior to somewhere else.

There is a hint of bitterness in the fact that her next destination is Coach.

Of course, Coach is a wonderful brand.

Personally speaking, my wallet is also Coach (lol).

It's durable, elegant, and fits perfectly into everyday life.

Rather than the tension of a high-end brand, it has the comfort of a casual brand that you can use happily in your daily life.

So, I don't mean to look down on Coach at all.

In fact, I like it.

However, for Emily, who was at the center of luxury as a senior executive at Dior, that move could not have been a simple, glamorous lateral shift.

Dior was the place she had climbed to.

It was the place where she proved that she was no longer anyone's assistant in that world.

From there, she moves to Coach.

It is both a defeat and a fresh start.

Emily at Dior was a woman who had won.

Emily, who moved to Coach, is a woman who has known defeat.

But that's what makes it good.

She will stand up again.

Surely, even at her new workplace, she will survive by spitting venom, freezing those around her, and yet living more desperately than anyone else.

Even when Emily falls, she doesn't get up empty-handed.

Including that, she is Emily at her best.

This landing is good.

It doesn't make Emily a complete villain.

She betrayed them.

She was consumed by ambition.

She tried to oust Miranda.

She also used Andy.

Even so, she is not just a bad person.

She is Emily.

Insecure, short-tempered, wanting to succeed, wanting to be loved, wanting to be recognized, and always a little bit off.

To protect her seat, she will do things that are not just a little, but quite pushy.

But that is not because she is empty.

Rather, it is because she is far too hungry.

She wanted to be recognized.

She wanted to prove them wrong.

She never wanted to go back to being someone who was just used up by others ever again.

Carrying that pain, she made a mistake.

That is why there is a bitterness to Emily's defeat.

And after that, she faces Andy.

She apologizes for outsmarting her and tells her she wants to be friends.

I think this is also something that can only be done because it is a sequel 20 years later.

If they were the younger Andy and Emily, they wouldn't have been able to come this far.

When you are young, you can only see the other person's malice.

You can only see the other person's aggression.

All that remains in your heart is what was taken from you and how you were hurt.

But as you get older, what you see changes just a little bit.

That person was scared, too.

That person was desperate, too.

That person was also terrified the whole time, just to protect their own seat.

There are moments when you see it that way.

That does not mean you forgive everything the other person did.

It simply means you can no longer see people in a one-dimensional way.

Andy and Emily's relationship arrives at that point.

The person who was once an enemy now looks like someone who has survived the same era.

Behind the person who was mean, you can see their wounds and anxieties.

Perhaps that is what it means to grow older.

And Andy tells Emily that she is iconic, and that she is someone who can achieve great things without a man.

Oh, what a mature friendship, I think.

It's not sweet.
It's not pretty.
There was a lot in the past.
There was betrayal.
There was jealousy.
There was competition.

But even so, they are able to sit at the table together once again.

I think this, too, is the maturity that 'The Devil Wears Prada' 20 years later shows us.

By the way, let me say just a little bit about Andy's new lover, Peter.

By the way, let me say just a little bit about Andy's new lover, Peter.

He's not cool at all, lol.

No, of course, he's not a bad person.

He tries to support Andy, and he's not the type to pressure her with 'work or me' like Nate did.

In fact, I think he's a pretty good guy.

But honestly, as a lover standing next to Anne Hathaway, he's quite ordinary.

Too ordinary.

If anything, he was so ordinary that it was actually realistic, lol.

If this were a romantic comedy from 20 years ago, they might have placed a more clearly attractive romantic partner here.

But this film does not place romance at the center of the story.

The protagonist of Andy's life is no longer her lover.

It is her work, her words, and the choices she makes about what to protect.

That is why it is, in a sense, correct that Peter is a bit plain.

When you become an adult, romance is no longer everything in life.

Of course, it is important.

But it is not the only thing that defines the story of your life.

There is work.
There are your own words.
There are places you want to protect.
There are paths you chose in the past.
There is a future you will choose again from here on out.

For Andy, perhaps her true romantic partner in this film was not Peter, but her own professional life itself.

……That said, I did think he could have been a little cooler, haha.

Andy and Miranda finally stand at the entrance to a relationship that is 'neither enemies nor boss and subordinate'

The relationship between Andy and Miranda also changes.

After Runway is saved, Miranda keeps Andy by her side.

But it is not the same kind of domination as in the previous film.

Andy is no longer Miranda's assistant.

She is not the newcomer who trembles while taking her coat.

She is not the young person whose life is worn away by Miranda's unreasonable demands.

They may not be equals.

Of course, becoming completely equal to Miranda Priestly is probably difficult for any human being, haha.

But at the very least, she is no longer 'someone to be looked down upon'.

Miranda needs Andy's strength.

Andy, too, chooses not just to run away from Miranda, but to face her.

This shift in their relationship is wonderful.

Twenty years ago, Andy walked away from Miranda's world.

That was the right thing to do.

She needed to leave at that time in her life.

But in this film, Andy returns to Miranda's side once more.

That, too, is right.

Life is not simple enough to be lived to the end based on a single answer given once.

Sometimes, as adults, we face things again that we decided to walk away from when we were young.

Sometimes there is value in a world we once rejected that we can only see now.

Sometimes there are dangers in a world we once admired that we can only discern now.

For Andy, Runway is no longer a place to be 'swallowed up'.

It has become a place she can engage with on her own terms.

For Miranda, Andy is no longer just a 'subordinate she trained'.

She has become a professional with the perspective Miranda needs.

And so, the two of them try to become friends.

This, too, is irresistible.

Even so, Miranda is such a captivating person that you find yourself waiting for that moment somewhere.

Of course, becoming normal friends with Miranda Priestly is probably impossible.

Even if I were to start talking about how things have been in a friendly way, she would surely listen to it all, and then,

“That’s all.”

she would quietly bring the conversation to an end.

Even so, the fact that Andy chose to stand near her once again holds the meaning of these past 20 years.

The final shot. The three of them are working in separate rooms while looking at the same night view.

And the ending.

Andy, Miranda, and Nigel are working side-by-side in separate rooms within the same office overlooking the New York skyline.

This ending doesn't try to make you cry in a flashy way.

It doesn't end with them hugging each other, either.

It's not a sweet ending where "everyone became friends."

But it is very good.

Because this is how adults finish their work.

Miranda remains Miranda.

Andy remains Andy.

Nigel remains Nigel.

They each have their own room, their own work, and their own solitude.

But they are no longer completely apart.

They are looking at the same night view.

They are protecting the same Runway.

In the same changing era, they are working with their own respective aesthetics.

There is a quiet hope in this final shot.

When we were young, like Andy, we struggled with whether to 'enter this world or leave it'.

But as we grow older, the question changes.

How do we protect this world?
Who do we work with?
What do we change?
What do we refuse to let go of?
No matter how much the times change, where do we place our own sense of aesthetics?

What the ending of The Devil Wears Prada 2 leaves behind is not nostalgia.

It is a slightly bitter, yet warm cheer for those who have kept working.

Runway has been saved.

But the world will continue to change.

Miranda is still fighting.

Andy is still lost.

Emily stands up again in a new place, still spitting venom.

Nigel never loses his eye for beautiful things.

And we, too, return to our own workplaces.

What will I wear tomorrow?
What kind of words will I write?
What kind of work will I protect?
Who will I join forces with?
What will I continue to believe is beautiful?

After leaving the theater, that question remains deep in my heart.

That is why this sequel is not just a nostalgic movie.

It is a film for us, 20 years later, to re-choose our work and our aesthetics once more.

For me, beauty was about believing in words.

After I finished watching the movie, I kept thinking.

What is beauty to me?

Beautiful clothes.
Beautiful city.
Beautiful actresses.
Beautiful visuals.

Of course, there is that.

But that is not all.

The beauty this film taught me is the attitude of not easily letting go of what you hold dear, even as times change.

Miranda's beauty is never compromising.

Andy's beauty is never being false to herself.

Emily's beauty is standing firm in the place she won despite being hurt.

Nigel's beauty is continuing to possess an eye that no one can take away.

So, what is my beauty?

Surely, it is believing in words.

No matter how much AI evolves, no matter how fast social media becomes, and no matter how much numbers are demanded, I believe that words born from the depths of the heart have the power to move people.

I want to protect that.

As someone who writes, I feel the changes of this era every day.

AI writes text.
Social media returns reactions in an instant.
Short, fast, easy-to-understand, and strong words are demanded.
Words that produce numbers seem correct.
Words that go viral are treated as valuable words.

But is that really so?

Were the words that changed people's lives always fast words?

Were the words that remained deep in people's hearts always efficiently organized words?

I do not think so.

Sentences rewritten in the middle of the night.
Notes from days that didn't go well.
Drafts I never intended to show anyone.
A sentence typed with a feeling of being on the verge of tears.
Words that, after writing, scared me a little, but I couldn't bring myself to delete.

There is a warmth that only remains in things like those.

It is precisely that temperature that I have come to believe in through my continued writing on note.

Sometimes, words that tremble a little reach people more than perfectly polished sentences.

Sometimes, the gaps left by words that couldn't quite be said remain in someone's heart more than words that were perfectly articulated.

There are sentences that can only be written because of a life that has taken the long way around.

There are views that can only be seen because of the scars one carries.

Because of failures, I don't have to treat someone else's hesitation carelessly.

That is why I want to believe in words.

That is my aesthetic sense.

While watching The Devil Wears Prada 2, I was thinking about that the whole time.

Choosing clothes. Choosing work. Choosing words. Choosing who to work with. Choosing what to protect and what to let go of.

I think all of that is a person's aesthetic sense.

Wearing expensive clothes is not the only form of beauty.

Achieving perfect success is not the only form of beauty.

Changing with the times, yet never betraying the sense deep within yourself.

That is beauty to me.

It was a sequel that was incredibly glamorous, incredibly bitter, and gave me the strength to live in the present moment.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not a nostalgic movie.

It is a movie that hides the anxieties and hopes of us living in the present within its nostalgia.

When we watched the first film, we were surely still dreaming about our work.

Now, we know that work cannot continue on dreams alone.

Even so, I still want to continue doing the work I love.

I want to be able to call beautiful things beautiful.

I don't want everything I hold dear to be swept away by the winds of the times.

This film illuminates those feelings in a way that is glamorous, light, and a little bit bitter.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 might not be a film that surpasses the original.

But as a film for those who loved the original to watch 20 years later, it was a sequel with more meaning than I could have asked for.

Changing your clothes means changing your way of life.

Changing the city means changing the era.

And meeting those people again means going to meet your own 20 years as well.

After leaving the theater, I straightened my posture a little.

What should I wear tomorrow?

What kind of words should I write?

What should I protect in my own work?

I thought about things like that.

Movies have the power to light a small fire in people's hearts.

This film has that fire.

It is glamorous, bitter, beautiful, a little funny, and irresistibly alive in the present.

Miranda hasn't grown old.

The world has changed.

And we, too, are choosing again what beauty and what things we want to cherish in this changing world.

That is precisely why, if you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely head to the theater.

That red.
That cerulean.
That light of Milan.
That reunion of the four.

I want you to bathe in it on the big screen.

And after you finish watching, I want you to ask yourself.

What do I find beautiful as I live my life?

What will I protect as I work?

It was a sequel that was incredibly glamorous, incredibly bitter, and gave me the strength to live in the present.

Tenmame

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