Bridal Mask

Title: 각시탈 | Gaksital | Bridal Mask
Genre: Period | Action | Drama | Romance
Episodes: 28
Broadcast Network: KBS2
Broadcast Period: May 30, 2012 to September 6, 2012

Synopsis:

Lee Kang To used to be from a noble family until his father was killed because his father’s loyalty was in his own country, Korea, instead of Japan during the Japanese occupancy of South Korea. His brother, Lee Kang-San, who used to be seen as their family’s future became mentally invalid after severe torture as a freedom fighter as well. Thus, Lee Kang To, decided to go to another path and became a high ranking officer of Chongro Police Station and denounce his Korean heritage to be loyal to the Japanese Imperial nation to support his mother and brother. However, in being so, he became cruel and hated by many of his fellowmen. He finds solace from his friend, Kimora Shunji, a Japanese school teacher and son of a powerful political family, and, a girl named Boon Yi, a childhood memory and in deep recesses of Lee Kang To’s heart, his first love. He rose above in ranks as an officer because he once captured Mok Dam Sa-Ri, a revered Korean rebel considered as hero by a lot of Koreans. So, when another rebel, rose to fame by the name Bridal Mask, he was assigned to handle the case. During his investigation and goal to capture Bridal Mask, he met Mok-Dan, a beautiful performer of Far East Circus. She is a secret member of Independence Movement against Japanese and seems to be someone that Bridal Mask took special attention to. Mok-Dan became a crucial crux between Lee Kang To’s ambitions, love for his family, his friendship to Kimora Shunji and, most of all, his discovery of who he really is as a man and the country he denounced.

Characters:

• Joo Won as Lee Kang To | Lee Young | Sato Hiroshi
• Shin Hyun Joon as Lee Kang San | Lee In
• Song Ok Sook as Han Sii
• Lee Il Jae as Lee Sun
• Jun Hyun as Baek Gun
• Kim Woo Suk as Young Lee Young
• Yoon Hong Bin as Young Lee In
• Jin Se Yun as Oh Mok Dan | Boon Yi | Esther
• Son Byung Ho as Jo Dong Joo
• Lee Kyung Shil as Oh Dong Nyun
• Lee Byung Joon as Shin Nan Da
• Son Yeo Eun as Uhm Seon Hwa
• Seo Yoon Ah as Ham Gye Soon
• Kim Yoo Jin as Hwang Boo Yong
• Park Ha Neul as Yoon So Hwa
• Kim Hyun Soo as Young Boon Yi | Esther
• Chun Ho Jin as Kimura Taro
• Park Ki Woong as Kimura Shunji
• Park Joo Hyung as Kimura Kenji
• Lee Byung Joon as Young Shunji
• Jun Noh Min as Dam Sa Ri
• Kim Myung Gon as Yang Baek
• Park Sung Woong as Dong Jin
• Jung Eun Byul as Jin Hong
• Choi Dae Chul as Reporter Song
• Ban Min Jung as Juk Pa | Anna
• Kim Bang Won as Kim Deuk Soo
• Kim Ji Min as Ahn Sub
• Ji Seo Yoon as Tasha
• Baek Jae Jin as Director Bong
• Choi Dae Hoon as Minami Tamao | Lee Hae Suk
• Jang Joon Yoo as Merry
• Lee Jae Won as No Sang Yub
• Oh Eun Ho as Suzy
• Yang Hee Yoon as Jenny
• Jun Gook Hwan as Ueno Hideki
• Han Chae Ah as Chae Hong Joo | Ueno Rie
• Ahn Hyung Joon as Jun Katsuyama
• Bruce Khan as Ginpei Kato
• Kwon Tae Won as Choi Myung Sub
• Kim Kyu Chul as Woo Byung Joon
• Ahn Suk Hwan as Lee Shi Yong
• Kim Jung Nan as Lee Hwa Kyung
• Kim Tae Young as Park In Sam
• Bang Joong Hyun as Park Sung Mo
• Go In Bum as Jo Young Gun
• Kim Eung Soo as Konno Goji
• Yoon Bong Gil as Abe Shinji
• Yoon Jin Ho as Goiso Tadanobu
• Kim Myung Soo as Murayama Yoshio
• Choi Woong as Kakawa Ozaki
• Lee Joo Hyun as Takeda
• Song Min Hyung as Governor Wada Ryo
• Choi Yoon Joon as Chief Song
• Yang Jae Won as Bae Man Sung
• Kang Ki Hwa as Masako
• Kim Young Hoon as Comrade Park
• Kim In Ho as Comrade Jang
• Lee Do Hoon as Comrade Yoon
• Kim Choo Wol as Deuk So’s Mother
• Jang Kwang as Central Council Senator
• Kim Ki Hyun as Congressman Hyun
• Hong Yeo Jin as Congressman Hyun’s Wife
• Joo Boo Jin as Soon Yi’s Grandmother
• Min Joon Hyun as President Park
• Han Soo Ah as Kaneko
• Shin Shin Bum as Old Man
• Ga Won as Shim Soon Yi on Episode 20-21
• Gil Geum Sung as Nam Sung Hun on Episode 21
• Park Bo Gum as Min Gyu on Episode 26-28
• Ahn Yeo Jin as Comfort Woman Female Recruiter
• Jang Nam Yul as Comfort Woman Male Recruiter
• Lee Tae Gum
• Huh Jung Bum

My Review:

I watched this K-drama because I got curious as to what’s the fuss was all about. This K-Drama has received a lot of recommendations from the Korean drama review sites I often visit. So, though, historical K-dramas are not my cup of tea, I went ahead and watched it. I have mix feelings about this K-drama but, I was at least happy that it wasn’t as overrated as “Goblin” that everyone was raving how great it was and yet, actually, one of the biggest let down Korean dramas I’ve seen in my 20 years of being a K-drama addict.

So, What do I Like About this K-Drama?

(1) There’s heartbreaking scenes such on Episode 20 between a grandmother and granddaughter. The granddaughter thought she will be studying to be a nurse when in fact she will be sold as comfort woman.

(2) The story goes where it should go, so, it becomes unpredictable even the ending.

(3) There are a lot of depressing scenes and they are not something I would like to normally watch, but, it provides clear messages about what war brings to us, as humans, its atrocities and senselessness, thus, the story gives emphasis on the significance of what should be truly important to us and worth fighting for.

(4) What a stellar ensemble cast! They all indeed gave excellent performances, but, I must shout out the specific actors and their characters that indeed made a mark to me during the entire 28 hours of viewing: Park Ki-Woong as Kimura Shunji, Han Chae-Ah as Chae Hong-Joo, Ahn Hyun-Joon as Katsuyama Jun and Yoon Bong-Kil as Abe Shinji. They are not the lead actors, in fact, the latter 2 can be considered to have minor roles but, even so, their performance of their roles were superb. As they say, “there are no small parts, only small actors”.

(5) I’m in awe with the realism brought by the fighting scenes that were well choreograph, the depiction of interrogation during that time, and, the impressive cinematography of its locations that made me feel as if I was in the 1930’s era during Japanese occupancy.

What I do Not Like About this K-Drama?

All in all, this k-drama is indeed epic as most of the other reviews said it was especially the performances of Joo Won as Lee Kang To and Park Ki-Woong as Kimura Shunji, however, having said that, the writing didn’t look that polish to me especially the driving force of the extreme changes of its characters which is their love for Mok-Dan. I can almost understand Lee Kang-To’s, but, Shunji’s? I probably had high expectations from this k-drama after reading such raving reviews on how good it was, so, the lens I’m looking at to evaluate it became higher. Plus, melodrama genre is not my most favorite genre. It actually took me awhile to really watch it because I know it was not going to be the “feel good” drama that I usually prefer that can bring me to a fantasy world rather than reality. My nitpicking on the story is not that critical to lessen its overall quality, but, I must admit, it kinda affected my viewing pleasure especially since this is not romcom and its genre, it is important that realism should be as close as possible to its depiction.

(1) The characters are mainly Japanese, yet, among themselves, they keep speaking Korean.

(2) I can understand that when one meets someone at the most tragic or sorrowful moment of ones life especially during ones younger years, it may leave a deep impression on ones heart, can find attachment and even, probably, love to that person. However, is it really possible that that love can surpass time and much more tragic events above everything else?

(3) I’m always curious during this period when medicine is not yet that develop, how can people still have smoother skin after such harrowing punishments and torture? Just asking a trivial question.

(4) Speaking of #3, not only the skin but on Episode 14 and 19, one can still survive a grenade scott free. This really kinda irritated me to no end.

(5) The extreme 360 degress change of Kimora Shunji’s character. And, supposedly, the driving force of this change was the death of his brother and his love for Mok-Dan. However, both justifications don’t even have much logic, since the former was a brother he was not even close to and, the latter, whom he didn’t even have any passionate or consensual encounter that he will fall insanely in love with her. I can partly understand of Shunji’s obsession to Mok-Dan wherein it is something to do with his twisted thinking of hope and deep belief that as long as Mok-Dan will love him, in the end, he can still save himself and be back to who he was before, a decent human being. Having said that, the interaction between Shunji and Mok-Dan wasn’t even that life changing to the point that he will develop that intense feelings for her. It just didn’t make much sense to me unless the justification is either he became derange or that he was really cruel and evil to begin with.

Would I recommend this K-Drama? It’s Okay

My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 4/5 Stars

OST:
01. Goodbye Day – Ulala Session
02. I Couldn’t Do It – 4MEN
03. When the Sun Sets – Gavy NJ
04. You In My Arms – Bohemian
05. Judgment Day – Joo Won & Lee Jung Hyun
06. That One Word – Melody Day
07. Love and Love – Joo Won
08. It Doesn’t Work – Eun Yoo
09. Unrequited Love – Han Chae Ah
10. If It Makes Me Hurt – Lee Seul Bi
11. Blue and Red – Ji Seo Yoon
12. Bridal Mask – Various Artists
13. Holy – Various Artists
14. Fate – Various Artists
15. Right In Front of You – Various Artists
16. Guardian – Various Artists
17. Unrequited Love (Orchestra Version) – Various Artists
18. Tae Geuk Flag On This Land – Various Artists