The Bridal Mask (2012)

Seeking for a drama that will fill your senses with excitement and thrill? BINGO! Gaksital will offer it for you!

Story: ;) Unusual Start and Intriguing Plot - Unusual because the main lead started as anti-hero, intriguing because as a loyal follower of Japanese, how did Gaksital came to surface? The storyline was well-thought of, filled with nationalistic theme and a specific eye-opener of the dark period in Korean history.

;) Non-stop Cliffhangers- Be advised that it will be BEST to watch this drama in a marathoned mode so you can be relieved of mini-heart attacks. It’s rare to maintain the heightened tension for 28 episodes. Gaksital simply did it, being intense till 28.

;) Action- Scenes Satisfaction Guaranteed- It’s not all about guns and martial arts! Why not use an iron baton to kill off enemies for a change? Gaksital did it with grace!

;) Great Production for a Period Drama- The theme, costumes and the way Japanese colonized Korea were clearly- presented. Let me add a dancing Joo-won as a bonus!

;) Heart-Wrenching Moments by Episode 7- Sad moments at earlier episodes will make you cry; this drama will mark your heart and will make you sympathize with the characters at some point.

;) Bittersweet Childhood Sweetheart Romance- Sounds promising but put in mind that if you watch this for romance, you’ll not like how it will end.

Lastly,
;( Just a Fair Ending – The sole reason why I gave a 9 on the story and it didn’t land as one of my top 5 favorites. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was appropriate for the heroic and patriotic pattern of the plot but I didn’t like it, I didn’t feel a proper closure, that’s all. I felt bad for Joo-won— not as Gaksital but as Lee Kang To , Shunji and Mok Dan, and mostly saddening of all was how did the friendship ended. Death is bad but being left alone is just worse.

Acting/ Cast- This drama picked an excellent ensemble of casts. Joo Won and Park Ki Wong were definite standouts. I loved that Lee Kang To becoming Gaksital was deeply-rooted and his character portrayed by Joo Won was greatly compensated in terms of acting. Park Ki Wong had the same depth of character as Joo Won on an antagonistic counterpart, he’s commendable because from a friend to a foe, the changes in personality was very visible. Jin Se Yun and Han Chae Ah were equally great female leads for me. I had a little crush on Katsuyama.

Music: I loved the Italian song at the end of each episode, it mixed well with cliffhangers. Then there’s a determinant song wherein when you hear it, Alas! Gaksital is finally here to save the day!

Rewatch Value: For the superb scenes, yes, but for the ending, no. Besides, I rarely rewatch dramas.

Overall : A DEFINITE MUST WATCH this year! If you’re an avid action/ thriller fan, this should not be a miss on your list. Gaksital will always be one of those legendary masked heroes a Kdrama fan like me will remember for a long time-- and perhaps it can give you withdrawals too? :)

Lire davantage

A small word of warning to potential watchers, especially the ones that love the fluffy dramas: This is the type of kdrama that delights in twisting the knife after it stabs you in the gut to prove a point. The Bridal Mask may not break you, but it sure as heck will try. There isn't a ton of comedic relief, unless you prescribe to action peppered with dark humor, and the plot tension is almost constant from the start. Fortunately for me, I'm the kind of disturbing person that likes all of that stuff, especially when it's paired with beautiful visuals and a solid OST to boot.

Story:
At its heart, The Bridal Mask pits conflicting concepts against each other in poignant ways. Themes such as the importance of identity, fate vs. choice, devotion to a cause vs. personal desires, and the need for revolution dominate the storyline. Each and every character suffers for what they believe; the story demands that they prove their loyalties time and time again, no matter what side they're on. There are occasional imperfections and the story sometimes becomes obvious, but my enjoyment didn't lessen.

As much as I love my romance stories, the true strength of The Bridal Mask is the star-crossed relationship between our antihero lead, Lee Kang To, and his childhood friend, Kimura Shunji. Their layers are explored with every major plot point, and their symbiotic link powers so many feels. It's about more than just two best friends. Their internal priorities matter. Their family ties and conflicting heritages matter. Their decisions matter.

There isn't a straight-up vanilla hero in this drama. At the beginning of the story, Lee Kang To voluntarily works for a government who oppresses his neighbors and family. He stops at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means torturing an innocent person (this includes women, y'all) for information. Japanese and Koreans alike demean him and (in some cases) torture him for his choices, and the chip on his shoulder feeds into the man he is. Even placing Kang To aside, the other leads have inner demons and misconceptions, some of them more apparent than others, and the show doesn't let these characters spiral into wasted opportunity. It absolutely brings them out to play to enhance the themes of the story. This is MY JAM.

Acting/Cast:
I had no expectations of the cast, having never met them before in other dramas, and I remember the moment it happened - the moment I knew it was true love. I lay in bed at nearly two in the morning, tears streaming down my face because of a side character - A SIDE CHARACTER - over his seemingly insignificant yet incredibly moving part in the story. And that's the kind of drama The Bridal Mask is.

The crew spare no expense in acting talent when it comes to the cast. Joo Won, Park Ki Woong, and Han Chae Ah especially shine in their parts, and the stress they must have endured is evident. Some of the scenes they pull off are incredibly difficult and draining. The supporting cast also provide the perfect setup and delivery for the plot and main cast.

I would rate this section a full 10/10 if one principal actor - Jin Se Yeon - fulfilled her role completely as a lead actress. She begins with fire and conviction, immediately catching my attention, but she doesn't quite reach the talent level the others have. This isn't her worst performance in a drama (by far), but the other cast carry her in a few scenes as we reach the climax of the story. Ueno Rie (played by Han Chae Ah) is, by far, the better of the two female leads, both in character complexity and acting talent. If you're looking for a lady badass, she'll be the one to watch for.

Music:
The Bridal Mask has an excellent soundtrack and score. My love for it could be blurred by nostalgia, but I enjoy its blend of eastern and western flavor, which carries through in the drama itself. It’s exactly the type of soundtrack and score that I look for in a drama, and the instrumentals especially are my favorite.

Rewatch Value:
I don't normally rate high-tension and emotional dramas "well" in the rewatch value category, if it can be called that. I think a drama can be better for having a low rewatch value if the message and takeaway value are long-lasting. The Bridal Mask is an exception for me, though. When I'm in the mood for angst and antiheroes, which is often, it's one of my first stops.

Lire davantage

A Typical Historical Drama , With A Not So Typical Twist...

The beginning of the show sets the drama in 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation . The Male lead, Lee Kang To, is one of the few Korean police officers in the Japanese force, a factor which shuns for not being Korean by his own people, and being an outsider by the Japanese. Kang To becomes determined to capture the Robin-Hood-style vigilante, Bridal Mask, and prove hinself to the police force. When Kang To discovers an ugly truth about the original person behind the mask, he begins to wear the identity of Bridal Mask in an attempt for vengeance against those who wronged him, a fate which drags in his old friend and former high school teacher, Kimura Shinji, and a mysterious Korean woman, Mok Dan, into the mix as well. Undeniably, after a slow start, the show after episode 3, kicked off to an intriguing plot regarding some in predictable moments for Kang To’s redemption.Even in the earlier episodes, the script writers were quick to draw the line that there was a more of a morally “ grey area” to Kang To’s character than everyone presumes as the “ enemy of the people”, none more shown in the relationship between himself and his brother.However, my one fault was that whilst Kang To began to fight for the “ good side”, there was little drawn by the resistance fighters towards some of Kang To’s more violent ideas and actions such as the suicide bomber at the police ceremony event . Undeniably this wasn’t viewed as a “ bad action” in the show by resistance fighters, however, there were some moves even when he became caught up in the cat and mouse game with Shinji, that seemed a little questioning towards the line between injuring and killing even some of his old friends in the academy, something which felt a little out of place considering Kang To’s emotions . Perhaps topping Kang To in characterisation, was Kimura Shinji’s transgression from an amiable schoolteacher to a near sociopath. Whilst there was an obvious drawn line between the “ good” hero of justice, Lee Kang To, and the “ villainous” Japanese officer, Kimura Shinji, there were moments within Shinii’s character,that spoke exposed a more “ human” side to an antagonist. In regards to our female character of the show, Mok Dan had realistic conflicted feelings to Kang To, a Japanese police officer, as well as her duty towards her father’s cause in the Japanese resistance movement. On the other hand, Mok Dan felt a little underdeveloped in terms of her general personality and persona than Kang To and Shinji. Whilst she did seem to have a moral compass, it was difficult to see exactly what made her relatable as an individual. Perhaps the one female character which the scriptwriters did seem to stick out more in terms of personality, was Ueno Rie’s desire for climb up to the top, as well her feelings for Kang To, yet, even then Ueno Rie felt a little more like a dead weight within moments in the drama . By the ending of the show, the script offers a strong hold upon the general objective towards Bridal Mask,however, there were a few technical trip-ups especially in regards to several of the resistance fighters being able to “ shake off” Japanese spies on more than one occasion. The final ending of the drama tied off some very loose ends in regards to the final chase with Bridal Mask and took some shocking decisions as well regarding some main character. Whilst I am conflicted towards the scriptwriters decision , it did deliver a more appropriate ending for an action drama than a lot of other Korean action dramas out there which would end the show upon an entirely idealistic ending than one appropriate for its genre.

Lire davantage

An awesome drama, in the same line of Hong Gil Dong or City hunter, very heartbreaking and beautiful.
Though sad hence not my usual cup of tea, it had been very long since I watched a drama as good as this one.

The storyline is really good though predictable in general (especially regarding the ending), it keeps you constantly hanging and manages to even surprise you sometimes . I especially loved the historic facts incorporated, very revealing of the atrocities committed during the colonization of Korea by Japan.

The acting was spectacular in my opinion, Joo Won is mind-blowing in this Korean version of Zorro, truly touching from the first to the last episode. A real discovery to me, and an actor to be followed, definitely!
Park Ki Woong is also awesome as the villain, both heartbreaking and hateful. All the second roles were incredibly played too and I was very impressed by how good the cast was in general.

The Music is also very powerful, especially the italian chorus of Bridal Mask recurrent theme.

Overall, a really good drama for those who love those historic/tragic dramas, really worth watching.

Lire davantage

I finally found the time to watch this drama that has been in almost everyone's lips. Is it better than K2H? Is it THAT addictive? Well, here's my review.

Story: It has a solid story with no obvious gaps. Every action, thought and deed were well thought through. The only part I would like to see more progression on is the (important) part where Shunji turned from a loving and caring person into a monster. The death of his brother (whom he is not very close to to begin with) is not a very solid reason for turning a man into a monster - neither is unrequitted love. If Kangto turned evil - now, THAT, is more believable. The anguish Kangto has to go through with the lost of his family (whom he loves and cherish) is 100 times more than what Shunji went through. But the irony is, we see Kangto going from evil to good and Shunji from good to super evil. Somehow, I feel there is a 'missing link' there for Shunji. Unless the story depicts him as someone who only shows kindness to others when it suits him, I fail to see how a genuinely kind person can turn into a monster almost overnight because of a death of a relative he is not very close with. Not even the pressure to conform from his father was good enough to break him. So, what broke Shunji? Where was the breaking point? I did not see that clearly in the drama. Therefore, I feel that Shunji's story need a little bit of polishing.

I must also admit that while others rushed through this drama and got addicted to it, I did not. It took me 3 weeks to watch it - at a relaxing 2-3 eps per night pace. There were even a couple of days when I did not watch it, preferring to bake instead. To me, this drama did not cost me any sleep. I was not addicted. Why? I do not know. Personal preference, I guess. I would say it has a solid storyline but is it a good and addictive storyline, to me, that is debatable. I suppose if you are following it as it is airing, you might have that urgency to want to watch the next episode, but for me, who is watching it when all the episodes are already out, I simply do not have that urgency to "chase" after the episodes. Perhaps, I'm still in my 'drama blues' period? Who knows. But at this stage, storyline wise, K2H has a much addictive storyline. That's just my opinion.

For those of you who have not watched this and plan to watch this, be warned - the episodes after episode 12 are the more "addictive" ones with the main plot developing to its climax. So, if you have anything you have to do which is more important than drama watching such as eating, bathing, homework, exams, assignments etc - you can take a break before and at episode 12, because after that, you may find it hard to stop between episodes.

Acting/Cast: Superb acting! There is nothing I could critique regarding the acting and the cast. I must credit the success of this drama to its cast. I did shed a tear or two in a few emo scenes. This is the pinnacle of acting - making the audience feel with you. What more can I say? Nothing. Absolutely perfect!

Music: Nothing worth gushing over. Decent and appropriate to the scenes and mood.

Rewatch value: Because the drama had failed to "net" me in, I rank the rewatch value lower. I do not plan to rewatch this anytime soon.

Overall: It is a decent watch. Worth your time, but not worth losing sleep over.

Lire davantage

If I could rate this with an infinite number of stars, I would. The review that uenorie posted hit everything I wanted to say and more. I too am not one to be drawn towards historical dramas and I haven't seen many action ones either. I heard about Bridal Mask when it first aired last year but never got around to watching it because I wasn't really that interested at the time. My friend told me to watch it and said it was her favorite drama and kept saying how amazing it was so I finally decided to give it a try and all I can say is: wow.

I've seen quite a few people complain about repetitive things in the plot but I believe that other things in the drama completely make up for it. To be honest, it was to the point where it was so good that I didn't even notice anything being repetitive or anything. The two leads, Joo Won and Park Ki Woong, there are just no words for how amazing they were. Jin Se Yeon, Han Chae Ah, Shin Hyun Jun, and the entire cast was just...brilliant.

The setting itself is beautiful, the acting is beyond phenomenal, the story was absolutely brilliantly written, and the message it carries and gives is just awe-inspiring and so incredibly moving. This drama ruined me both in the best and worst ways possible, made me emotionally unstable, and to be honest, I don't think any other drama will top Bridal Mask for me and I have seen many other dramas.
In the words of uenorie from this review, "I don’t think I could ever forget the mental and emotional memories this drama has given me. It gave me so many feelings that I don’t think I know which is which anymore."

I guarantee that this will definitely be a drama you won't ever forget. If you haven't seen it yet, PLEASE please please watch it. I promise you won't regret it.

Lire davantage

This isn't normally my type of drama, but I'm really glad I decided to watch it! The summary didn't catch my attention at first, but after the first few episodes, I was totally hooked. This is probably going to be my favorite drama of the year. ^.^ (Which is saying a lot since there have been so many great dramas this year.)

The cast was superb and the acting was even better. The music was also the best I've heard in a drama all year. Especially during the sad moments, the music made them even better (and trust me, they are saad. If you need tissues, I'll lend you some!).

I've only given one other drama a 10/10 and I feel like this one definitely deserves it too. Fantastic drama! I'm really gonna miss looking forward to Wednesdays and Thursdays now. ;~;

Lire davantage

Great, but not the best.

I know that this show is a lot of people's favourite, but this is what I honnestly think (in my very personal point of view):

The minus:
* Oh Mok Dan: I really really really disliked her character. She was not charming at all, not strong and tough enough, not sweet enough. I didn't like any of her reactions/ positions.
The actress was beautiful, not bad at acting, but her acting's level was under the other leads.
* The main couple: for the very first time I was hoping for a couple to not end up together! I didn't feel any chemistry (not an acting problem though), I simply didn't ship those two.
* Some exageration: The unbreakable gaksital! sometimes the fact that he was not captured nor hurt by any of the guns pointed at him seemed exaggerated.

The plus:
*The story: it was really good, very deep, and intense.
*The ending: I liked the ending most of all, outstanding ending scene indeed. I was all goosebumps!
*Park Gi-Woong: he was OUTSTANDING! a big bravo for his acting.
*Joo Won: the perfect "dose" of good looking and talented actor! perfect choice for the lead role.

Bridal Mask fans, don't blame me much, I am just being honnest about what I felt :p

I gave it a 9 by the way, because it was a great show overall :)

Lire davantage

Honestly, I'm not sure what all of the hype is with this drama, nor how it made it to the number 1 spot on this website, but I can honestly say it doesn't really deserve that number 1 spot because I've seen many other dramas that completely blew this one out of the water.

Don't get me wrong, this is definitely worth the watch though.

Story:

The story itself was played out very well and I loved the time setting. There were quite a few very annoying parts though, and at times it felt repetitive. I was not very pleased with the ending, seeing as they sort of just left it up to you to figure out what happened next.

Acting:
I have no complaints about the cast of this drama because they all did a fantastic job and really made each of their characters shine. You really get attached to all of the cast in this drama, I found myself crying whenever someone died off.

Music:
LOVED the music, they didn't use 1 song for everything like you get in a lot of dramas, instead they used quite a few and used them at appropriate times. The soundtrack to this was amazing.

Rewatch and Overall:

Very very very few dramas I would rewatch and this isn't one of them.
Overall I was a little disappointed yet somewhat satisfied, and I think it could of had a better ending with how things turned out. Not one of the best I've seen, but I would still recommend for anyone to watch it if you're looking for a good action drama.

Lire davantage