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? :)