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This drama is really amazing. I was hooked right away. It's perfectly balanced between action, romance and drama. I don't think I've cried like this since I saw 1 litre of tears!
The only two things I think was less good (it's wasn't really bad) was the ending (because it didn't end the way I wanted it to XD) and the acting of some of the cast. Joo Won (Lee Kang To) was excellent, but some of the older cast weren't as good. Alot of the time I got annoyed because they "overplayed" their roles. Yoon Bong-gil (Abe) was just adorable!
If you want a really good drama with all genres included, WATCH BRIDAL MASK! But be prepared to cry alot. And laugh!
WATCH IT WATCH IT WATCH IT! I promise you that you won't regret it!
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The acting was mostly great, although there were some supporting cast members who maybe could've been better. And Joo Won when he was supposed to be happy, didn't necessarily smile with his eyes, which he should have been doing. Sometimes when he smiled, it looked like Joo Won the actor smiling because that was what the script called for, not Lee Kang To smiling because he was happy about something. But in the dramatic scenes, and when he needed to be upset, he was fantastic. I cried along with him.
The action and fighting sequences were awesome and fantastically choreographed.
The ending wasn't as epic as I expected, honestly, but it wasn't disappointing. There were some beautifully sad parts that i appreciated. It doesn't end in an ambiguous way, as such, but it doesn't tie everything up, which you wouldn't expect in this kind of show anyway.
The only reason I gave this a 6 rewatch value is because i don't rewatch shows, and if i do, they're comedies. A show like this, which can be depressing at times, isn't one you can watch over and over again.
Awesome show, definitely worth watching. Reminded me of City Hunter as well, which i think is a good thing because I loved City Hunter. Joo Won looked so young when he smiled, just like Lee Min Ho.
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It's so deep that i cannot find the words to describe it. After avoiding it for months because it was too long. I kept thinking 28 episodes really?? how on earth am i supposed to keep watching all of that when i can barely make it though 16 episodes. The only other drama that kept me hooked was A Gentleman's Dignity. All the episodes are so captivating and interesting and ou keep wanting to findout what happens next.
So back to GAKSITAL, my friend told me to watch it and i finally gave in. I f you are thinking of watching it go for it. It will stay with you for a while. And you'll just fall in love with the lead.
Best decision drama wise. Have fun
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Story: 9.5/10 because the plot was well-written & the characters were written well. I think it captured what it was like in Korean in the 1930s at the time, because I don't really know Korea history, just knew that it was just very bad during that time.
Acting: 10/10 because this drama what this drama introduced me to Joo Won! He is an amazing actor! He can cry well in my opinion, when he cried, I cried with him! He really shined in this drama. He can be a total (censored)jerk, but he can be very sweet.
Music: 9/10 because the music was amazing! The theme song (the judgement I think it was called) was amazing & epic. Most of the songs were memorable, but not all.
Rewatch value: 8/10 because it was a long drama. There were many sad moments, and very dark moments that can't watch a second time, but I'll watch it again for the character development, and the love story.
Overall, it was a great watch and I don't regret watching this. This is one of the best K-dramas of 2012. You should watch it if you haven't yet.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama stirred me up and left me with such an overwhelming and strange feeling - I’m not quite sure I’ve ever felt this way about a kdrama before which just makes it even more difficult to let go of the story and the characters.I never would have thought that I was going to enjoy Bridal Mask this much since I’m not a big fan of action dramas (or even historical dramas, with a few exceptions) but Bridal Mask turned out to be a very nice surprise. It kept me entertained and excited all throughout these 28 episodes without ever feeling bored or tired of it. Most of the time I even forgot to breath that’s how deeply immersed I was in the story. The writing is great, the timing of the events and plot twists are very well calculated (although, tbh the identity of the original Gaksital was quite obvious even in the first episode lol) and the OST is one of the bests I’ve ever heard. I, the one who mainly gets bored when it comes to action scenes, was always eagerly looking forward to them since they were so awesome and well structured. Plus I got to learn some more about the history of SK at that time.
And yet, the characters (each and every one of them with their own background and side stories) and the character development itself got me the most. No one has remained the same, everyone went through great changes (positive or negative) from the beginning to the end. I loved how the bromance changed and faded away, until Kang To and Shunji became enemies. I loved Kang To’s relationship with his brother, I just wish there were more scenes with them since they had a great dynamic and were so interesting together both in the past and in the present. And even though there wasn’t that much focus on the romance aspect, I still enjoyed those rare fluffy moments between Kang To and Mok Dan. But mostly I just loved Gaksital, his story, his personality, his feelings, his hardships.
The cast just made it all so interesting and entertaining - and not just the main cast but the supporting characters, the villains, everyone did. There wasn’t one person I felt neutral about.
Shin Hyun Joon was great at the beginning, again, I just felt sorry that I couldn’t see more of him/his character. I’ve seen Park Ki Woong in Secretly Greatly before but I still wasn’t very familiar with him. Props to him for being a cool antagonist and a very convincing one at that. He portrayed Shunji’s feelings nicely, the process he went through from being a seemingly innocent teacher everyone liked to the monster he slowly became.
Han Chae Ah was honestly better than Jin Se Yeon - the latter had moments when her acting was pretty good but otherwise she didn’t quite live up to the rest of the cast. She’s not that bad imo as people make her out to be, but Han Chae Ah’s acting was definitely more interesting to watch.
And finally, Joo Won. A million words wouldn’t be enough to describe how I feel about him. He’s one of the best and most versatile actors I’ve ever seen. Good Doctor was my first drama with him as the lead, so I already knew that he was going to be great, but man, his acting was MIND BLOWING. Everything about him is outstanding - how he uses his voice, his expressions, the way he can convey literally ANY EMOTION, how he acts even with his eyes, how utterly charismatic he is, how much chemistry he has with everyone he does a scene with. He completely pulled of the anti hero - he’s equally great at being the villain and the protagonist as well. And he would have totally deserved that Top Excellence Award for what he did in Bridal Mask through those 28 episodes. Although I enjoyed everyone’s acting Joo Won really killed it as Gaksital/Kang To. Heck I would give 100/100 for only his acting if it was possible.
Honestly there’s really nothing about this drama that I disliked. It was intense, action packed, emotional and jaw dropping all at thr same time. And that last scene... that was honestly one of the best endings ever. I had chills and have been feeling overwhelmed by it ever since I finished the entire drama.
It’ll take me awhile to get over Bridal Mask but a part of me already wants to re-watch it. I most certainly will. It is now one of my favorites and honestly one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen for sure.
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1. The main actress is just annoying.
2. The story goes too much in circle.
3. Was good at the start then really, just plain annoying.
4. The music was not bad, but really doesn't make any special impression either.
5. They should've made the drama to 20 episodes and not prolong stories that should've end.
6. Ah and also! the main characters have very limited face expression, its making me tired seeing their same exact frowning face every episode.
Sorry for the rude comment, but this is what i really feel.
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Bridal mask has a great backgroundstory with strong and profound characters and many twists. A little too many twists. Along the way I was about to give up again, because so many things happened in a short period of time and were soon forgotten, because the next problem arose. Also the character changes of SOME leads were a little too sudden and big. The police used one kind of tactic over and over and sometimes I got tired of all the baits and traps. Add some unnesseccary political scenes you often see in Kdramas and you understand the reason I had a hard time.
But why did I watch it until the very end? You just HAVE to know how it ends!What other dramas hide is fully shown: human nature. Bridal mask doesn't only show the nice and clean side. In this drama you see so much violence and hatred that you almost get used to it(especially the tortures). They puke blood and cry out with a heartbreakingly sorrowful face, they lie and pretend, hope and love and hate, and lose their minds. You get immediately drawn to the caracters, although some dark sides are kind of crazy and scary...
music: All in all I liked the ost. The song used for the bridal-mask-cool-attack-scenes had to be used twice, once. Same goes for the italian song for dramatic situations. The sad scene was too long for the song, so they just replayed it. That's what I noticed. Nevertheless the music was very well chosen.
For those, who wonder why I gave it a ' fair ' for rewatch value: Even though the story is very good, they take too much time for the development. I don't think I'd be able to watch the whole thing again, but maybe some parts of it. I think if they had concentrated the story into 20 episodes this drama would have been even better.
All in all Bridal Mask was very good. Especially the last episode left a strong impression on me. The last seconds gave me goosebumps.
I'm not korean, but I clearly understood the message:
'Bridal mask is in everyone of us. Don't give up and hold up your values, then even you can be a hero.'(the main point a little exaggerated)
For all who can't decide:Bidal Mask is definitely worth watching. Give it a try and if you aren't immediately caught be a little patient. You will get rewarded.
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Though I always love Park Ki Woong, I have to say he is definitely a standout in this series. He can make an audience question whether they want his character to have a happy ending or a terrible death.
The only reason I didn't rank this drama as a 10 is because since it is so long, I will be less likely to rewatch it, but this is an amazing series that you won't regret watching!
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Joo Won and Park Ki Woong are excellent actors! The story is amazing, you think you can guess, but you can't! lol
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