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.
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