Bridal Mask (Gaksital) review

I’m gonna write a review of a long Korean drama that I watched and followed since day one. Ok, I kid, I started on episode 3. I was vehement becuz I am not the kind of people who like to watch contemporary setting of a drama-sageuk and those traditional dresses make me go WHOA with amazement. Sometimes I think I live in the wrong era cuz I love to watch (and read) movies and books with historical settings since I was small. So much so I’m surreptitiously surprised I didn’t end up in the history department!

Back to Gaksital, or Bridal Mask, that I wanna pour my thoughts in. 

It’s about the struggle for a free nation by the Joseon people (that’s how Korea were called by their colonialists back in those days)by a masked fighter called Gaksital, meaning bridal mask, cuz he fights dem Japanese wearing a bridal mask and traditional white hanbok. Korea was colonized and oppressed in every damned way by the Japanese (hello we share the same colonialist, albeit for a few years) But true to fashion, er drama-sense, our hero is actually not a born and bred hero. Far from it. Well, he does come from a noble family entrusted with the mission to protect King Gojong but when it failed, the whole family flee and his father died, Lee Kang To is left with his elder brother, Lee Kang San and his mom. They live a very hard life and Kang To had to work harder everyday to support his brilliant elder brother to university. But one day Kang San is caught getting involved with rebellions and is tortured so terrible he becomes crazy. That was the last straw that breaks Kang To that he turns to work with the Japanese police force to feed his family.

When Gaksital appears, the police force is in a frenzy to capture him. Gaksital, like any other celluloid hero, is elusive with incredible martial arts-able to jump from tall buildings(yep) and flip through bullets (yep people). Gaksital always outwit the police force and Kang To is assigned to capture him. Little did he know that the true identity of Gaksital is (wait for it…) is his own brother, who pretends he’s mentally ill so he could be Gaksital without being investigated. But as the story goes, Kang To causes his brother’s death and in doing so he then takes up the mantel, er, mask and becomes the second Gaksital, to finish up his brother’s work, only he realizes that Joseon needs him, and he realizes that he plays a larger role on determining the fate of his people…

Kang To grows up with his best friend, Shunji Kimura, who later becomes a sweet kiddy teacher while Kang To is the grumpy screamy violent police officer. But when Kang To discovers Shunji’s brother, Kenji, kills his mom (oh noes) in rage, he goes and kills Kenji in gaksital costume, incurring eternal vengeance and wrath from the nice and demure Shinji. So Kang To has to hide the fact that he’s Gaksital from his bff while trying to save the country. Matters become worse when Kang To’s childhood sweetheart, Mok Dan is also coveted by Shunji. Oh then a lot of twist and turns that would make you go sleepless, I kid you not.

I love it. Every.dem.episode. Every.heartbreak. Every.Revelation. I’m a sucker for redemption story so Gaksital is my thing. I almost didn’t watch this cuz I didn’t like the 1930s. Capital Scandal made it worse. But once Kang To is on the screen, everything becomes alright LOL

I love it when the make Kang To’s character goes into a progression of some sort. In the beginning 6 episodes he’s so unlikable, with his penchant for screaming and kicking people in his rage (he even kicks his sweet brother ohmygawd) and with zero patriotism-he lives only to survive and patriotism is such a luxury and what happened to Kang San is a cautionary tale for him. But after the death of his family, he returns to his original self, and he learns to be a better person and more selfless. At first he just pities the weak and the oppressed but he then grows to be a bona fide freedom fighter you couldn’t be prouder when he beams and smiles for his country.

Shunji, the antagonist, starts out as a sweetheart that wouldn’t hurt a fly even if the fly goes kamikaze on him. But amazingly he flips out after his brother’s death and swears to avenge him. He becomes more cruel and clever as days pass and he really is a match to Kang To’s cunning and witty maneuvres. (and to think this is the same guy who cries on the bicycle with Kang To sobbing on his back)

Kang To and Shunji, shaken by the death of their loved ones, take different projections in their later life. Kang To becomes kinder (and happier) and more dedicated but Shunji becomes obsessed, possessed and calculative (and miserable). Mok Dan, the object of both’s affection is the daughter of the leader of freedom fighters, so no marks for guessing who she falls for.

So, episode by episode, we get this awesome cat-and-mouse game as Kang To and Shunji try to take the upper hand against each other. What is incredible is since episode 10, Shunji has guessed that Kang To is Gaksital though he can’t prove it. To me this kinda writing is awesome! I mean they’re best friend and all but both of them didn’t let that friendship fool them. As long as nobody shows his card, Shunji pretends he doesn’t suspect Kang To is Gaksital and Kang To doesn’t let his guard down either (well, only in a few occasion, where Mok Dan is concerned, since he’s just so deeply in love kinda thing, which I kinda dig, especially when he’s so pitiful, having lost everyone he loves, kinda like Harry Potter, you know)

Then we have Kang To trying to save his people by being Gaksital, serve the freedom fighters missions and all while trying to keep his cover when working as a police officer in the Japanese police force, and also romancing Mok Dan. Oh, and Mok Dan was separated from Kang To since small so she doesn’t recognize him, but she has a tremendous crush on Gaksital, but hates Kang To to the core, since Kang To is this evil police officer in the beginning, remember? And Shunji tries to avenge his brother while upholding his family honor, and at the same time tries his hardest to win over Mok Dan’s heart from Gaksital. Phew.

There are many scenes that I like for so many reasons.

In episode 7, the first time Kang To dons the gaksital mask, after killing Kenji, while running from Shunji, Kang To falls from a cliff into a river. Now, water is a superloaded metaphor, not to be taken lightly. We see him inside the river and Mok Dan is running away in a field elsewhere but she stops in her track, as if she hears something. You know what she hears? Many interpret it as Mok Dan’s instinct that someone she loves is in danger but I beg to differ. I think Mok Dan’s intuition is that someone is returning to her, meaning Kang To. THE Kang To that she knows and loves in her childhood. That young, brave, kind and unselfish Kang To. You know the thing with water is that it washes away all the dirt. Yes, this is the falling into the river for. Kang To is ‘cleansing’ himself, and his original self returns to him.

This metaphor is continued beautifully, when Kang To wakes up at the hospital. He walks from his bed to outside of his room, his surrounding is very unclear and hazy, and everything is heightened. He is wobbly and his feet could barely sustain him and he falls to the floor. He is behaving like ‘a newborn baby’-everything in his surrounding is new, and vague and unfamiliar to him and he’s very weak and he’s all wobbly like a baby. This is the symbolism that Kang To has been cleansed and born anew and that the audience will get a ‘new’ and better Kang To. Such powerful presentation.

Another scene is between DamSaRi, the leader of the freedom fighter and Kang To(KT), when he asks DamSari (DSR) why does he fight a losing battle. At this point of the story, KT is deep in his Gaksital act but having nobody to explain or tell him anything about this fight, he relies on DSR to tell him that there’s a reason to this madness(of defying the imperialists). and DSR does not let the viewers down. He compares the struggle for independence is like an egg clashing with a boulder. The egg may be brittle and easily broken but it is still a living thing. One day it will hatch while the boulder is a dead thing and enough friction it will become sand one day. So powerful an analogy to be used and very impressive.

And of course I love the romance. I don’t know but some people might find the romance subdued but tis not the case for me. I find Kang To-Mok Dan’s love story to be good and more realistic as they live in a chaotic and turbulent era. There are not many scenes of them spending time together, in fact, because Mok Dan is highly sought by Shunji, they meet just for a few minutes on the tram or at the hospital bed, and they only hold hands but gawds I feel for them so bad it hurts

Which is why the final episode made me cry like kerrazy when Kang To loses Mok Dan after she is shot. A very potent scene as Kang To weeps on Mok Dan’s grave but Baekgun, Kang To’s Alfred, urges him to stand up and fight for his people. And KT remembers what MD tells him before she fades away, to live and be strong. So he wipes away his tears and stands painfully. He is now a full freedom fighter, having lost everyone he ever cared about (honest to god, no kidding) and he lives only for his people (but killing MD hurtz. I hurtz T____T)

Besides the powerful narrative and appealing cinematography (wanna go to Korea now!) the OST is also great!! Some people might find the OST blaring especially during the action sequences but I lurve lurve it! But my favourite pieces are the OST titled ‘Holy’, ‘Right Beside You’, and ‘You in My Arms’.

 And the acting is top notch! My heart fluttered every time KT appears on screen. He’s really gorgeous and he can goddem act! Whenever he’s in pain I flinch and when he cries oh it’s so sad. I had not felt this for a long time, only once with My Sassy Girl’s Chun Hyang’s Lee Mong Ryong. Joo Won, the actor, breathes purrfection. He’s intense and sharp but demure and sweet when he needs be. And Park Ki Woong who plays Shunji almost matches Joo Won’s performance. I almost pitied him at the end, ( I never pitied vile people) so that’s good. And Ji Se Yeon who plays MD, many hated her, but really, she’s still new, and to be pitted against that smouldering sexy of a man that is Joo Won and that consummate perfectionist Park Ki Woong, I think she handled it well. Sure, she could emote more, but her character is not the point of the story isn’t it (*vents* me a KT-MD shipper) and MD sure is purrty. I like her. She has this ethereal charm and winning smile. I wish to her all the best in her future endeavour and please, dramagods, can we have her with Joo Won next time in a rom-com? Please purty please with cherry on top?

credit to soompi forum

In conclusion, as shallow (and dense) as I may seem from my review, go ahead and try watching it, especially if history is your thing, you’ll be rewarded.

Whether It's A Dream Or Not

This post is dedicated to my students who are

going to get their SPM results tomorrow!

Yume Mite Iyou (Whether Or Not We're Dreaming)

Whether or not we're dreaming
I see your future
Big dreams will someday open the future
I understand, everyone
Works hard, always, right?
Although sometimes, I am disheartened.

Whether we are dreaming
The future is surely
Overflowing in hope
And I am beside you
So let's always always talk about dreams

Whether or not we're dreaming
The cold Winter disappears
The breath of Spring is right around the corner

An honest heart doesn't forget
To have faith in their heart
Let's walk and raise our heads in cheerfulness

Whether we are dreaming
The future is surely
Overflowing in hope
And I am beside you
So let's always always talk about dreams

Sakura bloom in the heart
It's a dream, let's always dream

Whether we are dreaming
The future is surely
Overflowing in hope
And I am beside you
So let's always always talk about dreams x1

And so, let's always always talk about dreams

-------------------------------------------------------

One of my favourite songs because of the melody

and the softness and dreamy-like voice.

I love the lyrics too- it asks not to forget our dreams,

that the future is still waiting...

I feel the same for my students, regardless

where they are, I hope they will reach

the dreams that they seek...

And they should know that I will

always pray for them, and that they will

always be my students 

:-)

For Fruits Basket

video by jetsentouki of youtube

For Fruits Basket lyrics (English Translation)

I was so happy, you were laughing
With a smile that melts everything away

Spring is still far away, inside the cold earth,
Waiting for the time to sprout

For instance, even if today is painful
And yesterday's wounds remain
I want to believe that I can free my heart and go on

I cannot be reborn
But I can change as I go on, so
Let's stay together always

Smile only at me and touch me with those fingers
This simple desire is everlasting

I want to be gentle, like no longer regreting
Let's get across this sea of mournful sorrow

For instance, even if today is painful
Someday it will become a warm memory
If you leave everything up to your heart

I understand the meaning our living here
It is to know the joy of having been born
Let's stay together always

For instance, even if today is painful
Someday it will become a warm memory
If you leave everything up to your heart

I understand the meaning our living here
It is to know the joy of having been born
Let's stay together always

-------------------------------------------------

I have always loved Fruits Basket. Though the serialization ended
a few years  back (2006) it still is among the top 3 best shoujo I 
have ever read. It is a  complete package of art, storyline and
endearing characters.

The anime for the series was from 2001 and this was the opening 
song for it. When I first heard the song i was like 
'WTF is this a weepy story?'  cuz I really HATE the I cry and 
then you cry and then everybody cries story. But Furuba 
(the pet name for it) anime is awesome! And this song 
FITS THE STORY perfectly. I guess it was made for Furuba..

A detailed look on the lyrics and you can see Tohru in it-
spring is far away, inside the cold earth----> obvious 
reference to Tohru, as when Hatori asks him  
' What snow melts into?' she answers ' Spring'  ^_^


For instance, even if today is painful
And yesterday's wounds remain
I want to believe that I can free my heart and go on -----> again,
this is Tohru's stance in  life.
Tohru has a miserable life but she doesn't let it pull her down,
instead, she tries to be happy and grateful with what she has..



the rest of the lyrics has to do with the Sohmas, and the suffering 
they go through because of  The Curse, like Momiji can't hug his mom 
and sis, Hatori had to make his fiancee forget him, Yuki wants to belong, 
Akito needs to let go, and Kyo needs acceptance. All in all it's a tragic
story, because RL sucks but it tells you to brave through it all. After all, 
Spring will always come after the snow :)

p/s: did I mention Furuba has the most awesome Tsundere cat to ever

grace the shoujo world? I'm such a sucker for tsun tsun lol

Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland Similarities

OK. This was something I wrote in the height of my passion about Secret Garden, the Korean drama that starred Hyun Bin and Ha Ji won.

This post is gonna talk about the similarities between Secret Garden(SG) and Alice in Wonderland(AIW)’s characters.

RI= Gil Ra Im

JW=Kim Joo Won

JW is of course, Alice, the titular character in AIW. Alice, is a seven year-old girl who has to grow up but refuses to. So one day in the garden she sees a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and having a pocket watch and thus follows it into Underland. So she has an identity crisis. JW has it too because of his amnesia and phobia. JW has this irrational fear of the elevator and enclosed spaces, and it weakened him. He is also incomplete because he has a part of his life (13 years of memories) missing from him and he doesn’t even know it. But at the recess of his mind, he knows he’s missing some clues and pieces of himself but he couldn’t pin or explain it. Thus he becomes confused and unsure of himself and very childish. He knows that he cannot rely on his physical strength thus he makes himself capable intellectually. He’s very good with words and logic and verbal attack. He hurts people with his words (just like kids do).

 

The biggest clue of JW=Alice in the drama (besides JW admitting that he has AIW Syndrome lol) is that he wears a blue tracksuit. Alice, in all her sketches, is traditionally in blue pinafore. Alice is also portrayed in yellow pinafore, and JW’s second tracksuit’s colour is yellow too! (leopard-print tracksuit really)

But why the hell is the tracksuit SPARKLING? Which normal, sensible adult would wear such deliberate showing off suit? He's not! At least not normal nor sensible nor an adult mentally! The reason is JW wants people to recognize his status, his worth because that's how the world functions. It’s a call for help, actually. He’s saying ‘look at me, look at me but don’t look at me’. Look and marvel at my status, my wealth but NOT ME PERSONALLY.

I believe RI is The Cheshire Cat (TCC) and I also believe she is The White Rabbit (TWR). In the beginning, she is TWR, as JW was so curious to see that there actually exists a girl like her, that he feels compelled to help her, no different than TWR to Alice, who follows it because she's curious of The Rabbit who wears a waistcoat and carries a watch, exclaiming 'he's late'. Later on, RI becomes TCC, because she guides JW in 'Wonderland'. Remember in the earlier episodes JW said that he keeps seeing RI? And that in his imagination, RI actually smiles even though he has never seen the real person smile yet. RI’s smiling is akin to The Cheshire Cat who is known for his grinnings, that even Alice remarks that TCC grins and when it disappears, it leaves only its grin.

If I could assign Ra Im 's dad in the world of Wonderland, he would be The Caterpillar. The caterpillar who always asks Alice 'who are you?' In AIW, The Caterpillar(TC) is hinted to turn into a butterfly, and this similarity with RI's dad are the flowers around him in the mysterious garden. Oh, and TC always smokes when Alice sees him, it's like a nod to RI's dad's job, that deals with smoke and fire.

JW who always unsure of himself. He hides behind his logic so that there is a foundation, an anchor, in a vast sea of confusion for him to hold on too. Alice in Wonderland is a journey that Alice goes through in order to become an adult. JW/Alice is lost in Wonderland/love, and navigates through it with the help of The Cheshire Cat/RI. JW/Alice faces many obstacles, especially from his mother/The Queen of Hearts. He faces these obstacles so that he could remember and become the adult that he is. He no longer hides behind reasons and logic,  because to fall in love is in itself illogical, and he bravely defies his mother's interference, not unlike Alice's defiance towards the Queen of Hearts when The Queen declares "off with her head" Alice just outrules it and ignores the order. In the end, Alice knows and understands herself and does not take what other people say blindly.

Yes, therefore JW’s mother is The Queen of Hearts because TQOH represents blind fury. Sounds familiar? JW’s mother refuses to acknowledge JW-RI’s marriage till the end of the drama. Sad as it maybe, the writer stays true to AIW’s characterization. The Red Queen? She represents The Governess and in SG, she is none other than JW’s grandfather's new wife or JW’S new grandmother. Notice that she wears red on the last episode, when JW and RI go to see JW’s grandfather to tell him of their marriage. JW’S new grandmother acts perfectly regal and majestic and tells the couple to persevere since they have committed themselves to this. Sounds like what a governess would tell ya, rite?

The White Queen is Ah Yong as TWQ is often absent-minded but could tell things that will happen in the future as we have seen AY did. Isn't it curious that AY is some kind a seer but she can't foretell her own future?

Oska is The Mad Hatter cuz both TMH and Oska are singers and TMH was punished by Time (for killing Time) to always live in 6 o'clock (Thus he always is having a tea party, and Oska, well he can't forget his first love). Remember when he tells RI that as years passes by, he feels that he hasn't aged at all. That's Oska-The Mad Hatter for you. Seul would then be the March Hare cuz she is also trapped in the past, with Oska. Tae Ssun would be the Dormouse, trapped and used by both Seul and Oska.

LOL JW's sis disappears and her character is not developed because JW is Alice. In AIW, Alice has a sister, Margaret but we don't know much about her except she wakes her up for tea at the end of the book.

LOL another thing-why 3 kids/ why 3 is the number? Alice has a cat named Dinah, and Dinah has 2 kittens. So in all Alice has 3 cats=JW has 3 children.LOL This is pretty evident in eps 20, the cat plushies are white and black, just like Alice's cat colors.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE FTW!^^

You Really Resemble Me

 You Really Resemble Me


Your figure is similar to mine
Quietly weeping, as if it echoes in my chest

I don’t know anything, but they say I’ll be happy where I am
So I surely won’t be satisfied
Even in the night, lying low in the void
I chose I want to live now, and that’s just it

Your speed is similar to mine
The sky uninfluenced by brakes becomes frightening
For how long should I try my best?
If there are two people able to bring it to an end

Even no matter what, a road not easy is chosen
I can’t brush away shoes covered in sand
I can only live in such a manner
Smile and nod with me, would you?

Because I made a promise to you
When I come running, facing you someday
I won’t take away my gaze of you
Surely, I’ll receive you better than anyone else

Your figure is similar to mine
You being here, watching the same world
I’m not going to lose my heart in the end
If you can love me
I am kept alive by you

 by See Saw  original title: Kimi Wa Boku ni Nite Iru

I love the sadness in this song. It's about the longing
of two people, who are so similar yet so far apart.  
And the music video is sad too. I'm weepy these
days sigh  

AWESOME CLASSICS ARE AWESOME!

                                           Theme from TOEI's 1981 Swan Lake which is actually

                                                         an adaptation from Tchaikovsky Swan Lake piece

A lot of people who knows me would probably not know this. I am a classical symphony lover. I don’t know when it started but most probably when I watched Disney’s Sleeping Beauty AND TOEI’s Swan Lake. I was so fascinated by the music score that I watched both movies again and again. And Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake remains my most favourite arrangement. I profess I don’t know music, nor music scores if my life depends on it (heh) but I adore classical arrangements, especially something that has to do with violins. If I were given a chance to play a musical instrument, it would be violin :)

Alas, playing musical instrument is not allowed IN MY FAMILY-think the infamous dialogue from Ibu MertuaKu, “Shapa itu Kassim Selamat?...”  and you’ll get my drift hurr.

Nonetheless, listening to orchestrated songs are more melodious to my ears. That’s why I don’t often listen to Malay songs. To me they are too simple and utilize so few instruments. Other nations use a lot of musical instruments quite elaborately. Take Hindi songs for example. You would notice the use of the orchestra. That’s why A.R Rehman RULEZZ. He’s a magnificent composer. Japanese and Koreans also use orchestrated music quite gloriously hmm..

I’m not dissing local talents. But we don’t have another P.Ramlee. Now he’s a BRILLIANT COMPOSER and MAGNETIC SINGER. Due to influence from Hindi movies, he composed his songs with elaborate instruments. That’s why his songs are still listened till today. AND YOU ASK THE SECRET OF HIS SONGS’ POPULARITY when you compose only with a guitar or God forbid, POLIPHONIC MELODY!! That’s why Indonesian songs are famous, because they are influenced by Japanese. Nope, don’t quote me, there’s no research to prove it, but when you check the aspirations of Indonesian singers and composers, most of them would say, LUNASEA and L’ARC EN CIEL , etc etc.

OK with the rant. I LOVE CLASSICAL MUSICS but it seems nobody in my family share my interest. They say its blaring blah blah. Sometimes I wonder why am I cursed with these ability to detect melodious tones eheh XP 

I wish one day i would get to attend a CLASSICAL CONCERT. My wishlist is of course the PLAY SYMPHONY. It’s an orchestra symphony that plays arrangements from vdeogames/animation and whatnot. EMINENCE is nice too but both HHHNNNGGG are too far… so for now I could only pacify myself with youtube. Checkout the vid of them below. The firat is Eminence playing my favourite Yuki Kajiura score from Tsubasa Chronicle OST, Song of Storm and Fire and the second is PLAY Symphony playing my FFVII favourite score-One Winged Angel aka SEPHIROTH!! dumdum!