Gaksital aka Bridal Mask Episode 18 Recap

 

Wednesday’s here, Finally! A thought we all must’ve shared, hehe!The last time, Dan scoffed at the possibility that Lee Kang To was her Young Master but realizes its truly him when he saves her life from Rie and Kachiyama and ends up hurt himself because of it. Shunji is becoming creepier by the minute and he and Rie are almost always at loggerheads but it’s fun to watch!

This episode contains many poignant moments and underlining meanings behind exchanges and actions. It’s a revolution happening and every revolution needs its heroes and martyrs. But the extent to which one goes for their ideals and dreams is a truly satisfying and moving thing to watch! What makes Gaksital so satisfying is that it explores these very points to make its statement!

Also, I’ve recently started putting in a lot of comments throughout the recap but if you guys find them distracting or would prefer the recap without them, please let me know!

Episode 18 Recap:

The episode begins with Shunji carrying flowers and passing through the hotel corridor, headed for Dan’s room. And I’m like-Huh? Flowers? After the way you hit her so? Gosh, I love to hate you! At first, there’s a silly smile on his face, reminiscent of a puppy in love (that’s your alter ego’s new name, Shunji) but then tones it down. He’s sent out of his reverie when he reaches the room and finds the guards unconscious on the ground. Inside, he finds Dan missing and wakes up his minion, Takeda, asking where Dan is. Takeda tells him a man in a black suit came and attacked them. Shunji confirms its Kachiyama.

Shoving Takeda aside, Shunji heads for the lair of evil where Rie, Kimura Taro and Kachiyama are stewing in silence after Gaksital’s disappearance with Dan. He asks her straight out where Dan is and doesn’t budge even when Dad calls out to him. Whipping out his gun, Shunji points it at Rie, addressing his father-there is someone he wants to protect and he already warned Rie. Even Kachiyama pointing his sword at Shunji doesn’t make him blink.

Why can’t he love a Korean girl, he asks, why must Kishokai interfere with his feelings? Rie snaps at that-love Korean women all he wants but that woman is with Gaksital-protecting that girl is equivalent to protecting Gaksital! “How could I just watch that?” She asks him. Shunji tells her “To catch Gaksital with my own hands, I can’t give up that girl, not even if I die. Do you understand?” and asks where she is. Rie tells him not to worry, Gaksital saved her. That gives Shunji pause and he lowers the gun.

Dan is in the forest at the meeting spot for her and Gaksital when his horse draws up, its rider unconscious. She removes the mask and realizes that Kang To really is Gaksital and he just saved her life. Kang To slowly drifts back to consciousness and finds her crying as she holds the mask in her hand. Heaving himself up, Kang To dismounts from the horse and almost stumbles but Dan steadies him. He’s still weak and they both end up on the ground, her holding his head in her lap.

He opens his eyes and they both look at each other. She’s still crying and he hands her the dagger he gave her. It sparks a series of memories for her-when she first told Kang To, “A bastard like you should die and Gaksital should live!” It makes her tear up even more and he wipes away her tears. Okay, this is making me tear up slightly! This is such a poignant moment I can’t even describe how I feel! She remembers the time she had woken in the hospital after he had shot her and asked her, “Look at me! Look at me closely! Don’t you know me?” Again, the time he’d asked her to reveal everything about Gaksital so she could avoid being tortured.

A look at his wounds brings her back to reality and she tears off a piece from her shirt to tie it over his wound. Uh, the shirt is blue n the piece she’s tying is white. Did I miss something? He winces in pain when she secures it and she looks at him concerned. Then she remembers the time he had told her he was Young and how she’d shouted at him, reminding him of his cruelties and muttered that she thought Young was Gaksital-the man who helped Joseon people and refused to listen to him.

He moves to get up and she helps him, only now noticing the cut on his leg as well. When she moves to cut another piece from her shirt, he stops her. Yup, blue shirt, white bandage-just saying, you know! Finally, he moves in to hug her, a sad smile on his face along with tears. When he draws back, the two look at each for a long moment before he moves in to kiss her.

In the morning at the dorms, spy Gye Soon happily applies her latest acquired creams and lotions and Sun Hwa, sitting nearby asks her where she’s getting all the money to buy this stuff. Spy tells her to stay out of other’s business and Sun Hwa asks her if she’s close with Shunji. Spy Girl’s like, “Aww, you still don’t know? We’re so close!” with special emphasis on the latter word. Just then, Shunji bursts through the door. Impeccable timing, chap! Shunji addresses Sun Hwa straight and asks if she’s heard from Dan. Trembling, Sun Hwa replies she hasn’t. Gye Soon’s like-did she escape again? And then launches into a series of rants against Dan which earn her a slap from Shunji. Ah, now that was satisfying! Shunji, next time you wanna slap someone, slap her, not poor Sun Hwa or Dan! Shunji tells Sun Hwa to let him know if she hears from Dan. A trembling Sun Hwa can only nod as he leaves while Gye Soon mutters evilly, “Oh Mok Dan!”

Meanwhile, Circus Master Jo is telling Nanda and Dong Nyeo that he is going on a bit of a vacation for a while. Before they can delve on it, Shunji bursts in (Is it becoming a habit now?) and wants to talk to him alone, announcing that Dan has disappeared and asks if anyone knows where she is. Since the other two don’t know, they’re sent out. Shunji faces Jo then who asks him if he’s truly going to execute Damsari, arguing that neither Damsari’s comrades, nor Gaksital will appear at that moment. Are they fools, he reasons? That brings a glint of evil in Shunji’s eyes and he smiles-“He won’t be able to ignore the hopes of the Korean people that he’ll swoop in and save Damsari.” He asks Jo to look into Dan’s whereabouts and Jo points out he cant help him anymore-his own comrades don’t trust him anymore and he’s marked for execution. Shunji smiles at him-he’ll be protecting him for the rest of his life and asks him to find out where Dan is.

In his office, Shunji calls up Koiso and orders a meeting to be held. He announces the day after tomorrow as Damsari’s execution and then realizes Kang To is absent. He learns Kang To hasn’t shown up yet and wonders to himself, “Lee Kang To didn’t show up? Oh Mok Dan disappeared?”

Meanwhile at the cottage, Baek is packing a bag when the door opens and Dan comes in supporting Kang To. Baek Gun calls him “Young Master” and he and Dan tend to Kang To’s wounds. Dan watches him worriedly as he grits his teeth and drowns his cries of pain.

Much later, they both sit outside in the open and she opens up to him-the first time she saw him was when her father was sentenced to death because of him, while he smiled and took a photograph. At that time, she really wanted to kill him. then he became the person who captured, tortured her and held her out in the square to be killed and she was frightened of him, more than anything. “That Lee Kang To… The Japanese Police Officer Lee Kang To, how did he end up wearing Gaksital’s mask?”

Kang To tells her his story-the man he so crazily wanted to catch was his own hyung. His brother went to get revenge on Kenji for killing their mother and he, knowing nothing of that, fought with Gaksital and in the end, shot him. At first, it was for everything his brother had been doing-revenge against his mother’s and father’s death. Yet, even after he did all that, he found himself unable to take off the mask. “But now, even if I take vengeance on every one of my father’s enemies, I don’t think I’ll be able to take off the mask. There are so many things to be done. Wherever I look, there are too many people in agony.” At that, Dan take his hand in her own (Omo omo, are you wearing matching shirts? Wooohooo!) and promises him “You won’t have to go alone. I’ll follow you to the very end, rooting for you. Whether it’s a thousand fathoms deep or through a fiery pit, I’ll always go with you.” Kang To hugs her. [Gosh, I just love these two!]

Shunji takes Kang To’s guard to task who hilariously, didn’t even realize Kang To was missing until the last moment. Shunji tells the idiot Kang To already realized his presence and Abe comes in to report Kang To can’t be found anywhere-not home, nor Angel Club. After he orders them all out of his office, Shunji fists his hand and tells himself, “Oh Mok Dan’s disappearance and Lee Kang To’s absence don’t matter! Bear it a bit. Two days more, two days more and you’ll catch Gaksital!”

At the cottage, Kang To is sleeping. Dan asks Baek Gun if he’ll be fine. He tells her he’ll definitely wake up soon but she excuses herself to go back to the hotel, asking him to take care of Kang To. The people who tried to kill her know she was rescued by Gaksital. Since Kang To didn’t go to work, they might suspect him of being Gaksital so they must deflect that. Baek Gun tells her Kang To made plans with her comrades to save Damsari so they must be told of the latest events. She promises to go meet them before she returns to Asuka Hotel.

Damsari’s comrades are about to leave when Dan comes to meet them. The woman asks her if she’s escaped but she tells them not to worry about her. The woman tells her they met Gaksital and that he will help them rescue Damsari. Dan tells them Gaksital got injured last night saving her. She didn’t realize until now that he was going to save her father. The woman tells her not to worry and tells her comrade they’ll change plans accordingly. She also says they will kill Kang To but she stops them-they definitely can’t do that. “Do you know who Lee Kang To is?” she tells them.

Shunji sits in his office, contemplating strategies when the phone rings. It’s Rie.

“Didn’t you hear I wanted to see you?”

“Didn’t you hear I couldn’t go because I am busy? I’m hanging up!”

And he hangs up the phone without waiting for an answer. [Haha, these two are definitely good together! I so love how he’s always putting her in place!] Rie stews “You won’t come when I call?” and tells Kachiyama to prepare the car.

And so she arrives at the police station but signals Kachiyama to stay outside. Inside, Shunji is giving a briefing for capturing Gaksital. When she comes up, Shunji tells his officer to show her into his office and joins her later while she stews alone in the meanwhile. She moves to slap him when he finally comes but he stops her. Her dad will be here soon to attend Damsari’s execution, she tells him, and there’d better not be any mistakes in capturing Gaksital. Shunji reminds her he said there will be no mistake. She warns “Next time I ask to see you drop everything and come.” He’s like, “I will try”. She’s dumbfounded-he’ll try? asking why he is so brazen. He returns it with a question-why does he have to bow to her – “Because you’re the Chairman’s daughter?” He tells her to keep one thing in mind-the only reason he is with Kishokai is to capture Gaksital. She points out her father is a lot more greedy than that. She’s midsentence when the phone rings-Dan’s back and Shunji tears out of there, leaving Rie stumped-again! Seriously, I could watch these two at it all day!

Dan is at the hotel room and its hilarious the way the three guns are pointed at her. Shunji comes tearing in and orders everyone out. This time, she addresses him, and it’s evident she’s using him for her own means. She tells him how she was almost killed last night by that woman in the nun’s outfit. Shunji points out he heard that Gaksital saved her. She wonders how he knows that-does he know that woman? He deflects her question with his own-didn’t she run off with Gaksital? She jumps at that-no, while Gaksital was fighting that black suited man, she ran away. He asks where she was then, and she said she was praying at the church.

She tells him Lala seems to be staying in the hotel as well and asks him to let her go to Sun Hwa’s house so that she can be safer there. Shunji asks her, “Why does Gaksital always show up around you?”

“I thought that was strange. That maybe he is the young master I knew as a kid but he never showed me his face and leaves after rescuing me without a word so I was probably mistaken.” At that, Shunji moves in for a hug and although she stiffens, she stays still. Gosh, even I can feel her skin crawling at the touch! But good going girl! Shunji tells her he’s glad she came back. “I will protect you from here on.” Whoever it is, he won’t let them hurt her. She asks again to be let go to Sun Hwa’s house so he takes her there with officers already in place to watch out for her. At Sun Hwa’s, her little brother runs away as soon as he sees Shunji. Shunji asks Sun Hwa if it’s okay to leave Dan here and she agrees. He smiles at Sun Hwa, telling her it’s a favor and in that moment, she seems to remember the old Shunji and mutters, “Don’t worry, teacher” but then realizes her slip and corrects it immediately.

Shunji tells Dan to think of the officers as if they are protecting her, not watching her and that he’ll come again. As he’s leaving, Dan calls out to him, “You said you would stop him from being killed. I can trust those words, right?” He tells her to trust him and leaves. Her smile vanishes once he leaves and expression hardens.

At the cottage, Kang To wakes up. Finding it empty, he hurries to get up, intending to search for Dan but his wounds hurt and he sits there, clutching his arm just as Baek Gun comes back in. Kang To immediately asks about Boon Yi/Dan and Baek Gun tells her she went back to the hotel. “What? You should’ve stopped her!” Baek Gun tells him since Dan disappeared and Kang To didn’t go to work either, Shunji might suspect Kang To of being Gaksital. She went to help him, how could Baek Gun stop her.

But Kang To is also worried about Rie, more so than Shunji. She’s the one who tried to kill Dan and is living in the same hotel. He gets up to go after her but Baek Gun stops him and says Dan already knew that. She went there protecting him; Kang To should respect that. Kang To shares his suspicions that Shunji and Lala are together somehow along with the corrupt judge and Kimura Taro. It holds a high possibility that it is related to the people who betrayed Kang To’s father.

Meanwhile, at Sun Hwa’s place, Sun Hwa prepares a table of food for the guards and sends her brother to call them. And from their mannerisms, it’s certain they’re up to something. So inside the guards go, to enjoy ‘makgeulli’. Dan plans to sneak away while they eat. At the cottage, Kang To is resting when Dan bursts in. He perks up to see her and she asks how he’s feeling.

He asks her if she’s still as Asuka Hotel and she tells him she made Shunji move her to Sun Hwa’s place. He asks her to be careful. She saw it, right? Taro and ‘that woman’ were on the same team and Shunji is definitely part of it. She tells him she met her father’s comrades today and told them he was injured and won’t be able to go to help her father. He’s not happy with that but she persists.

“I would also be happy if Gaksital went to save my father. But if something went wrong, what would her father think, she thought to herself.  If anything bad happens to you while trying to save my father – my father won’t be able to endure it. Because Gaksital must live. Because Gaksital is the light that must shine for the Joseon people who live in darkness. He wouldn’t want that light to go out. You said there were too many people living in agony, that you had so many things to do.”

She asks him not to go to the execution site. “You must not go!” Tears in his eyes, Kang To doesn’t reply and simply hugs her. He’s going to go, isn’t he?

Trouble’s brewing at Sun Hwa’s house because Shunji shows up to find Dan gone. He questions Sun Hwa about her whereabouts but she doesn’t tell. He tries to appeal to her humanity-its because Dan is in danger, there’s someone who wants to kill her! He brought her here because he believed in Sun Hwa. What if something else happened to her? Sun Hwa seems almost bought over and is about to speak when Dan turns up.

Shunji asks where she was and she tells him she went to the church to pray. He argues that he told her the officers weren’t to dog her but to protect her and asks that she take them along the next time. She argues that she can’t pray well with the officers standing outside the door. If he’s so intent on having her watched 24/7, just put her back in a jail cell, she tells him before storing inside. Shunji watches her go. Why do I get the feeling he knows there might be something suspicious in his mind?

The next day at the police station, Kang To is still a no show and Koiso mutters he probably just quit work. Shunji briefs the others on how to go about tomorrow’s execution-in particular, controlling the crowd that would be gathered there. He looks at Kang To’s empty seat with a scowl. The evil suspicious one, you know!

Sun Hwa tells Dan about the circus being closed and everything that happened with circus master Jo. Just then, Shunji shows up and tells her Kang To has disappeared-he didn’t come to work yesterday and today and asks if she knows where he is. Dan’s face is a perfect mask of her old I-hate-Kang To-self and she’s like, “What do you mean? How would I know where that man is?” Shunji points out Kang To said he loved her so he thought maybe he might have contacted her but Dan denies it and tells him to leave if he’s going to talk nonsense. As she moves to leave, Shunji apologizes to her. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I couldn’t help it. I tried everything I could but I couldn’t help. Tomorrow, Damsari will be executed in the square. It would be better if you don’t come out.” A stunned Dan stands reeling as he leaves.

The Count and Countess have lunch with someone who gives them a bribe to put in a good word for them with the governor general. Meanwhile at the club, the club manager is ready to leave and he says he’s too scared to live in Kyungsung anymore after the police took him to the station once. Tasha and the waiter are sad to see him leave. The count’s son is there as well and he says he’s getting the same thoughts-to leave and jokingly asks Tasha if she wants to leave with him. She’s not too impressed with the joke. “Someone is about to be executed. Figures, how could someone who is hungry and someone whose stomach is full become one?” That retort silences him and she leaves. Although he smiles at it, he is bothered by her words.

Ah, Kishokai returns! At Rie’s lair of evil, the members of Kishokai gather under Chairman Ueno who has finally come around. Rie addresses everyone-tomorrow is Damsari’s execution and with his execution they can end all the rebels’ hopes that rose from the anniversary event. Shunji says that through Damsari’s death-“I will do my best to cut Gaksital’s throat and step on the rebels hope.” Ueno makes a toast to Kishokai and Japan.

Execution day. All preparations go underway and the area is as secure as can be with troops hanging around every nook and corner. Circus Master Jo meanwhile, dons Gaksital’s robes under his outer clothes. Dong Nyeo sees this. His expression is somber, as if heading to certain death. Damsari is brought out from the closet he has been locked into. The man is totally weak and Abe has to help him out. Shunji watches impassively.

Kang To’s gets his wound treated by Baek Gun once more. Tellingly, he is also dressed in white. Damsari is led out onto the field-the lamb ready for slaughter. People watch in the sidelines. Shunji walks behind them, looking around, again and again for a sign of a rescuer.

When Damsari stumbles, Shunji whips him once before the men take him up to the platform where the noose is planted around his neck. Jo watches from the sidelines, tellingly anxious and worried for Damsari. At Sun Hwa’s place, Dan prays. “God! You know my heart. You know what situation this is right now, don’t you? Please save my father. Please protect the comrades and Gaksital who are on their way to rescue my father. You are the only one I have right now! I will entrust those oppressors lives to you.”

She realized he was going to go? Gosh, I love them both even more now! They are truly so perfect together! Meanwhile, Kang To dons his white robes and the mask.

Shunji starts declaring the execution of Damsari, listing down all his crimes. Suddenly, Jo runs forward and calling out to Damsari, removes his upper clothes, revealing the whites he’s wearing-“Comrade Damsari! It’s me! I’ll go with you!” Guards overpower him and start beating him. At that, Dong Nyeo rushes forward, revealing her own white hanbok and chaos reigns as police officers start beating the two up. More citizens rush forward with in white and Shunji watches as soldiers beat them up. It’s a sign of defiance to the Japanese by the people and of solidarity with their own causes. It’s like a statement that even if they can’t save Damsari, they can take his place and offer their own lives to the cause! He gives the order to line them all up and shoots Dong Nyeo in the chest, without even batting an eyelash. All the circus folk rush forward to help carry her away. Jo is knocked out by a blow to the back of his head.

All the citizens in white are eventually rounded up and Shunji gives the order to proceed with the execution. Just as Abe and another officer move to remove the plank from beneath Damsari’s feet, sounds of a scuffle come from above n behind. Damsari perks at that. Everyone turns back to see Gaksital on the rooftop behind. He throws down and rope and then jumps down himself. Umm, may I say, that doesn’t look like Kang To.

In one stroke, he rushes to Damsari, knocks out the officers there and cuts the hanging rope. As he runs away then, Shunji fires at him, hitting him in the leg. Ah, he’s carrying a sword. This is definitely not Kang To! Gaksital still limps forward, even as a hundred or so (I didn’t count, hehe) guns are pointing at him. Shunji rushes forward down the platform.

The man turns back to Shunji who is holding a gun to him and yes, it’s not Kang To but one of the comrades. Shunji shoots the comrade in the chest and everyone recoils but the comrade remains standing. He undoes his cloak and reveals bombs strapped to his chest.

[And my favorite music comes] As everyone watches, he lights the wire! Shunji stands there, watching stunned. An explosion rings out and everyone recoils back. The nearest officers are caught in the fire. And it’s total chaos.

Comments:

My first thought at the explosion-did Shunji jump back by himself again like before? Hehe, can’t help it, the actor is too good I love to hate him here! I don’t think its spoilery but we can all rest assured since that wasn’t Kang To who appeared as Gaksital and blew up the place. The Gaksital who appeared was Damsari’s comrade who was with the woman.

Finally Dan knows the truth! Her ‘Young Master’ Lee Young and Lee Kang To are the same person. I loved the scene in the forest where she realizes it’s truly him and cries with his head in her lap, remembering all the times she’d mistaken him for. It’s so poignant, so charged and so romantic even though Gaksital is injured and bleeding-it’s the point where the two actually face each other and how awesome that there was no need for words between them. To me, that was the best part! Since she was confronted with the truth that Kang To was the Young Master, her initial reaction was disbelief and horror-how could the young boy she liked and was always waiting for turn out to be the monster she hates? However, from that moment on to the moment she’s saved by Gaksital, she’s had plenty of time to think through the matter, even more so when she sits alone in the forest and prays for his safety. At that time, the thought must have passed through her mind a hundred times-Lee Kang To is Gaksital! Lee Kang To is Gaksital?

So by the time he shows up, when she does see his face, she’s shocked that it’s actually true but it passes quickly since she’s had time to get used to the idea and takes it in stride. Focusing on the way she saw him before, she remembers all the times he actually helped her but she misunderstood his intentions since she saw him as Lee Kang To-the ruthless and coldblooded Japanese Police Officer. And I thought her crying meant she was opening herself to the fact that there’s probably more to people than meets the eye-not everything is black n white. What she thought wasn’t right and if she’d continued that way; she’d probably have only turned things even worse for Kang To/Gaksital. And all the while, he was helping her, redeeming himself for his old actions and all the while, loving her.

And I love the way she tricks Shunji and gets him to buy her story. By returning, she took one step but by asking Shunji for protection, it’s like appealing to his vanity-the puppy side that wants her to depend on him and she uses it to her perfect advantage. After all, the way Shunji sees it, Dan is passionate about Gaksital, thinking its her Young Master but her returning to him shows it probably really isn’t her young master because the Dan he knows wouldn’t have left the man. Ah, it’s so satisfying to see Dan play the cards now!

Shunji. My favorite character, 2^nd to Kang To, though! 😛 I liked that even though he’d given up suspicion that Kang To was Gaksital, he’s still suspicious enough, and of course, smart enough to think there has to be a connection between Kang To and Dan that he’s unaware of. It’s telling that he may have been bought over with the evidence when it was presented before-hell, he still believes Kang To is not on the same side as Damsari BUT that doesn’t mean he won’t suspect there’s more to it all than meets the eye!

And I love that he’s not cowered over by Rie or the whole Kishokai deal. His one and only concern, like before, is Dan. Even the fact that his own father’s greed stands for Kishokai doesn’t sway him. He doesn’t care for anything except Dan and Gaksital. And as is usual with him, his relentless pursuit for Gaksital isn’t because of Kenji’s death-it’s because of Dan. He creeps me out in his evil mode and it was worst when he told Dan to believe in him when she asks if he’ll truly help her father.

Shunji has really gone and changed a long way-from the man who stopped his friend once, saying,“If you also die, how am I going to live?” he’s totally lost all compassion and feelings-not just for Kang To but overall. He’s not above using people for his own means and deceiving them to his own gain-Circus master Jo, Sun Hwa, Gye Soon. I’ll bet he won’t bat an eyelash shooting Gaksital even if he knew it was Kang To. To him, there’s no turning back at all!

I like Jo’s actions. He’s not totally a coward but he’s not too strong either and he regrets his betrayal to his own comrades. This is true to any and every revolution. Not everyone has nerves of steel and can withstand everything. He’s like the man who’s not quite the traitor at heart but he’s not the man who can be the hero either. Yet he does the only thing he can to show his solidarity to his beliefs and his cause-donning the white and disrupting the execution.

Kang To-it’s the first time he’s voiced his thoughts as Kang To/Gaksital to any person. I said this before too, that I love the childhood love story for the two because with kang To’s character, it makes perfect sense. The cold, calculating and ruthless Lee Kang To of the Japanese police was not someone who would have fallen in love with Oh Mok Dan-a Joseon girl and a rather frequent damsel in distress. To him, it was all about family and that was the reason he became who he was. But meeting Mok Dan again, the girl he liked when he was his former self brings back all the feelings and his conscience that he had buried. Because of her, he faced the person he had become and because it was her, he made the effort to change.

She was a reminder of who he once used to be and how he once used to feel. Now, she is the only person in the world who can understand him-both the old Lee Young and the new Lee Kang To, from compassionate and loving to cold and calculating. She is the person he can share his burdens with and because of whom, he now has a reason to live as well. True, he dons the mask to help the people and repent for his wrongdoings while setting things right but after all is done, at the end of the day he’d have still been alone. With Dan there, he no longer has to face that prospect.

And his words-that he doesn’t think he can take off the mask are just epic and show how much Kang To/Gaksital are no longer separate characters! For him, it may have started as revenge but with time, like hyung, he has started to see the people and their suffering that he had long ignored. While he was once the person who would beat up his own countrymen for the Japanese, he has grown out of that stiff shell and takes on the task of helping the people as an inevitable cause. The way he reacted instantly when witnessing the officers beating up the old man in the market shows his self truly is Joseon, like Damsari pointed out. Beneath all, he’s still a Joseon person and can no longer see his people suffering so much.

With Ueno in town now, we can expect the story to move further in the ‘Kishokai’ angle and the stakes to be raised even higher. Am I the only one who was thankful to God Kachiyama was nowhere to be seen during the execution. Kang To is so not ready to face him just yet! And with Ueno calling the shots so close to home now, we can expect things to go up ten notches. Kang To needs to adapt and learn more to get past Kachiyama’s level of skill if he’s to come out of this whole fight without a scratch, and alive!