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dangermousie
I know I keep saying this every week, but these were the best episodes yet.
One of the things I love is how, even before the big reveal of the end of ep 16, Damsari slowly begins to see that Kang To may have good in him, may be partially on their side. One can't be a successful leader of a rebel movement without being a good judge of character and you can see that the difference in KT is eliciting a difference in Damsari who, it was clear, prior this stint in jail, thought of KT as a sort of soulless Japanese machine, a lost cause who is best off dead.
Shunji dwelling on the possibility that KT is Gaksital and remembering all things Gaksital had done. I'd feel sorry for him, if I was capable of any feeling but disgust towards him.
Yup, here he goes, rolling his eyes at Leader Jo, the man he mercilessly tortured, smiling while threatening death to the entire circus troupe, then offering antibiotics to the man. He is so much more effective and scary than Kenji ever was, not just because he's smarter (Kenji thought in straightforward lines, Shunji thinks in squiggles) but because Kenji was just a bad person. Shunji is psychotic and you cannot predict the actions of someone not entirely sane.
Noooo! Shunji sees KT nooooo!
This scene kills me because Kang To is opening up to Leader Jo (he seems to open up more and more as the drama goes on, as if all the pressure must be released somehow), about how he knows he is damned, how he wants to protect Mok Dan from his brother's fate, etc but it is all a trap. In the world of Gaksital, it's safer to be soulless. You see Leader Jo feel bad - what damns Shunji is he turned someone into a traitor by using his best instincts against him. Die.
I love these clandestine meetings. And yay, he's committed to helping Damsari in his fight - he is not a loner hero any more, not as much, YAY! Kang To has no one, and he needs people to love and trust and be loved and trusted by.
I love that slowly, KT is transforming from someone guilt-bound to righting wrongs because they are wrong (he almost jumped out of the car as himself!). And the smiiiiile!
I love h/c a lot but this arm worries me - it still hasn't healed and self-healing in bathrooms is not the best way to treat it - what if it gives it away. Especially when hottie samurai notices the bleeding...
Every interaction between KT and Shunji in this ep freaks me out because KT is unknowingly walking into a trap and that trap is set up by a sadistic madman...
Leave Damsari alone! By far the creepiest thing about this scene is not the whipping, but Shunji's insane smile paired with those cold eyes.
Kang To tries to save Mok Dan but, of course, she misunderstands and runs away harder. OMFG. This OTP, it kills me.
Remember what I said about traps, Kang To! You know, even if in some part Shunji is threatening horrible tortures against Mok Dan as part of his trap, he is so unstable, a large part of him does mean every terrible word he says.
I love that Rie and Shunji's plans collided. Heh. Also, I finally understand why Kishokai is secret. They want to be the power behind the throne which the Emperor won't take kindly to. Also, moving the capital would never happen.
Kang To makes his mind (not as if it wasn't made up already) after eyeing all the implements of torture MD may be subjected to.
Fuuuuuuck! 'Nice to meet you...gaksital!' And Kang To telling part of the truth that he is here to protect Mok Dan, because he loves her and that is not against the law. OMFG - you can see Mok Dan's whole world (and Shunji's) rocked by that. I especially love it because now MD knows, I don't think she'll love him but it opens the door to the future revelation that KT is Gaksital. Thing I love most? Kang To snarling at Goiso that he will walk out on his own feet and such is his command that Goiso steps aside until Shunji calls him to heel.
And then Goiso and his goons administer a brutal beatdown (while calling him a Joseon bastard - in this world you can never escape your racial heritage, drawing your battle lines for you. If you are Korean, you are second class in this new world, no matter your loyalty and status - see also a later scene at the club). And Shunji watches through the blinds, drinking it in, which is the creepiest part of it all. As I said earlier, just go to a BDSM club instead of torturing people you are in love (for want of a batter word to describe your creepy attraction) with.
Did you notice that Rie shots are often off-kilter?
Mok Dan decides it's impossible Kang To is gaksital. OK, girl, let's think. Kang To loves you. Gaksital loves you. Both have the same build, height, chin, mouth, hands. Either you are surprisingly popular with men who look alike or...gasp...Kang To is gaksital.
Shunji pretends he had no idea Kang To got beaten up. You sicken me, go away!
My favorite scene of the episodes - Kang To is beaten to a pulp, chained up, powerless, but still having the upper hand due to his talent for mind games and knowledge of Shunji - what he tells Shunji works so well because it is the truth (or mostly so - he didn't just want Mok Dan alive after he shot her to catch Gaksital), it's just not the whole truth. It also works because a lot of it reflects what Shunji feels - love for a girl you tortured, obsession with catching Gaksital. And omfg the crying, Joo Won, you are amazing.
I love that Shunji is shaken and to him, it is evidence of how far he's traveled into insanity - he thinks 'how could you think KT was Gaksital?' Ah, the irony, because that is the truth.
I loved that Leader Jo made no excuses and just waited for his execution. And I love that the Rebel Lady didn't carry it out. Yay! I love Leader Jo!
Shunji throws KT's knowledge of 'Boon Yi' at Kang To and I love how KT laughs in his face that he chased DSR for years, of course he knows his daughter's childhood name (looked at it soberly, that is really lame evidence). He can pwn Shunji all beaten and with no cards because his personality is this strong.
Guess who gets released.
These scenes kill me.
His touching MD is not the creepiest thing - the creepiest thing is asking her whether it hurts anywhere. And when he tells her he doesn't want to torture her and her father - really, you could have fooled me. And when he asks her 'can't you save me?' I want to punch the screen - it is not all about you and your psychic pain for ordering her torture, it's about her. Plus, let's face it, you are beyond saving - I really think Shunji always had this darkness, this psychosis in him and he was a little aware of it and stayed away from the police only to get dragged in anyway.
Yeah, Shunji and Kang To's friendship is over, regardless of Gaksital status - you don't torture someone and expect them to remain BFFs. I love that Kang To throws into Shunji's face the latter's pledge to protect Mok Dan. And then he says: 'Withdraw, from now on, I am going to protect her.' OMFG, balls of steel, Kang To!
He brings her to see her father. His face! Her face! Damsari's face!
Kang To doesn't betray that Shunji is the one who had him beaten but it's not for Shunji's sake, it's to end all the inquiries.
Father-daughter scene made me sniffle.
Great, time for the 'torture Mok Dan to get info from Damsari' scene. She is threatened with a box of nails. And Kang To can't do anything (or Shunji) because Konno is there. See, your plans run away with you...
He gives her carte blanche, if only she knew, to betray himself...Throughout this whole scene, the look on Kang To's face kills me. But all she asks Kang To is to cover her father's eyes (and this means she is beginning to see him as a fellow human - she never would have even given an inch before). And she walks towards the box of nails herself. You can see Kang To not just love her but admire her nerve and conviction even as he is torn apart - Joo Won is amazing in this scene, all expressed through his eyes (though the effect of box of nails = certain death, that everyone seems to take, is somewhat undercut by the fact that Leader Jo is now wondering about, post box-of-nails, very not dead).
I am 100% sure Kang To would have never let her go in, though that would mean betraying himself, but luckily Konno stops her as it turns out to be a bluff on his part. Thank God. Kimura would have stuck her there without a second thought. (Shunji too, possibly, because he loses his marbles when he's in charge).
Ohhhhh....
Yay! Shunji plans to publicly execute Damsari to draw rebels out. What happened to your 'I don't want to torture your daddy' comment to Mok Dan?
Luckily, Kang To knows.
Damsari tells Mok Dan to go to Kang To for help and tells her about Kang To crying. EEEE!
And then KT is there, to quickly quickly transport Damsari to jail before Shunji gets his hands on him and he tells Mok Dan 'I am going to help your father escape." She HAS to wonder now. I love how in these eps he is doing more and more things without his gaksital shield.
Shunji, you realize Konno is going to kill you for disobeying his orders, right?
Rescue happens and OMFG, Kang To shoots one of his own soldiers when he's about to take out a rebel and OMFG DAMSARI'S FACE AS HE REALIZES KANG TO IS NO TRAITOR BUT IS ON THEIR SIDE (and he may have even figured KT is Gaksital seeing that Shunji was saying there was a freedom fighter among the cops during earlier interrogation). OMFG.
Noooooo! How are they going to get out of this one?
I apologize for the amount of caps but Joo Won has the most amazing face and I got carried away.
Now off to get to all the comments...
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 03:25 pm (UTC)THESE EPISODES ARE A BLAST! seriously,..everything is just so carried out so perfectly.
and here i totally agree with you about Shunji being so creepy..i loved the past him but thinking about him being a school teacher and how he is right now its a 180 degree turn!
whenever he smiles now, it makes me think that he's planning something evil..he's going crazy -_-
and wow, both Kang To and Shunji sure are smart but of course Shunji can't beat Kang To~ Shunji even wavered for a while there..i think if Shunji completely turns into a monster maybe only Kang To might be able to stop him..even a little pull..
Kang To declaring his love for Mok Dan on the first few scene of episode 16 made me feel so happy! way to go Kang To!!! now, that memory of you confessing your love will keep on flashing in Mok Dan's mind! lol and well, this time its for sure that these two who used to be best friends are now completely enemies.
i also love the part when Rie and Mok Dan had their fighting scenes though its a bit awkward i dunno why..but woah Mok Dan's bravery cannot be beaten by Rie as we can see with that box of nail part, even Konno seems to be scared of what she's gonna do.
Konno is really less evil than Kimura lolalso, when Dam Sa Ri looked at Kang To when he shot one of the policeman..oh how i loved that look!! sigh, please don't die yet Dam Sa Ri! i think Kang To sees him as a fatherly figure >.< Kang To needs more love and i hope Mok Dan can start to realize who Kang To really is and also see him in another light! o/
AHHH!! please atleast let us have one episode next week! the last scene in episode 16 is really a cliffhanger!!!!! :( i wonder what's gonna happen!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 05:26 pm (UTC)Yes, I am so excited hot rebel daddy knows KT is on the side of the angels. I really hope he doesn't die - MD would never forgive KT but also KT needs someone on his side as a family figure (the assistant is OK but they don't have emotional connection).
Yeah, MD is not much of a fighter (not surprising - circus girl v. Kishokai trained operative) but compensates for it with her bravery and heart.
I am sure MD will keep thinking about the love confession. I so want her to figure out KT is gaksital...
Shunji is terrifiying. I think KT can keep him in check, barely, but I think he's too far gone to be redeemed.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 05:03 am (UTC)hahaha hot rebel daddy
he really does look hoti agree, if Dam Sa Ri dies MD will hate KT even more ;__; and their romance wouldn't go anywhere lol.yeah, >.< well, Rie is a spy after all but she's wavering when it comes to Kang To unlike MD
me tooo!! maybe after 2 epi. she'll get to know about KT being gaksital~
well..he's too evil so yes ..:( that's just sad
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 04:51 pm (UTC)"Mok Dan decides it's impossible Kang To is gaksital. OK, girl, let's think. Kang To loves you. Gaksital loves you. Both have the same build, height, chin, mouth, hands. Either you are surprisingly popular with men who look alike or...gasp...Kang To is gaksital. " ROFL!!!
I am scared that I will go as psychotic as Shunji if Joo Won does not win the Best Actor Award for this role.
and in case you haven't seen this, here's a recent BTS where our 2 charming leads look very cute together.
Warning-spoiler at 2:58 to 3:08
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 05:28 pm (UTC)I love our gal Mok Dan but there is no denying she is a little thick. Not as bad as Lois Lane, but still...
Joo Won deserves every award in the kdrama world but who knows - remember when Kim Su Hyun won over everyone because Moon/Sun had insane ratings? You never know.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 09:07 pm (UTC)i can go back here anytime if there's no broadcast next week LOL.
looking at the screen caps make me realize some metaphors:
1. Kang To on the stairs while Mokdan is taken to shunji's office + blinds between them-clear cut indication on how superior KT is in terms of his strength to reverse/counterattact shunji's plans . blinds indicates how unclear yet for Mokdan about Kang To's intention towards her and to Joseon people as a whole.
2. there in the torture room, Kang To is wearing the uniform and not his civilian clothes. It gives more emphasis on his status quo in the eyes of everyone .
ahh.im scrolling up and down :DD
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 09:57 pm (UTC)I'm the same. Each new episode ups the tension and completely floors me. That's the mark of a great drama^^
Ok. So they showed Kang To doctoring his nasty wound that still hasn't healed. I hope that little scene wasn't solely for the benefit of Hot Samouraï Bodyguard ( who is probably hopelessly in love with Rie ) and that Mok Dan will get to see it and connect the dots (maybe at the end of episode 17 or 18 so that'll be a nice cliffhanger for us).
You can see Kang To not just love her but admire her nerve and conviction even as he is torn apart
That's what I thought as well when I watched that scene. We're lucky that Joo Won is playing Kang To. He's such a good actor that it made everything even more powerful. How great is it that our hero not only loves his heroine but also admires the hell out of her? And I agree with you: it's certain he would have stopped her from entering the cage. His breaking point was him using the whip on her on Shunji's orders a few episodes back. He'll do whatever it takes to save her, regarless of the consequences for him.
And speaking of doing whatever it takes... the confrontation between him and Shunji in the interrogation room is one of the best scenes I've ever seen in a drama. And what makes me admire Kang To even more is that even when he had his back to the wall at the end of episode 15, he did the only thing he could have done to save himself and Mok Dan: going to the restaurant as himself and deflecting Shunji's suspicions by admitting his love. He really pwned Shunji during their little chat. That was some brilliant manipulation on his part. And boy, even I felt kind of stupid when he explained how he very well could have known the name 'Boon Yi'. It never occured to me. And the way he scoffed at Shunji's reasoning was just perfection.
I'm crossing fingers that Dam Sa Ri won't be killed off next week. That would put Kang To back to square one with Mok Dan and deprive him of the father figure he sorely needs. I'm also crossing fingers that he won't be captured again. Seeing him in chains and back in the torture chamber would seem too much like a repeat of the last 2 episodes. I hope he'll be able to escape but things aren't looking good. Shunji's got a lot of men with him plus he seems to have finally gotten the hang of firing guns (can't believe he actually managed to shoot someone at last).
Kang To is probably off the hook for at least one or two episodes. His actions will be interpreted as him using Dam Sa Ri as a shield and unwillingly handing him over when he's the last one standing. But it's going to be harder and harder for him to stay in the police and continue his stint as the Gaksital. He deflected suspicions for now but it would take very little for him to be in trouble again.
Do you think Shunji will end up getting fired? Konno won't be pleased at the mess that just happened and Shunji's track record isn't so good. And speaking of Shunji... I really liked the creepy scene between him and Mok Dan in his office. He's such a nutjob. Like Kang To said, I think he's still in love with her. He was dying to touch her and crush her to his chest. As if Kang To's confession brought back all the longing he felt for her to the fore. Only he's so messed up that in the heat of the moment he could totally forget all that and torture her. He'd be the type to severely injure or even kill the woman he loves and be completely devastated afterwards. Whereas Kang To would rather kill himself than harm a single hair on her head (and is probably torturing himself to death about all he did to her in the past).
Still no news about what will happen next week. I hope KBS will make an annoucement soon, I hate not knowing. I'd survive a break of one or two weeks by watching 1Night2Days (I'm getting slowly hopelessly addicted to it) and the director's cut of The Moon that Embraces the Sun that I got in the mail yesterday.^^
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 10:20 pm (UTC)That is what is so frightening to me about Shunji- he is not entirely sane and steeped in violence - as you put it, "he's so messed up that in the heat of the moment he could totally forget all that and torture her. He'd be the type to severely injure or even kill the woman he loves and be completely devastated afterwards" - that is textbook abusive relationship. That is why Kang To, even at his worst, was miles better than Shunji is now - even when he was hunting for Gaksital, you knew Mok Dan was safe with him as soon as he knew who she was. He was still human, Shunji no longer is.
LOLOL at Shunji finally hitting something with his gun. Miracles do happen, apparently!
I agree, now that he was suspected once, it's going to be harder and harder for KT to lead his duel existence.
I am not sure how Damsari will get out of this one but I sincerely hope he won't die because Mok Dan will go back to hating KT and I like how these eps changed her perception of him. Maybe they'll manage to escape supposedly taking KT as hostage and then they will see the sword cut and connect the dots?
I agree, samurai is in love with Rie. She should go for him, she is never getting KT anyway.
Joo Won is amazing in his role - that whole scene with Mok Dan and the box was almost without any dialogue on his part but you could tell exactly what he is feeling, every feeling in the complicated cocktail. I love how unswerving Mok Dan is. She makes for her lack of physical prowess by her spine of titanium.
I love how smart KT is - in that confrontation, Shunji held all the cards and KT still won. I love it when he outthinks the bad guys.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 10:54 pm (UTC)Oh... I like your Kang To as hostage scenario. It would be hard to pull off (unless some kind of back-up arrives pronto) but would open so many possibilities.
But Mok Dan is still at the police station. We need Kang To back there asap so that she test her father's theory re-help. She managed to escape once in ep 7 but Kang To was kind of helping with his first appearance as Gaksital and nutjob Shunji wasn't Captain yet. It'll be way harder to get away this time.
I have a thing for hot bodyguards nursing a secret love for the lady they're protecting. I spent half of Hwang Jin Yi wishing the male lead to hell to make room for the bodyguard^^
I don't think Katsuyama will finish this drama alive. He'll probably sacrifice himself to save Rie (or be killed by Psycho Directo Ueno).
Joo Won also nailed it as TaeHee in Ojakgyo. TaeHee was quiet and introverted and Joo Won made him come alive with his body language and the amazing way he has of acting with his eyes alone.
I hope he gets an award for his performance in Bridal Mask. He deserves it.
Yeah, Mok Dan is awesome. I don't understand why a lot of people find her weak and too much of a damsel in distress. Every time she can save herself, she does. And when there's no way out, she's ready to stay true to her convictions and ideals. She's not superwoman, she can't win against an empire. She does the best she can. I actually like her even more than City Hunter's Kim Na Na.
Unrelated but a dreadful thought just occured to me. What if the writers pull a Mawang? ie having the hero killed by a secondary character bent on revenge. That hot-headed Joseon kid (the one that hit Kang To on the head and set fire to his house) makes me nervous. He totally fits the profile. He'd think he'd be doing the world a favor by getting rid of Kang To. K-dramas love that kind of traginc ending.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 11:00 pm (UTC)Seriously, I've been worrying about it for eps.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 06:10 am (UTC)I mean, all the signs are there. Why would they have given the character so much screentime if he wasnt to play a bigger role later? He's the one that has seen Kang To's worst side.
I'm crossing fingers that the whack on the head was as far as the character was supposed to go but it's not looking good for us.
If that's the way the drama is supposed to end, I hope we can pull another Princess' Man --> everyone begs for Kang To to survive and they change the ending. It worked for Seung Yoo. Or at the very least, I don't want him to die in that absurd, tragic way. : (
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 03:32 pm (UTC)There's this sentence that Gaksital always uses that goes something like this: even if it takes a while, all the sins you've committed will have to be paid one day.
Kang To's sins: his previius treatment of the Joseon people and being the one who killed his brother.
So, yeah....
I don't necessarily want him to ride off into the sunset but I think that spending the rest of his life helping the Joseon people would be a better way to make up for what he did than having him killed like that. ( btw, why do Asian dramas love offing their heroes so much? It makes watching some dramas very harrowing. )
But considering that the Japanese didn't leave Korea until the end of WWII and the drama takes place in 1932, I can't see Kang To pulling his Gaksital stint for 13 years.
So I'd be fine (somewhat) with him dying. I just don't want him to be killed by that annoying kid.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 03:37 pm (UTC)Yeah, that kid is way annoying.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 04:03 pm (UTC)I don't like it when one half of a drama couple is left behind.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 11:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 03:03 pm (UTC)Yes, Joo Won is very expressive. I loved OB.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-21 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 03:00 pm (UTC)