"Mask" is a 2015 Korean drama written by Choi Ho-Chul and directed by Boo Sung-Chul. The cast contains long time actors and actresses, Soo Ae, Ju ji-Hoon, Yeon jung-hoon, and Yoo In-young. The drama lasted for 20 episodes having its highest viewership rating during the middle and end of the drama.
A woman is high up to her knees in debt and its affecting her family as well. One day she's given a chance to pose as a woman that has the same face as her but she's from a rich background. The girl is hesitant as first but soon agrees. She then takes this woman place as the wife to a man who is to become the owner of his father's company. Little does she know that she has just stepped into a world full of deceit and revenge. Can she continue to wear the mask or will it be ripped off?
The plot for "Mask" engages you from the moment you view episode one. It wants to pull you in so you keep watching. Some other K-dramas take a long time to get anywhere. Then the plot will stall just so it can make it through 20 or 16 episodes. "Mask" isn't trying to do that to it's audience. Instead, it fires warning shots right from the beginning, that your about to enter an emotional rollercoaster ride. If you can't handle it than there are plenty of other watered down dramas to watch. Each episode is filled with addictive story telling that does something productive with the way it feeds the story to you piece by piece. mysteries are also placed in just so things don't get too focused on one aspect of the drama. Of course, romance makes an appearance since this is a Korean drama but its not a love that tries to baby the viewer into false pretenses. This is real life and when you form a relationship with another person, none will be perfect. We all have our flaws that can either be corrected as you share your time with that special other or the relationship will more than likely fall apart. I felt like each episode had a clear beginning and end. Writers knew how to end an episode at the precise moment so it didn't seem too cheesy, just a smooth cliffhanger. Watching this drama felt more like a treat than a chore because it makes want to know what happens next. The drama also knows how to use different elements of storytelling to keep you interested other than the same old K-drama formula of a poor girl meets a rich guy and they fall in love.
Shots are like most other Korean dramas. I noticed that Korean drama created for cable television and regular television in Korea look different. Dramas for cable TV look more smooth like a film while dramas for TV look grainy like a reality show. "Mask" would be far in-between. Its not that the drama looks cheap but it doesn't look like a produced for cable drama. We can say its a step up from most though. The scenes look like they just create the setting for where the character's are at certain times in the drama. A few stunts are performed for high actions scenes... yes. "Mask" is that kind of drama. A lot happens and I found myself gasping for air while watching everything unfold. The camera man seemed like he was running a lot to keep up with the action. I loved that ever episode had its own title that gave you a little hint about the content of each episode.
Soo Ae once again plays a character that tries to become higher up in the social hierarchy but it feels like she has no control over which way things will go this time around. She was amazing in Queen of Ambition a few years ago so I figured that this character would be a similar role. I couldn't have been more wrong. This character is forced into this circumstances even though she wants the money but hates all the lies that come with that money. In Queen of Ambition, her character was greedy for power. You can't help but feel sorry for her. Jung-hoon's character plays the man who pulls the strings to get her into pretending to be another person for his own reasons. He's coldhearted and will do anything to get what he wants. the scenes of them together are jaw dropping because it seemed like he would hard Soo Ae's character at any moment. He brings a scary excitement to the drama in many ways. Ji-Hoon is the company heir who is to marry the woman that looks identical to Soo Ae's character. This man suffers from a horrible experience that happened in his past. The experience also cased him to have many mental issues. He's just not mentally stable. Ju Ji-hoon must be the king of playing strange characters. As far as I can remember, he's always been good at acting out characters who had a screw lose in the head. I'm actually a fan of most of the projects he's been involved in and I watched this drama to see Soo Ae and him act together. In-Young plays the sister to Ji-hoon's character and she is married to Jung Hoon's character. Some major tension is there between her, her husband, and her family. She got this chip on her shoulder that causes her to be a witch to everyone. Think that character who has no filter to what comes out of her mouth. Those glares could make a person drop dead too if looks killed. All the actors and actresses had fantastic chemistry with one another no matter what emotion or what situation. Soo Ae's and Ji-hoon portrayal of a loving couple under awful circumstances was great to watch. There seems no way that a love such as theirs would blossom from the disfunction that is an arranged marriage. An aspect of a women becoming stronger than her male counterpart interjects its way into the drama also. Our leading man had times thats he just broke down and his wife was there to protect him. You will root for them then cry for them as Jung-Hoon's character tries to tear them apart. Murder was even an option since love wasn't in the plan originally.
The only con about this drama is that you will get so emotionally invested that its draining. I found that I wanted to hit someone every time a conflict came up in this drama.(Poor couple never got a break.) Some of the characters are so easy to hate while you feel bad for others. When you decide to watch "Mask" buckle your seatbelt tight because once this drama starts, its an emotional adrenaline filled ride to till it's conclusion.
thanks for reading!!!!!
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