[News] Joo Won takes the lead in 'Bridal Mask'.

[News] Joo Won takes the lead in 'Bridal Mask'.
Cr. - dramabeans

Joo Won (Ojakkyo Brothers) has signed on to take the lead in 'Gaksital', or 'Bridal Mask', an upcoming KBS drama based on the 70s manhwa by Heo Young-man. So this is why he dropped the second lead in Moon That Embraces the Sun. Guess you can’t blame a guy for wanting to play a hero.

Gaksital is a famous manhwa set in the 1930s, during the Japanese occupation. The hero, Lee Kang-to, is known as ‘Gaksital’ because he wears a mask to hide his face — one of those traditional play masks, specifically the rosy-cheeked one reserved for the female role, aka the bride. He’s an unassuming young man in real life, but when he dons his superhero mask, he fights injustice and rights wrongs during one of the darkest periods of Korea’s history. The manhwa itself, written in 1974, is described as astoundingly contemporary, and deals with a myriad of social issues, still praised for its nationalistic stance.

The 10-billion won project is planning to be a huge action-adventure blockbuster, and if they manage to pull it off with style, it could very well be this year’s City Hunter. Joo Won’s got some serious charisma as an action hero, and with two ratings hits already under his belt, it looks like he’s going for the kill with his third. I just hope they don’t take this whole mask thing too literally, because WHY WOULD YOU COVER UP THE PRETTY? Writing is Yoo Hyun-mi of My Happy Home and Green Rose, and directing is PD Yoon Sung-shik, of thriller masterpiece Story of a Man.

Bridal Mask plans for a May premiere on KBS. Um… is it May yet?