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Kimura Shunji (in Japanese: 木村俊二) is the primary antagonist in 2012 Korean live action series Bridal Mask. He is Lee Kang-To's best friend. He is a Japanese born into a prominent samurai family, but chooses to defy his father and becomes a music teacher for Korean children. His first love is Mok-Dan, whom he knew as Esther. Due to certain circumstances, Shunji later swears to kill Bridal Mask with his own hands, turning him into the main antagonist.
His father, Kimura Taro inducts him into joining the Kishokai, replacing his older brother, Kimura Kenji later he found Kang-to was Bridal Mask who follow his brother Kang-san's footsteps who later killed his father after he accidentally shot Mok-dan dead at a wedding with Kang-to which caused Shunji to become guilty and met Kang-to for the last time before he killed himself.
He was portrayed by Park Ki-woong.
History[]
Childhood[]
Shunji was born as second son of the Kimura family who once ruled Korea as powerful samurai warriors long ago. His father Kimura Taro is responsible for the murder of a nobleman named Lee In who is the father of Lee Kang-to. His mother died when he and his brother Kenji were very young and taken care of by a Korean nanny whom Shunji consented as a grandmother. One day, Shunji sees a young Korean girl named Dam Boonyi who is also called Esther, dressed as a nun who pray to God for the safety of her father Dam Mok. Dam Sa Ri who was a freedom fighter and Lee Kang who gave a knife to her after the death of her mother.
When his nanny got ill, Shunji sold his father's sword for money and got beaten by his father as punishment for an important family relic. He last saw Boonyi in a hospital before she left to join the circus. During his teenage years, he met a Korean named Lee Kang-to who needed money to support his family when his brother Kang San was a victim of torture by the Japanese government and Shunji gave him food. They became best friends and practiced kendo together.
As Teacher[]
Against his father and brother's wishes, Shunji become a music teacher to Korean children while Kang-to became an arrogant and ruthless police officer in need of finding and/or capturing Bridal Mask who was working with brother Kenji who was a cruel and cold-blooded man. Shunji met Boonyi again as Mok Dan in the forest when Shunji finds Dan's knife. Shunji found out Kang-to was framed as Bridal Mask by Kenji he begged him to stop but Kenji pointed a gun towards him. At the police station, Shunji met Kang-to's brother Kang-san who was waiting to see Kang-to is okay but unknown to Shunji and Kang-to. Kang-san was the first Bridal Mask who avenges his people's suffering and keep this a secret from Kang-to. Shunji sees Mok-dan who was wounded and takes her to his house for safety. Mok-dan ask him why a Japanese man raised in a samurai family wanted to become a teacher to Korean children, Kang-to almost discovered Mok-dan at a closet and left Shunji helping her to get dressed with Kimono protecting her from his brother Kenji and his father Taro Kimura. Kang-to return and mistaken her for slept with Shunji. Kenji kills Kang-to's mother and Kang-san was killed by own brother who discovered the truth about his brother's secret.
After Kang-to's death, Kang-to return as the second Bridal Mask with rage and kills Kenji with a strong punch for his mother's death in front of Shunji and tried fighting him before Kang-to escaped.
He found Kang-to standing silently as people blamed him for being a traitor and lost his family, Shunji stopped and ride his bike as they wept and counsel each other for the loss of their brothers.
As Police officer[]
Shunji become a police officer after his brother's death and his students become scared of him while Kang-to lead a double life as the second Bridal Mask and figured for achance to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Mok-dan. His father Taro urged him to join Kishokai. Kang-to become helpess to see his friend tortured along with innocent Korean people that were hurt, and fights with him as Bridal Mask. While Kang-to revealed to Mok-dan and joined a Korean group of dissidents called the Independence. Shunji become furious and angry, and he tortured thousands of Koreans as part of his obsession of capturing Bridal Mask grew and taunted Uedo Rie (who in love with Kang-to) who was the adopted daughter of the Kishokai leader about his heritage, Rie teamed up with him for to lure Bridal Mask but failed for a few times. Kang-to sees Shunji as a different man who obbessed with capuring the Bridal Mask and after his brother's death, even his students become afraid of him.
Shujni tried to win Mok-dan's heart a few times and tortured people whom she love include a rival who is a spy of Japanese government and tortured Mok-dan in front of Kang-to about Bridal Mask's whereabouts and seeing her protected by Bridal Mask caused him to insane and angry. His plan to lured Bridal Mask as trap.
At first Shunji was shocked to see Kang-to as Bridal Mask after his bodyguard defeated him at the police station, Kang-to admit to Shunji that Kang-san is the first Bridal Mask and he admitted he killed Kenji as the second bridal mask to him and starts to torment him with absolute rage before Mok-dan and the Independence fighters came to rescue Kang-to. After his father's death by Kang-to, Shunji and his soldiers tracked down Kang-to who married Mok-dan on their wedding day and shot Mok-dan who protected Kang-to instead of shooting him.
Death[]
Driven by Mok-dan's death, Shunji becomes guilty for being responsible for her death. He looked at the wedding pictures of Mok Dan and Kang-to and called Uedo Rie to say goodbye after Rie was saved by Kang-to from Khoisaki, she returned to her Korean heritage as Chae Hong-joo. Kang-to came to see Shunji who asked him to drink tea with him after he ask Hong-joo escaped. Kang-to comforted Shunji about his crimes and people, he tortured and killed include Mokdan and men whose families were in agony, they look each other in the eyes to say goodbye as Kang-to leaves, Shunji raised his gun onto his head and shoot himself in front of the nanny and Kang-to, Shunji drop his last tear as he died in the arms of his nanny whose granddaughter was taken as a sex slave by Japanese forces.
Personality[]
Shunji was a kind-hearted and genuine man who love Korean children and Mok-dan, but after seeing Kenji's death by Kang-to, Shunji thinks if he'd become a monster, he did as the monster who become a police officer and his obsessed love for Mok-dan as well as his vengeful desire for Kang-to's death grew. He tortured many people with sadistic pleasure.
Trivia[]
- Both Shunji and Kang-to had followed different footsteps for their brothers. Kang-to become the second Bridal Mask and Shunji become a cold-blooded police officer.
- Despite Shunji and his family were Japanese, the actors who portrayed them including Park Ki-woong, were Koreans.
- Shunji in English means "devine", "God" (or "god"), "goodness", "truth", "unconditional love", "gift", "free will", "ideal", "whole", and "endless".