How can I describe this Korean drama? Vincenzo is a show was unlike any other K-drama I watched. It had a combination of almost every possible genre in film, but all in one show. It was a lot of action, a bit of mystery, there were zombies and comedy, and all tied together with romance and greed. This TV series is not for the Not for the faint hearted and there’s some scenes that’ll make you cringe. There’s a fair share of bloodshed and gun shootings. But, in one word…this show was ‘WOW.’
Vincenzo is a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer with a troubled background. We discover that he holds a grudge against his mom because she left him to be cared for by a rich Italian family. We find out later in the show why, but I’m not going to spoil that for you. During a visit to Korea, Vincenzo returns to his original hometown seeking gold that is hidden underneath a plaza that is home to tenants that eventually end up helping him with his mission to bring down an illegal company, Babel. Vincenzo gives an unrivaled conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice. He eventually becomes friends with the tenants in the building, who end up also helping him retrieve the gold hidden underneath.
I’ve watched Song Joong-ki, who played Vincenzo, in Descendants of the Sun, and wasn’t super impressed with his acting. But after watching him play the bad guy, I have a whole new appreciation for his acting talents. I typically turn away from shows that are that gory, but the plot was so well developed and I was quite impressed with how things played out and interconnected. Everything from the character development twists to the secret identities combined with humour. Even the ending was all connected so brilliantly.
Admittedly, I didn’t enjoy the first three episodes and actually stopped watching it for a few weeks. But, like most things in my life, when I start something, I have to finish it. I eventually continued watching the series and was pleasantly surprised at how much better the show became after episode five. I think the turnoff for me, at first, were the actors. Apart from Song Joong-ki, almost all the characters were a bit too eccentric for me to watch. Plus, some of the violence at the beginning was a bit crude and absurd. Though, as the story developed and intensified, it became a show where you wanted to watch the next episode to find out what happens next.
If you’re comfortable with watching violent show with many story twists, then this one is perfect for you. The part I liked most about the story was not the fact that a “bad guy” became the hero for good, but the fact that they kept reminding the viewers that crime doesn’t pay when you hurt the innocent and that all actions have consequences. This, although glorified, is an important take home message, because even Vincenzo (who’ve done a lot of bad things in the past) pays a price too for his actions.
9/10