so hilarious and a ship of titanic proportions
As I listen to the English ver. of "Adrenaline" I am reminded of the two, no, three main threads of this show. I went in pretty much blind (which I usually do anyway), but, it is a K-drama, so a certain cherished element was proposed, strengthened, and finalized to a dual satisfaction and void. Now - it is done, and just like with My Mister (with its rewatch almost complete) and Twenty-Five Twenty-One, there is quite simply, no more episodes left (crying like Mr. Nam under the table), and my time with this iconic duo of a cold, brutal Mafia corn salad and a hotshot lawyer with an attitude is at an end... The other two threads are the fact that this show for the majority of its run is a comedy/heist/overture in performance theater shenanigans. I'm not sure if both Hamlet and Hector would be proud, or neither, as the two brothers would be - for this show is replete, schlock full of Hectors, a cast that with its communal and gag-driven tenacity reminds me most nearly of the town cast of Gintama. Most, if not all, of the cast besides Vincenzo has a primarily comedic role (in terms of how they were enjoyed on-screen). The third wave is action, and because Vincenzo not only knows how to completely manipulate his opponents, the corrupt bureaucracy of the Korean justice system, but also dominates the hand-to-hand combat scene. As such I'd pit Vincenzo's time in Korea with three genres, two main genres, for only the third really kept me going personally. But I still much enjoyed most of the gimmicks - the Vincenzo fanboy's jumping into the hallway and into Vincenzo's arms, "hwaitak", all of Vincenzo's own acts. The action would only have been better had Hockey Boy, Chief Hector, been good at fighting/doing anything himself. The Chairman Hector is probably my favorite character after Hong Cha-young, who I fell in love with in watching her with Vincenzo. I think what this series does most prominently, in bringing together two genres that really shouldn't go together - the kind of humor you see in Korean C-tier movies, but elevated to the television form, and Mafia political action thriller - is doing just that, bringing an Italian consigliere to the Korean lawyer scene where the first courtroom drama is theater and Italian music perpetuates the first episode and Italian comes out of the perfect mouth of Vincenzo Cassano. Going as far as they did against Babel to the very end was fantastic, and the constant emphasis by Vincenzo himself that he is not a good guy but someone with a Mafia background bringing his own evil against a big law firm and a big corporation. This sort of premise can only be done in Korea - with its own brand of humor, utilizing the influences from Italian Mafia tropes in the West, honor system, and their #1 skill, human relationships. It continues to appear to me that K-drama can't go wrong here, and I look forward to kicking my suit jacket back and heading on to the next one.¿Te ha parecido útil esta reseña?
This review may contain spoilers
Overhyped? I suggest misunderstood.
Okay, a lot of people I have seen in the reviews are mostly like "Unpopular opinion, but I think this was trash" "The comedy was too corny" "Wasted potential" "The story made no sense" etc. Well Im here to smooth out and iron some misconceptions that these people have had watching the show and make them appreciate just how well executed the show was.DISCLAIMER: I usually have a rule where I won't ever re watch a show/series since personally I don't get to enjoy the journey of watching it like I did the first time, especially since I know how X scene and X cliffhanger will resolve, hence I have rewatch at a 1.
SPOILERS AHEAD! PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE SERIES YET, I HIGHLY RECCOMEND YOU GIVE THE SHOW A GO AT LEAST THE FIRST 2-3 EPS AND SEE IF YOU STILL WANNA CONTINUE.
Ok, so in episode 1 we see Vincenzo introduced as this mafia big shot who is trying to tie end a deal with a man in italy and since refusing and ultimately screwing with the cassano family he decides to burn down the whole vine yard. Already we learn early on that vincenzo not only has connections to make grand scale actions upon enemies and people who oppose him and the mafia family, but that vincenzo is a monster who isn't afraid to do the dirty work to get a desired result one way or another. This sets the tone of what to expect from vincenzo throughout the series as a very organized threat to anyone on his wrong side.
A big complaint people had was the story and its transitions and progression, people look at it from face value yet failed to realize how the simplistic approach makes this show brilliant, let me explain.
The motivation for vincenzo is simple, come to korea and live in the plaza to secure the gold and the file to screw all the evil monsters that roam free. Episode 1 to episode 20 this goal remains consistent, however his approach to reach this goal changes overtime as he is forced to meet and be involved more in the lives of the people in the plaza as well as cha young who slowly overtime develops feelings for, showing true character progression as the story evolves. He went from a stone cold mafia consigliere who wanted to go in and get out to get a job done, to developing deep intense feelings for young who he goes through many ups and downs throughout the series as they work together to bring down the ultimate corruptness that is Jang and his company. However its the little things that make the story very intriguing when paying attention and following along with it. For example, seeing character development between vincenzo and the pigeon, in face value seems a little silly, in concept is very powerful. We see vincenzo learn to rather embrace what he has rather than what he deals with, he learns to accept the bird as apart of his life and embraces them as apart of his development becoming closer to those around him. At the same time we see vincenzo truely start feeling connected to the bird is around the same time when we see vincenzo also develop a close connection to those in the plaza and feel like he belongs with the rest of the residence. Yes the whole revenge sequence is a little repetitive and cheesy (good guy screws bad guy, bad guy gets revenge and screws good guy, good guy gets revenge and screws bad guy etc) but in the way it develops from being very simple acts of revenge like little scandals in court vincenzo and cha young execute to buy time in court to intense abductions and murders upon those close to cha young and vincenzo shows a dynamic shift in the desparation in our villian role of Jang to topple over them foiling their plans of ultimate wealth and influence of power. We go from Jang wanting to keep Vincenzo alive for longer since "killing him will feel the most satisfying once hes the last one left" to "omg just kill the bastard at all cost idc how you do it" shows how much more desperate the situation gets for our villian act which ultimately makes us as the audience feel ever so much more satisfied when the climax finally hits an all time high and vincenzo is able to get the job done on Myung Hee and Jang giving them intense ways to die off. Even the subtle yet brilliant touch of vincenzo taking the watch of Jang, to "mock" and "symbolize" Jang's habit to take the watch of those he has killed off, as if to say the predator is finally being prayed on.
There was also a comment made by one person mentioning how it didn't make sense that (quote), "The show depicts the characters to abide by a certain set of principles and suddenly those same characters renege on those same ideals. A small example if you will: Hong Cha-Yong was introduced to be greedy and with somewhat loose morals, yet she drew a hard line on violence. The moment she meets Vincenzo, violence is now suddenly justified in her eyes." [review quote by Goldsofa].
So let me clear this up because it makes it very clear in the show if you pay attention as to why she has this transition on perspective. The moment she meets vincenzo her morals and understandings remain the same. At the time her goal was to prove to her own father in court that the company was not involved in any illegal and "shady activity" and the turning point for her was when her own company went out and killed off her own father as an attempt to cover their own skin. As she ends up taking over the case of her passing father and "change sides" it is then she decides to work with vincenzo as a "legal advice" since vincenzo was closing working with her father prior to his death and hence has information to share with cha young. When she realises just how much of a powerful influence the company has over certain sectors of the law in mix with her slowly learning the true corruptness of the minds behind it all she then decides over time with the skill set of vincenzo who seemed liked someone who is more then a meer italian lawyer, she realizes as she mentions this later on in the series, when dealing with a monster whos above the law, the only way to beat that monster, is with a bigger monster, a "greater evil" if you will, despite this going against her morals and values from the start. If she can reach her goal by punishing those corrupting the law and abusing it to their benefit and breaking it when no ones looking then the method to reach it no longer concerns her. REMEMBER THOUGH: She strictly didn't want vincenzo to kill, that was her big thing. However again its with further development learning about how truly powerful the enemy is and this being more than just meering punishing wrong doings, she then decides to let vincenzo do what he does best, as its not a matter or just locking some people up for x amount of time, but to rather stop the root of evil to its core completely by literally killing the influences of the whole scheme. So to answer the above quote, no, violence wasn't just suddenly justified in her eyes, she had to learn through the hard way of seeing the evilness itself through all their wrong doing and actions that it was the only realistic way to stop what had been in motion for quite some time.
"the whole essence of vincenzo being a mafia is USELESS" Quote review comment by Zhystel
To say "vincenzo is a regular guy from italy with a gun" is just about the most stupid thing you could have ever say, you really wasted 2-3 mins of you life typing about how he isn't a mafia or smart and that the other characters are just stupid is nonsence. We legitimately see from the first few episodes how he comes across and you have to remember in the first half of the show no one knows or is meant to know he is apart of an italian mafia, so he has to act the part of being "one of them" despite his 5 figure suit he wears proudly which would of been more money then the plaza residence might have seen ever in their lifetime. Even then, we see how he differs from the regular person with his persona and attitude toward certain social interaction, whilst trying to give off the impression hes just some random korean from italy who has some deeper pockets. Despite vincenzo being trained as a killer we get reminded throughout the show he too is just human, he feels pain and gets upset/flustered when things don't go his way. But when he is organized and prepped on what to do in certain scenarios he is very clever and witty. We learn throughout the show that vincenzo does not like it when he has to be spontaneous and put on the spot, hence he can sometimes come off as clueless in certain scenes when hes taken off guard, just like any other normal being. Vincenzo as the whole essence of him being a mafia is useless is just such a silly statement, as its the whole driving force of the show from start to finish, otherwise it would of been just a comedy romance drama about some Italian trying to fit into the korean lifestyle.
There's a lot more to discuss here but I'll leave it at that for those were the main ongoing themes of peoples complaints for the most part. I personally thought the show was fantastic, not 10/10 as there were a few downsides in the show admittivity, comedy at times felt a little too try hard to be funny rather than natural or realistic and acting at times from mpst characters came across as a little dry or over emphasized without the intended effect of the scene as a whole.
Great show!
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This review may contain spoilers
NOT FOR EVERYONE -- BUT, MY TYPE OF MAFIA DRAMA WHERE THE "RIGHT" VILLAIN WINS
Why did I not watch Vincenzo earlier?! I usually do not write reviews, but I HAD to for one of the best Korean dramas I have EVER seen! I will say if you do not like mafia-related movies or shows, THEN THIS IS NOT FOR YOU! Because Vincenzo Cassano gets down to business... he is with ALL THE SMOKE!STORY: Vincenzo Cassano is an Italian consigliere who comes to South Korea only to retrieve bars of gold hidden beneath a temple. As he is trying to figure out a way to take the gold without anyone knowing, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory when he assists good-natured lawyers Yoo Chan and his daughter Cha Young in obtaining justice against a corrupt company.
ACTING: It needs to be known that Soong Jong ki is my favorite Korean actor. So, I expected nothing but the best from him and I got above and beyond that in his role as Vincenzo Cassano. It is probably his best and my favorite role by him! Yes... even over Reborn Rich. I love a good mafia man in a show/movie so I am not sure he can top this one, but we shall see! I have never seen Jeon Yeo Been in anything before, but I loved everything she brought to the table. What a hilarious queen! His partnership with Cha Young was so hilarious yet deadly and they have so much chemistry even though this is not really a romance. Also, I love the ragtag family team who always helps + supports him no matter what.
As for my 2PM bias TaecYeon, I had to keep reminding myself I absolutely love him because this charismatic yet psychotic role he played was played TOO brilliantly. He is really a great actor! I will definitely be watching all his dramas. I love when a K-Idol can act. Also, a shoutout to Kwak Dong Yeon's role as Han Seo. I need him to finally play a role where his character is finally happy though!
MUSIC: Is this one of the best OSTs out there? No, but the soundtrack highlighted all the romantic, dramatic and intense parts of this story!
REWATCH: I could honestly re-watch it now. It is that amazing!
OVERALL: I love how this show keeps me on my toes. It can be a thriller or comedy with some romantic aspects. While this does have that comedy tag and believe me it is hilarious, especially with the ragtag team BEWARE of the CRIME tag because when Vincenzo starts his mafia works, it is no joke. So, this show is not for the faint of heart because there are some very INTENSE + DARK moments in this drama. I thought I was watching an American version of blood & gore for a moment. I am not complaining though because of the way justice was served... It was Perfezione! I mean this is a story about how the "right" villain wins!
Is there such a thing as the "right" villain? Who knows? But, I am in my villain era so I ate every single bit of this drama up!
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a cliché like mafia show
(no spoilers)i have seen a lot of people saying that the show wasn't for them and that they couldn't enjoy it.
i am not gonna do a long review of the show, but i am just going to say that you shouldn't judge it by the reviews and it is definitely wort giving a watch.
to be honest the story wasn't special or anything since it's a typical story about a mafia consigliere and the murders he commits and why he is commiting them. so in general nothing extraordinary.
but the main characters plus the side characters were such a comfort for me, since vincenzo has one of the best casts i have seen recently.
the music was very impressive plus memorable and always fitting each scene.
i found myself being suprised many times even though it was predictable what was going to happen next.
so give it a watch and decide for yourself if it is worth your time!
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This review may contain spoilers
When Serious Meets Hilarious
I really enjoyed watching this drama.Vincenzo, a Korean lawyer who worked for Fabio, one of largest mafia in Italy. Fabio treated him as his own son and his most trusting right hand.
When Fabio passed away, his biological son took over and tried to get rid of Vincenzo.
Then Vincenzo flew back to his hometown Korea, for a mission of his own.
In Korea, he met with a descent lawyer/public defendant Yu-Chan, and found out that YuChan been taking care of Vincenzo's mom over the years. They "friendship" grew as YuChan treated him as family. They fight together againts Wusang Lawfirm and Babel Corp along the way.
YuChan was murdered because of he knew Babel Corp's secret, which made his daughter, ChaYoung who were working at Wusang, changed her side and join Vincenzo to take down Babel Corp n Wusang Lawfirm.
Some people might think this drama is cheesy or whatever, but actually it has deep moral story in it. It's a combination between comedy, action, romance, humanity and family value.
It is really ENTERTAINING.
Plus, salute to Soong Joong-ki and TaecYeon who play reaaallly well in this drama. Love them!!
Again, i enjoyed watching this drama.
The actors and actresses did a good job and deserve appreciation.
I recommend you to watch this for fun. It's really refreshing.
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My FAVORITE Kdrama!
I watched this drama a year ago out of pure boredom and because I had nothing else to watch. I was scared it would be another overhyped drama, so I didn't have high expectations. I almost dropped it after episode 2 because it was dragging a bit. I am glad I continued watching because, after Episode 4, every episode was AMAZING.I never rewatch dramas because I already know what happens, so it will never feel like the first time watching. However, I just finished rewatching this drama, and it feels just as exhilarating as the first.
Song Joong Ki did Vincenzo justice, and I fell for him after watching this. I love this plot and its twists, the acting, the cast, the romance, the humor, the OST, the action, and the suspense so much. I love anti-hero concepts the most of all, which is why I enjoyed both of SKJ's works (Vincenzo and Reborn Rich) so much.
I have a feeling I will be rewatching again next year because all of the genres I enjoy are poured into this drama. I am currently facing drama withdrawal symptoms, and I simply cannot move onto another series.
PLEASE give this drama a watch, I swear it is so so good!!!
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DIFERENTE E INOVADOR
O mistério da história vai crescendo aos poucos, e dessa forma o que era apenas um processo pequeno se torna o olho do furação de algo muito maior. Mortes começam a ocorrer de forma muito clara, para apagar rastros, tornando o caminho dos protagonistas e envolvidos cada vez mais perigoso.Os secundários da história acabam se tornando aliados fiéis, o que nos envolve. O plot da história eu realmente não esperava, quem diria que você pode amar alguém na história e depois sentir calafrios com a forma cruel com que ela aparece depois. Há momentos engraçados e descontraídos, e a química dos protagonistas como parceiros é muito boa.
Por que 3 estrelas então? A história não me emocionou, o casal principal (por mais que não era para ser um casal, mas no final foi por insistência nossa hahaha) deveria ter ficado mais tempo em cena, quando o Vincenzo finalmente soltou o lado mafioso dele que foi de encher os olhos a série acaba, senti uma leve curva no meio da história que causou certo cansaço ao assistir, e ao meu ver a história demorou um pouco para engrenar, se eu não insistisse teria parado e acho que nunca teria assistidos dorama, pois foi meu primeiro dorama.
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It's ok if you can't understand a masterpiece
The Outstanding production quality of Vincenzo💯This K-Drama contains episodes which usually last as long as an Indie movie, and I suppose that is the case with most of the K-Dramas that come out. But Vincenzo knows how to utilize the entirety of its long runtime for its advantage. Even when it lowers its pace, it compensates for it with its breathtaking cinematography and character moments which are worthy of the attention that is being given to them. It has a fantastic score and soundtrack which it doesn’t shy away from using. And while repeated usage of the same score tends to become a bit monotonous, it hardly takes away from the epic twist or reveal of the sequence. The characters and their performances bring together a cohesive amalgam of heartwarming and humorous scenes.
The members of the Geumga Plaza are each different in their own funny little ways and as we go on, we learn more about their hidden talents and their quirks keep enhancing. The chemistry between Vincenzo and Hong Cha-Young, which transcends from being partners to being each other’s love interests, is extremely cheesy at times and definitely what the show is trying to go for. It yearns for those awe-inspiring moments, but the action, thrill and violence of the show elevate the mature themes up a notch. When we see Vincenzo, he is not a protagonist. He is a feared Mafia outlaw who has killed his share of men, so that makes him an Anti-Hero. But his moral code is specific and he only punishes those who have done wrong to him or to others. Babel, whereas, is a different story all together. It is the classic evil conglomerate which can buy anything and anyone it sets its eyes to, and its true owner is hidden amidst a fog of deception and silent ruthlessness.
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Vincenzo was 20 hours of pure, unadulterated entertainment with characters we enjoyed watching and the titillation of bloody revenge and the hint of romance. VINCENZO himself was a Mafioso from beginning to end: someone who cared only about his family and who, once that was taken away, built a new one to protect. This was a Korean mafia tale, a Chaebol Godfather, where there is no good or evil. There's just your side and my side and no limits to protecting what's yours.
However, the show isn't perfect and had two major flaws that need mentions. The first is that it has one episode that is unbelievably homophobic to the point that I nearly dropped it over it. This has to be mentioned - episode 8 is a gross mess of offensive stereotypes and gay shock jokes. In fact, you could just skip it completely. Secondly, there's a whole conversation to have here as to whether the show degenerated into glorifying violence for the sake of violence - and in my opinion it did . But the writers never stood back from telling us who VINCENZO was. A Mafioso fighting a Mafia war that happened to be set in Korea.
And in terms of sweeping grandeur and consistent eye for detail down to the most minor of characters, it was a fantastic and enjoyable ride that I personally loved.
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This review may contain spoilers
I came out feeling somewhat satisfied.
After watching the trailer and teasers, I was very excited. I get a mafia/legal crime drama with not only Song Joongki (SJK) but there is also Ok Taeckyeon (OTY) [SIGN ME UP!!!] You kind of get what your expecting but then some curve balls are thrown in. The story overall was somewhat predictable but still holds your interest. Some of the plot twists just come out of left field and it is glorious. There is a lot more comedic relief than one (one meaning I) would have expected. A lot of the characters have complex backgrounds and developments which is really nice. Netflix has a record for only giving few characters depth and I am glad more of them were incorporated . Acting was good overall. I know times that its not always the acting is bad but its the way the characters are written and directed. If there were cases of bad acting then it was the production/writing time this time. I have seen the main leads acting before , so I can tell the difference. When the comedy parts come in , the secondary characters/actors steal the show.The music was good. I liked it more than I thought I would. Now that I am trying to remember any of the songs that were played , I can't really do it. Some songs were really good but sadly not really rememberable .
Overall, Vincenzo was a good watch and I don't have any regrets watching it. That being said, I have several problems with the show. Some could be just because tropes or flaws of the written characters. I for one like the violence (fight scenes, torture, etc.) especially if it was JK and TY. It is a "watch only once "type of drama. I may watch the last episode again if there is a another season just to refresh but not otherwise.
Things I didn't like (possible spoilers not sure):
(1)What I didn't like was the need to make the main leads into a couple (love interests). I would have like a platonic relationship between the two. They didn't have a couple chemistry but they did work well with each other. The writers wrote in several ...and I mean SEVERAL cases of bisexuality but used them for comedic humor. I would have made sense if Vincenzo was written as a bisexual character. And if not bisexual, maybe bi-curious at the least. The only verified lgbtq+ representation was in the "closest" and an serial assaulter. Yeah, that's a no for me.
(2) Some of the comedic relief scenes where just plain dumb and over kill.
(3) For me, the female lead was so annoying closer to the middle. The character had so much potential but they decided to make her a cliché. How do you start out so annoying yet badass to just plain annoying. I saw development in her but it was an overnight flip of the switch type of development. One to were it hits you how quick her selective moral change. They tried to make her intimating but that fell through because she was used for too much of the comedic relief before hand. She was going to be one of my fave characters but they ruined it.
(4) Why did the fact that Vincenzo being in the mafia become a public thing. there were scene where they would openly talk about him being in the mafia in public places (stores, bars, restaurants, the damn street). FOR WHY!!!!?
(5) There is one more thing but I can't explain why it irritates me without giving more spoilers. So I'll stop here.
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From the drama's kickoff, you become attracted to the original premise, the fast paced plot and the sleek execution. An Italian mafia family's consigliere of Korean origin heads back to Korea to retrieve a vault full of gold.
The first few episodes while a little slow paced served well to introduce the characters and pave the ground for the story, and during that phase the comedy was just to the right level and served its purpose, to show the sudden shift in the hero's life and the jarring difference between his background in Italy and what he finds himself thrown into in Korea. I was laughing with tears at vincenzo's demise upon arriving at Korea, and enjoyed the comedic relief in the simple interactions with the side characters and even simple moments like our mighty hero begging a pigeon to shut up so that he can go to sleep, only to have the pigeon raid his bedroom.
The start of the drama was craftly done to show the gap between our hero's true identity and past, and how his move to a different environment surrounded with simple common people affected his demeanour, state of mind and even somehow his priorities. The more he dived deeper into the lives and struggles of the simple plaza tenants, the more he drifted a little further from his dark mafia background, though eventually he relied on his mafia expertise but this time for nobler causes.
As I said, earlier on in the show the comedy served a purpose and was to a degree well-balanced, giving the right amount at the right time. For example, I was LOLing at the scenes where the undercover NIS agent with a Mafia-mania spying on Vincenzo always seemed to see things from an angle that made him mistake vicenzo for an angel in disguise, a mafia with a huge soul and a good conscience.
But the more the drama progressed, the more I guess the writers wanted to stay true to their forte or something, and slapstick comedy started to hit in huge doses. I have no problem with mixing comedy with other genres however serious and heavy they might be, but the right formula depends on the type, amount and timing of the said comedy. In Vincenzo's case, the comedy scenes were sometimes so sudden and ridiculous they kind of felt like a hit in the face especially if they came right after a tragic and intense scene, it left me sometimes with an urge to rub my eyes in disbelief. Comedic relief is one thing, but it should never be so sudden and so slapstick that it totally takes you out of the mood of the drama and pulls you away from the story. (Side mention, the excessive PPL as usual was extra distractive. ugh!!!!)
Putting the comedy aside, like any thriller the main plot relies on a series of confrontations, of attacks and counterattacks. The antagonists plot a scheme, and the protagonist hits back. This format is expected, but unfortunately in vincenzo's case it eventually caused a certain sense of repititiveness. The more the plot progressed, and the more complicated and elaborate the attacks became, the more it relied on unexpected twists and fake cliffhangers, where it essentially became a loope of "the bad guys plot against vincenzo > a cliffhanger shows vincenzo in a pinch > flashbacks in the first few minutes of the following episode show that vincenzo was informed or expected the bad guy's plot and was well prepared and that the whole thing was a ruse and he comes out without bearing even one scratch". While the first few times it felt cool and smart, the more such gotcha moments increased the more it started to feel annoying, repetitive and strangely and ironically predictive. Having our all-mighty anti-hero always conquering and ending up having the upper hand does feel good, but having it happen in that manner most of the time could end up dampening the suspence and killing the thrill, as if the writers start a huge fire only to dump water on it after mere seconds before it even reached a point of being thrilling. You're left watching not worried whether or not he will come out fine, but rather wondering what he has up his sleeves this time.
The acting overall takes a 7, a special shoutout goes to Taecyon for his marvelous performance, hands down the strongest out of all the cast. SJK as usual gave a very solid performance, though at times a little monotone, which I think was mostly due to the writing than anything. The FL's performance was my least favourite among the the main cast (more on that later), first drama for her and I am no fan.
In terms of characters;
First, Vincenzo was a very well written anti-hero and SJK was perfect in the role. He was charismatic, cunning, smart, mysterious and strong-willed, The perfect villain to fight off villains, though to be honest I would have preferred it if the writers had toned down his invincibility level a bit, he doesn't have to lose the fight, but at least show him with a more serious injury than a little scratch every once and a while you know. the background story of his birth and upbringing while very brief, still helped flesh out his character and give it more depth. In terms of character development, under layers and layers of endless charisma and coollness, SJK was able to portray the slighest hints of change of heart nothing major to call development though, and eventually the drama stuck to the point and chose no major redemption, which personally I found more convincing and believable.
The FL on the other hand I had mixed emotions concerning her. I started off hating her and not because of how intially she was ambivalent to justice and rude to her father, but simply because her whole personna felt obnoxious and her nonchalant attitude was sometimes over the top and annoying. The actress' comedy portrayal felt somewhat theatrical and ridiculous, she was supposed to be a smart, strong and competent lawyer, but she sometimes came out as naïve, noisy and spoilt brat. There were moments early in the drama where I genuinely doubted if the actress was doing an impersonation of Jun Ji Hyun in Legend of the Blue Sea, that'show much comical her acting was, she felt like a mermaid out of sea 😅. I did eventually manage to come around and accept her only to start questioning her principles in aiding vincenzo's agenda wholeheartedly the way she did, no matter how brutal and lawless it became.
But unfortunately one impression that never changed when it came to the main leads.... was the lack of chemistry between them. I never truely felt a spark between the two of them, but it might just be me, cause he acted so cool and composed all the time, and she was so over the top with her reactions and expressions, that I felt he surely must be annoyed by her as much as I am (LOL), also I never bought the fact he developed romantic feelings for her, it felt kind of forced. And although It is always a downer not to feel enough chemistry to be rooting for an OTP, but thank God this is not a rom-com and romance was never the center plot here. The first kiss scene was pretty good though I gotta admit :)
The side characters (Geumga Plaza tenants) were mostly endearing and I was especially grateful that the writer chose not to delve too much deep and give each of them an episode with a detailed story like other dramas choose to do. Above all they served as a catalyst to Vincenzo's purpose in staying in Korea, helped give him a certain sense of beloging and taught him the meaning of trust, and later became sorta his secret sidekicks, which might have been fun at first but later I found was a bit of a stretch and overdone on the writers side, like others pointed out here in the reviews, having all these people with hidden fighting abilities somehow gathered under one roof by chance was too farfetched!!
Last but not least, the villains (since the show had its fair share of those, 80% of the characters were evil for God's sake) some of them were portrayed too evil and too much lacking a conscience to a degree that was hard to swallow, but they still somehow came out believable, and thankfully they never felt as incompetent like in other shows, which was a great feat considering vincenzo was literraly undefeated all the time lol.
Though personally I would have preferred a bit of an origin story for lawyer Choi, other than being a weird ajumma who dances zumba in public, since imo she was the most worthy adversary to vincenzo. And considering the fact that the drama already had its share of bornt-psychopath main villain, not being provided with any background knowledge of what turned lawyer choi to the path of evil (to a murderous degree at that) made it feel like we had two murderous psychopaths that just happened to cross paths and join hands.
The OST (mostly instrumental) had a bunch of cool tracks, and some were very well utilized to enhance the comedy scenes.
Vincenzo was a drama loaded with originality in terms of premise, interesting characters, and an overall thrilling vibe. although it suffered from minor issues with the plot, the pace and the balance of the comedy, I still have to admit I appreciated its originality and high end production, and overall enjoyed watching it, flaws and all.
I apologise for the lengthy review.
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