Currently Watching: Vagabond

Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller, Romance

Hello hello! Have you seen this drama floating around and started it? Or maybe you were interested but are waiting for it to finish? Well, before it finishes airing, here are some reasons why I think you'll be hooked from the start! 

At this point, I've only seen two episodes and this article aims to be spoiler-free!

The first episode

Tags: Spy, Corruption, Undercover Agent, Plane Crash, Revenge, Morocco, Death Of A Child

I saw this drama topping the currently airing list and wanted to see what drew so many people in. The cover told me it was action and “stuntman” popped out to me in the blurb, so I gave it a go. There were tears and heartbreak and I don’t regret a single second. So I’m putting these tags as a spoiler for the brave of heart. 

If, like me, you just watch the first episode without seeing a trailer or reading any information about it . . . You’ll feel every twist and turn. It was painful but it was so worth it. I only realised afterwards that it had a romance tag in some places and not in others. So I can confidently say I was in as soon as I read “stuntman”. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, at the time of writing this article, so I was that impressed!

He takes his nephew with him to his auditions and tries to assure him he's okay even with blood dripping down his face. His awkwardness is honestly great and I forgot what type of drama it was going to be. Ouch, my heart.

The main leads 

Cha Dal Gon played by Lee Seung Gi. I like the contrast between his dorky self and his honed stuntman shots. I mean, these action sequences are great! Put him with a friend though and you wouldn't pick him as looking slick.

Go Hae Ri, played by Bae Suzy. She also has her contrast between cool, confident and dangerous to . . . a bit silly or normal, but still cool, confident and dangerous in another way perhaps. I'll have to stay tuned to find out more about her character!

Being the start, how many more roles are they going to take? The first episode with our main guy showed already how adaptable he is. Father-figure/best uncle, yes. Stuntman, yes. Normal guy, yes. Random sniper first scene, yes. Wait, it's a flash-forward. That's why I think there's more to come for his character. I like what I've seen so far although I don't feel that sniper shot fit. My heart hurts to think what he has to go through to get to that as an option, however. . .

The action scenes!

There are so many action scenes! I thought the sequences were really good. It makes sense that someone coming after you knows what's going on. And there's definitely more going on than there should be. The action scenes flow so well into the story. I never imagined that a stuntman could actually pull off so much, plot-wise and action-wise and everything that comes with it. Your heart will pound and you're sure to be as immersed in the scene as I am! 

The cinematography

While all the action and revenge and plots are working their way in, I stop sometimes at just how well crafted the scenes are. It hits perfectly to an emotion, a red-herring or otherwise. The lighting and shadows stand out so well. I'm also quite a fan of how each character is portrayed. Everything with Jessica (played by Moon Jung Hee)  has such a different vibe. Same with Cha Dal Gon. Also with Go Hae Ri, especially when she's with her friend. It really shows how you can be in the same place and yet be worlds apart.

The mystery and revenge

How gripping all these story-lines are. I feel like crying so much at so many different things! This show is definitely reconfirming that if you're going to go with a concept, you should do it well. It picks a few key areas and targets them well. It's enough for any loophole or something that doesn't quite add-up because you can see the length of time that's gone into carrying out this plan. So even if a character does something that you wouldn't expect or you'd think they'd know better, you are reminded that they're young enough to have been influenced earlier. That's how far-reaching this plan is. And oh how I want the truth to be revealed to the world, in this. On everything and everyone. It brought me in hook, line and sinker. 

I just want a happy ending

Look at them smiling. After all these tears and all this corruption, it feels like a small but very important hope. What's your main reason for watching? Were you unexpectedly devastated because of a particular moment that you didn't see coming or were you not expecting to be as emotionally-invested? I like the balance of adding in small happy moments and am interested to see what they do with characters that are just trying to do good. Or, even if it's just to do their job properly. Is that so much to ask? So far, this drama has blown me away and is quite different from my usual drama addiction. I'll definitely be checking these actors out in their other dramas when I finish this one! 

What are your thoughts on this drama so far?

Thanks for reading!