Okay before starting this show I had mixed feelings about it but as the story progressed with each episode I was hooked to this show.
The best part it's not just typical Korean Drama; it has all the right elements Story, Cast, Plot, Action, Music.. EVERYTHING is so ON POINT.
Lee Sueng Gi as Dal-Geon and Suzy as Hae-Ri are awesome and I'm in love with them after this show. A phenomenal job done by every actor of this show. With a good amount of humor at the right time and place. Action sequences and cinematography was so top notch that it kept me in a nail biting position throughout.
I really hope we get more shows like this in the future because it just increased the standards much higher.
Lastly, the way they wrapped things up IS SO GOOD everything just fell in place. I'm impressed and so satisfied with the way things ended and I really hope they make Season 2 of this show. WE NEED IT!
P.S The song 'Open Fire' has to be my favorite.
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This review may contain spoilers
Okay so I saw this coming but I wanted to believe otherwise. Edward park is a conniving bastard and I hope he gets what he deserves, excuse my French. This was one of the best drama I've watched in a while. I went on a drama hiatus a few weeks ago because I have finals coming up soon and I needed to focus on those instead of dramas so I haven't watched any in a while but I had to break that hiatus because of Vagabond. First of all Lee Seung Gi played Cha Dal-gun like a champ, I was captivated by that character on the first episode. I knew that stubbornness was going to bring him to places and I was right. Lee Seung gi is generally an amazing actor but I think this was hands down one of his best role, it was played amazingly. The drama in general was well written, well produced, the scenes captivating and heart arresting especially episode 12, that was hands down the best episode of the entire drama, they did such an amazing job with that episode. Now I knew eventually those conniving a-holes would turn my Cha Dal-gun into a spycho and I was right. I loved it tho. He became such a badass yo and I think the only person who really understood what Chal was made of was the president when he said "I don't think you'll be struck dead even by lighting." My mans is undefeatable and won't go six feet under until he kicks they asses to hell and back. Lowkey looking forward to the second season. As for Edward I knew that evil son of a gun was too helpful, I saw it coming a mile away, especially with Micky but I was living in denial, I really hope Chal ends up kicking his butt to hell like he did with Jerome. I cant' wait to see what's coming but I'm still protesting that ending because it was utter bull.
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You may watch this k-drama movie as well and i suggest you to pay your attention from the beginning until the end. Actually, you can predict the next episode if you really have your understanding in each scene (who is the actor, what are they talking about, how is the reaction, etc). Even you can predict who is the real culprit on this case before the episode shows you about Samael.
What i get in this k-drama: sadness, anger, hatred, grudge, emotion, lovable. They got me into sadness even in the 1st and 2nd episode for the citizens, meanwhile anger for business and government politic. Anger, hatred and grudge in next episodes that talking about power and money as the king of life. Emotion and lovable until the end of episode that has shown by Cha Dal Geon, Go Hae-Ri, Ki Tae Woong, and the rest of people that still has justice in their heart.
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Best show i've ever watched
This is a very underrated show. This is the best show i've ever watched. It is fully action packed, and there's plot twists regularly to keep the show interesting. There's some romance too.The show is about Cha Dal Geon wanting revenge for terrorist attack plotted by a company where his nephew dies in the plane, but the entire government and NIS is corrupt and covering it up. So, Cha Dal Geon, along with another NIS Agent, Go Hae Ri, is trying to expose everyone behind the terrorist plane attack.
There is lot of interesting politics too. In this show, allies become enemies and enemies become allies. I highly recommend it to everyone.
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Every episode felt like an awesome journey that's worth the watch
Before watching this series, I actually received a lot of recommendations for it years ago telling me how awesome this series is. (Not that I didn't believe them, I just kind of have a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG list of series to watch and I'm glad I finally had the time to jump the Vagabond ride.) When I started watching it, I also had worries and doubts because I've also read a fair share of comments about how the ending is so much of a cliffhanger and how much a lot of people is still waiting for a 2nd season. (Specially worried because I hate series without closure.) But still went on and started it. The first episode didn't impress me, it took me some time to continue on the next episodes and boy this is one of those series I'm glad I took the chance on.I was worried the story will feel draggy with me having to watch 16 episodes just to find out what really happened to this air crash but I was completely wrong. Every episode was an adventure that literally kept me on the edge of my seat and blew my minds off. At some point, I was like however the ending goes, the whole journey spread out across those 16 episodes is already enough for me. And it is. (Although, the ending gave me mixed emotions, this series is so giving that I still love it the way it is.)
Cast-wise, I feel like everyone executed their roles to the best that they can. I can't imagine any of the characters being replaced by someone else. However, despite the fact that some scenes gave me butterflies in my stomach, I can't seem to find Suzy and Lee SeungGi having 'that romantic' connection really. (Or maybe I'm just more invested on the Action-Thriller side of things, I'm not sure.)
Anyway, OST-wise I don't remember anything notable although that doesn't bother me anyway. If a second season comes up, I'll definitely re-watch this series. I definitely recommend this series, this is one of those that I never expected to love this much.
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Trust No One
Is there anything project that Lee Seung-gi decides to do that is bound to fail? The man is seriously talented and keeps going from strength to strength. Each new series gets darker than the last! Vagabond offers something new to the Kdrama genre. You can see it has a massive budget behind it through the gorgeous cinematography, international locations & visual effects which are all very impressive. The action is literally non-stop! We have the winning combination of Lee Seung-gi & Bae Suzy, previously seen to great effect in Gu Family Book. They work really well together. I would have loved to have seen more romance but I guess that will come with the sequel (whenever that maybe)! What's strange is that at the beginning he is portrayed as a loser stuntman & she is seen as a femme fatale spy but then their roles switch and he's suddenly an amazing stuntman that is mistaken for a spy owing to his amazing abilities and she has zero skills as a spy who is just doing the job to support her family...no doubt to reinforce gender stereotypes. Usually in Kdramas you will find at least one token American who acts badly...but in this it's slightly better...we have Jessica who speaks English quite well, the Moroccan police inspector who was quite good as well as the other Moroccan cast members only Michael was a bit off. Every time I see Hwang Bo-ra I'm instantly reminded of Joan Cusack, I think she's a great supporting actress and gives great comic relief. Another great supporting actor is Shin Sung-rok, who I thought could have been better utilised, as he is very talented but his part did get better as it went on. What struck me about the story was how brutal it was at the start, I mean...spoiler alert....a young child is killed and this is what the whole story hinges on. All of Lee Seung-gi actions are out of love for his nephew, which really does give new meaning to 'the power of love', he becomes the everyman underdog fighting corruption at every turn. The ending...if you can call it that, is left open for a sequel, which was very risky as there was no resolution, now what with the Covid delay and conflicting actors schedules I don't see it happening any time soon, which is a real shame particularly because it is in the Action genre, you can't wait too long as the actors won't be able to do the scenes anymore...look at Indy 4!!! :)Was this review helpful to you?
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A great drama with unsatisfying cliffhanger ending
This drama is a great drama. It has a good story and the acting is also very good. I love the cast because of Nations first love (Bae Suzy). I kind of fell for her while watching this. But the thing is, this drama has an unsatisfying ending. Cliffhangers are what I hate most. Eventhough I hated the ending, I kept waiting for a second season. The reason why many love kdramas is because they wrap the story within 16-20 episodes. But thanks to Netflix we have lost the uniqueness of kdramas and we have American-type multiple season kdramas.As a summary, these are the questions we had while watching this drama.
When the drama started
1. Who was behind the plane crash?
2. Will they reveal the truth?
3. Will Cha Dal Geon and Go Hae Ri date?
4. What will happen to the corrupted government?
When the drama ended
1. Who is the real culprit behind the plane crash?
2. Will they reveal the truth?
3. Will Cha Dal Geon and Go Hae Ri date?
4. What will happen to the corrupted government?
5. Who is the real villain?
6. Is Jessica not guilty at all?
7. Will Dal Geon reveal the truth about Kim Woo Gi's Death?
8. Will the leading couple have a happy ending?
9. When will the second season come out, or will there be a second season?
As you can see, nothing has been solved. And the questions have grown. Everything is tangled. This really pisses me off and leaves me with an empty heart. It is very annoying when I want another season, but it is not confirmed or denied. This is a really good drama and if you want to live with the greatness of this drama, miss the final episode. I am writing this in 2022 and there is no detail about Vagabond season 2. So I agreed to live with an imaginary ending and I will keep hating NETFLIX for ruining precious k-dramas.
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A Great Action-Packed K-Drama?
Vagabond is a great action-filled drama to me. If you are into fights, gun battles, and car chases, Vagabond wouldn’t bore you. But it is not just senseless violence either. There is a plot behind it and a convincing storyline of why things happen the way they did. So, it is intriguing for me as I’m led down the line of a corrupted government and shady business dealings whereby everybody is selfishly looking after their own personal interests except for a few upright characters. I’m also not a big fan of Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy but I think they did well in Vagabond as 2 unlikely partners. They work together very well for the intense action needed in this drama.Great… But It Has One Major Setback
I think this would put many people off from watching Vagabond – an ending that is left hanging. It is an ending that is tailor-made for a Season 2 because Hae Ri doesn’t know that Dal Gun is alive while Edward and Hong are still roaming free despite their involvement in the plane crash. So, if you are expecting a neat ending that ties up everything whereby the bad guys are sent to jail, you will be disappointed.
Since we don’t know if there will be a next season, you will have to watch Vagabond with the expectation that there is no happy ending to make you feel good. It is inconclusive that leaves you neither here nor there. The fact that Dal Gun and Hae Ri have turned into a mercenary and lobbyist respectively in their quest for revenge may also leave a sour taste in the mouth for some because it is as if they have turned into the very people they hate.
Furthermore, Vagabond is not a romance drama like Her Private Life or What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. It is an action drama with hardly any romantic scenes although you can sense there is an underlying attraction between Dal Gun and Hae Ri. However, this attraction is not fully developed throughout the 16 episodes which some viewers might find lacking. Personally, I feel that if there is more to their love story, then the viewers’ feelings could get more intense as the drama moves towards the end.
My Verdict On Vagabond
I would recommend a watch for Vagabond despite its open ending. It is fast-paced and the storyline is good to start with especially for the first 10 to 12 episodes. There is a bit of twist and turn in the last few episodes that seems to just lengthen the show but I feel that the bulk of the story has already made its impression on me that I can easily continue all the way to the end. The political power play can be a bore to some but it is the background required for the reason the truth on the plane crash is hidden and for it to eventually unfold.
The bottom line is watch it for the action and plot but be forewarned about the ending. Then, you won’t feel that you have wasted 16 hours of your time for nothing! 🙂
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This review may contain spoilers
Vagabond is a drama about government corruption and conspiracies that starts to unravel after a plane crash. The drama is packed with action and it has great cinematography and music. The actions scenes are very well choreographed and realistic. Although the main leads get closer and it is obvious that they developed romantic feelings, there’s no romance. All the main and supporting cast was great bringing their characters to life and the plot was consistent with the conspiracies that abound. The overall acting by the grieving families was fantastic and makes the viewer feel the pain and frustration as they navigate and participate in the process of finding the truth about the plane crash. The drama could’ve had a rating of 10 if it would not have been that it ended with a cliffhanger that gives the impression that there will be a second season. Overall, it is very entertaining, enjoy it! Was this review helpful to you?
WE WANT SEASON 2
I am writing this review 2 years after I watched the show, LOL. But after watching Lee Seung Gi's "Mouse", I suddenly wanted to write a review for this show as well. LSG is such a versatile actor. He can sing, act, host, dance - there's nothing he can't do. He was the main reason I picked up this show in the first place.I'd really like to say that LSG and Suzy had the best chemistry EVER. Some might not agree with me, but I think LSG is the best actor Suzy has had chemistry with.
The plot was something that had never been seen in any of the kdramas, and that's why it was a refresher. Lot of action and thriller - my favourite genre - so absolutely loved it!
My only reason of giving this show a 9.5 is because THEY AREN'T COMING OUT WITH S2! WE NEED S2 ASAP!!
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The ending
The drama had an amazing plot line and an amazing cast. The plot twists, the story line, the acting everything was just really good. When it comes to wrapping up the drama, it really disappointed me. I had waited every week for this show while it was still airing just for the drama to not even have a proper ending. The cliffhanger trend is really horrible and I do NOT understand why the directors chose to end it on a cliff hanger when it wasn't even going to have a season 2. It was really pointless. I waited almost 2 months for a happy ending for the 2 leads but instead got a vague ending with literally no meaning. So disappointed cause it could've had a nice wrapped up ending. It's been years since the drama ended and I am still angry. Anyways the drama was really good just could've had a better ending.Was this review helpful to you?
The Morality of Democracy
You're free to enjoy this as an action with romance and light comedy, but it's really asking the question of what a democratic nation's priorities should be. What it's prime directive should be and how smoke and mirrors can easily fool its citizens, as they don't want to believe complicated plots.What makes this show work is that it has a good moral story combined with action scenes to keep the pace and light touches of romance and comedy to settle you down. The moral dilemmas visited in this series are the ones we need to solve in the next few decades. If greed motivates a leader is that really worse than some ideology of a great nation. What influences do global conglomerates have on local economics? Can our journalists really uncover or even see all the angles? It forced me to think about these and not all have clear cut answers.
Don't look for realism in the action, don't question whether this is possible. It's not as over the top as some of the McG repertoire such as Charlie's Angels and the Fast & Furious series, but it's still up there in the realm of "just not possible, but looks really cool". But the actions sequences have that feel where you keep rooting for the underdog(s) to make it out alive. Given the constant threat of people with a lot of power and money, that's not always a given and that keeps you worrying.
The show also makes crafty use of hindsight: showing a surprise and then explaining it afterwards. The chemistry between the two leads works well, though the female lead sometimes drops the ball when displaying emotions of loss.
Perhaps the best trait is that the show starts with its ending and by the season finale, you hardly remember it. Then - it's all brought into focus and the realization creeps up, that this whole season was really a setup for season 2. Don't worry, season 1 got tied up pretty neatly, but I am really looking forward to that next season if it comes. It is deserving of one.
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