This review may contain spoilers
Anti-Hero Hero Glorifield
I have had a lot of thoughts while watching this show. Both good and bad. Let's start with the good shall we:1) Production Design - Amazing production and direction. The Italy piece was amazingly shot. Made me pause just to look at the vertical shots, and the different angles many action scenes were shot as well. The fight choreography was decent. Every arson scene looked so real.
2) The Villains - I was definitely more interested in the villains than the main character (will come to that later). Ok Teac Yeon made me so much invested in his character that I completely ditched the MC, and was primarily watching for him. For me, he was definitely the USP and the one character which I felt could have had better treatment. Choi Myung Hee was such a great subversion for a feminist trope that I never knew I needed. She really made me hate her character and I really despised her till the end.
3) Song Jong Ki - The man is so charismatic as Vincenzo, it is really difficult to take your eyes off him. Half the reason Vincenzo works is because of this man.
4) Supporting Characters - I did have a like-dislike relationship with the Plaza people. It was definitely a funny gag to see how each one of them was immensely talented, and their coming together as the Casanno family really melted my heart. But their search for the gold plot tested my patience and I skipped their many scenes.
5) Music - The Music and Background Scores are bangers and elevated the scenes a lot. The song Adrenaline really did come at a funny situation, but still a banger.
6) Chemistry - SJK had chemistry with almost all the actors and even more so with his male cast members. I did feel a little queerbaiting here and there but I cast was really good and the acting was amazing.
Now what didn't work for me:
1) Vincenzo as a static character - VC is a charter who remained static from start to end. He has precisely one change in the entire show which was after episode 3. And the ONLY consequence or low point in his life was episode 17 when his mother died. Apart from that Vincenzo would Swoop in save the day, get in trouble by the last few minutes of the episode, and then by the next episode within the first few minutes all his problems would get resolved. He is ALWAYS ahead in his game, never loses literally. I don't have a problem with OP characters but this problem persists throughout the show, which made me believe there was really nothing at the stake for him.
2) Themes - Glorification of VC as an anti-hero and no nuance themes. The drama treats VC as an anti-hero but at the same time, he acts as the hero most of the time. The show never shows me (lesser evil vs evil). It treats its lesser evil as a Heroic trait. All the scenes of VC come off across as "cool" or "wow" but never, is he right or wrong because he is always right. Even if you see the MC, he barely has more than a scratch on his face doing col stuff.
3) Female Lead - The FL really came off as annoying and over the top. She did shine through after episode 3 but rarely showed character development in the latter half of the show. She blindly followed all Vincenzos plan. While the actors did have chemistry and romance was slow-burn and had a comrade of a married couple, the romance did feel a little off and little to no need.
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A little inconsistent, but what a ride!
TLDR: Vincenzo is a dark comedy about anti-hero mafia consligere who delivered justice, in outrageous crooked ways, with loveable characters (looking fly as hell), coupled with interesting villains. Being a comedy, every episode would have something funny. This at times back-fires, as it created a couple inconsistencies in characters, albeit endearing and entertaining. Also, there are a few unnecessary characters that make this drama a little too dragged out, perhaps to fulfil the 20-episodes arc. All-in-all, a fun and entertaining ride!*spoilers ahead*
What the show did well: The show's premise was indeed outrageous from the get-go. It could have gone so terribly wrong if not for the spectacular VFX (Italy scenes) and acting (Song Joong Ki) in the series. Besides VFX, the action scenes were shot really well, probably one of the best action kdramas in my opinion. Secondly, the writers have definitely provided endearing main characters for viewers to root for, especially the Geumga Plaza residents and Hong Cha Young. The drama's initial surprise of innocent-looking Jang Joon Woo being the mastermind of Babel was really good, and his psychopathic character and his spiraling out-of-control was entertaining yet intimidating to watch. Lastly, my boy Jang Han Seo deserves better (more so of the actor playing characters that have happier endings). I really liked the character development for most of the characters, including Jang Han Seo and former Babel minions. Last but not least, the soundtrack was dope. Some of the tracks being classical-influenced amped up the pompous or outrageousness of the drama, which is pure entertainment.
What the show could have done better: I wish that ex-Prosecutor Choi was given a better storyline. Heck, she could have been the main villain or forge a different path (aka joining the good guys/not being the subordinate or sidekick). In earlier episodes, we see that she was a boss ass bitch (albeit terrorizing) in the law firm. Yet, in later episodes we were given a Harley Quinn-ish character that stayed by her Joker (aka Joon Woo). While I do understand her character development, it felt like she was shoved aside to make way for Joon Woo. Same for Hong Cha Young, I also wish she could have shown more of her lawyer skills/chops instead of Vincenzo always saving her ass/the day. The last few episodes had some random ass moments/subplots that felt like fillers instead of character or plot development. Also, I felt that there were a few too many episodes ending in a cliffhangers that results in unfulfilling plot devices.
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Nerve-racking show with an annoying comedy
It took me awhile before I fully understand what’s going on during the beginning of the show. Then most of the side characters are familiar which I’ve already seen from different dramas, which also made a trademark from their previous drama. At first I’m happy seeing them again in a new drama but it’s really a boring characters for me so I didn’t actually like it at all. The first few episodes don’t interest me but after Mr. Hong died I started to like the show but then many things happen and it was a rollercoaster ride yet 20 episodes is too much for the story. Too much miracle happened in the story that turns the series an unrealistic drama.Brutality and violence that’s goes round and round with an ever ending deaths. To be honest, I don’t like how Vincenzo plays along with the villain although many of his acquaintance was killed. It just that it really not a mafia thing to let the main suspect lived longer than the rest. Specially that Vincenzo emphasizes “Devil for devil, eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth” throughout the earlier episodes. Vincenzo is obviously a murderer but he become soft afterwards which were confusing for some reason. But anyways, it’s a satisfying ending seeing how the villains ended up in a painful way to die. Only evil can punish evil.
I’m getting annoyed both with the villain characters and at the same time the failed comedic attempt of the show. The people who played the antagonist were so clever and I really feel irritated towards them, meaning that their acting is effective. And then we have the most annoying genre of the show, the comedy! The most cringe character goes to the Chef’s assistant or the spy agent from the international crime division. He is trying hard to make the scene funny but I didn’t laugh at all, it was a failed comedy attempt. Most scenes coming from the people renting the building seems to get boring and boring as episodes passed by. I even find it naïve that they can win against thugs who are crueler than them, in a physical fight.
One thing that I liked the most in the drama is that Kwak Dong Yeon finally been able to recognize by a lot of people. He is indeed a talented and handsome man. I am already a fan of him a long time ago, that is why I am so happy for the feedback of the viewers to his role.
Vincenzo is probably a good crime and law drama but not actually the best. I like how they didn’t focus on romance that much which is exactly a good thing. But then again, the comedy just ruined the entirety of the show.
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An Italian point of view
As an Italian, I was curious to see this drama, and also a bit afraid because of the delicate topic they've chosen.It's not easy to write a story involving Mafia without falling into stereotypes and romanticization. It's something that it's almost never discussed outside of our country, and not many people who talk about Mafia have a real idea of what they are. They aren't the cool and sexy boss who kill just for the pleasure to kill, and that justifies their actions for the sake of "love". They are a plague, a terrific and still existing problem of our country. So many have suffered, especially in the years from the '60 to the '80, but even now in different forms. It's not something to laugh at, something to think as "cool". It's evil and cruel, and I really hope whoever has started this drama had this point really clear.
Now, what about Vincenzo?
The plot itself wasn't that complicated, it's the typical law/criminal kdrama, with our evil guys who kill and don't really care about human life or morals, and we have our heroes, who on the contraries want to bring justice. But here we have someone in the middle. Vincenzo Cassano is "the evil", as he represents himself, but he also works against the even worse evil of the drama, and his purposes are driven by the need to bring justice where the justice system lacks.
The story was nice, a bit slow, and boring in the middle (the whole search for the gold plotline was honestly so annoying!), but it was interesting enough to keep me watching.
Vincenzo's character was generally well written and, despite my worries, he wasn't the romanticized hero of this kind of narrative. I liked how from the beginning he never showed himself as the good guy, he knew who he was, he knew what he did, and what he was planning to do was morally wrong, but in his perspective, it was the only way to bring peace. He was human enough to feel some remorse for his actions, but he was willing to live with those feelings.
In the end, he wasn't really different from the bad big guys and it honestly looked a bit unrealistic how he never suffered from the consequences of his actions. This was the only sign that he was indeed the "good guy" for the drama and for the audience, which was something I didn't really like. Somehow it was strange to see how the people around him worshipped him and his actions... I mean, he helped them a lot, but he was still ruthless and cold-blooded and yet they never criticized him for this.
Also, there were some things that didn't sit well with me. Not particularly with his character, but with the whole Mafia topic. Somehow, especially from the halfway point of the drama, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young's actions seemed justified just because their enemies were doing something even more wrong and evil. They used some Mafia modus operandi (like the pig blo*d, or even the ending for Myung Hee) as a way to fight their enemies, but they were shown almost like a joke, with funny music in the background and their smiling and satisfied reactions. To be honest, those scenes made me a bit uncomfortable, because it wasn't funny to think about the people who had suffered in the reality.
As for the rest of the characters, they were okay, but nothing remarkable. The big bad guy was the usual big bad guy, crazy, without morals or rules. At least he was handsome.
I really liked Jang Hanseo's character, though. I liked his struggle between the need to stay alive and the desire to be genuinely appreciated by his brother.
And for the Cassano family gang... well they were just the usual comic relief to make the drama less dark and heavy. Funny the first two episodes, then they became overrated. And they were too many, they took so much screen time that could be used to show better the main characters instead of the stupid hunt for the gold (yes, again, I didn't like that part, sorry lol).
The acting.
As always, this part doesn't disappoint. I really appreciated Joongki, more than usual. He worked so hard in learning his parts in Italian and he was also pretty good. I feel sad for those who don't understand the language and have missed all the poetic shadows of his swear words. They were beautiful and perfectly Italian!
Also big shootout to Taekyeon, he's always so expressive when he acts and I really enjoyed his representation.
What else to say?
It wasn't a bad drama, I actually enjoyed it, but I think they could have done better work with the whole Mafia topic. I know I must sound boring, but it's really important. And while they haven't fallen into ugly stereotypes, they still didn't show the reality. The Mafia isn't the "best alternative" to fight the bad enemy, and I wished they hadn't slipped on this part.
I'll probably never rewatch this, though.
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Has its flaws, but still brilliant
(spoilers)There's so much to love about Vincenzo: the acting, the killer music, the comedic moments interspersed with intense drama, the action scenes, the contemplation on good vs evil and the nature of justice. Song Joong Ki is at his peak in this drama, making the titular character shine in all his complexity and moral ambiguity. He makes the show what it is and continues to prove that he is a force to be reckoned with on the screen. Jeon Yeo Bin was a new face to me, but I was in love with her within five minutes of meeting her. She's unlike any FL I've seen in a Kdrama to date, and Jeon Yeo Bin masterfully captures her playfulness, her deep determination, and her messy morals. Taecyeon was a brilliant villain, even if his star started to fade a bit toward the end, and Kwak Dong Yeon (another new name to me) stole every scene he was in with his fantastic acting and the complexity he brought to what could have been a very forgettable role as the younger Jang brother.
I do feel that the writers were a bit too generous with Vincenzo. A tight plot and story is all about balancing characters' wins and losses, and quite frankly Vincenzo got a few too many wins. Song Joong Ki did a stunning job with the script, but there was certainly room in the second half of the show for more setbacks, more give and take between Vincenzo and Jang Han Seok. When the protagonist is constantly outsmarting and outmaneuvering the supposedly terrifying, psychopathic villain, it's easy to get comfortable and lose some of the momentum built early on. Jang Han Seok and Choi Myung Hee, both incredibly compelling villains early on, were readily admitting they were no match for Vincenzo well before the end of the show, and failed to anticipate any of Vincenzo's moves or even have much of a plan of their own beyond reacting to whatever he threw at them. I wanted to see Vincenzo really, truly threatened, to see him defeat a powerful villain after a grueling and satisfying battle, but instead, in his own words, he was the cat and Jang Han Seok/Choi Myung Hee were the mice. (For example, for seemingly no other purpose than pissing Vincenzo off, they murder his mother, and are then shocked when he of course retaliates immediately and brutally? How did that murder fit into their larger plans? Why do it at that moment?)
I have other little qualms with the story of course, but overall this was an addictive, intense, entertaining drama that I would definitely recommend for Song Joong Ki and Jeon Yeo Bin alone. If you're looking for morally gray characters who fight evil with evil, or if you just want a fun, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat story, this is a must-see.
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Vicenzo - A rare drama which deserves 10/10
This is the first time i am posting a review. I couldnt help but write one after i finished watching Vincenzo. I have only one word to describe this drama - MINDBLOWING!!The drama is a blend of everything - action , suspense , comedy , tragedy , romance, u name it. They are all well balanced and complement each other perfectly.
STORY -
The storyline is in such a way that it keeps us hooked to the last second. Its filled with unexpected friendships and betrayals. Unlike many other dramas, u will never get bored while watching it. It never once dragged. This is one of the biggest advantages of this drama.
The drama clearly shows us the real way of the world. It shows us how humans are greedy, selfish, corrupt and manipulative. It shows us the fragility of our laws and justice. It gives us the idea that only evil can eradicate evil.
But even when portraying such serious issues, it never became too dark or too boring thanks to the hilarious situations in between. The balance among them was just perfect.
ACTING/CAST -
Every character in this drama was worth remembering, even the smallest of the roles. Each and everyone did their best.
The chemistry btw Song Joon Ki and Jeon Yeo Been was so gud that it easily grow on u. Even though romance is not the main genre of this drama, u cant help but fall in love with this couple. The character development was so smooth - it was neither fast nor slow. Whether it was as friends, partners or lovers, they were perfect for each other.( And lets admit it, SJK with a gun- WOW😍)
Some special mentions:
○ Guemga family- Everyone in the Guemga plaza was unique and full of surprises. They are one of the main reasons for the success of this drama.
○ Jang Han Seo - Started as an enemy, ended as a brother. U cant help but sympathise with this character. Kwok Dong Yeon did a great job in playing this character.
○ Inzaghi - Even though its just a bird , it played an irreplaceable character in this drama. The drama would have been incomplete without it.
MUSIC -
This drama has a great collection of music. Every ost was just perfect for the scenes. The fusion of Italian music was catchy and the cherry on top for this drama.
REWATCH -
Vincenzo is the kind of drama that u cant get enough of. U cant help but rewatch it again!! Its just an EPIC drama❤
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((People need to understand that the Mafia does nothing but brutal murders and murders, they have to follow it, only from here comes what you see in the media portrayal of the Mafia)).
This show had a lot of supporting roles a lot, but I've never felt crowded. Each had a spiritual character and a 20-episode episode of that show was featured.
"Managing episodes, as long as you can visualize it."
● Ok Taecyeon is amazing in his amazing dual portrayal and the CEO of the company, his presentation of both characters is amazing. He's a legitimate madman and a perfect demon) I felt sorry for him, a clearly flawed and troubled human being. I loved all his little English phrases often, I enjoyed seeing his anger and frustration, just his gluttony, he does a good job. I want him to be with the heroine but at the same time I want him to be tortured the way he would torture anyone who gets in his way.
● A half-brother, played by Kwak Dong Yeon, was once again cool in his portrayal of Jang Han Seo.. He's funny but scary at the same time while looking incredibly handsome in porralro suits??
Kind of prepped, in other words, imagine what will happen, but it concludes, definitively. Those who go to hell from eternal torment, those who go to hell.
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Its a comedy action drama
My favouritest drama ever ... many above said that they havent enjoyed watching i guess its not true...actors here acted perfectly..loved every dialoguesI dont know what to write more simply worthable and fabulous drama ever...i loved both lead's acting..and ofcourse my fav hero is song jung kee
😙😙 his dialogues with hos acting i cna give 110 out of 100 😈
Co actors too are so good ...comedy filled pie it is ,precisely.......
Completley worth watching
Actually i created account only to add this review😆 after seeing those negatives which are confirm not true i.e false statement
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Not mafia but politics
Plot: Don’t expect too much mafia stuff here but more on government/politics issue that is happening in real life but with too much obvious deaths. Episode 6 onwards it became predictable. There were some plot holes but still watchable and entertaining. Mostly skipped the tenants parts but there were some foreshadowing that I actually like.Acting: SJK did good however JYB didn’t. Her acting reminded me of Jun jihyun, honestly, her dramatic scenes weren’t on point and few of badass moments were sort of awkward. I think SJK did the heavy lifting when it comes to their chemistry. OTY & KYJ did amazing here as well but my favorite is KDY. He didn’t deserve his ending but necessary for his character to be memorable.
Music: Music is very deadpool-ish especially during action scenes.
Rewatch Value: Would definitely rewatch KDY scenes
Overall: I suggest that you don’t take this drama seriously or don’t expect too much because the plot was sort of so-so but still enjoyable.
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Great, but could have been even greater!
I really enjoyed Vincenzo, though I could have liked it even more if they had reduced the amount of comedy, as I think Vincenzo would have worked even better as a pure-crime/action focused drama. Don't get me wrong, the comedy in the drama was funny, and I did chuckle many times, but it got to the point where serious parts of the story would just finish and then all of a sudden the drama is trying to make me chuckle with another piece of comedy.Great cast, great acting, addictive OST, rewatch value is perhaps a little low but the episodes are roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes each - which for me anyways is long. 20 episodes was probably the correct amount of episodes this story needed for it to reach it's full potential.
It's always a good sign when I am begging to binge-watch a series like I have done for this drama. Highly recommend.
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Drama flow Meh - wow
Okay so as I’m a big fan of comedy - crime - action - thriller (this is not a romantic drama by the way if that’s what you were expecting) I thought I’ll watch it. To be honest this drama is very similar to The fiery priest, which I loved a lot.My experience throughout the whole drama -
I had big expectations when I started but as I was watching episode one - five a big disappointment came out. Unfunny comedy, over dramatic characters with no attachment, boring plot is all I could say.
But, just like “The fiery priest” things got pretty interesting when an important character died and people around them got a slight character development. I was hooked pretty much and my overall rating went from 5.5 - 9 real quick.
Story (8.5/10)
The drama itself revolves around a bittersweet revenge and their ideology of justice. I loved the concept and will watch any similar dramas. The ending was satisfying as the character got exactly what they deserved. They tried to play it as realistic as possible.
Acting (9/10)
First of all I would like to talk about SJK. His acting, visuals, actions were so satisfying! OT perfectly played a playful psychotic killer. JYB’s over dramatic character was super fun to watch. There were a few moments where I could relate to her. After episode 5 all characters from plaza were so much better and I felt a strong emotional attachment to all of them. Loved the whole cast!
Music (9.5/10)
The osts and soundtracks were pretty different from usual dramas. I would say they were perfectly synced and beautiful.
Rewatch value (10/10)
I would love to watch it again.
Overall (9.0/10)
So, if you’re on episode 1-5 and thinking about dropping it, DONT. The drama gets 0 to 100 pretty quick and you’ll love it. There was a slight romance but not enough to influence the plotline. The main part is thriller - crime - revenge and if you love intense stuff, give it a go.
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This review may contain spoilers
Vincenzo is Okay for NOW...
Vincenzo is definitely fiery priest 2.0 as it's by the same writer and if you happen to love fiery priest you will certainly enjoy Vincenzo. The plot is quite similar, by the end of episode 1, I already knew FL's dad was going to die and that would be the beginning of a bloody revenge and that's what happened. Show can definitely feel predictable at times.I've also seen few complaints about the FL regarding her overacting but I like her, I find her fun ( I love my FL crazy and flawed) even though it might seem like she is trying to do an impression of Honey Lee's character in fiery priest. I wish she would make this character her own and tbh she kinda toned down in episode 4 and we got to see a smart and perceptive side of her. I feel like she will become very useful to Vincenzo and I can't wait to see some character development for both our leads. Let's hope they stay badasses till the end.
Episode 4 was definitely the better episode, and we finally got the reveal about the Big BAD and I've a few reserves about Taecyon playing the villain, will he be able to pull off this kind of roles ? I don't know, I find his acting average at best most of the times but we will see how things go.
I hope Vincenzo will have more surprises in store for us and will manage to keep us on our toes. As of now, there is nothing groundbreaking but I am willing to go along the ride with an open mind also it doesn't hurt that Song Joong Ki is hot AF with a gun.
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