A 10/10 SHOW AFTER SO LONG!!!
VINCENZO CASSANO *chefs kiss* from his first look in episode one i knew my heart is gonna be in trouble now..... Song Joong-ki oozed power, cold alpha male energy throughout the whole show and YES its PERFECT.Its about an Italian lawyer and Mafia consigliere of Korean descent who is the adopted son of the late boss of the Cassano Family, a mafia family. During his visit to Korea tangles up in a fight against a conglomerate.
Let me just start off by saying this show was not AT ALL what I expected. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I loved this drama a lot more than I thought I would. I loved everything about it. It was so engaging, so fun, and so funny! With each passing episode it got more and more interesting and it makes a person get hooked literally HOOKED, one will legit be left with a hollow feeling when one episode ends coz it makes you want to watch it more and more and know whats the gonna happen next.
I LIVED for the chemistry between Vin and Cha-young they were like the epitome of perfection, the chemistry? off the charts like seriously it was even better than the one SJK had in DOTS!!! IT WAS LITERALLY THAT GOOD *screaminggggggg and crying that i ca't watch them anymore* There are just a few romantic scenes but when it happens for sure it’ll make your heart skip a beat. I love when Vincenzo gives her those heart eyes, he legit is wipped for her.
It's brilliant. The characters, cinematography every single thing is perfect. Everyone played their roles beautifully.
Cha- young is a chef kiss. Her character legit got me fangirl for her bad..she is sassy, witty, savage, funny, literally the whole package in one!
Taecyeon as Jungwoo, he is the kind of character who makes you fall in love with him but at the same time, he’ll make you feel the hate. I would have loved to see more of his interaction with Cha- young as ep 19 got me like go crazyyyyyyy !!
It has the perfect amount of thriller and comedy that makes you take a step back at the brilliance of it. The plot was never boring and even the villains had a sharper, darker edge compared to what I've seen in most dramas, it seemed much more realistic and truly fit the theme of evil vs evil. Our dear male lead was never a hero from the start and that aspect remained true to itself till the end.
Let me just say this for one last time, if you are thinking to watch it ? PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DO THAT IMMEDIATELY !! this show made me cry for an hour when it ended and it deserves every bit of success that it is receiving<3
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With the right sprinkle of comedy, action, thrill and romance, this drama is a full on entertainer and has the perfect cast to deliver action packed episodes. The OST is also extremely fitting to the show and are absolute bangers. Personally, when I began the show I was intrigued by Vincenzos character but slightly put off by the lowkey cringe comedy that the Geumga plaza people offered however, the show really picks up pace and excitement by the 4th/5th episode and the Geumga plaza people grew on me just like they did for Vincenzo himself.
The drama really shows how the best color to depict humanity with is the color grey, as we can see all characters, (including the protagonists) as different shades of grey, making us as the audience question the concept of morality, justice and law as well. Apart from this philosophical wisdom, the drama also sheds light on building relationships and feeling part of a community. We become part of Vincenzos journey as he finds his own attachment to people he can call his own community, in a place he least expected to, which is honestly very endearing. Also, I love the romance in this, sprinkled in the right amount as you never really find that is is unnecessary. Cha young becomes a bridge that connects Vincenzo to a warmer world which he is unfamiliar to and both of them support and protect each other in their own ways which just makes it such a lovely bond that I couldn’t help fan girl over.
I’m going to miss my weekly dose of Vitamin-cenzo and I know for a fact this drama will always remain one of my favorites, as I was obsessed with it throughout its run. Would definitely recommend everyone to give it a chance and trust me when I say there is no escaping from Vincenzo Casanno’s charm!
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This rating will definitely go down
The style of this drama was refreshing and not something I'm used to or would like. It did keep me watching till the end, so it was an enjoyable watch. It definitely isn't a 9 rating for me though, many a times the events that take place are just too "convenient". I hate convenience plots. I'm not a fan of this style of comedy, the beginning scene had me thinking it would a really cool vibe of series but it focused much more on the comedy element. I didn't find it too funny, some of the comedy was kind of annoying and eye-rolling. I hated the villains and I loved the male lead so acting was on point. Overall, it is enjoyable and different but definitely not so high up on my favourite dramas list. I feel a lot of reviews have shared the same sentiment as me lately so I think this rating will definitely go down. If it doesn't, then these ratings aren't right.Was this review helpful to you?
Slap stick and lame story line
The acting of the ML and FL are just so lame and bad acting. The skinny ML tries to act macho and intelligent which is not convincing at all. Tried to be asian James Bond, but not convicincing at all. The FL is just a annoying character and wish she should be killed right from the start. Cant imagine they are coming back with season 2...what a total waste of people's time .The whole drama is a total flop and messy. Dont understand why people like this kind of bloody and no story line drama. Highly over rated and it is not appropriate to get such rating....I seriously cant understand why people like this drama.
A mafia guy who killed lots of people and could never face problems, like some super man. We are trying to make such a rotten character a hero? Every episode that I watched, I totally felt so pissed and wasted my time. I continued watching is to assess what is the big deal about this drama. There is total no story line...lame and silly !!!
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ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
There is not one thing about this I did not like. Story of a Korean boy adopted by an Italian mafia family. The ML is perfect for the role. When he speaks Italian (which I read is his voice) it will make you swoon. The FL is gorgeous, funny and quirky. The tenants in the building Vincenzo is trying to save are very interesting and also very funny. The ML bad guy is pure evil and he and Vincenzo make for evenly matched adversaries. Even my husband enjoyed watching it and is the only K drama he watched to the end. The ending makes a Season 2 look possible. Please have a Season 2!!!!!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
one of the better dramas ive seen so far
after reading some of the reviews on here just now, i have to disagree with some of them. yes, there were some moments that didnt make sense and were so ridiculous but honestly i didnt mindi rly enjoyed the balance of lighthearted comedy to the intense fight scenes. i didnt expect to be so attached to any of the characters either but i think it was so nice how everyone in the plaza was included in the plans.
i especially enjoyed kwak dongyeons acting and character in this. hes just a clueless puppet acting on behalf of his brother who is the “real” chairman of the company but at one point its like hes grown an awareness and was able to think beyond what his brother told him. i liked how he was able to think for himself and i rly liked his little brother personality with song joongkis character vincenzo. like i REALLY liked it they were so cute and endearing
idk the actress’ name but the one who played choi myeonghee TRULY delivered. i would be so angry every time she was on screen because her character deeply pissed me off. just the mannerisms, the attitude.. everything was just done so well in terms of acting.
the relationships in this show i think are unmatched. like they call themselves a family. OH and also i rly like when “bad guys” join the good guys and they all become to like them. thats what happened here !! the bad guys had a change of heart and it was so pleasant to see. idk what else to say bye i like this show a lot
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so satisfying!
from the beginning to the end, I enjoyed every minute. there is nothing more to say.everything was right, everything was fair. I really loved it! I read some people had trouble diving in, I definitely didn't. if the first episode don't catch you, this is not for you.
the story is very hard and violent. but the characters just make jokes about this. this was an adaptation mechanism to survive the violence that happened to them. so the tone might feel odd. some people called this a comedy, because of that. but that's not a comedy. that's a difficult story.
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This review may contain spoilers
watching this because of Song Joong Ki.
Why I even bother with this drama. Song Joong Ki Rise to fame again and back on the map In Hallyu Status thanks to this drama And I'm as a fan feels gratefull to this drama. . I expecting it since the writers is really good generated buzz in his 2 previous drama and Plus It's Song Joong Ki. Though I admit, I didn't expected to generated this much buzz to the point it's one of the most watched on netflix. But because of this, It might be Along wait again until he reach 40 when he pick something more substance. Gosh the struggle being a fan of him is real.The humor is enjoyable for me. And fit with my tastes. But there is no depth when the lightheart comedy take the center of the plot. And i really confuse in the middle of this drama what it's all about? At first I think this drama is all about a gold and it's connect to the WUsang and Babel group and waiting for the climax to happen. But It's not after all??? And then I though this drama is all about revenge to Babel group, but they switch the topic again, and its about the gold, and then next, it's about Babel Group again. Like They freakin confuse, let alone me. It's so disjointed
The main character has a hint to their past so we can connect to their struggle, past story, but it's nothing, it's just a tease. They seems like invisible character which we can hardly grasp and understand, always one step ahead despite they think they are always at disavantaged, but because they have vincenzo, they almost always win or either lucky.
Funnily, the writers seems write the villain more human and like they are main character by showing their struggle, and dynamics against vincenzo. I end up rooting for them to win. But they are supposed has to take down by our anti hero after all. So who is the main villain here?
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This review is written for those hoping this drama is something special. (Only minor spoilers)
CHARACTERS: (8/10)Vincenzo is hyped up to be a very tactful and vicious mafia consigliere. However, his methods ended up seeming more petty and successful due to luck and not plain skill. The female lead, Hong Cha Young was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the show. She is introduced as a not-so-honest hotshot lawyer. However, for most of the drama, she is on the sidelines letting Vincenzo make all the moves and taking credit for achievements she had no hand in. I was expecting them to be more of an unconventional power couple, but what we ended up seeing was NOT even a mafia consigliere and his damsel-in-distress (albeit there was a DID moment) but a mafia consigliere and a pretty woman that just tags along and solely exists as a love interest. The most frustrating part has to be that it's clear Cha Young had the skills to be a powerful character in the show. She is intelligent, resilient, and had all the tools to really become a woman we all would want to cheer on. It just simply did not happen.
Aside from the two main characters. I have to applaud the villains. Choi Myung Hee was absolutely despicable. She was a good villain that I thoroughly enjoyed hating. I do, however, have to take note that her motive seemed a bit lackluster. I never really figured out why she put so much into helping the main villain. The main villain, [REDACTED], was impeccable on-screen. His reveal had me gasp aloud and he truly became unhinged as the show went on. It was quite entertaining.
The side characters were very enjoyable as well. They lightened the show. I especially have to give credit to Kwak Dong Yeon. I ended up adoring his pathetic character that eventually mustered up the courage to become someone we all cheered on. I will definitely be on the lookout for his future roles.
STORY: (6/10)
The story is quite honestly boring and drags a lot. The plot was essentially about a mafia consigliere versus a greedy business owner and his lawyers. A lot of the conflict happened but to the average watcher such as myself, the business doings were quite boring and hard to follow. This is not to say, that it was accurate to the business world. In fact, even an ignorant person such as myself could tell the plot points were horribly illogical. I pretty much skipped through all those parts.
MUSIC: (8/10)
The OST was nothing memorable that I would save on a playlist but it was quite fitting and enjoyable.
REWATCH VALUE: (5/10)
The drama dragged on too long. 20 episodes that were each about 1.5 hours long. This drama could've easily ended at 16 episodes, but it kept getting sidetracked with unnecessary side plots with so many characters that I couldn't even keep track of after a certain point. I don't think it has much rewatch value. However, it is a good show to use to fulfill a craving for a dark comedy involving a hot anti-hero.
OVERALL: (7/10)
If you're looking for an action-packed drama with morally ambiguous protagonists and a generous handful of humor, this drama will not disappoint. However, many aspects of this drama fell short of the set up in the first episode. I would recommend this show to any SJK fan or someone looking for a slightly above-average dark comedy with a pinch of romance.
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lowkey dissapointed in how the writing turned out as the story progressed
lowkey dissapointed in how the writing turned out as the story progressed. I loved the beginning episodes and the writing kept the suspense up. it made me want to analyse vincenzo as a character and i wrote lots of comments here about his past and his motives, whether he believes he's a good person or not. but as the story progressed, everything i was curious about as a viewer was never addressed or weirdly brushed over. The characters stopped feeling "real" and became too comic-like, the "revenge" parts became really slow and lacked buildup or weren't timed in a dramatic way in the episodes. i also started questioning chayoungs character who's personality was written more and more sporadically in every episode. There were so many loose ends that were never tied up (and the funny thing is those loose ends were what everyone was interested in) Take the whole cassano family feud. everyone was so interested in seeing vin fight his brother or have the italian mafia come after him... that's what the story set up in the begining... but then all we got was this enslaught of korean politicians, businessmen, lawyers, that we knew nothing about and that were introduced to the story late. Another plotpoint. Vin's past. What actually happened back then. what are those flashbacks. him working out how he feels about himself. getting closure. why did none of this happen? Alot of the characters irritated me and it's because they were too comical but not in a good way and were just so unrealistic for a "serious" show (even tho i am aware vincenzo is more like a parody than a dead serious mafia drama) but i will say my props to the lame gangsters running the balloon store. they were the only funny people in the plaza: the whimpy gangster boss and his goth chick accountant were hilarious. Then shout out to taecyeon for our main villian. The way he acts with his eyes made me genuinely think he was having fun torture people. And his brother, what an interesting character and storyline. he was the most thought-out character in the show and WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, he's also everyone's favourite..... just look at what good character writing does, it's no coincedence he's a crowd fav. Of course i think vincenzo was played very charismatically and he really is the most charming in a suit.Was this review helpful to you?
Overhyped at best
This is a comedy murder series where the protagonist is unkillable and "imbalanced".They try hard to make the drama be series while it being a comedy, doesn't really work. Both genre's clashing just makes the whole vibe like it's a joke. The main leads have little chemistry, so thankfully there aren't many romance scenes. Only 1 side character was likeable for me. The plot of the whole series is pretty much of a conglomerate company bribing, and murdering people and getting away with it like it's nothing lmao. If you only watch dramas bc of the handsomeness of actors, this is the one for you; else, overrated.
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it could have been so much more than the convoluted mess we got
this drama could have been so good if everything was like the first 15 minutes. The tone and atmopshere is very uneven, jumping to somewhat dark to lame slapstick comedy (that feels a tad too juvenile at times). Here's the thing, I don't give af about the tenants of the building, and their over the top acting pisses me off lmao just throw them all away. Everyone is raving about the chemistry, but the characters aren't developed enough for the relationship to really feel meaningful. I mean I still got to episode 15 and will still keep watching for those little bits of potential I can see that are hidden under layers of unnecessary comedic filler. I think the ml carried this lmao, he was impeccable and I would have been fine if he just yeeted out of Korea and spent the whole drama in Italy cuz that's where shit goes down. Also did I mention he was hot? Because that's also a huge reason I keep watching. I guess a dark noir mafia drama was too much to ask for huh. Basically, like dude should kick ass but he doesn't which pisses me offOMG EP 16 ROCKED. DUDE this is the scene I have been waiting for dude. OMLOMLLMOMLL. Serious Kaz Brekker vibes and I'm loving it. Okay, the ending was lit and dark, As the show went on, I think I begrudging accepted that this juvenile exaggerated comedy is here to stay (unfortunately), doesn't mean I have to like it though! I remained disinterested in the tenants' storyline to the end. I would have liked to see Vincenzo been challenged more, because he basically never is, and plus that cliche move of making Hong Chayeong a damsel in distress was just not the move bro.
I'm very grateful they didn't shy away from vincenzo's moral greyness though, and didn't try to reform him, so there's that. Also, most people liked Hanseo, I personally find him a bit one-dimensional. Or mb I just don't dig his character lol, Idk anymore. Honestly I feel like there was weak characterization all around, and I didn't feel the chemistry between Vincenzo and Chayeong at all, especially near the end. Ughhh, there's this weird exaggerated tone that the drama has that just throws the whole thing off, which makes the drama feel very cartoony (sitcom-esque), and undermines the somber tone and themes they are trying to establish. It really doesn't mesh well.
I think I can sum this whole drama to two words: wasted potential. Like Peaky blinders was fab can we have more of that in kdramas? Basically, this drama is trying to be two things: a lame ass comedy and an edgy mafia thriller, and fails miserably at both. I mean, I did tune in for this drama each week, so I guess that's sometthing (they are really good with cliffhangers lol, like the whole episode will be filler and in the last 5 mins, something interesting happens and you're like oh shit i need to pay attention now). This is the first k drama I've watched as it aired, and I must say, it's great cuz I haven't lost any sleep over this, on the bright side.
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