This review may contain spoilers
The only kdrama in 2021 where I did not skip or hit the pass forward button
May 6, 2021Holy shit, it has come to an end for bingeing this series and I am fking dead. Hands down Vincenzo deserves the hype that it has! It is literally the only kdrama released this year where I never found boring. Each 20 episodes were fulfilling and I can tell that the writers put effort into producing such a brilliant series.
First and foremost the CGI, HOLY CRAP. The graphic is just majestic you can clearly tell that the producers and directors put everything they can to fking deliver. I don't care what anyone else says, but many kdramas from late 2020 to early 2021 are full of mediocre plots. A lot of them were very disappointing. I have drop a lot of them or skip until the finale just so I can it was good. I feel like Vincenzo and Penthouse were the well-written ones out here.
As for Vincenzo Cassano himself, I can say that he is majestic. Obviously, we know that he has a past and that he is not really a hero, but he isn't a villain either. He pretty much just trying to live his life. He is so funny and ironic. And his chemistry with Cha Young is off the charts. Well obviously the romance aspect was not really the main focus but it is still pretty well delivered.
Cha young on the other hand is strong female lead who is a badass bitch and intelligent asf. She may have her Damsel in distress moment but overall I love her acting and her character. She is very charismatic and not a nuisance.
HAN SEO, AH MY BELOVED HAN SEO. I am so happy that he was able to find true brotherhood with Vincenzo. I am so sad that things had to end that way with him. I literally fking bawled the fuck out of my eyeballs. Holy crap, how can the writers be so fking cruel. Like goddamn it! TVN U BITCH U ALWAYS WRITE OFF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS!!!!!!!
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"Vincenzo" and Moral Deception: Violence and Murder are Okay if it’s for a Good Cause
They're not.While I wholly support those who fight for freedom and defend themselves, murder and such violent acts are different. It is about intention. I also recognize that the argument of this show is that Vincenzo is a lesser evil than the main villain and is fighting against evil. However, (and the show notes this) it is still evil against evil which ultimately ruins all the good it builds up at the beginning.
These crucial elements of morality come into play more seriously at the end of the show. Rather than just being simple “Ocean's Eleven” fun and games, the series still puts the anti hero in the spotlight, his actions fully supported by the other "good" players in the show.
In terms of the comedic and often lighter tone of the show, this is comparable to Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The difference, however, is satire. The audience in “Parasite” is meant to recognize the evil we face in reality and the wrongness of the situation while still depicting it in humorous ways. By the end of “Vincenzo," on the other hand, it is clear that the show is genuine in its attitude on moral grayness.
As a side note, one of the reasons I enjoyed last year's “The Good Detective” so much is because it emphasizes the importance of the law and morality despite the challenges of each.
What is good? What is evil? Where is the line?
"Vincenzo" only scratches the surface of these broad questions. In my opinion, it is because there is no real line drawn here. Perhaps I speak for myself, but I never felt as though Vincenzo was the villain even as he claims to be one. His very being the protagonist affects the viewer’s perspective on the protagonist’s actions, confusing the morality of the show further. The better question then is, “What wouldn’t Vincenzo do for his perceived justice and revenge?”
By the end, it becomes a show where the “good guys” find pleasure in their enemies’ pain. Their enemies certainly needed to pay, but it feels as though the show glorifies such vengeance, turning it into good when, at the end of the day, it is still evil.
The charm the show begins with does not persevere as the later episodes and ending reveal the seriousness of our “good characters’” actions. What could have been used as a shock ploy to persuade viewers and other characters in the show of such seriousness and evil is only accepted and continued to the end of the show. And I will just tell you, many of our main characters have some shocking acts.
This is an interesting point to note because we see do, in fact, see this moral struggle in Vincenzo's character through his nightmares and in Cha Young through her physical aversion to such violence (as opposed to her verbal consent). Had the show then gone the route of exploring these insecurities and drawing a moral line, a powerful lesson could have been found in the story. And, as with the way Vincenzo works, it would have come with a splendid snap and boom.
CONCLUSION
Despite the supposed morally grey characters (whom I argue are still making evil decisions with regards to murder and such cruelty), there is a great deal of meaning to still be found in the show. It is full of strong and richly created characters with believable weaknesses. Plot twists don’t appear out of nowhere and come seamlessly as the show progresses. Comedy and tragedy work in harmony to build this incredible series.
The last couple episodes are outliers for my final grade on the show because I disliked them so much as all my hopes for a meaningful conclusion were wasted. However, with such an enjoyable beginning and middle of the drama, I decided to rest on a well-deserved 8/10.
I would say that it was worth watching because of its clever fun, but if such moral deceptiveness bothers you in a show, I would not recommend it to you. As always, my rewatch value is based on my entertainment value and my music also includes sound. Rarely is it that I give out 10s for sound—the sound and music here was stupendous. I appreciate all the hard work that went into the making of this show and hope this was helpful to someone! Cheers!
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A Unique Watching Experience
I started watching "Vincenzo" when only 6 episodes were out, and I believe the weekly wait for new content helped raise my opinion of this drama. The build-up towards a new episode grew my excitement, and I was fully engaged in the story."Vincenzo" started out strong - the vineyard scene and the accompanying classical music (which is still my favourite one from the whole OST) gave a good taste of what the series is going to be like - dramatic, pompous, shocking, humorous and dark. The production was truly high-quality - the camera work, the lighting, the cinematography, the sets - everything combined made "Vincenzo" seem refined and revolutionary.
Of course, the 180 change happened rather quickly, but unlike many other viewers, I loved it. The Geumga Plaza tenants were a charming cast of characters, and our main hero got duality - Vincenzo was very good at winning and intimidating others, but he was also awkward and a fish out of water in Korea. However, the heart of the drama for me was the FL Cha Young. Her manners, the way she talked and walked, how loud she was - we rarely see such women on screen. She was truly powerful and dynamic, and it's a damn shame that the show-runners decided to abandon her development when they started focusing on Han Seo's story. There was a place for both of them.
The story was well-developed, too. I never saw the twists coming, but they were amazing and thought-out, and I loved seeing our "heroes" triumph over the villains time and time again - it made sense because they were both competent and also it was plain entertaining. Like, yes, finally, I get to enjoy some sort of satisfaction every episode. Sadly, after the one-week hiatus, it seemed like a dreadful rewrite happened.
Let's get the worst one out of the way: Cha Young was basically benched for the last 4 episodes, and especially during the finale. This was her time to shine! She spent 16 episodes letting Vincenzo plan and execute everything! Her contribution to the final fight was absolutely zero, Han Seo did more in his condition :).
Episode 20 felt really out of touch with the rest of the story. Compared to the wonderful sequence of events in episodes 9-12 (all of them I rated 10/10) this was a big ~meeeh. Vincenzo left, as expected, for Malta. But the fact that he has no intentions of returning, even though he wanted to get the gold and retire (neither of these plot points was followed through), and instead he chooses to become the new Italian boss of the Cassano family??? I am convinced this was added last minute because angst is a requirement for a "sensible" ending. You had A PIGEON save the hero from the mafia, I think you can have him secretly fly back to Korea on a Bye-Bye Balloon.
Anyway, 9.5 is for the good memories, emotions and everything else I got in 19 episodes of this show. Oh, and for all the deaths of villains in the finale :))) I enjoyed watching them immensely.
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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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Trainwreck
After watching episode 18, I'm on the verge of dropping this shitshow. The last few episodes were just pure torment.What started as a fairly light-hearted and occasionally funny parody of noir/action movies, turned into full-blown soap opera. But it just can't be enjoyed, not even ironically.
5 minutes of FL running into mc's embrace in slow motion, camera shooting from every possible angle. Then nothing happens.
5 minutes of FL waving goodbye to mc on airport, slow motion, camera from every angle possible. He comes back 5 minutes later.
Mc is in trouble at the end of episode, no matter how bad it is, don't worry. He will get out of it at the beginning of next episode in 11 minutes(like in the death of Noh newspaper guy) or 4 minutes(like when he was surrounded by interpol). I was counting time.
How did he survive being surrounded by interpol and aimed at from all sides with rifles? He just took out pistol and threatened them. They conceded and let him go.
How did he survive being framed by the police for crime he didn't commit? He just defeated a bunch of guys with firearms with martial arts. Then mercifully let the policemen go.
How did he survive being captured by Italian mafia, on his knees, with a gun pointed to his head? Suddenly a swarm of pigeons arrived and attacked the bad guys, then vincenzo got up and kicked their asses with martial arts.
In one episode he just went straight to the mansion of the bad guys, beat up like 20 security guys with his bare fists, killed a guy, and then threatened the bad guys not to tell the police about it else...! And they just listened. While making more and more ridiculous plans to take down Vincenzo, all of which failed of course. Mostly due to his plot armor.
In another episode, he set a bomb to public meeting, exploded a guy, and told all the VIPs which included a mayor and high ranking police officer to eat the deals they signed with Babel Industries, then let them out, threatening to kill them all if they tell the police about what happened in basically broad daylight. And they just listened.
Now then, based on all this you may think that Vincenzo is some kind of over the top fun time parody. But it isn't. All these scenes were supposed to be serious and emotional. But how can they be if the main characters have titanium plot armor, basically playing on cheats? You start feeling bad for the villains.
All the villains were well acted and well written. Which can't be said about gary stu Vincenzo with his botox-filled plastic face that can't show any emotions other than gentle smirk, and his worthless yes-(wo)man sidekick FL who might have as well been removed from the story 4 episodes in and nothing would have changed.
This show supposedly had 18million$ budget? Waste of money. Waste of good actors. Waste of good ost. And all because they couldn't look over the script and realize how utterly ridiculous and not in a good way all of this is. And maybe they should have hired some Italian teacher too, because the Italian in the show is just awful.
Also, the glorification of vigilante "justice" is sickening, he even kills his own subordinates if they did something wrong in the past, then cheers and has fun with his friends like it's nothing. But he won't kill himself, possibly because his plot armor bullet deflection field would prevent that.
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Episode 1: Chess Mafia Analogy
After breaking out of jail, SpongeBob seizes the opportunity to eat corndogs instead of Krabby patties. Cinderella also likes wood shoes as snow white likes snot shoes now. Because of this, they want to launch a new store. A nunchuck store with a weenie detector for all those weenies out there. Wreck-it Ralph also launched a new candy store filled with lots of doves. They love to do things publicly: like even looking at each other's bottoms to see that wonderful hole for reproduction. And you might be saying, what is this about the movie [VINCENZO]? Well the movie, I suppose to say series or episodes are good and I highly recommend you to watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
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brilliantly captivating
vincenzo is one of my top dramas and if you check my watchlist, youll see ive combed through many of kdramaland's best and worst dramas.to start, people that give vincenzo low ratings mustve dropped it early on. even from an objective point of view, this drama is nearly perfect by any standard. i admit the FL took some time to get used to and the story needed to catch its footing, but when it did, it hit the ground running. firstly, the writing is spectacular. each episode has the perfect balance of action and recovery, in which we see our characters throw a punch, compose themselves, and get ready for their next course of action. even if an episode has a slower pace than the previous episode, nothing is ever dull or boring. the conversations are organic and each character is well written. everyone in this drama has their place and meaning, no character or action is a filler.
what makes this drama spectacular is how well thought out everything is. youd have to watch each episode multiple times to catch each fleeting glance, each allegory or parallel. each episode has a focus and goal, and we watch the characters grow with each conversation. thats what makes this drama feel so real despite its fantastical and unreachable plot: the world building, the well written dialogue where we witness the weaknesses and strengths of our characters, the highs and lows of our leads, how they deal with their traumas. the writer has developed the characters to the point where we can confidently say what our leads are thinking or how they may be spending their time when theyre not gracefully fighting crime. and the pacing of the plot has been more consistent than a majority of dramas ive seen, there are no massive time jumps, no miscommunications, no unnecessary subplots. in fact any trope that vincenzo uses, it makes fun of itself before we get a chance to do so. thats how well thought out the writing is.
the balance of crime, mystery, action, comedy, and romance is unraveled. you get your fill but the end always leaves you wanting more. the slow burn especially has to be the best ive seen. relationship wise, we watch our characters go from enemies to friends, learning to appreciate and lean on each other. crime wise, we get an interesting and maniacal set of villains that successfully make you shiver in your seat. vincenzo's comedy also lands really well most of the time, making the most of their comical side cast and cameos and references.
as for our ML, song joongki is doing a spectacular job. he eloquently delivers what-on paper- looks like a brutal mafia member as a loyal, enigmatic man with unresolved trauma. he has an air of elegance and intelligence, and unlike his cold appearance he genuinely cares for and wants to do right by those around him. song joongki is also incredible at controlling his facial expressions and micromovements, allowing us to see his internal struggle with his developing feelings.
our FL, played by jeon yeobeen is a little offputting at first. perhaps JYB needed time to really get into her character or this type of character isnt her strong suit. regardless, after 5 or so episodes she really grows into the role of spunky and flamboyant chayoung who has trauma of her own. this drama would not be as splendid as it is if we didnt have such an atypical FL that i am so happy to see on my screen. she is strong willed, intelligent, outspoken, stubborn, and always true to herself. there is so much to her personality and she is a magnificent foil to our ML vincenzo who often has a stern face and cold aura. the chemistry between the two leads is electric, and watching them heal through their friendship is really heartwarming.
overall, this drama is spectacular in every aspect. if you pay close attention you can see the meaning between the lines or catch an allegory hidden in a seemingly casual interaction. the build up of the plot is intense and well worth the wait, and the character development is nearly swoon worthy. what im saying is, watch this drama. prepare to be mindblown. this is the kind of drama youd pay to be able to watch again for the first time.
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1This review may contain spoilers
A fun drama with one flaw I had to overlook to rate it this high
(Spoilers regarding one character in Ep 8 specifically)I went and watched it! It was as grand and ridiculous as I thought it would be: Amazing cinematography, epic music, great atmosphere, excellent acting, fun villains, a plot that is always moving forward in interesting ways, convenient solutions that know they're convenient, slow-mo shots that go on too long on purpose, constant murders, a badass pigeon, a FL that doesn't exist to be a love interest, and a cool Italian-speaking ML that is always one step ahead. It was an incredibly fun and bloody drama that heavily leaned into Mafia stereotypes that had jokes that made me lose my mind laughing. What's not to love?
Well, there's one thing.
Regarding Representation: Okay. The elephant in the room. The representation (Ep 8). Hwang Min Sung, CEO of Shinkwang Bank, is Gay. He has physically abused his exes in the past but wasn't punished because they were afraid of being outed. His character is very over-the-top but I had no problem with them leaning into that. It's the style of the show and all the characters are oddballs, villains and protagonists alike. That wasn't what I found problematic.
What I Did find problematic was Vincenzo's behavior. He has to pretend to be interested in Min Sung and reacts Very negatively to the prospect. The very idea of pretending to be interested in a man makes him shudder. And he freaks out multiple times while going on dates with him. He is not called out for this nor is it addressed in any way.
They did that for comedic purposes, which really upset me. That, and it doesn't even fit with the way his character normally is. Unless it's something that offends his "Italian sensibilities," he doesn't really care and will pretend and do whatever it takes. This tells us, the audience, that the writers really wanted to include this joke about his disgust/horror at pretending to be Gay.
In summary, we got a Gay SML here. But, we were treated to some problematic behavior on the part of our ML in regards to that SML. I'm disappointed. Not to mention, the jokes about any male affection continued from then on.
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Quantity over quality!
People say: Less is more. Now, Vincenzo is THE prime example of that! First, the ONLY thing that saved this show from being boring hot garbage is the acting and Inzaghi. He was the best character on the show.🤣 Jokes aside, I love mafia stories and Vincenzo had a huge potential to be a fantastic show, but it isn't! Why? Well, 20 episodes are too much, especially if every episode was just as long as a whole movie. If every episode had been 40 minute long, now that would make the show much better. Also, I really liked the action, and most of the drama parts of the story. The chemistry between the characters, not just the two main lead, were great. Some comedic scenes were funny, but most of them were over the top and totally unnecessary. Sometimes it felt like the show is more of a mafia genre parody. Where this show really shines is the action and the couple of dramatic scenes, like the stories with the parents. Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo is absolutely perfect, he was really charismatic, badass, funny, and he was great in the dramatic scenes too. Jeon Yeo Been as Cha Young was almost as good as Joong Ki, their chemistry was great, but because of the lazy writing her character felt too much sometimes. I liked the side characters too in the house, but like I said, they were the comedic side of the story and sadly, it was too much most of the time.What irritates me the most is that they had more than 25 hours to wrap up the story, but they still managed to include like 3 or more different stories in one episode. I don't mind if they want to include the love story, I liked them together, but if you want them to be together, why do it in the last 5 minute? Makes zero sense. I could mention like 10+ plot holes, but it would take a day to write everything down. Honestly, sometimes I felt, they just wanted a show with cool action scenes, but they forgot to do something with the characters. Disappointing, really. This show is what I call OVERRATED!
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Definitely a masterpiece.
I saw this kdrama in April 2023, but I'm just now writing a review. And I think it's a good thing, because some time has passed, but Vincenzo remains in my heart forever.It was something unique and special.
I was still at the beginning of watching kdramas and this series gave me a unique perspective on them.
My honest opinion is that it can be different for each person, but for me Vincenzo was the best series I've seen in my life and the cast, the story, the background music, the locations, the acting were absolutely brilliant.
From the very first scenes you feel a vibe of a special series, and the mafia idea was an absolutely magnificent one, the actor Song Joong-Ki perfectly suited his role and did something special. I see this series as unique compared to all the others, it really has a totally special vibe.
This series also teaches us some important things about evil, corruption, friendship, trust, intelligence, revenge and the list goes on.
Especially the scenes at the end of the series seemed to me to have a strong message despite the fact that it is only a fictional story.
Again, the role of Vincenzo is the most badass and intelligent I've ever seen, and I think it was a perfect role for this series.
Let's not forget the fact that this kdrama had everything. Comedy, drama, action, revenge, friendship, justice. But this idea of mafia and revenge were invincible.
There are people who haven't seen anything interesting in this Kdrama, but I think it's worth trying until the end, it really is something unique.
I recommend everyone who has not seen it to try it, there will certainly be people who will feel the same unique energy before, during and after watching this series. All the actors were wonderful, and Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young were an extremely suitable couple, both as roles and as actors.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this series: please, give it a chance! I will never forget this kdrama, I will probably remember it forever and I will go back to see it again for I don't know how many times in the future. It had an important meaning in my life, I felt a change in life after watching this series. It seems ridiculous, but probably all kdrama fans know that these series give you unique emotions. I don't have all the ideas at the moment, there would be a lot to say, but I tried to be as precise as possible. I hope this review helps someone!
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One of the iconic drama Of 2021
Song joongki never disappoint, he's all works are masterpiece and in this drama I found new gold gem Jeon Yeo bin what a fabulous actress.she is so perfect for this role.she play it really well and the best villain taecyeon he was on another level I got to say he played the role very very very well.this drama has got the perfect actors,the perfect cast to play.Each and every role played by the actors are well performed and the writer has the Power to control the world.I would recommend this drama to everyone.go n watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
Must Watch
Loved it!! The male lead it so cute and cool at the same time the female lead is also so cute and fun. The villaine is also so powerful like.Romance 10/10
Story 10/10
Characters 10/10
this is a kind of story that if you love it 10/10 and if you don't then it is a disappointement. I really loved this series. The story will always keep you at the edge of your seat. The romance is so cute that you can't help but fall in love with it.
I loved it from the bottom of my heart. It is a perfect blend of comedy, suspense, romance, thriller and killer leads
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