Less serious than expected
Started watching this maybe around a couple of months ago due to all the rave reviews, watched episode 1 and it didn't catch my interest so I dropped it. I decided to give it one more try, and I'm glad I did.Highly unrealistic plot, but somehow still manages to be very entertaining. Almost perfect mix of comedy and seriousness, and the acting and cast was top notch. The villain storyline definitely dragged on a bit near the second half of the show, but nothing unwatchable and I felt the everything was wrapped up nicely in the end.
And while I loved all the cast (even the villains), I'm going to be honest, Vincenzo/Song Joong Ki absolutely carried the show for me. The character of Cha Young I felt like they could have done more with... I really wanted her to show off her skills (I mean, she's supposed to be a great lawyer!) but I didn't see much of that at all. In fact, the court scenes were almost non-existent lol. Also, the romantic storyline between Vincenzo and CY... I don't know how popular this opinion is but I definitely did not feel any romantic chemistry between the both of them. I loved their friendship, though! Seeing the two of them kick ass together was A++.
Overall, great production, cinematography, OST, cast, etc etc.
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Rico Suave
Vincenzo took much longer to finish than I anticipated. Despite its good overall quality, there could have been three fewer episodes in the series. I find that unfortunate, because I usually prefer series with more episodes if I'm really into them. It's a mixture of action and crime drama. Comic relief is a nice touch in many characters and scenes. It is the middle part of the story that bothers me about Vincenzo.The story gets to the heart, but it drags a bit. Through and through, Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki) is a smooth dude. There are times, however, when the plot armor hurts the theme. I like heros or anti-heroes who are a bit more vulnerable and who overcome their weaknesses. Because the final acts make up for portions of the midrange episodes, the series has been upgraded to 8 stars. Overall, it's a good look.
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This review may contain spoilers
Very entertaining yet frustrating at some points
Watching this for the first time was such an entertaining experience! I loved most characters and I felt that the balance between comedy/ heartwarming scenes and action/crime scenes was nicely done but at the same time it felt like there was no cohesiveness?Our characters would jumb on a new quest each episode to dig more dirt on the villains or overcome the next obstacle the latter throw in their way but it never feels like it's all part of a bigger plan( apart from the episodes leading to the first court) , so in the end when all they 'bad guys' get killed by vincenzo it feels kind of unearned. It feels like more like an act of revenge ( due to the recent loss of his mother and other innocent characters) than the result of all this time's work COMBINED with the revenge both vincenzo and chayoung wish for.
In my opinion they should have made the characters have a clear plan from the start which, in the end, would lead to the villains finally getting arrested and losing everything which I believe would be a much more satisfying ending.
Despite that, I still rated the show highly because it has a special place in my heart and If I ignore the ending I can still enjoy it for what it is
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This review may contain spoilers
A legend returns from Uruk in this thrilling tale of corporate greed and the entire justice system in Korea being corrupt or something. The story is a bit quirky. having serious scenes where someone is gruesomely murdered and then the next scene Vincenzo walking into a chair. Or characters doing things very out of character for some slapstick humour. The acting itself is good. Its just over the top to fit in with the humour they were going for.
The music was fairly nice and built tension in scenes well. The ost for the villain was pretty noticeable.
Rewatching the show for me may be abit tilting since theres many moments where Vincenzo is an omnipotent god and can handle like 20 armed men. But then for some reason, he cant handle one guy with a gun when it matters the most. His ability is put up to such a high standard throughout the show and we see him do some insane shit. But when the plot requires it, he kinda just afks, allowing the antagonists to just kill people. Its pretty inconsistent. Some of the characters are also very annoying, like nearly the entire plaza cast is insufferable, especially at the beginning. They get better but would be annoying to have to watch them again.
Overall its a fairly nice show, good production value, entertaining and fun to watch. It does suffer from being a bit dragged out though. Bonus points for including
"He was my everything"
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A Power-packed Drama which may not please everyone but personally loved it as a whole!!
At first I must say that this drama is not everyone's cup of tea. This is my first review as I saw many reviews bashing it and that could be misleading, at least for someone like me who could love everything about this.From my POV, it is neither overrated nor underrated. The actors did their part perfectly. Song joong ki and Taecyeon is not just about looks as we all know. Jeon yeo been may seem extra for some but I loved her her character, beautiful, bold and "careless" about other's backbiting which I appreciate a lot. The plaza people were annoying at times, but I loved them a lot in the last episodes. Kim yeo Jin who played the role of prosecutor Choi has made me hate her a lot because of her acting which was unbelievably perfect. Kwak dong Yeon who played Han Seo became everyone's sweetheart at last.
Vincenzo's Italian was so accurate and I really liked it. It has a lot of slow motions which some people may not like, but I did like it. The story is quite new to me as I haven't watched any dramas like this before. A mafia fighting for justice despite the bloody laws in the world was quite new. But the story was predictable at times. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger and I watched it in a one go. I still regret being not able to watch it as ongoing because of my exams. The thrill could have been of another level for the ones who watched it ongoing. I am so jealous of them.
Many may not like the drama cause even if they are lawyers, Vincenzo's character is a mafia, an antihero who does not abide the law in many ways. But it was convincing compared to the current law system which depend on the conglomerates. This story is about a man who was an evil punishing another Evil and yeah, some people can't take the fact. We could see "logic-less " scenes which are common in kdramas. This drama is of course not for people who love romance genre as it includes very less romantic cliche`s and skin ships. It could be viewed as a thrilling, yet comedy at many levels. TBH, I laughed with excitement while watching this rather than the comedies. Many scenes were hilarious while others didn't make me laugh at all. The Corn Salad and Vincenzo fan club was quite funny for me. I really loved the Cassano Family who played a great part in comedies.
Finally, I should say that the villains were really amazing. Their acting has made me even hate them for real. Taecyeon and the prosecutor Choi did their role perfectly. I was amazed by their character transformation. The final episodes was exciting, heartbreaking, and really thrilling.
An unsatisfactory drama won't achieve the excellent kdrama award and a 2 digit rating in Korea, right?
To Summarise, I really really really liked it. Recommend it for everyone who like thrilling dark comedy series.
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Best drama i've ever seen, just watch it.
truly awesome, must watch just watch it.It is the best one for me.It is one of those special we only get to see in a very long time. All the actors are great, all character are great , ost is superb, fighting scenes are great story ,just seeing the initial 5 min i felt it was going to be awesome, and it was way greater than my expectation. Superb comedy main leads are good looking and have good chemistry. It is the first one i'm writing a review for. Don't know when i will be able to something great as this. It was great combination of comedy , action, a little bit of romance , have mafia, mind battles etc. Just put it at priority , stop watching currect series if watching any just watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best drama that contains various genres without making it lousy
I’ve read so many bad reviews of this drama and because of that I refrained from watching this drama. Though I’m not exactly a kdrama fanatic I’ve been watching them for a while now and have never stacked to one genre alone. So I guess I can comment on this drama impartiality. I didn’t have a favourite actor in Korean industry since I appreciate most of their acting but I became a fan of song Jong ki after watching this drama .It’s not easy to act as a cold person with not much emotions but having occasional emotional outbursts ,be it anger or sorrow. My opinion is that he handled it well. Also the female JYB who was the female lead handled her slightly eccentric role without getting on our nerves contrary to most actors who irritate us and makes us fast forward their scenes.Ok Taecyeon was very exceptional in his acting as an eccentric villain. I don’t think the casting is bad and anyone who says that must watch the series once again.I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion.But still rating the BGM and casting below average is a bit too much.The bgm is apt for each scenes and does not take your attention from the scenes but adds a little something extra to the scenes. .There were some plot holes in the kdrama as a whole but still the drama managed to maintain our attention.The story was a little unbelievable( the whole Italian mafia coming to Korea,fighting a conglomerate in another country),but to be honest we’ve watched more such unbelievable stories and have given them 8+ ratings. The cast and their acting makes up for that .Anyway I’ve rewatched the drama a few times and still finds it unique. As someone said the drama jumps between genres without becoming lousy like mr.queen and the romance in this does not take away from the main aspect of the drama which is teaching the evil a lesson.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ok Taecyeon and Kim Yeojin steal the show
This drama, to be fair to it, is entertaining, funny, a bit over the top, but overall a good watch. Will definitely recommened to someone who wants a breezy chill watch after a particularly dark and exhausting drama.BUT OMG I HAVE TO SAY OK TAECYEON IS BRILLIANT.!! KIM YEOJIN IS JUST A WHOLE REVELATION. I've never seen either of their works before so this was my first seeing them onscreen and I was not disappointed! The menace these 2 exude, and that too with CLASS.
I have to say, these 2 outshone everyone else in the show, in my opinion. After I finished the show I went and watched the Behind the scene videos, the whiplash is REAL. Ok Taecyeon is basically a puppy irl, but such a villain in the drama??? I will genuinely re-watch it just for him.
When their characters died, I felt immense satisfaction because I hated those characters so much!! That's a huge testament to any villain role actor
Great job, Kim Yeojin and Ok Taecyeon
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Netflix's latest k-drama ‘Vincenzo’ takes the viewer on a tumultuous ride from the first episode of Italian mafia games to later episodes of dark undercurrents of South Korea’s own real estate mafia. Adopted into the Cassano family, our k-drama lead Song Joong-ki is a formidable lawyer with a bloody past & a dormant but deviant streak of ruthlessness. Repurcussions of family wars in Italy see Vincenzo heading over to his home country where he gets entangled with a snarky law firm and a rag-tag bunch of small business owners fighting to save, of all things…a mall. 'Vincenzo' starts off on a dark note but quickly dovetails into comic-thriller-meets-revenge-drama. Adding to the multiple plot lines, Vincenzo Cassano has his own “mission” - to find his gold.
What works?
'Vincenzo' revels in startling all k-drama enthusiasts with its slick shots, tight storytelling and visionary casting. The series starts off with glimpses into our dark hero’s journey back to his motherland while subtly weaving in each of Geumga Plaza’s characters until they form the black-suit-and-sunglasses clad “Cassano family” halfway through the series. Jeon Yeo-bin shines as Vincenzo Cassano's partner-in-crime, and her evolution from an amoral lawyer to a fighter for justice ticks all the right boxes.
Song Joong-Ki as the consigliere-turned-saviour is mesmerising to watch. As Vincenzo Cassano, Song Joong-Ki effortlessly showcases the anti-hero, a far cry from his cute & loveable acts in the wildly popular k-drama classics 'Descendents of the Sun' & 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal'. Ok Taecyeon’s descent into darkness is deliciously unexpected, and somewhere along the way the viewer can be forgiven for completely forgetting Ok Taecyeon’s winsome portrayal in ‘Hey Ghost, Let's Fight’! The budding bromance between Vincenzo Cassano and Jang Han Seo is also heartwarming to watch.
What doesn’t work?
Song Joong-Ki aka Vincenzo Cassano showcasing his “human” side, including the comic touch of his relationship with the pigeon Ansagi occasionally dents the black aura of an Italian-returned mafia leader. The soundtrack though pleasant, becomes predictably repetitive invoking a mismatched sense of déjà vu from the previous episodes of the series. There’s also a blatant disregard for the legal system; court proceedings & lawyer arguments look frivolous, demoting the overall gravity of the plot line. This seems almost intentional, the screenwriters exercising their creative license by showcasing a flexible judicial system. Barring this particular storytelling ploy, for the most parts, 'Vincenzo' is quite grounded as k-dramas go.
Last thoughts and verdict
In a nutshell, ‘Vincenzo’ doesn’t follow k-dramas’ well-known tropes. The writing is fairly “real” while twists & turns are logically explained away. As the viewer sinks further into the series, each character’s dealings & their importance to Vincenzo Cassano is effortlessly peeled away. The Netflix series named after Song Joong-Ki’s titular character actually involves all of Geumga Plaza’s residents. 'Vincenzo' is a story of revenge, slow-burn romance and a smidge of gang violence. Stunning visuals, top-notch production and a stellar cast only make this a captivating watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is Dark Comedy guys!
The series description itself says this is “dark comedy”Seeing most of the reviews saying the drama is overrated and it lacks the point, telling 10 rated comments didnt make sense...
Well I wanted to clear this out by pointing some of the key points people saying are “lacking”
“This drama is not fully crime concentrated.”
Well the screen writer of this drama is famous for his dark comedy scripts and Vincenzo itself is one of them. If you guys watch this drama expecting only crime, well I say... You might get disappointed.
Each episodes have its own essence of either crime or comedy.
This drama, contains standard comedy with a better crime theme. In the end, its however about the entertainment. With prior said, if you are into comedy, well you will be thrilled by the crime action scenes.
“About geumga plaza tenants”
I read many comments telling that the tenants scenes are just lagging and they dont make it up to the point.
Guys, the main theme is concentrated in the geumga plaza. So how could they avoid tenants?
And in my opinion, the cast did well potraying each characters beautifully.
“Vincenzo is not being overrated”
The cast and crew did an amazing job with this series. The plot,visuals, characters,osts are just “chef's kiss.” Just because it's a mix of dark-com, it doesnt make the drama any less thriller.
“The drama isn't romance biased”
Ofcourse it contains romance scenes but not any fluffy or lengthy.
Ms. Hong and Vincenzo are perfect couples. Their romance is mainly off screen. The story is showing only slightest peeks of their relationship.
If you're expecting more romance scenes from this drama, you may just stop now or might get disappointed in the end.
THIS IS A DRAMA! “DRAMA”
That being said, if you look for perfect logic, then why calling it drama?
Drama is all about dramatic plots and twists... And vincenzo, adds to it.
If you're ok with a drama being less logical,dramatic, thriller x comedy, less romantic...
Then this is recommended for you :')
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Crime Comedy That Had Me Hooked, but may not be for you
For me, I loved this drama. The overall story was good and I think the cast was well put together, however, there were some instances that I was not fond of that were not a big deal for me, but might be for you since once you get past those parts, it's a good drama overall (IMO). I enjoyed the comedy and thought that it was a nice balance from the heavy stuff and I'm glad to see that it was the same screenwriter for Good Manager.Good (vagueness to avoid spoiling too much):
1) Spoiler-ish: Tae Ho. If you've watched it you will know what I'm talking about. This had me laughing my head off.
2) Vincenzo's fanclub/his Cassano Geumga family. Everyone's admiration and respect, especially from the male side characters, for Vincenzo were hilarious and cute.
3) Some side character's developments, such as Jang Han Seo's, but to juxtapose him, Choi Myung Hee who did not change for the better and stuck to her choices.
4) The line between evil and good (the grey between black vs white) that Vincenzo was, or at least, he was the lesser evil and did not try to sort everything without violence (i.e., he used violence).
5) Plenty more little things that usually relate to the comedic parts ("Casanova" and "Corn Salad"), but not that I can think of off the top of my head right now.
Bonus: Song Joong Ki's face.
Not-so-good:
1) Vincenzo came to S. Korea to escape the mafia life and such by using the gold stored in the vault, but the whole Babel thing got his way and became the main focus of the drama, which turned out fine, but to be fair, I came for the gold.
2) The tenants began searching for the gold after the homeless person told them, thus hindering Vincenzo's main task. This was honestly unnecessary and just seemed like a filler and that could've made the 20-episode drama into 16 episodes or made it 1-hour episodes instead of 1 hr and 20+ minutes.
3) Romance towards the end was somewhat unnecessary in my opinion and I realized that Hong Cha Young's presence really diminished in the last few episodes except in the finale of course, especially compared to the side characters that seemed to play a much bigger role in the whole ordeal.
4) Ahn Ki Seok (the person from the Intelligence Service Agency) made me question the credentials of working in a government intelligence agency. He was too naive and a goofball to seem like he would work in one and to be in a high position there at that.
5) There may be other parts that I was not fond of, but again I cannot think off the top of my head.
There may be scenes in the "Good" category that you disliked and scenes from the "Not-so-good" category that you do like but I found that this drama was not a waste of time, in fact, I regret not watching this sooner. So to each their own.
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