This review may contain spoilers
The acting of the villain is *Chef's Kiss*
Now that I have watched the show completely, I really think I should go back and thoroughly revise my review accordingly. This is probably going to be a very controversial one, so prepare yourselves to hate me all you want.First off, let's start with the good thing (yes as in singular word "thing"! the only good thing!) about the show. I think we can all agree that this show wins the prize of the BEST VILLAIN OF THE CENTURY! In fact, I believe if someone's going to watch this show they're gonna wanna watch it for the sake of the villain's splendid acting skills. The actor does an amazing job of displaying controlled and uncontrolled rage and you will believe him to be a true devil. So when watching his scenes, get ready to have your mind blown away! Pay attention to his mimic and expressions and how smoothly yet drastically they change and you'll know what I'm talking about. Among all the characters in the show, he is the truest to the character and the most believable one as well. Now that I lay the only positive point about the show out there, off to the review:
Story:
The most buggy storyline I could have ever imagined for a show with such a strong concept! I mean, there are exaggerations flying all around the ML. The show tries too hard to depict him as a capable invincible vicious man and pushes it way too far to the point that logic falls apart and at the end of the show, everything seems stupid and out of pure luck instead of due to ML's capabilities. I mean, the scene with the birds helping him out, even if taken from a comedic point of view, has too much of an impact on the outcome to be brushed off and is too absurd to be acceptable. Also, how come every single person who joins forces with ML suddenly becomes the most capable person you could find in the whole country, but anyone on the villain's side seems not to have any brains? Even the villain's lawyer fails to think straight and prepare for a fight, to the point that the villain goes into a warzone with only 4-5 bullets in a gun he just randomly had to grab from his brother's belongings. The funny part is, people are only capable and smart as long as they are still with the ML. As soon as they betray him, they make the most stupid decisions and fail with anything they are planning to do. And WHAT IS UP with the plaza residents ALL being such an out-of-the-ordinarily usefully skilled bunch of people? I mean, every single one of them? Really? Why? Plus, the characters are way too far far away from being consistent (except for the villain and his lawyer), especially the FL! She is very strictly against violence even when she's seeking revenge on his father's death and yet she falls in love and keeps helping this vicious brutal really violent man who is never satisfied with just killing, but prefers to torture people mentally and physically before he kills them off. The FL is a 30-something-year-old lawyer. You would suppose she has more grounded personality traits. But that is so not the case.
Acting:
Well, I already talked about the villain. As for the rest of the main cast, I'm not sure if the actress is to blame or the character description was way too off, but she has the most unreal character among the main cast. I did not enjoy it at all. The ML on the other hand did pretty well, as Song Joong-ki usually does. However, compared to the loud character of the villain, the calm and relaxed character of the ML does not make much of an impression, even if the ML does throw his stunts and overcomes one challenge after another. I've never found myself rooting for the villain in a drama and I personally believe it's important to keep the drama focused on a strongly displayed lead role. It takes so much for a show to make me ignore the lead role and yet, this drama somehow managed to do that.
Music:
I'm probably being harsh on this one since I have a very particular taste in music, but none of the OSTs stood out for me.
Rewatch Value:
Nope! Not a chance I would go through 20 episodes of stupidity again! I wouldn't even recommend watching the show for the first time unless you already know you are up for a huge waste of time with draggy slow motions and scenes of the ML staring at walls and drinking wine while listening to music and you are willing to do so only to witness outstanding acting from the villain. Honestly, this is the only reason I did not drop the show, and do not regret watching it.
Final thoughts:
*****SPOILERS ALERT*****
I can not get over Ok Taecyeon's splendid acting. He is legit crazy and a perfect devil. I honestly didn't know he existed before Vincenzo aired since I'm not really into KPop and somehow I have managed to tiptoe around all his dramas over the past 15 years of me sweeping KDramas. At the same time, I really loved Song Joong-ki ever since Nice Guy aired, and even more so when Descendants of the Sun was released. But MAN! For me, Taecyeon's acting makes Song Joong-ki's role disappear in the background. He really killed it here.
I have to admit now after watching his previous dramas (notice that I loved his acting so much that I looked up his previous projects and watched them, even the ones from 2011) that he has made great progress with his acting skills. I can't wait to see more of him.
*****SPOILERS ALERT*****
Was this review helpful to you?
My FAVORITE Kdrama!
I watched this drama a year ago out of pure boredom and because I had nothing else to watch. I was scared it would be another overhyped drama, so I didn't have high expectations. I almost dropped it after episode 2 because it was dragging a bit. I am glad I continued watching because, after Episode 4, every episode was AMAZING.I never rewatch dramas because I already know what happens, so it will never feel like the first time watching. However, I just finished rewatching this drama, and it feels just as exhilarating as the first.
Song Joong Ki did Vincenzo justice, and I fell for him after watching this. I love this plot and its twists, the acting, the cast, the romance, the humor, the OST, the action, and the suspense so much. I love anti-hero concepts the most of all, which is why I enjoyed both of SKJ's works (Vincenzo and Reborn Rich) so much.
I have a feeling I will be rewatching again next year because all of the genres I enjoy are poured into this drama. I am currently facing drama withdrawal symptoms, and I simply cannot move onto another series.
PLEASE give this drama a watch, I swear it is so so good!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Everything is perfect in this drama
This drama is my TOP 1. You would never find a better actor than Song Joong Ki to play the role of mafioso. His italian pronunciation sounds very naturally. The appeareance of actor also fits the character very well. The show is half comedy and half action genre. The comedy parts are very original, totally something new in Korean series.Regarding action parts, it is good to see that the main characters uses a brain and not only fists to fight. If you are bored with all these main characters which are obsessed by fighting with a pride without using dirty trick, this show is for you. Vincenzo is the only show I know in which the main character is not trying to play innocent and he doesn't try to change his behaviour. The is aware that sometimes the violence and killing someone is necessary to win.
The soundtracks keep you in suspense and gives you chills.
There is a nice atmosphere between main characters, without any stupid arguments or breaks ups.
The madness of the antagonist and his anger attacks which are quite funny.
Was this review helpful to you?
Vincenzo: A Perfect Blend of Action, Dark Comedy, and Justice"
Vincenzo is a thrilling K-drama that masterfully blends crime, dark comedy, and action with a touch of romance. It follows the journey of a sharp-witted consigliere navigating the complex world of power, corruption, and justice.
What sets Vincenzo apart is its unique storytelling, which balances intense action with humor and clever twists. The protagonist is charismatic and ruthless, making for an exciting watch as he outsmarts his enemies with style.
The drama boasts a strong cast, delivering powerful performances that bring depth to the characters. The chemistry between the leads and the dynamic supporting cast add charm and humor to the intense storyline.
With stunning cinematography, well-choreographed action scenes, and a gripping soundtrack, Vincenzo keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. It’s a must-watch for fans of crime dramas with a mix of wit, suspense, and entertainment.
Was this review helpful to you?
Refreshing
Vincenzo is really a refreshing drama. The base story is actually quite used in dramas. A corapted company uses everyone and everything to be on top and a team tries to bring them down. But the way they use it and the whole plot is really new. Everyone more or less is a villain, this isn't a battle between the wrong and right. It is a battle between the wrong and the wronger (I don't even know if this words exists...). And it isn't dark, it is actually a comedy. I won't speak about the ethics or the morallity or the message this drama leaves behind, I saw a lot of people speaking about that in others reviews/comments. Even if I don't agree with the way things work on the drama, I don't think this is important. It isn't the type of series in which the viewer look to the meaning of life and the morals, at least for me there is series I watch for the messege and series I watch because they are refreshing, new and interesting ( like come on, everyone watched Game of Thrones and no one cared about the nonexisting morals or the violence -much worse than Vincenzo and people justified Ramsay-, everyone loved Daenerys and she burned everyone in the end). Moreover, the concept "bad coglomerate/good lawyer with morals and fighting the evil in the right way" is overused in k-dramas, no one would care about it. They had to do something different. And for me, fortunately they did it...Vincenzo isn't a hero, not even an anti-hero, He is a villain, he knows it, we know it and he doesn't want or care to be nothing more. And I really like that and, even if sometimes a good redemption arc is really nice, Vincenzo doesn't need it. Or better, if he had one of those, he would be totally out of character. The only heroes is the residents of Geumga Plaza. Even Hong Cha Young is an anti-heroine. One more point of the plot, was the great characterization of women, Hong Cha Young, Choi Myung Hee, the women of Geumga plaza. Strong yet sensitive, memorable and interesting. It is really rare to watch a k-drama and love the FML. Overall, the only thing I personally didn't like was the end of Choi Myung Hee and Jang Han Seok, the plot as well the cinematography and the shots of the scenes was a bit too much and they weren't necessary.
Also, I have to speak about the cast. Everyone was really, really great, and I mean literally everyone. But I believe Ok Taecyeon and Kim Yeo Jin was fenomenal. They were psychos and I loved them.
Last but not least, aesthetically pleasing and amazing shots. I am an architect and this means a looot to me (completely symetrical shots with Song Joon Ki in the middle and amazing lights...). And of course, really good music and music themes. They were the perfect choice for every scene (The scene in the first episode with Vincenzo, the fire and this music is what made me think, Oh God, I love this.)
(English isn't my first language, so I am sorry for any mistakes.)
Was this review helpful to you?
My first foray into Asian Dramas
My youngest sister started watching Asian shows so many years ago. Whenever we saw her watching them, she would be so engrossed and I for one couldn’t understand what she was enjoying from it, it left me baffled. I vehemently refused to join her in watching any of them.2021 was the fateful year I entered into the Asian Drama world and I can never forget it.
I kept seeing Vincenzo (my absolute favorite genre is revenge) and it looked like it was up my alley and I decided to test out the Asian drama waters with this series, honestly after 2eps I almost dropped it (if I had that probably would have been the beginning and end of my foray into watching Asian dramas) but for some reason I decided to continue and boy oh boy was I glad I did.
To say I have falling completely in love with Asian dramas since 2021 and have watched so many since then and rewatched so many is an understatement, and it’s all thanks to Vincenzo. So obviously Vincenzo has a very very very special place in my heart.
Now to the review itself. OMG did I say I liked revenge dramas, I was in revenge heaven with this drama. The highs I got from this drama is better than any drugs out there (I haven’t done any drugs).
The way Cha Young and Vincenzo were on the same page after they teamed up together was a thing of beauty. They trusted each other completely and worked in sync. The thing I loved the most was that none of them was boggled down by foolish self righteous morality, they both knew the evil people needed to be punished severely after several warnings were issued and ignored, and boy oh boy did they plan and execute their revenge with incredible aplomb. They are the revenge dynamic duo, they are my revenge dynamic duo. The love I have for Vincenzo and the cast is beyond belief. I don’t know if the reason I love it so much was because it was my first or because it was revenge but whatever the reason is, I really don’t care but I am completely and irrevocably in love with the series and cast.
The blend of comedy, drama and revenge was so well done, like I said I was in tv heaven with this series.
Thank you so much Vincenzo for opening my eyes and heart to the world of Asian dramas. You have a reserved and special place in my heart for all times.
Rewatch value is 10/10, that should be very obvious (I have rewatched so many times and will keep rewatching)
Overall is obviously 10/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's ok if you can't understand a masterpiece
The Outstanding production quality of Vincenzo💯This K-Drama contains episodes which usually last as long as an Indie movie, and I suppose that is the case with most of the K-Dramas that come out. But Vincenzo knows how to utilize the entirety of its long runtime for its advantage. Even when it lowers its pace, it compensates for it with its breathtaking cinematography and character moments which are worthy of the attention that is being given to them. It has a fantastic score and soundtrack which it doesn’t shy away from using. And while repeated usage of the same score tends to become a bit monotonous, it hardly takes away from the epic twist or reveal of the sequence. The characters and their performances bring together a cohesive amalgam of heartwarming and humorous scenes.
The members of the Geumga Plaza are each different in their own funny little ways and as we go on, we learn more about their hidden talents and their quirks keep enhancing. The chemistry between Vincenzo and Hong Cha-Young, which transcends from being partners to being each other’s love interests, is extremely cheesy at times and definitely what the show is trying to go for. It yearns for those awe-inspiring moments, but the action, thrill and violence of the show elevate the mature themes up a notch. When we see Vincenzo, he is not a protagonist. He is a feared Mafia outlaw who has killed his share of men, so that makes him an Anti-Hero. But his moral code is specific and he only punishes those who have done wrong to him or to others. Babel, whereas, is a different story all together. It is the classic evil conglomerate which can buy anything and anyone it sets its eyes to, and its true owner is hidden amidst a fog of deception and silent ruthlessness.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A flawless K-drama that sets the bar for future black comedies
- no plot holes; even minor plot arcs are formally tied up, and you don't feel like they're forgetting anything at all. this is probably thanks to the extended 20 episode length -- they got everything that they wanted to in- satisfying ending for all characters, again even for the minor supporting characters. everyone got their fair share of justice, and likewise their ending is satisfying and you build an emotional bond even to characters that were so minor due to the memorable writing that were perfectly played out by their actors
- brilliant acting; the ability of the main actors to turn from mischievous, to playful, to remorseful, to every single emotion in the book is second to none. i was super surprised to see that ok taecyeon play the main antagonist role (especially after watching him in save me, another great drama) -- but he exceeded my expectations and managed to make me despise his character and everything he did, even with that beautiful face!
- brilliant screenwriting -- the writers KNOW this plot is absurd, so they go full in and embrace it. this is the right way to approach these sorts of dramas; even when something happens that seems completely ridiculous, they've built the foundation of the characters so well that you think it's completely plausible they might do something despicable and or so stupid. you feel like you're apart of the family of protagonists, which is such a rare trait for dramas to have and is another testament to the screenwriter(s)' flawless storytelling.
- great use of special effects; EXPLOSIONS GO BOOM!!!
- memorable soundtrack (shoutout john park)
- memorable moments and gags (shoutout inzaghi and his pals)
literally a flawless kdrama
Was this review helpful to you?
Overrated : Plot and Character Inconsistencies with great Cinematography and good OST
I'm always fond of Mafia related stories, shows and movies and to say that I have great expectations for this series is definitely not an understatement. When I watched the trailer of this show, I was blown away with the acting and cinematography until I eventually watched the series and somehow my view of the show albeit slowly changed...The Pros of the series are definitely the cinematography, acting and OST... The actors / actresses did their best in portraying their characters well.. The soundtracks are also good and I'm definitely loving the songs...
What really fell through for me was the plot and illogicality of the characters.
The story got really really REALLY draggy too.. There were a lot of scenes for me that were unnecessary like you know the feeling that you're just watching some fillers before you get to the main point of the story.. That's exactly what they did with Vincenzo.. For me, the show could have just ended with only 16 episodes or even 12 episodes because each episode has more than an hour of running time... The 20 episodes is just too much..
Aside from the plot, the villain in the story got downplayed... Like really downplayed..
After watching a lot of crime thriller kdramas that have psychopathic killers, Vincenzo has one of the most unique villain in all of the shows that I've watched and I'm sad as well as disappointed that they didn't use the full potential of the character. The villain in the story was described to be cunning as well as a genius with his eccentricity and someone who is SUPPOSED TO BE ON PAR with Vincenzo, yet they made his character underwhelming in a way that if I summed up all the scenes that the villain did, he didn't have any scenes that justified his character because Vincenzo always won and like everything seems to be pretty convenient for the main character etc... The show really favored the hero to the point that it had me questioning a lot about what was even the relevance of the villain being on par with Vincenzo but not even having a chance to shine.. This really frustrated me... If you're going to make a series with a premise like this, it should be balanced... The wasted potential of the villain's character got me facepalming to no end.. Even the main character (Vincenzo) had a lot of out of character moments... **sigh**
The female lead also has a sassy character but the way they introduced her was just so bad and it annoyed me... It felt like she was over reacting too much or trying too hard and it wasn't even funny.. Although, I'm glad that her character had some improvements in the end...
I also find the Geumga Plaza residents to be annoying.. I find some of their scenes to be irrelevant... This would probably the show which I will comment that it has too many side characters that the show definitely does not need.. While the Geumga Plaza residents are a source of comic relief, I find it to be awkward in this show.. Like it doesn't fit the whole Vincenzo thing...
Another thing is that I understand that this show is a slap stick comedy with a sprinkle of mafia.. but seriously though, the mafia thing here is just mehhh... Not even a MAFIA genre in all honesty.... They sugarcoated the mafia tag here and if you're looking for a serious show.. then this would be not your taste.. The comedy, action and seriousness of this show is not balanced well... Too much comedy in a show that started off in a serious and bad ass note...
And also, an important thing that we must also consider in the series is the fact that there were some scenes (the homophobia and misinterpretation of a gay character) that happened in the show that left a bad taste to the LGBT+ community. The fact that this issues weren't even addressed well disappointed me. In our society today where media is a powerful outlet, viewers can be easily influenced by what they see or hear and I find it to be disappointing that yes this show is popular however, it failed to address or give respect or even importance to the LGBT+ community.
There were a lot of questions that weren't even answered well.. I've always been curious of the past of the main character and although they used flashbacks for Vincenzo's past but it's technically not enough.. It would have been better if there was an episode or even 2 episodes in which we really got to see how he grew up in Italy, eventually meeting his "father", joining the Casanno family and becoming the legal adviser of the family...
Furthermore, it would have been better if they also showed the back story of the Babel Siblings - how Han Seok became an eccentric psychopath, how his brother put up with the expectations of the family and what did their father felt or do at that time. These would have been more interesting to see rather than those unnecessary or irrelevant scenes in the series...
In conclusion, Vincenzo had an epic beginning with the main character starting of the story in a bad ass way but in the end the inconsistencies of the plot and characters got the best of it.. This is entirely my opinion so I won't be discouraging people to watch it.. but I just want to say that kdrama writers should try to improve in writing their characters and plot.. We need female leads that are not just supporting characters.. We need main characters and plots that are consistent / logical... And lastly, we need villains that are on par with the hero because with that, it will leave an even deeper impact or impression with the audience / viewers..
P.S. I'm not hating the show.. This is just my opinion and I won't discourage people to watch this show..
Was this review helpful to you?
Sorry I watched it
This is tagged as " Comedy, Law, Romance, Crime, Drama" and it was, initially. There was a rather uneasy blend of crime and comedy, but the humor was quirky and the soundtrack provided a lot of good laughs. I initially hadn't planned to watch it because I hate most Mafia dramas (I went to school with children of real Mafia bosses, so it's not a world I find amusing) and because I'm not very impressed with Song Joong Ki's acting (bring on the haters!). Song was better than I expected but still not great - he simply doesn't have the gravitas I expect from a consiglieri. And I never felt any romantic vibes between him and Jeon Yeo Bin; they were pretty cold fish until the hastily tacked on end scenes.But he real issue is that it went from a nice hidden treasure drama to a vicious revenge drama with over-graphic hate and sadism. There was nothing likeable about Vincenzo, who showed himself to be a purely evil as the psychopath he was trying to bring down. And what happened to all the gold? Was anything worthwhile done with it, or were the tenants just sucked into Vincenzo's world of revenge and greed? In the end, he corrupted them all.
The star performance was, of course, was Ok Taec Yeon, who went from a bumbling office assistant to an evil psychopath seamlessly and believably. It was a great performance. In the end, I felt sorry for him, a clearly troubled defective human being, while I disliked Vincenzo immensely. If you enjoy cruelty and revenge, you might like this. But don't be deceived by the lighthearted moments in the beginning - this drama is nasty.
Was this review helpful to you?
What really makes this drama shine is its mix of genres. It’s got gripping legal battles, intense action, revenge plots, and laugh-out-loud moments—especially with the eccentric tenants of Geumga Plaza. Song Joong-ki delivers a slick, charismatic performance, perfectly embodying the stylish antihero. Meanwhile, Jeon Yeo-been brings charm and wit as his fearless ally, and Ok Taec-yeon’s villain is truly chilling.
While some moments can feel slightly over-the-top, that’s part of *Vincenzo’s* charm. It’s a drama that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet manages to deliver clever twists and emotional depth. If you love smart antiheroes and unpredictable storytelling, this one’s definitely worth your time!
What makes Vincenzo so entertaining is the balance between high-stakes drama and laugh-out-loud moments. One minute, you’re watching strategic mind games unfold, and the next, the quirky tenants of Geumga Plaza are pulling off ridiculous yet brilliant schemes. Song Joong-ki shines as the charismatic antihero, Jeon Yeo-been brings fierce energy and wit, and Ok Taec-yeon delivers a villain that’s absolutely chilling.
Was this review helpful to you?
