Vincenzo

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

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An unexpected drama that fell off halfway

When I read the summary for this drama, I really didn't wanna watch it but after seeing some rave reviews from my friends and also not having anything else to watch, I decided to give it a go.

Overall, there were some "wtf" moments in this drama; an example is the rooftop scene when the group of pigeons just coincidentally helped Vincenzo when he was at a disadvantage. LOL? And the way that all the tenants, who came from an athletic background and even won championships were stuck in a place like Geumga Plaza was just very... coincidentally placed? I was really sad when Cha Yong's dad and Han Seo died, even though we've only seen the dad for a few beginning episodes but he made a very huge impact. Han Seo had the most character development but was sacrificed for our two leads (wowdidntseethatcoming). Also, does anyone else cringe when Vincenzo starts saying some Italian lines? Most of the time, the characters would be conversing about something important and he would randomly quote something from Italian; which would throw me off. Choi Myung Hee's satoori was so annoying (sorry) that I almost dropped this drama (yes it was until that extent).

I didn't care much about the Geumga Plaza tenants; tbh they were rather annoying than funny to me. Also, I think this drama would have been way better without the romance plot. I love Vincenzo & Cha Yong as individuals but unlike others, I don't really see the spark between them and would have loved it even more if they were just business partners.

The OST was good. The acting were A+++++++. But, I wouldn't rewatch it cause the episodes are long and a bit over-the-top for me.

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When In Rome ( or Seoul), Take A Leaf Out Of Vincenzo’s Book...

Park Jae Bum’s ( The Fiery Priest, Chief Kim)screenwriting as well as director Kim Hee Won ( The Crowned Clown, Love You) did leave a distinct mark of their combined style by mixing heavy-hitting tension with lighthearted moments throughout the storyline .

Yet whilst the comedy is evidently prominent in the plot to relieve more vigorous themes, it is probably fair to say that typical of Jae Bum’s screenwriting, the comedy often felt slightly juvenile in parts and an unnecessary weight at times. ( In certain episodes, you’d go from having an incredibly intriguing and fierce revelation exposing the mafia’s dark roots, only to have a tiresome gag in the next such as a word play upon Vincenzo’s name in early episodes.)

Admittedly, there are several moments in the drama ( even by the main cast ) which may raise an eyebrow by questionable line deliverances. However, as far as acting is concerned, the main cast were absolutely brilliant as our main leads.Song Joong Ki and Ok Tae’s Yeon headline the drama by their high-profile acting careers, however, even fellow costars Jeon Yeo Bin and Kwan Dong Yeon will quickly win the hearts and affections of the viewers also.

The characterisation in the drama was honestly a mixed bag. Song Joong Ki’s character Vincenzo was undeniably an intriguing protagonist. Whilst initially falling into the trap of the romanticised ‘ good gangster’, it was intriguing to see screenwriter Jae Bum breaking this mould in order to develop Vincenzo with sentience and realistically questionable morality rather than merely being a " hero who saves the day". However, there was a lot which felt vacuous with Vincenzo’s character, not least never going into his actual reasons for joining the mafia as a consigliere ( which was always half-baked) , his bond or relationship with his adopted Italian parents and ultimately exploring the actual reasons why his birth mother gave him up in the first place.

Next, is our main female lead Hong Cha Young ( Jeon Yeo Bin). Cha Young did initially seem to go down the route or being a little irksome in the beginning of the drama, but, her unreserved assertions and loyalty towards Vincenzo soon become defining qualities about the character. For instance, Cha Young has long-held enmity throughout the show towards Kim Yeo Jin’s character Prosecutor Choi Myung Hee. (Or ‘ Zumba Snake’) which certainly was maintained . On the other hand, similar to Vincenzo , Cha-Young is not a flawless character. Sometimes, she struggled to be lifted from being anything more than one- dimensional such as her textbook-style, (rather than emotional) responses initially to the events around her father Hong Yoo Chan ( Yoo Jae Myung) in earlier episodes. ( Which after their initial use in the main storyline, were disregarded completely without Cha-Young even contemplating this significant factor again.)

As far as the relationship between Cha Young and Vincenzo is concerned, it was a fairly predictable formula. There was nothing inherently wrong with it per say and did present some essential bonding moments between the characters, however, it often felt a little enforced for the sake of plot when it was necessary , rather than developing this with the respected characters’ thoughts and feelings in mind.

Antagonists are an intriguing conversation to talk about in the drama. From the cliche cronies, law firm enthusiasts Choi Myung Hee ( arguably one of the most annoying villains in the show) , CEO of the rival law firm Woosang Han Seung Hyuk ( Jo Han Chul) and the " dumb, but not so bad" masqueraded CEO of ‘ Babel Group’( Kwan Dong Yeon), the show has an odd array of trope advisories .

However, finishing up assessing ' Vincenzo’ wouldn’t be completed without talking about the drama’s main villain Jang Jun Woo. This is because, Jun Woo is designed to be the " ultimate twist villain" and " big bad" early on in the series, but, he was often underplayed as a dead weight and minor threat until later events. This wouldn’t have been such a bad screenwriting decision, if the show had used some time to go into Jun Woo’s backstory ( apart from a couple of brief flashbacks) or sketched him out more than just a " villain you’re supposed to hate". Jun Woo is far from romanticised or glossed over and whilst later episodes enjoy going into a " Sherlock Holmes And Moriarty" rivalry between Vincenzo and Jun Woo, there was little sense of actual build or intrigue behind similarities (and even differences) between them. Of course, Jun Woo served his main purpose; a disturbing evildoer, but he could have certainly been so much more than a one-dimensional moustache twirling villain.

The ending did hold the drama in good-stead with a bittersweet cliffhanger which reflected the overall themes and genres of the show. Admittedly, there were a couple of things which could have been tied more concisely in the ending ( despite its long duration), but, it did bring an appropriate finale. With an odd balance between genres and screenwriting decisions, Vincenzo is attractive for viewers’ attention by its main premise and cast. Certainly enjoyable in parts and not unwatchable, but, a little overrated for what its worth.

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It's extremely overHATED.

its extremely overhated 💀💀
i really needa stop listening to these reviews cuz that made me go in ready to dislike the show and it ended being one of my favourites.
yall saying its trying to be too many things at once💀They stated that in the genre section, its so hard to please u ppl why dont u go write , produce and direct a movie then.👹
anyways the main villans did a good job cuz i hated them smmm and i was praying on their downfall ✋
im not good at giving detailed feedback but 10/10 i would definitely reccommend tho i suffered emotional trauma due to a specific death in the show 🙂.

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Funny, dark and bitter sweet.

Well! Where to start?
This drama honestly has it all. It wasn't quite what I was expecting either.
There's edge of your seat threat, violence, manipulation, deceit, blackmail, bullying and murder. That's balanced by laugh out loud humour, trust, loyalty, friendships and a bitter sweet plot.
Copious amounts of retribution are divinely dished out too.
Some truly awful characters and many I loved.
I wasn't keen on the lead female character (played by Jeon Yeo Bin) at first, but she quickly grew on me, with her quirky antics. SJK was sublime as Vincenzo and I loved Kwak Dong-yeon in this; he really made Han Seo come to life. A very different role for Ok Taecyeon too, so well portrayed.
The entire cast, who seem made to work so well together, were perfectly matched to their roles.
Clever story with twists, turns and some shocking moments. I also shed a few tears.
A superb watch.

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I've already watched this series 3 times!

This drama is perfect!!! there is no other word that describes it better than that, the humor is very comical, I wouldn't call it exaggerated because it's very funny, even though I laugh a lot with the characters, the Cassano family is awesome, they really are a family and I love this family, I wish I'm part of it, look, I really messed up with Vincenzo, he's so handsome, intelligent, and he has his principles that he doesn't abandon, he's a villain but a villain who for me is a hero, what's that? the couple's romance It's everything for me, I love this couple so much, they are the perfect duo and they make a beautiful couple.

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Absolutely! *Vincenzo* is one of those dramas that effortlessly blends intense action with dark humor, making it a thrilling watch from start to finish. The story follows Vincenzo Cassano, a mafia consigliere who unexpectedly finds himself fighting for justice in South Korea—though, of course, his version of justice comes with a ruthless, strategic twist.

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.

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a cliché like mafia show

(no spoilers)
i have seen a lot of people saying that the show wasn't for them and that they couldn't enjoy it.

i am not gonna do a long review of the show, but i am just going to say that you shouldn't judge it by the reviews and it is definitely wort giving a watch.

to be honest the story wasn't special or anything since it's a typical story about a mafia consigliere and the murders he commits and why he is commiting them. so in general nothing extraordinary.

but the main characters plus the side characters were such a comfort for me, since vincenzo has one of the best casts i have seen recently.
the music was very impressive plus memorable and always fitting each scene.

i found myself being suprised many times even though it was predictable what was going to happen next.

so give it a watch and decide for yourself if it is worth your time!

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Good potential marred by poor scripting and character development

WARNING: This review does contain a fair amount of spoilers, and is meant for people who have watched the drama and are here to commiserate.

First off, Vincenzo is not a bad drama. It is well produced, entertaining and the cast is sufficiently charismatic enough to make one feel invested. But it always feels like you’re waiting for that Great Plot Moment to happen, rather than actually getting said Great Plot Moment.

Make no mistake, this is not for lack of trying on the scriptwriter’s part. In fact, often it feels as though the drama is trying to serve up an entire buffet of iconic screen moments - a la romantic sit ups from Secret Garden that people will reference for years to come - rather than to tell an actual story. The basic bones of the plot has the potential to go quite deep, and being constantly offered this sort of shallow entertainment instead of something more substantial left the bad taste of dissatisfaction after every episode.

To begin with, we had an infallible hero pitted against a one-dimensional villain.

Vincenzo is a Mary-Sue. His plans never fail. He knows everyone who is anyone. Everybody loves him (except of course, the baddies). He always manages to light his iconic lighter on the first attempt. He also gets hit by a truck and makes a complete recovery, without so much as needing physiotherapy or even recovery time after waking up. He escapes an entire intelligence organisation (make that two intelligence organisations) continuously throughout the show, AND to top if off, he kills off side characters in the same offhand way as the villains but never ever faces any kind of consequence for it. Clearly, god's favour - that being the scriptwriter - rests on him.

On the other hand, poor Tacyeon received no such blessings. Jang Joon Woo is portrayed as an absolute villain. He is violent, self-serving and psychotic. He has no redeeming qualities, no deep motivations for his actions, no sad backstory to humanise him. He is simply there to be the villain. Even his cute puppy love for Hong Cha Young is ephemeral, serving no plot purpose except possibly comedy and 2PM fan service. It appears that Chaka-nim did not love him enough to make him an actual person. Chaka-nim used him simply to drive the plot forward and give the audience a 100% pure unadulterated evil character to hate.

Next, the themes of the drama were not properly developed.

With the hero and the villain being such polar opposites, there is no meaningful way to explore the theme of good and evil — a theme one would fully expect from a show such as this. Both Vincenzo and Jang Joon Woo are bad guys, so what makes us root for one over the other? What, exactly, is good and what is evil? These are the thoughts that the drama should have provoked in the audience. More deliberate side-by-side lining up of these two characters, muddying up the lines between them would have made for a more compelling story. Yes the drama does frequently drop reminders that Vincenzo is no angel, but still expects us to love and adore him all the same, as shown by the ensemble cast.

Similarly, so much more could have been done with Hong Cha Young. Her motivations and character development in the drama are vague, to say the least. She has no clear growth arc. She initially appears motivated by revenge, but her father’s death is quickly forgotten once it has served its purpose of bringing her and Vincenzo together. Does she change as the story progresses? Does she become more like those she is trying to destroy? Does she grow into fully inheriting her father’s legacy as the “Last Straw”? We don’t know because, like Jang Joon Woo, she is there merely to serve the plot and the romance. It is such a waste because she is perfectly positioned to explore how a person might become evil, sort of like a possible origin story suggesting how the male leads might have ended up being who they are. She would also have been a much more suitable adversary to Choi Myung Hee, driven as she is by personal revenge, as well as possibly being the younger version of Choi Myung Hee had the drama made use of that potential direction. Which, as with so many other opportunities, it didn’t.

Finally, a note about the drama’s presentation of violence.

Watching Vincenzo, I felt uncomfortable with the way the drama handled violence and gangsterism. It was not Jang Joon Woo’s rampage scenes that bothered me, even though those were graphic. Those were clearly portrayed as wrong and undesirable. It was the way the drama permitted its heroic couple to casually kill off side characters with no reprimand or consequence. Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young engage in their own share of violence, either directly or indirectly, killing off those they wish to seek vengeance on, who are in their way, or who have outlived their usefulness, but their position as heroes is never once questioned. They continue to enjoy the adulation of all the ‘good people’ in the drama and, by extension, that of the audience too. I understand that this is a show about pitting a lesser evil against a greater evil, and the writers wanted to highlight the morally ambiguous aspect of Vincenzo, but they definitely have double standards for Vincenzo and Jang Joon Woo’s equally criminal, and equally selfishly motivated acts, presenting Jang Joon Woo’s crimes as abominable while excusing Vincenzo’s deeds. This, more so than the actual violence itself, makes me feel that the drama fully deserves its M18 rating on Netflix.

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Fast paced drama with great acting

I am going to start by raving about the anti-heroes. What is it about them lately!! First of all hats off to the team who has chosen them and then to the actors who have portrayed the characters. Ok Taec Yeon is amazing in his dual portrayal of the foolish apprentice and the evil CEO. His display of both personalities is amazing. One villain who is so likable and yet disliked at the same time. I want him to be with the heroine but at the same time, I want him to be tortured the way he tortures anyone who comes in his way.
His stepbrother, acted by Kwak Dong Yeon is again superb in his portrayal of the character of Jang Han Seo.

While Song Joong Ki is good, Jeon Yeo Bin as Hong Cha Young is FABULOUS. Her craziness, her laugh, her over-the-top reactions, her style, and her emotions are just unique to her. She brings her character alive with a vigor that is unmatched.

And what do I say about the residents of the mall! They are hilarious and adorable in their endeavors to help the team and in their effort to find the gold. The undercover guy from the intelligence security (Im Chul Soo as Ahn Ki Seok) is the best thing to happen to comic relief in this one. His expressions are to die for. That scene where he asks for a hug from Vincenzo is just tooooooooo funny. Such a melange of characters and each one with their unique personalities. Love it.

The plot has been brilliantly interlaced with a serious thread and apt moments of comic relief. Kudos to the writers and the director.

Finally the main character Vincenzo is unsurpassed in his acting by Song Joong Ki. He is the perfect blend of raw toughness and a kind heart. His relation with his mom progresses like his character. Tough on the outside and soft on the inside. His work ethics are very clear; that he is doing his job and he will have to get his hands dirty while doing so. When he leaves Italy to go to Korea we see a rational side of his which is what we see in the entire series actually but the foundation of his character has been written beautifully and of course portrayed brilliantly by Song Joong Ki. He is excellent in his portrayal of Vincenzo.

The background score is supreme too. It builds the right amount of suspense and I love the way the tempo changes whenever a particular scene is highlighted. I give a lot of importance to the background score, especially in thrillers. They add a lot of momentum and character to a scene.

And as a team the two leads are perfect. Their badass nature just compliments each other. Waiting to see if their chemistry culminates into something. And even if it doesn’t, there is so much going for them.

What I also like is that both the opposite sides are strong and their fight is not just one-sided.

I am just on episode 12 where the big reveal has happened and I couldn’t wait to write this review. Going to binge-watch the rest. Ciao!
( Watch this one. It’ll keep you on your toes and tickle your funny bones)

Finished watching it.....and it doesn't disappoint. Everybody will have their opinions on why someone was killed or why the end was the way it is. But if you look at it logically, it's the perfect end with the much-anticipated kiss.

JUST ONE WORD.....SUPER!!!!

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Must watch

Love this drama so far. The cast we’re a perfect fit. Who doesn’t love a drama with action, suspense, comedy and I sense some romance on the horizon. I read a comment on a platform that said the series was a little dark but who doesn’t like a drama that pops from the start. From when he was in Italy to when he arrived in Korea. I was a little disappointed he didn’t get revenge with the guys, who robed him when he first landed but they did give him an idea to play in another episode. I hope there is a second season. Now i can say I am a fan of Soon Joon-Ki and John Yeo-been. I really like Ann Gi-Seok, he was hilarious but you still took him serious. I just wished he could fight that would be a added plus.

Another huge plus is all the tenants collaborated and brought their own talent to the table and shined. Lastly, everyone loves a mafia story. And in this case a very cunning, creative, handsome and cocky when needed mafia lawyer.

What i wasn’t a fan of how they killed her father, then how he lost is mom. Granted she was on her death bed but that was too much.

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this is my 1. drama this year

yes this contains spoilers so read with your own caution
and this is a long rant hahaha i love this sm

there's so much i can say about this drama but i don't have all that much time to tell EVERYTHING

this was so perfect
the only minus was the amount of slow motion used, they could've made the episodes
a bit shorter... the length is the only thing holding me back from rewatching and rewatching it

- i like how there was a bit of romance but it was not the main part of the series

- the action scenes are everything, they are so well made

- and the humor is spectacular hahaha

- it was so good that i even watched it with my dad (it was his first kdrama and he liked it)

- this drama has a good teaching: "only the evil can beat the evil" as vincenzo in the drama refers himself as a scumbag who cleans other scumbags.

- chayoung is portrayed as literally the perfect image i have of a strong woman.

the jang brothers are literally my fav characters in this:
1. jang hanseok, i love me a hot psychopath (IN DRAMAS NOT IRL PLEASE), yes please.

also i love taecyeon sm. he did SUCH A GOOD JOB acting as a psychopath. i will NEVER shut up about how well he portrayed jang hanseok. because that's how psychopaths are, well mannered and seem normal on the outside but on the inside they can be real monsters.

do i even need to explain, during the first eps i already fell in love with the
cute intern junwoo and his quirky personality and random uses of english, we stan
(tbh i saw a edit of him and it kinda spoiled me but i didn't see much of the scenes of him being crazy but enough to realise he was the bad guy and basically i kinda
started watching it just because of him... yes i'm shameless)

the hockey stick scene,,, the scene where he choked hanseo,,, i literally watched those(and the others,, all the crazy scenes)while my heart was beating fast and i was in shock
and also i automatically whispered "he's so hot"WHEN HE WAS BEATING A PERSON TO
DEATH WITH A HOCKEY STICK
i am broken please help me

2. jang hanseo had such good character developement and he deserved so much better,,,
i literally cried my eyes out when i first watched the last eps
only during the time i was rewatching i realised the small bits about his character that made
me so in love
i could see he really cared for vincenzo and saw him as his real brother
he had gone through a lot of abuse and suffered so much during his life, he was willing to

sacrifice himself to save vincenzo and chayoung
and thus he finally died, in the arms of his abuser
i'm left wondering if his dad had just gotten help for him and reported hanseok for his crimes (uh yeah killing his freaking classmates) could've he lived a happy life?

still he died as a hero and he made it as my favorite character in the whole series. and he stole my heart<3 hanseo best boi

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