Tanky Toon

When this drama dropped, I thought I was in for another Healer-style ride—rooting for a morally gray hero who doles out justice with flair. The setup had me intrigued, but here’s the catch: I wasn’t sure if I wanted an anti-hero whose methods made me squirm. Yes, the system is broken, yes, the law sucks, but do I really want to cheer for a guy who rewrites morality with his fists? Jury’s still out.

Still, this drama is a wild ride. The pacing is relentless—in the best way possible. With only eight episodes, there’s no room for filler or unnecessary meandering; it’s like downing an espresso shot laced with adrenaline. The characters are also surprisingly multi-dimensional. Lee Jun Hyuk, in particular, floored me. After seeing him play mild, boy-next-door types in Love Scout, I never imagined him turning in such a gloriously unhinged performance. He steals every scene, veering between chaos and magnetism.

Where the drama stumbles is in its moral tightrope walk. Ji Yong isn’t Batman-lite—he’s more Venom-adjacent, and I’m not exactly a Venom apologist. The show constantly asks you to root for him while he spirals deeper into blood-soaked justice, and I kept asking myself: when does applause turn into condemnation? Reform beats revenge, but Vigilante doesn’t always agree.

And then there’s the final straw: the unnecessary sacrifice of Ji Yong’s friend. I started out wanting him to stay untouchable, but by the finale I was torn—either he should’ve been caught, or the one who died should’ve lived. Instead, we got an ending that felt both cheap and sequel-baiting. Still, if you’re after a fast-paced, morally messy thrill ride, Vigilante delivers in spades. Just don’t expect to walk away with clean hands.