Vincenzo (2021)

I feel hollow. But not in a bad way. I feel like I've been watching this show for years (I know it wasn't. Lol) so I feel way to attached to all of these characters.

I admit when I first started this show, I was not in to it -- at all. It just isn't my kind of thing, Never has been, but I had someone behind me, pushing me to keep watching and I'm so glad they did! I got hooked so fast, I felt like I was losing my mind waiting for new episodes. Lol I was so worried about this show and it's ending, I just wanted it to keep going forever.

If you have been eyeing this show, I'm telling you, YOU NEED TO WATCH IT!! There was never a dull episode (even if you're like me and it's not your thing, this show might actually change your mind). I always felt like I just got off a rollercoaster when a episode was over.

(honestly right now, my thoughts are scattered -- I just have constant screaming in my head since the last episode)

Everything about this show was unique for me and so intense! All of the characters were mastered perfectly by those who played them. It changed my views on so many actors. Like, they played their parts so well I know I need to step away and calm down for a bit. But I love that. I love when a actor plays the part so well. It just shows how talented they are!

I know some people have a issue with this har mafia guy suddenly teaming up with strangers and helping them (I questioned it at first two) but I loved seeing how cold he was at first, only for him to later really seem them as his family. I loved seeing this story progress the way it did. I get it's not for everyone, but it really made the whole show better that way. I loved that by the end, he really did pretty much have his own little mafia. Lol

I loved the comedy that was squeezed in some places to help lighten the mood when it really needed it, I don't think any of them were misplaced or pointless. I really feel like they were perfect and added more to the story. With everything going on I'm glad they had that or I think most of us would have either cried ourselves to death or had heart attacks. Hahah

THAT ENDING!! Omg. The last two episodes in general had me sobbing my eyes out. I don't even know what to say about them. There was so much raw emotion and it was .... brutal, honestly. But so worth it. I wouldn't change anything about them. But I really am curious if there will be a season 2 or not. They ended it in such a way that it could go either way. It's been a long time since I've seen a show like that. Usually it's pretty cut and dry about which way it could go but this one, they really were like "well... we might and we might not" and I can't even get mad at it because it's still a great ending. Lol All the tears were worth it!!

I'm sure I'll come back later to update this once my brain stops screaming. Haha

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Every episode just got more and more perfection

Without a doubt my favorite series of this year and one of my favorites forever, I know that it is early in the year to make a statement of this caliber, however, after watching so many series you know when you are in the presence of an anomaly and for me Vincenzo is practically perfect in all departments, besides that in a very subjective way the story totally captured me and I think that's why it took me so long to write this review because once it is done I have to accept that it is really over.

To start the story, wow and what a story, there was literally not a single chapter that did not make me nervous and excited about what was happening, in general terms it is the story of an Italian mobster who returns to his country of origin (Korea) to to beat a large corporation, by means that we could not call fair, but deep down it is much more.

One of the themes that the series touches throughout the season is the family, Vincenzo since childhood has survived in the world practically alone, we do not know so much about his life in Italy but we are given to understand that his adoptive family was murdered, so that for many years he depended solely on his intelligence to survive a hostile world (considering that he was not even in his own homeland), in addition to getting involved in the mafia the ties he could develop with other people were increasingly reduced, when he come to Korea, all the walls and schemes that he had built around him were slowly collapsed one by one, in Korea people wanted to be close to him, they supported him and a bond of mutual need was created between them, little by little we experienced how Vincenzo has that need to protect who he loves and how he is going to become fond of all the inhabitants of Plaza Geumga and some other external characters.

Another of the topics widely followed by the series is redemption, something very important is that Vincenzo is an antihero and although we pretend that some of his actions are justified, the reality is that he mostly plays below the legal limits, when you have a character like this, generally there are two paths that can be followed: the total redemption of the character, most of which end with his death in a great act of sacrifice for a just cause; or on the contrary, the total submersion in moral decay, where most of the character breaks those self-imposed rules that connected him to his humanity; Vincenzo on the other hand chooses a third path, what if you sink them a little more and at the same time give him redemption? In such a way that towards the end the character continues to maintain his balance between justice and decadence and continues to be an Antihero however, this antihero is not the same as we had at the beginning, there is an evolution, a development and a series of decisions that transform the world of the character and that also transform his environment.

The series takes that path and does it in a masterful way, the great thesis of this moment is in the last conversation that Vincenzo has with the older monk Jeok Ha, in the end Vincenzo cannot redeem everything he has done, his impact on him world is undeniable, however his fight against cruelty is also there, and he will forever have to live with the weight of his decisions and the most interesting thing is that he does, genuinely his actions weigh on him, he is full of guilt and These actions are reflected in the type of person he is, it seems that this point is obvious, but no, there are an absurd amount of stories that give us characters "with complex pasts" but at the time of the hour they are just anecdotes the impact they have on the lives of the characters.

I will not deny that initially I believed that the only way to conclude the series was with the death of Vincenzo, however the ending they decided for the series seems to me the most acceptable of all, it is not a happy ending, it is not even an ending, everything that happened in the series was one more event in his life and although he changed it in many ways, he still has a path to follow and he will still have to continue living with everything he did and with everything he caused, maybe one day I even have to face the consequences, we don't know.

The villain of this series is another of his great successes, it is true that by the end of the series it is more or less obvious that he pales in front of Vincenzo (not only because the latter is too intelligent but also because he is a mobster made and right and knows how to play his game), but regardless of that, Jang Junwoo is a very well built villain we know what it takes to understand his way of thinking, his lack of compassion and his purposes, for him everything is initially a fun game, but little by little we see how his mental state degenerates more and more as the plot progresses, not only is he intelligent, he is captivating, he is attractive, he is manipulative and terrifying in many moments, it is easily understand because he is at the top at the beginning of the game, when he understands that his capabilities are below those of Vincenzo is when he begins to fall apart and stops being fun, he was not afraid of dying before a Vincenzo that he considers an equal rival, but when he sees himself inferior he begins to fear, not so much of the act of death itself, but of the fact that this implies that he is inferior, that is his true fear.

Choi Myung-hee is the other side of the evil in the series, on the one hand we have Jang Junwoo who as I said is charming and likes to play from the shadows and on the other hand her, her rhythm of play is not to be pleasant, she does not seek to convince anyone, she is a terrible person from the front, everyone who lives with her directly or indirectly knows it and that is why they become the perfect companions and at no time their loyalty wavers, their interest although of course it has monetary connotations, they always go hand in hand with obtaining power and abusing it directly by causing others to suffer. In addition, the relationship of the antagonists with the protagonists, especially with Vincenzo, seems to me, simply great, how they face directly, how they use political and judicial strategies, the relationship between the situation they are living and who they are as individuals really feels.

The rest of the characters also give for an analysis each one, but I will try to make it concise, all the secondary characters from those who live in Geumga square, to Jang Hanseo and Jo Youn Woon are the best I have seen in a never series, each and every one of them has depth and evolution throughout the series, and although it is "a deux-machina" that everything is so damn talented, it is justified by the tone of the series since we must remember that it is It is about a black comedy (the fact that the genre of the series is black comedy and drama is another success in itself since it allows the inclusion of more fanciful elements in the series that would not otherwise be organic), regardless of it And despite having so many characters and things happening at the same time, the series gives each of the characters time on the screen and not only that but it makes them iconic, they all have high moments of drama, they all have great dialogues and well constructed, everything is relevant in the story that is being told and that is the best that a series can do, create empathy between the characters and the viewer (not only with the protagonists) because in this way everything that is happening interests you and the dive is deeper.

I have to highlight here Lee Cheol Wook, Ahn Ki Seok, Park Seok Do and Nam Joo Sung as characters, each one conquered me in different ways at different times in the series and their relationship with the protagonist is so good that in the final chapter they had me trembling with concern that something would happen to them.

But definitely the secondary character that takes all the palms is Jang Hanseo, as he is the most evolving character of all, it is true that much of the series is presented as a single puppet under the orders of his brother who is not very intelligent to say, but when you start to analyze the whole picture, this character becomes more and more profound, let's start with the fact that he has lived his entire life tormented by a psychopath who also killed his father, even so I think that by moments and not explicitly it can be understood that a certain level in some twisted way "loves his brother", he has lived under Jungwoo's shadow always and this has prevented him from living a life that allows him to develop in any way to having him always tied up, with Vincenzo and his group is the first time that he is required to be more and he does it, we see him not only being a genuinely good and loyal person, but also that we see his capacities to be a good leader, everything potential that he had not been allowed to exploit was developing little by little, his need for affection is clear, to have a real family, a real brother and in Vincenzo he finds that bond to the point that he sacrifices his life for him, he is a character that one hundred percent obtains his redemption (I still suffer it).

We talked about "romance" in the series and of course Hong Cha-young, I really liked the decision to leave the romantic bond a little background in the story, mainly because too much was already happening for the characters to have time to worry for this reason, even so the link is there and you can see it in each gesture, look, in their genuine concern for each other, there are many romantic series that scream at you with words that the main characters love each other but their actions never reflect it, in this series we have the opposite, we know what you feel through the subtlety and beauty of their interactions, but just like them, the public realizes that it is not the time to get romantic. Honh Cha-young is a female character who seems to me simply spectacular, she is not the typical good-natured protagonist who lives only for the main male character, no, she is an intelligent, ambitious woman, she is good yes, but not completely like the vast majority in the series exists more in a range of grays, is brave and can face battles without the help of Vincenzo and even in many moments it is she who protects him, in addition, little by little her consciousness as a lawyer changes, partly if because of his suffering from losing his father, but also because as a person he feels better when he defends the weakest through the law, even when he knows that he has to say goodbye to Vincenzo despite his feelings for him, he takes it with bravery and is facing it. And the moments of madness and evil of her are simply amazing, what a good character.

The performances, Song Joong Ki is not a new actor for me but I must say that it was with this performance that he won all my heart, the series is his, all the characters are excellent but at no time do you forget that the series is Vincenzo always, his work is spectacular, all the looks, their emotions, their anger, their happiness, each moment is iconic and remains engraved very deep in your mind; and I have to acknowledge all the scenes with her mother it is sublime, you feel that duality between the genuine love of a child and the resentment of having been abandoned and the cathartic moment when she can finally forgive her, I remember it and tears come to my eyes and sorry but Italian had never seemed such a sexy language to me until this series, you can see all the work behind it and how committed the actor was at all times; I must also say that in all the performances it is felt that they were really enjoying doing the series. Jeon Yeo Bin, also does a spectacular job, I think he achieves a great balance of duality between the madness and the seriousness of his character, much of the character's suffering has to be kept in the dark because he is facing a great enemy, however in his gestures, glances and the longing in his gaze you gradually realize that he is more than what is shown on the surface and that can only be achieved when he has a first-rate actor. Ok Taec Yeon, ufff ... I really love this man, I don't know what else to say, he was bad with desire and despicable, but even so I felt slightly bad when his character suffered, all the cynicism, madness and mental decay that he had what to achieve with his character, it was simply spectacular, honestly, he was for me the great surprise of the series and I just want to see more of him, thank you, just thank you for giving us this character and every time his eyes got teary with anger, I just wanted to take all those moments and immortalize them for posterity.

All the other actors did a spectacular job, I can't talk about all of them because in itself this is already very long, but, it is more than obvious how committed and the love they felt for the project itself each of the characters, there is not a person in this series who does not believe that they gave the performance of their life and that is certainly something that I do not think I have the fortune to witness again. Respect.

The music is very good, the use of classical Italian music combined with pop or romantic Korean music, they are geniuses, one not might think that will work so well, but it does and it is simply a visual and aural spectacle.

The production work, I am deeply grateful that they made the decision that the series will be shown seriously raw, we do not see use of extremely fake blood as it happens in many Asian productions or the action happens out of focus, no, no, here the blood is seen realistic and the action is put in front of you, regardless of whether it implies violence, torture and even death, the characters are cruel at times and the series does not stop to show you this, leaving this aside, the series is beautiful each scene is built to be a work of art and each frame could easily be you new screen saver and that special effects, wonderful.

I could not add anything more to this review, which more than review it is a compilation of praise for Vincenzo, but really I found a spectacular series and I recommend it to everyone, just want more series with that quality and wonderful characters to be produced, Korea never ceases to amaze me when I think I have reached the epitome, it always has more to offer me, it will take a while to get over this series, thank you, thank you for Vincenzo.

I miss you, Col Salada.

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Bravo

Note: if you cannot tolerate an antihero and prefer justice the legal way, this drama and this review aren’t for you. Watch a regular legal drama instead.

I was a little worried before I started watching Vincenzo. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the drama but, I don’t regret watching it. Every second of the drama is entertaining. This drama is a solid 10/10

Vincenzo is a very well planned, written and executed drama with brilliant actors and great cinematography. Some parts of the story are predictable but it doesn’t take away from the drama. In my opinion It’s like a drama that needed a theatrical release, some of the scenes were so intense they’d give you the feels. Vincenzo strikes the right balance between comedy, action, drama and a tad bit romance. All the characters in the drama play and important role in pushing the plot forward. This drama does leave you longing for more but in the actual plot itself there really aren’t any loose ends that call for a season 2. But somehow I’m hoping for a spin-off to address some parts of the story that we’re still curious about.

About the plot itself I’m just gonna say that Vincenzo Cassano is a smart mafia consigliere ??and his attacks on the villains are ingenuity. He’s not perfect and does not always outsmart the villains but most of the time he does and this isn’t entirely because he is extremely smart, it might simply be because he has encountered worse villains being in the mafia that the Babo and Wusang lawyers might just feel like a few drops in the ocean. Vincenzo tackles Babel and judicial corruption his own way making him a sympathetic criminal antihero.
What I like the most about this drama is that they didn’t make that age old twist in the drama where Vincenzo suddenly turns out to be an intelligence officer. He was evil and continues to be evil.
SPOILER- ....................neither did he have a very big heart to share the gold with all the plaza tenants just because they helped him as one would’ve expected............

About the actors, before Vincenzo I had only seen Song Joong Ki in A werewolf boy and I knew the guy was talented. He didn’t have a single dialogue in that movie yet his expressions and body language spoke volumes. I think he’s done a good job as Vincenzo. I want to watch more of his dramas. I’ve never seen any projects of Jeon Yeo-Been before but her acting skills are good too and very natural. I also have to add this she’s gorgeous. Ok Taecyeon’s acting skills are on point. He’s one of those idol actors who can really act and does a lot of justice to his roles. Be it innocence, frustration, anger or pain he portrays it perfectly especially with that look in his eyes. All in all I think all the cast members have done a fabulous job the main characters, the villains and the supporting cast.

Also I do like the stopped time and Un diavolo scaccia l′altro instrumental osts, and Adrenaline especially the English version.

Lastly it’s kdrama land don’t put too much thought to into it and bring down the drama just because it may not be the most realistic because most kdramas aren’t. The drama has it’s flaws but it’s imperfectly perfect. I agree this drama may not be for everyone but those whose ideologies align with the concept of the drama are gonna love it. It’s not that frustrating fight against injustice and corruption where there’s so much to lose for 3 quarters of the drama and then one big win. Just sit back and enjoy this one like a refreshing soda. Cheers!

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VINCENZO ! *chefs kiss*

VINCENZO ! VINCENZO ! VINCENZO ! VINCENZO !

I enjoyed this drama a lot! The beginning of it has some beautiful Italian landmarks & landscapes but I was surprised to find out IT WAS ALL CGI !!!!!!!!

The CGI was so good & the overall Vincenzo series was amazing from start to finish with lots of elements and it never got boring to watch!! The acting was so good as well & it really made me hate the villains / like the main characters.

The overall plot was interesting as well & had a lot of jaw-dropping moments & surprises along the way ?

Would recommend this series 10/10 I binge watched it all in a week !

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If you loved Chief Kim, you will love this (as long as you are fine watching something more violent)

When I first heard of this drama and say the trailer, I was a bit confused. The trailer has a tonal whiplash to it that made it seem like an uneven drama. But in reality, the drama was well-balanced, while it did go dark for certain scenes. The tone of it was well-balanced and I rarely found it off-putting when it moved from comedy to dramatic to violent.

The plot of this drama is very similar to Chief Kim. You've got similar character archetypes, a main character who can be kinda crazy, and corporate villains. But there are unique aspects to this drama, such as the flair some of the characters have and how violence and murder are much more prevalent. Also it doesn't really have a mystery element that Chief Kim had with its plot, with this drama being more about the heroes and villains clashing. Any mystery set up usually gets solved really quickly as it pushes the plot forward. With that, there are some really predictable elements. The end of the episodes become somewhat predictable, even though its clearly designed to be suspenseful and keep you on the edge of your seat. It just gets a bit tiring by the later episodes.

The biggest detractor in this drama is it doesn't have an addictive soundtrack like Chief Kim or a drama like Stranger. It has some good tracks but it would have been really elevated with a strong hero's theme. But the fact that the music is the biggest detractor says how good the rest of the show is. I wasn't too impressed with the fiery priest but this drama is the worthy successor to Chief Kim.

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Hesitant at the first step

The summary of this drama is what brought me here (except Song Joongki ofc). Italian mafia vibes with a promising character of a consigliere.
Oh, how I was disappointed! My expectations were so high I couldn't watch the first two episodes! So I dropped it. Didn't come back for a few weeks. And then came this boring evening when I wanted to watch something without thinking... and I was wrong once again. Two nights later at 16 episode, waiting for the last 4. I was crying every day, waiting for them to see what's gonna happen! The story, the acting, the thrilling scenes combined with a great sense of humour! And oh, the symbolism!
Everything about this drama is great. Name it, they have it.
You didn't watch a korean drama like this. You won't believe what happened in those episodes. You will be more and more surprised with each episode only to cry at the end because "it had 20 episodes yet it finished so fast".

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Don't Think Twice Just Go for it!

I can go on and on about the drama but how about you watch it too and we both go on and on about it?
This show will make you feel every emotion humanly possible and in the end, you will come out as a strong individual and a strong mind.
You will fall in love with the entire cast of Vincenzo. The main lead is obviously important however in my opinion so is the supporting cast and I can tell you after DOTS and Crash landing on you, Vincenzo has the most perfect cast. in fact the best. you will fall in love with each one of them and in the end, you will just crave to be a part of the Cassano family.
PS: The focus on romance is very less however every once in a while it will make you go aww. It has a very logical ending and a happy one that is.

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I'm so f*cking inlove with this drama

Highly recommended this beautiful drama.
This drama have a lot of plot twist so you cannot predict it.
(◍•ᴗ•◍)
The cast is so beautiful, the visual of main role is so f*cking hot.
Song joong ki, Jeon Yeo bin and Ok taec yeon is so really great, incredible, amazing actors/actress. I'm really love this drama.....(◍•ᴗ•◍)
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Fast Paced Cathartic Drama but Not for Everyone

"Vincenzo" has been a total treat to watch. Song Joong Ki has been blessing us with his unique charm.

PLOT: Consigliere Vincenzo Cassano, a powerful name in the Italian Mafia returned to Korea to recover hidden gold over 300 million dollars. Guemga plaza, the basement where Wang Shaolin's gold is secured using advanced technology is in the risk of getting demolished by corrupt 'Babel Group'. The basement also contains 'Guillotine File', a file containing misdeeds & secrets of higher officials. This is how our consigliere get involved with the countries major & corrupt in every possible way 'Babel group'. The group is backed up by law firm Wusung. Hong Yu Chang has been fighting for justice for a long time. But power oppresses him. He dies in a conspiracy of Babel regarding narcotic painkiller RDU-9 The main culprit behind of Babel kept his identity and his hideous past hidden using his step brother, Jang Han Seo. The tenants were hostile at first, then they collaborated with Vincenzo their corn salad (misinterpretation of consigliere). Vincenzo believes only evil can erase evil. Amidst all these can the Mafia recover his gold teaming up with Lawyer Hong Cha Young & others tenants.

CAST: The cast did an amazing job. The funny and quirky incidents were enjoyable to watch. Also Kim Sung Cheol's cameo was hilarious. The FL's character initially came across irritating to me but as the story progressed I seemed to like her sassiness. Each tenants were a hidden gem.

OST & PRODUCTION: The OSTs and visual effects (specially scenes in Italy) were pretty nice. I loved the fact that they used some classic Italian songs as background music.

The reasons why I deducted stars:
Inzaghi scene- as a watcher I giggled & enjoyed a lot. But this scene could have been more improvised so that it seemed more logical.
In the last episodes when Jung Joon Woo tries to murder Vincenzo, he seemed to escape with Cha Young. There were various scenes where the situation was way worse and he overcame it. But at this point the fleeing scene did not fit for me.
I get it Jung Joon Woo wanted to kill his brother using his own gun. But in such a prime moment, you've killed many before, now you're somehow free from jail, you just come with 2 bullets!

In short "Vincenzo" was really enjoyable. If you're expecting gore and extreme violence hearing 'mafia' from this drama then sorry to disappoint, this was more like a dark comedy. If you liked "Chief Kim" or "Fiery Priest" you're gonna love it. This was fairly a 8.6 or 8.7 rated drama to me.
I would recommend giving it a try.

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A criticism towards corrupted people

Vincenzo as a character is so interesting, and I see this as a criticism towards corrupted people who manipulated the law. I started watching this purely for the actions and thrill so I am very satisfied with the whole story and ending, the romance is there and it didn't ruin the plot, it feels just right. Jang Han Seok as villain also did great, but I personally think that Choi Myung Hee is the most annoying one. Why? Well, Jang Han Seok is a born psychopath so him doing all these crimes didn't get into my nerve as much as Choi Myung Hee because it just his nature and was built like that, while Choi Myung Hee is another ordinary human being but choose to be a bad person. I also love how Vincenzo stick with his principles by not sending them to jail whatsoever and punished them himself. Gonna miss seeing the Geumga plaza residents too❣

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Rich in many ways

The series presented many cultures (Korean, Italian, biblical, Buddhist, ... ) presenting a mafia person, who somehow never forgot spoken and written Korean, and barely learned Italian, though an Italian lawyer.
He is caught in a good vs. evil war, siding with the former, though unable or unwanting to shed his old self.
In the end I wondered whether I had to go through so many killings, and why the author chose not to develop some relationships among the cast. I am not only referring to the woman protecting Vincenzo from getting shot, de facto a "I love you" declaration, which went pretty much nowhere. I am talking about developing the mom-son relationship in the Plaza, do more with the pawn shop couple, get the cook out of his goofiness by learning how to cook, ...
I also disliked the plethora of revelations about the past of the Plaza folks. Too artificial.
Liked the defenestration scene at the end of ep. 19, the re-creation of Delacroix' masterpiece "La Liberté guidant le peuple", the music overall, and the fact that the author spent time to tie together everything in the end.

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