Vincenzo (2021)

Part Mafia-thriller, part slapstick comedy, with an outlandish plot

It starts off hero-worshipping Song Joong-ki but gets better with every episode. People seem to agree with me on that, and the ratings improved with each release. Jeon Yeo-been plays his formidable partner in crime, sharing great chemistry in spite of very little romance.
Both of them are really good actors and Episode 16 is epic when Song Joong-ki puts his soul into it. But 2PM's Ok Taecyeon takes the crown for best actor in this show! The Geumga Plaza crew are a sweet bunch and bring the comedy that is much needed in this dark comedy when people drop like flies.

It's part Mafia-thriller, part slapstick comedy, with a high body count and an outlandish plot. It's dramatic of course, but a bit too dramatic ? That is why I give the story a low score.

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The BEST K-drama ever

This is such a FABULOUS K-drama that I have ever seen. Previously, I hadn't watched any drama of Song Joong Ki and Joen Yeo Bin, but this one is SOOOO much exciting to spend your time with. The main leading roles of Vincenzo & Hong Cha Young are quite matching with wonderful chemistry, even though there are not many loving scenes in the show. If both of them can successfully develop their relationship in real life as they grow for each other in the drama, that's perfect and I wish them happiness. Their performance in each scene is really unforgettable and mesmerizing.

10/10 for Song Joong Ki and Joen Yeo Bin. (I'm shipping them now)
10/10 for all the Guemga residents. They are the cutest supporting roles, esp. Mr. An who is much lovely and hilarious.

The other antagonists also performed very well in their roles. I really like Jang Jun Woo in those early episodes because he looks childish and lovely. His face looks so kind and nice so he might not fit a lot in Jang Han Soek, not very scary in this role. However, he did try the best to bring out this evil character.

Music: really love "I'm always by your side", and "This is love" whenever both of them are playing in the kissing scenes. The melodies perfectly match with the background where Vincenzo and Cha Young are falling in love, but still embarrassed to confess to each other.

Congratulations to all the actors and actresses, supporting roles, director and screen writing, all the staff working very hard to bring out the best drama. I LOVE you all!!!!!

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This is a great and unique drama that can be viewed as a satirical account of the characters in the drama. The plot is a deranged representation of criminal investigation of psychopaths perpetrated by a group of individuals that get involved with the leading couple as they seek justice and their share of a fortune left by a deceased criminal. This is a well written and executed story that shows the vice in humans with a dose of dark parodic satire that seems, at times, to lighten the overall dark tone of the drama. Vincenzo is not the typical crime drama where good triumphs over evil; it is a drama that makes individuals question if, given the circumstances where the justice system and its representatives are corrupt and no justice can be expected, an inherently evil action be warranted by a good reason. This is a star-studded drama with impeccable performances across the board and not for the faint of heart!

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✨ Lo mejor ✨

No sé ni siquiera por dónde empezar...
Un drama execelente, con hermosas escenas, perfectas actuaciones y maravilloso ost. Me encantó que cambia completamente los clichés en los dramas, dónde el "bueno" no es en definitiva bueno, pero lo amas a pesar de todo, dónde la chica no es aquella que hace cambiar al protagonista, sino que, al contrario, lo apoya y lo ayuda en todas sus artimañas "inmorales" desde el principio hasta el fin; la trama lo deja a la total expectativa ya que no se sabe el siguiente movimiento de Vincenzo y su equipo, y el contraataque del bando opuesto. Además le coges cariño a todos y cada uno de los personajes secundarios sin verse forzada la historia, simplemente nadie sabe la vida oculta del vecino :3
Amé todo de este drama.

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What a Ride!

It is difficult to put it in the right words. Vincenzo is one of a kind.
Vincenzo is the best series I've seen this year. Period. The cast, the story and the OST, everything was just perfecto. It was the best mix out of tension, intrigues, comedy and heart-warming scenes with amazing side characters and overwhelming twists and turns. Vincenzo is indeed a feelgood drama.
I've seen that some people are upset because of the glorification of the mafia, his action and the impossibility of defeating Vincenzo, but keep in mind it is just a fictional series. I personally do not quiet much enjoy action or thriller series and movies, only if they are paired with warmth or justice (can be viewed from different perspectives here...) they are an option for me. Due to the fact that there were that many unexpected turns and Vincenzo really knew how to deal with gangsters, every cliffhanger kept me going straight into the next episode.

To the main leads (all the supporting actors were great, too, and I'm looking forward to their next projects).
I knew both of the before. I've seen Jeon Yeo‑been in BeMelodramatic. Furthermore, I really enjoyed her acting, and she kinda carried the show for me. When I started watching Vincenzo, I was very surprised. She seemed like a completely different person, and I'm still very impressed by her talent.
I know Song Joong‑ki from Descendants of the Sun (DoS) and I'm so glad I do not speak Italian because I'm pretty sure he delivered those Italian lines just like the English lines in DoS. In DoS you really noticed that he didn't know what he was doing, and that he was allowed to do it in such a way surprises me. In general, I only liked him semi in the series, but that could also have been due to the relationship structure. So here it did not bother me, because of my lack of knowledge, which means I can not judge it at all. I liked him a lot in here. He embodied Vincenzo perfectly with his innocent looks and confidence.
Ok Taec‑yeon was the perfect representative of the multiple personalities and played his two roles very well. The magic happens in the eyes like I could almost grab the madness.
My personal highlight was episode 8, but obviously all of them are bangers.
It's about power struggles, friendship, the past and reinvention among most of the characters. In the end of Vincenzo, the relationship of the main leads is not defined, but I can easily say that I have not seen such a healthy relationship in a Drama for a long time. There is no crossing of borders, no invasion of privacy and if somebody told a lie, it was accepted until the person was ready to talk about whatever happened. Nobody needed to change or complement the other, they liked each other as complete individuals. They just liked being around each other and had the same goal.
The music never failed to hype me up. I really loved everything about it, but I'm pretty sure there will not be another season.

BTW since they are calling themselves the Cassanovo Family, aren't they also a part of the mafia XD

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THE BEST !!!!

ok firstly i loved this show with my entire whole heart. acting is ON POINT, comedy had me bust a lung and overall this show was put together so well and the cast and directors did a fantastic job so thank you for vincenzo! i really enjoyed the italian mafia role song joong ki acted and jeon yeobin's character was so lovable and adorable !! as for the villain i was going through a whole love hate relationship during the entire show hes just so precious BUT JDBSHD. the other characters were amazing. i really really liked mr nam and mr ahn both of their characters were hilarious! the geumga plaza residents were the icing on the cake, acting was superb and i love their whole bond. background music was literally chefs kiss. i literally enjoyed every single track and got so excited whenever one came on. if you've come all the way here and read this im telling you, this is a must watch !! and yes jang hanseo bestest boy <33

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " Vincenzo " had a good concept but there were times that it didn't make it work.

The main problem with this drama is the length. It's not only twenty episodes long, each episode also was about an hour and twenty minutes. However, the story was not for that length. Therefore, there were episodes, especially the final ones, when the story was full of fillers, unnecessary twists, and ridiculous situations that were trying too hard to be funny. The blend, though, of action, comedy, and legal themes was an interesting combination that worked for most of the cases. Most of the characters were also pretty interesting, though some of them, like the piano lady and the female lead, were annoying and it was obvious that they were written to be eccentric, but that was presented in a way that screamed try-hard. The villain was a boring character in the second half of the drama. However, it must be noted that the big twist was an innovative one and pretty entertaining.

As for the performances, everyone did a great job, especially the male lead who finally found the right character for his proper comeback after the big hit DOTS.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Anti-Hero Hero Glorifield

I have had a lot of thoughts while watching this show. Both good and bad. Let's start with the good shall we:

1) Production Design - Amazing production and direction. The Italy piece was amazingly shot. Made me pause just to look at the vertical shots, and the different angles many action scenes were shot as well. The fight choreography was decent. Every arson scene looked so real.

2) The Villains - I was definitely more interested in the villains than the main character (will come to that later). Ok Teac Yeon made me so much invested in his character that I completely ditched the MC, and was primarily watching for him. For me, he was definitely the USP and the one character which I felt could have had better treatment. Choi Myung Hee was such a great subversion for a feminist trope that I never knew I needed. She really made me hate her character and I really despised her till the end.

3) Song Jong Ki - The man is so charismatic as Vincenzo, it is really difficult to take your eyes off him. Half the reason Vincenzo works is because of this man.

4) Supporting Characters - I did have a like-dislike relationship with the Plaza people. It was definitely a funny gag to see how each one of them was immensely talented, and their coming together as the Casanno family really melted my heart. But their search for the gold plot tested my patience and I skipped their many scenes.

5) Music - The Music and Background Scores are bangers and elevated the scenes a lot. The song Adrenaline really did come at a funny situation, but still a banger.

6) Chemistry - SJK had chemistry with almost all the actors and even more so with his male cast members. I did feel a little queerbaiting here and there but I cast was really good and the acting was amazing.

Now what didn't work for me:

1) Vincenzo as a static character - VC is a charter who remained static from start to end. He has precisely one change in the entire show which was after episode 3. And the ONLY consequence or low point in his life was episode 17 when his mother died. Apart from that Vincenzo would Swoop in save the day, get in trouble by the last few minutes of the episode, and then by the next episode within the first few minutes all his problems would get resolved. He is ALWAYS ahead in his game, never loses literally. I don't have a problem with OP characters but this problem persists throughout the show, which made me believe there was really nothing at the stake for him.

2) Themes - Glorification of VC as an anti-hero and no nuance themes. The drama treats VC as an anti-hero but at the same time, he acts as the hero most of the time. The show never shows me (lesser evil vs evil). It treats its lesser evil as a Heroic trait. All the scenes of VC come off across as "cool" or "wow" but never, is he right or wrong because he is always right. Even if you see the MC, he barely has more than a scratch on his face doing col stuff.

3) Female Lead - The FL really came off as annoying and over the top. She did shine through after episode 3 but rarely showed character development in the latter half of the show. She blindly followed all Vincenzos plan. While the actors did have chemistry and romance was slow-burn and had a comrade of a married couple, the romance did feel a little off and little to no need.

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A little inconsistent, but what a ride!

TLDR: Vincenzo is a dark comedy about anti-hero mafia consligere who delivered justice, in outrageous crooked ways, with loveable characters (looking fly as hell), coupled with interesting villains. Being a comedy, every episode would have something funny. This at times back-fires, as it created a couple inconsistencies in characters, albeit endearing and entertaining. Also, there are a few unnecessary characters that make this drama a little too dragged out, perhaps to fulfil the 20-episodes arc. All-in-all, a fun and entertaining ride!

*spoilers ahead*
What the show did well: The show's premise was indeed outrageous from the get-go. It could have gone so terribly wrong if not for the spectacular VFX (Italy scenes) and acting (Song Joong Ki) in the series. Besides VFX, the action scenes were shot really well, probably one of the best action kdramas in my opinion. Secondly, the writers have definitely provided endearing main characters for viewers to root for, especially the Geumga Plaza residents and Hong Cha Young. The drama's initial surprise of innocent-looking Jang Joon Woo being the mastermind of Babel was really good, and his psychopathic character and his spiraling out-of-control was entertaining yet intimidating to watch. Lastly, my boy Jang Han Seo deserves better (more so of the actor playing characters that have happier endings). I really liked the character development for most of the characters, including Jang Han Seo and former Babel minions. Last but not least, the soundtrack was dope. Some of the tracks being classical-influenced amped up the pompous or outrageousness of the drama, which is pure entertainment.

What the show could have done better: I wish that ex-Prosecutor Choi was given a better storyline. Heck, she could have been the main villain or forge a different path (aka joining the good guys/not being the subordinate or sidekick). In earlier episodes, we see that she was a boss ass bitch (albeit terrorizing) in the law firm. Yet, in later episodes we were given a Harley Quinn-ish character that stayed by her Joker (aka Joon Woo). While I do understand her character development, it felt like she was shoved aside to make way for Joon Woo. Same for Hong Cha Young, I also wish she could have shown more of her lawyer skills/chops instead of Vincenzo always saving her ass/the day. The last few episodes had some random ass moments/subplots that felt like fillers instead of character or plot development. Also, I felt that there were a few too many episodes ending in a cliffhangers that results in unfulfilling plot devices.

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Nerve-racking show with an annoying comedy

It took me awhile before I fully understand what’s going on during the beginning of the show. Then most of the side characters are familiar which I’ve already seen from different dramas, which also made a trademark from their previous drama. At first I’m happy seeing them again in a new drama but it’s really a boring characters for me so I didn’t actually like it at all. The first few episodes don’t interest me but after Mr. Hong died I started to like the show but then many things happen and it was a rollercoaster ride yet 20 episodes is too much for the story. Too much miracle happened in the story that turns the series an unrealistic drama.

Brutality and violence that’s goes round and round with an ever ending deaths. To be honest, I don’t like how Vincenzo plays along with the villain although many of his acquaintance was killed. It just that it really not a mafia thing to let the main suspect lived longer than the rest. Specially that Vincenzo emphasizes “Devil for devil, eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth” throughout the earlier episodes. Vincenzo is obviously a murderer but he become soft afterwards which were confusing for some reason. But anyways, it’s a satisfying ending seeing how the villains ended up in a painful way to die. Only evil can punish evil.

I’m getting annoyed both with the villain characters and at the same time the failed comedic attempt of the show. The people who played the antagonist were so clever and I really feel irritated towards them, meaning that their acting is effective. And then we have the most annoying genre of the show, the comedy! The most cringe character goes to the Chef’s assistant or the spy agent from the international crime division. He is trying hard to make the scene funny but I didn’t laugh at all, it was a failed comedy attempt. Most scenes coming from the people renting the building seems to get boring and boring as episodes passed by. I even find it naïve that they can win against thugs who are crueler than them, in a physical fight.

One thing that I liked the most in the drama is that Kwak Dong Yeon finally been able to recognize by a lot of people. He is indeed a talented and handsome man. I am already a fan of him a long time ago, that is why I am so happy for the feedback of the viewers to his role.

Vincenzo is probably a good crime and law drama but not actually the best. I like how they didn’t focus on romance that much which is exactly a good thing. But then again, the comedy just ruined the entirety of the show.

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An Italian point of view

As an Italian, I was curious to see this drama, and also a bit afraid because of the delicate topic they've chosen.

It's not easy to write a story involving Mafia without falling into stereotypes and romanticization. It's something that it's almost never discussed outside of our country, and not many people who talk about Mafia have a real idea of what they are. They aren't the cool and sexy boss who kill just for the pleasure to kill, and that justifies their actions for the sake of "love". They are a plague, a terrific and still existing problem of our country. So many have suffered, especially in the years from the '60 to the '80, but even now in different forms. It's not something to laugh at, something to think as "cool". It's evil and cruel, and I really hope whoever has started this drama had this point really clear.

Now, what about Vincenzo?
The plot itself wasn't that complicated, it's the typical law/criminal kdrama, with our evil guys who kill and don't really care about human life or morals, and we have our heroes, who on the contraries want to bring justice. But here we have someone in the middle. Vincenzo Cassano is "the evil", as he represents himself, but he also works against the even worse evil of the drama, and his purposes are driven by the need to bring justice where the justice system lacks.
The story was nice, a bit slow, and boring in the middle (the whole search for the gold plotline was honestly so annoying!), but it was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Vincenzo's character was generally well written and, despite my worries, he wasn't the romanticized hero of this kind of narrative. I liked how from the beginning he never showed himself as the good guy, he knew who he was, he knew what he did, and what he was planning to do was morally wrong, but in his perspective, it was the only way to bring peace. He was human enough to feel some remorse for his actions, but he was willing to live with those feelings.
In the end, he wasn't really different from the bad big guys and it honestly looked a bit unrealistic how he never suffered from the consequences of his actions. This was the only sign that he was indeed the "good guy" for the drama and for the audience, which was something I didn't really like. Somehow it was strange to see how the people around him worshipped him and his actions... I mean, he helped them a lot, but he was still ruthless and cold-blooded and yet they never criticized him for this.
Also, there were some things that didn't sit well with me. Not particularly with his character, but with the whole Mafia topic. Somehow, especially from the halfway point of the drama, Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young's actions seemed justified just because their enemies were doing something even more wrong and evil. They used some Mafia modus operandi (like the pig blo*d, or even the ending for Myung Hee) as a way to fight their enemies, but they were shown almost like a joke, with funny music in the background and their smiling and satisfied reactions. To be honest, those scenes made me a bit uncomfortable, because it wasn't funny to think about the people who had suffered in the reality.

As for the rest of the characters, they were okay, but nothing remarkable. The big bad guy was the usual big bad guy, crazy, without morals or rules. At least he was handsome.
I really liked Jang Hanseo's character, though. I liked his struggle between the need to stay alive and the desire to be genuinely appreciated by his brother.
And for the Cassano family gang... well they were just the usual comic relief to make the drama less dark and heavy. Funny the first two episodes, then they became overrated. And they were too many, they took so much screen time that could be used to show better the main characters instead of the stupid hunt for the gold (yes, again, I didn't like that part, sorry lol).

The acting.
As always, this part doesn't disappoint. I really appreciated Joongki, more than usual. He worked so hard in learning his parts in Italian and he was also pretty good. I feel sad for those who don't understand the language and have missed all the poetic shadows of his swear words. They were beautiful and perfectly Italian!
Also big shootout to Taekyeon, he's always so expressive when he acts and I really enjoyed his representation.

What else to say?
It wasn't a bad drama, I actually enjoyed it, but I think they could have done better work with the whole Mafia topic. I know I must sound boring, but it's really important. And while they haven't fallen into ugly stereotypes, they still didn't show the reality. The Mafia isn't the "best alternative" to fight the bad enemy, and I wished they hadn't slipped on this part.
I'll probably never rewatch this, though.

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