Vincenzo (2021)

This is so disappointing

I am a fan of Song Joong Ki and had really high hopes for this. The only thing that made me suspicious was the Comedy tag and Crime tag combined. I have seen amazing Italian Tv shows about the mafia and they are never funny because there isn't anything funny about it. Anyways I decided to give a chance to this. The start was promising. Song was playing his part very well and showed good Italian speaking ( even though he was speaking slowly to focus on pronunciation) I really liked how he handled the foreign language. Could not expect anything less from him :) Now let's focus on the part he went back to Korea and bammm the crime and dark scenario is ruined by some morons in a building and annoying FL. What was this all about? Grown-up people act as primary school students and that FL...no words to describe how I seriously hoped the scenario will get better and see something worthy ( apart from the amazing Song Joong Ki) in this drama. Unfortunately, it is that bad and I don't see any hope for this. I Dropped the drama and let's hope Song will act in a better project next time!

Ok here I am again with a second review for the drama- while I dropped the drama at ep 4 I decided to come back and watch another 3 episodes and since I noticed something positive in the drama i have to point it out to be fair in my judgment. First of all, I am going to start with the negative:
-- This drama is really bad. The court scenes are preposterous and not realistic at all
-- The FL again - horrible as ever
-- The plot is very predictable so far
Now the positive:
-- SOng Ki is great in his role but the one that shines more than him is the villain. I have not seen this actor before but he is great at portraying such psychopaths. His role is more difficult than the one of Vincenzo and he is truly giving us a great performance. I decided to watch the drama to the end ( mainly his scenes) because he is so good and his character is also very interesting. So far ep 7 was the most interesting and I hope they give more screen time to the villain. There is so much we don't know about him. Somehow i have a strange feeling that he has some kind of fondness for the FL. What are your thoughts about it?

PS: I forgot to mention that the villain has very good English pronunciation. Love his English phrases :P

Edit: I stay behind my words but I have to mention that since I watched the whole drama after all ( apart from the major problems of the Mafia representation) I have to give some positive feedback about the final 2 episodes because I think they were simply the best. I have to post the quote from the magnificent ending ( and yes, I did like the final episode and how was executed) and I definitely liked Vincenzo final words in the drama:
“Two days ago, I used three Luciano family members as manure for the vineyard and took over the olive plantations in Malta. I’m still a villain and couldn’t care less about justice. Justice is weak and empty. One cannot win against any villains with justice alone. If merciless justice exists, I am willing to yield to it. Even villains long to live in a peaceful world. However, since that’s impossible, I’ve taken up a new hobby. Getting rid of garbage. If I don’t do that, people will die buried underneath the garbage.

There’s one last thing I’d like to say from a villain’s perspective. Evil is prevalent and vehement”.

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After a long time I watched a drama while it was airing! Vincenzo is a slow paced drama don't expect a lot of fighting scenes back to back. It's a mix of comedic element too.

The idea of the story was actually good. A mafia lawyer who come to Korea to take out the hidden gold but it ended up just like all other K-dramas talking about the corruption of the system. The creative ideas writer came up with each episode and those TOP TIER CLIFFHANGERS *Chef's kiss*. It is actually a unpredictable drama but but but Vincenzo was portrayed as so smart guy that he can't be beaten by anyone which I have never seen a drama where hero wins most of the time and this made the villain cheap indeed. And also made the drama way too boring *SIGH*

Song Joong ki did quite well in this. He got a lot better in Vincenzo I actually didn't like his acting much in DOTS but there were some scenes were I didn't actually felt his emotions .

Jang Han Seok the "SUPPOSED VILLAIN" was too relied on others that I never actually got to see his own potential. The female prosecutor is much more like a " ACTUAL VILLAIN".

The FL was annoying and her acting felt exaggerated a bit in the first 2 episodes a lot but later she got better too but yaa she definitely loud like that through out. She isn't a own strong independent FL but she listens to ML's plan and works according.

I didn't feel much bond between the tenants. The tenants were also selfish but they have a good character development in later episodes. And the BEST BOY Han Seo (Kwak Dong Yeon) That guy has so much potential but sadly he was just playing a support role :( After this drama he better get ML role.

The writer honestly wasted the potential of many characters(specifically villains) in the drama. The writer really did injustice to villains in this drama, they all were underestimated by writer.

The music is top notch to be honest. It really matches the vibe of the scene. It's catchy I really liked the music of this drama.

If you are looking for romance in this drama there isn't any actually much. The way they look at each other and them flirting AHH. You'll ship them so hard seeing those small things they do for each other. They developed a friendship while achieving there goals. It's actually a question if they had romantic feelings for each other. ROMANCE AIN'T THE MAIN FOCUS.

The duration of the drama was the biggest flaw here. This drama would have been good. If it was 20 Episodes with 1 hours duration or 16 Episodes with 1. 25 hours duration. Because a lot of scenes were filler indeed ( Mostly in Ep 18 & 19). But despite of those flaws it was a good watch for me!

If one day I suffer from amnesia I will watch this LOL just kidding. There were some moments and scenes definitely worth re watching .

END~

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Fun but overlong

I'll make the review short..
The majority of what is wrong with this show stems from the fact that that the show is too long for its own good. Each episode is almost 70 - 90 minutes in runtime. It being a netflix show, i dont know why they had to stretch each episode to reach this runtime. The series would have been much better if the episode count was reduced to 16 or the by reducing the episode length.
To fill the runtime there are many unnecessary jokes and setups for comedy which works sometimes but not nearly enough. Whatever emotional aspects or urgency the story tries to bring fizzles out in the end due to this..
I was on board with the romance aspect of the story, i think the charm of the characters and actors worked well and the chemistry was really good. The over the top nature of the story never bothered me (When was Korean Dramas not over the top?).
Story was not perfect dont get me wrong but still i was not bored by it but at the same time i wont be rewatching it any time soon...

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Vincenzo

I'm not sure what all the hype was about in this drama. It has high review and was recommended to me from a friend. Still, I don't find it as great as others. Some parts are very exciting and fast pace while other scenes are dragging and shouldn't even be included. I found myself rolling my eyes and groaning in disappointment in certain scenes.

No doubt Vincenzo Cassano is a tough mafia who will get the job done. However, there are many scenes where he's not like a mafia. He's like a clumsy, funny typical rom-com Korean protagonist. He could have been funny and normal without the extreme jumping and falling down, or extreme surprise stupefied facial expression at certain episodes. There are many 'wtf' moments, ie, when a whole flocks of birds came to rescue him. I actually screamed and laughed out loud in disbelief.
And it's not a good laugh either. There are many, many over the top acting from all characters. Many many OOC taking place in the drama. I understand some of the those were for comical relief but it's not working for me. They're too over the top.

I don't like the force romance between the two main leads. They both have a great friendship and working relationship. But I don't see a romance relationship between them. Whenever it appears, it seems force and out of place to me. I also don't find the people in the Geumga Plaza pleasant to watch. It's such a "coincidence" that they all have some kind of fighting background. It's so weird that they all come together and help one another like that without worrying about the consequence. And non of them fear the mafia, Vincenzo, a man who could torture and kill without blinking an eye. The Geumga Plaza residents are silly and I guess they provide a comical aspect to the show.

I still did find this drama watchable. I cried when a few of the characters died. I like and feel sorry for Jang Han-seo. He started out silly and stupid but end up being someone who showed growth and able to redeem himself at the end.

I like the revenge plot. I like the an eye for an eye approach. If you did Vincenzo wrong, he would take revenge and make sure you feel every single pain for it. The cat and mouse game he plays with Jan-Han-seok and Cha-Young was a joy to watch. Overall, it was an okay drama but I would not watch it ago.

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Overhyped at best

This is a comedy murder series where the protagonist is unkillable and "imbalanced".
They try hard to make the drama be series while it being a comedy, doesn't really work. Both genre's clashing just makes the whole vibe like it's a joke. The main leads have little chemistry, so thankfully there aren't many romance scenes. Only 1 side character was likeable for me. The plot of the whole series is pretty much of a conglomerate company bribing, and murdering people and getting away with it like it's nothing lmao. If you only watch dramas bc of the handsomeness of actors, this is the one for you; else, overrated.

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lowkey dissapointed in how the writing turned out as the story progressed

lowkey dissapointed in how the writing turned out as the story progressed. I loved the beginning episodes and the writing kept the suspense up. it made me want to analyse vincenzo as a character and i wrote lots of comments here about his past and his motives, whether he believes he's a good person or not. but as the story progressed, everything i was curious about as a viewer was never addressed or weirdly brushed over. The characters stopped feeling "real" and became too comic-like, the "revenge" parts became really slow and lacked buildup or weren't timed in a dramatic way in the episodes. i also started questioning chayoungs character who's personality was written more and more sporadically in every episode. There were so many loose ends that were never tied up (and the funny thing is those loose ends were what everyone was interested in) Take the whole cassano family feud. everyone was so interested in seeing vin fight his brother or have the italian mafia come after him... that's what the story set up in the begining... but then all we got was this enslaught of korean politicians, businessmen, lawyers, that we knew nothing about and that were introduced to the story late. Another plotpoint. Vin's past. What actually happened back then. what are those flashbacks. him working out how he feels about himself. getting closure. why did none of this happen? Alot of the characters irritated me and it's because they were too comical but not in a good way and were just so unrealistic for a "serious" show (even tho i am aware vincenzo is more like a parody than a dead serious mafia drama) but i will say my props to the lame gangsters running the balloon store. they were the only funny people in the plaza: the whimpy gangster boss and his goth chick accountant were hilarious. Then shout out to taecyeon for our main villian. The way he acts with his eyes made me genuinely think he was having fun torture people. And his brother, what an interesting character and storyline. he was the most thought-out character in the show and WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, he's also everyone's favourite..... just look at what good character writing does, it's no coincedence he's a crowd fav. Of course i think vincenzo was played very charismatically and he really is the most charming in a suit.

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Not your favourite review. (Boring show)

I can never fully grasp why the rating is so damn high. So many people praise this drama and im sorry but this show aint for me.
Firstly, im okay with illogicality in general. But the plot in this show is just too much. No cases were really being seen solved completely and its just shallow. Not a good delivery on each topic. The only reason i manage to watch it up to 15 ep is bcs of the undercover police officer and the assistant lawyer. Others are just overacting. The storyline is also slow and boring. Repetitive turn of events throughout the show. The only scene that enticed me is the appearance of truck-kun.
Apart from that, action and cinematography is great. But thats just it. Having predictable scene is just fine but this show lacks something that can keep me to be on the edge everytime something happened. I am also grateful for them to not include too much lovey dovey scene. Props to them for that. Then again, sorry for this review but i honestly dont think it should have those high ratings.

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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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Very good storyline

The reason why I started watching VINCENZO when it came out was for a very dummy reason. As an Italian, I heard this was about the Italian's mafia and honestly hearing Song Joong Ki swearing in Italian was pure comedy. But besides the stupid reason, I found this kdrama really really amazing. The storyline was actually pretty solid and smooth but the end got me in tears. Also, I had suspicions on who the antagonist may be and I was mad at the fact that I was right but it made me realise how good Ok Taecyeon is with his acting.
The cast per se was really really on point.
Hope for a second season honestly.

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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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Finished watching in 5 days instead of my regular 2 days

Likable
1. Ok Taec-yeon as Villain
2. Death Scenes of Hong Yoo-chan, Jang Han-seok & Choi Myung-hee
3. Park Joo-hyung as Vincenzo
4. Modern day relationship dynamics influenced by past instances & regret after losing loved one's (Hong Cha-Young relationship with her father & Vincenzo's resentment towards his mother)
5. Jang Han-seo character development. The only character that actually developed or improved with time according to me.

Dislikable
1. Entire Save Geumga Plaza Fiasco-Didn't like "over-the-top" sacrifices for Vincenzo. All tenants except monks & hacker were useless.
2. Over-Exaggeration of Consigliere & his Powers on other side Babel & power it holds.
3. Too many side-characters, divergence from main-plot, cassano family & filler comedy scenes.
4. Vincenzo's veiled past, Cha-Young's role from manipulative-smart lawyer being reduced to Vincezo's devotee. Reason behind Cha-Young's mother committing suicide & more shades of her character could be explored.
5. Jang Han-seok despite of being the mastermind relying too much on Choi Myung-hee for executing his plans & protecting himself.

Above Average-Neither too Good nor too Bad-Watchable after skipping filler scenes.

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