Vigilante (2023)

Trasposizione di un WEBTOON

che narra della lotta di un epico eroe contro i mali della società e la corruzione della legge e della giustizia.
E' una storia d'intrattenimento puro, senza particolari messaggi, alla fine è come scorrere un fumettone, in cui i personaggi sono tratteggiati in modo da rimanere impressi, le situazioni sono grottesche/irreali: che un omicida scontri 3 anni e mezzo di pena per aver ucciso l'ennesima persona indifesa è poco credibile, che torni a fare danni senza che la giustizia coreana lo rimetta al suo posto, anche ... ma serve per far emergere l'eroe senza macchia e paura che mette a posto tutto, coinvolgendo altri nella sua lotta.
Piacevole visione.

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Ottimo ritratto dell'antieroe stratega

Desideravo vedere questa serie da parecchio tempo...Non disegno i classici eroi, ma gli antieroi mi piacciono di più. Il fascino di un personaggio che ha principi, morale e regole tutte sue, e che non sempre collimano col "buono" che va a braccetto con la giustizia e la correttezza che - talvolta con piena ipocrisia - il resto del mondo sembra inseguire. L'armatura scintillante - senza macchia! e senza paura - del principe azzurro si opacizza all'istante, al confronto!
Fin dalle prime scene ho potuto apprezzare la qualità della serie, le riprese, i dialoghi, il ritmo. Partiamo dall'unica pecca: la totale assenza di romance. Per me è un elemento un po' indispensabile, ma devo dire che ci sono state alcune - poche a dire il vero - serie talmente belle che ho un po' perdonato la mancanza. Con questo non voglio dire che pretendevo una love story che facesse da pilastro portante (come in "Healer", che ha davvero molto in comune con questa serie, dall'azione, al ritmo, al classico Badass Male Lead, solo i toni differiscono, qui nettamente più cupi e violenti), mi sarei accontentata anche di un semplice accenno di romance (come in "Vincenzo", altra serie simile con un fantastico personaggio che per sconfiggere i cattivi deve diventare piu cattivo dei cattivi). Vigilante mi ricorda molto queste due serie, tra le mie preferite. Non solo, la trama per certi versi è anche più complessa e imprevedibile: si da allo spettatore l'illusione di aver colto degli indizi, di aver capito tutto, per poi farlo cadere in pieno nel tranello. Davvero, ho cambiato idea e fatto ipotesi così tante volte durante gli episodi, con personaggi che passavano dal lato buono a quello cattivo, poi forse ancora al lato buono, per poi farmi venire nuovamente il dubbio... Ciò che serve per mantenere alta l'attenzione e la curiosità. Dicevo, la trama è complessa e il nostro Vigilante è un buon stratega (e qui non posso esimermi dal paragone con "Doctor Prisoner", dove il protagonista interpretato da Namgoong Min è un Machiavelli per eccellenza). L'attore protagonista non ha lasciato a dire il vero il segno, l'ho apprezzato ma ho avuto la sensazione sia rimasto un po' nell'indefinito, non so se è un limite dell'attore o l'esigenza di mantenere un protagonista con un basso profilo. C'è poi quello che ho soprannominato "il pazzoide", alias il suo fan numero uno, fuori come un balcone e che fino a oltre metà della serie ancora non ero riuscita a inquadrare correttamente; buona la prova della giornalista, non un concentrato di simpatia a pelle e nemmeno di empatia, ma complessivamente credibile come personaggio; infine c'è lui, Cho Heon, interpretato da un Yoo Ji Tae che non rivedevo dai tempi di Healer e che nel frattempo, oltre ai segni evidenti del decennio trascorso, si presenta decisamente irrobustito e pronto a sfoggiare una forza da Incredibile Hulk. Con i suoi due neo-acquisiti scagnozzi - due impiastri di furfanti mezzi incapaci che mi ricordano Pena e Panico, tirapiedi di Ade nel classico della Disney - direi che avremmo una squadra al completo per affrontare una seconda stagione e - chissà - infilarci dentro finalmente il tanto atteso romance. Le premesse per un sequel, scene finali comprese - ci sarebbero tutte, ma temo non sia la volontà di chi ha realizzato questa trasposizione (è un adattamento di un webtoon). Comunque sia, sequel o meno, resta davvero un gran bel drama. Consigliatissimo!

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Vigilante - The story of A Dark Hero, without super power's fighting for Justice.

➥ Intro / Reminder :-
It's a story about law and vigilantism with sub story about evil fighting the more bigger evil & became an evil with fighting against evil.. Protagonist ( Nam Joo-hyuk) when facing the criminals that the law had freed, displayed a calm, clear smile and a refined madness that was not beyond at the top.

➥ Short synopsis:-
"Vigilante" is an action thriller in which Kim Ji-yong ( Nam Joo-hyuk), who lives as a "Vigilante" who defends the law during the day, judges criminals who have avoided the law at night, and people with different purposes face each other fiercely.

➥ Detailed Analysis :-
If you're a fan of intense dramas with a gripping plot, well-developed characters, and an thought-provoking exploration of moral complexities, then The vigilante is a must-watch drama.
Excellent and Wow. That's all I can say. I was freaked out about this drama, because I loved the first two episodes. after reading 25 episodes of webtoon I had high expectations. And it exceeded those And truly the Best drama to bring a webtoon so chillingly and realistically to real life ife.

The acting was excellent, The action was good the action here is based more on suspense and violence.The story was great. The characters were diverse and interesting. However, the drama does not only deal with the catharsis of crime and punishment.It makes the viewer think constantly about the justice system.
Criminals getting away from the law is a problem that the show brings up, and vigilantes need to step up and do something about it. There are important questions that this brings up about the legal system and how people can help keep the peace.
And in 5th ep When Ji-Yong comes face-to- Jo-Heon about the errors in the legal system, the moral ambiguity of his vigilantism is highlighted. This sparks an intriguing debate about righteousness, morality about law and the shifting boundaries between right and wrong makes Watchers to think what is correct in present society is Vigilantism or Law this one is my fav scene of Vigilante. The conclusion of Vigilante will cause viewers to reconsider what justice and the law are. The public remains unaware of Ji-Yong's identity as the vigilante at the final episode, Viewers are also at ease to judge whether or not the vigilante's actions can be justified morally by this point of view. Despite his efforts, Ji-Yong is successful to preserve his identity under wraps, some things are out of his control.

➥ Nam Joo-hyuk :-
Nam Joo-hyuk, who is challenging the action genre for the first time in his life through 'Vigilante', to create realistic and realistic action, he received weight training, boxing, judo, and martial arts, he lived in his character role here "The law has a hole. Now I'll fill the hole.With the line, "This is justice," he shows charismatic appearance, armed with intense action and cool eyes that punish criminals with a deep black hood.. his black hood and police uniform, create a completely different atmosphere, making us look forward to his first action thriller completed with his delicate and detailed acting.

➥ Other departments :-
The cast is full of top quality actors including Nam Joo-hyuk, Yoo Ji Tae, Kim So Jin, Lee Joon Hyuk
The Remarkable Direction, Cinematography, Music and the Acting, editing, sound, score, visuals, and action are all top notch. The series' cinematography and storytelling skills especially shine during action scenes and scenes with shocking twists. The depth of the characters and the complex plot development make this series fascinating.

➥ Direction:-
Despite being Choi Jeong Yeol's first drama, he handled it very well. The drama showed his potential in 4 episodes, which is enough to anticipate more entertainment from the next episodes..

➥ Conclusion :-
Vigilante, the intriguing webtoon adaptation that offers a unique twist on the vigilante genre, blending character development with intense action, making it a must-watch for fans of action and thrillers and exploration of complex moral themes..
( Personal Review )

Vigilante" who judges criminals with his own justice, and throw a new topic to viewers about the law and what true justice is.

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One of the Must-Watch dramas of 2023.

*chefs kiss *

What a drama. What a cast. Easily one of the best dramas of 2023.

This drama didn't waste anytime in establishing who or why a Vigilante became a Vigilante in the first place. It started off with a bang and never allowed room for distraction or time to relax. It was fast paced with well written storyline and direction.

Nam Joo Hyuk was amazing as the dark hero. I always thought he was a romantic hero, but in this drama he shined as an anti hero. And I can't stop raving about Lee Joon Hyuk. I absolutely loved loved every single scene he was in. I have loved his character in Stranger, so in this drama I knew I would I totally dig him and I did. He really excels with characters like these.

What I adored about this drama was that there was no unnecessary fillers or screen time. Every single character is there for a reason and a purpose. Also, it's amazing how the drama didn't waste one single frame. With a tight script, brilliant actors and a perfect storyline, this drama got it all.

9.5/10

Now all this drama needs is a Season 2!!!!!! And easily I would be rating it as a perfect 10.

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Intriguing at first but becomes average

The best thing about this drama is the acting, it's very good in general and Nam Joo Hyuk does a very good job as main character. I did also enjoy some of the music, it was certainly more up my alley. That's all for me.

Contrary to other people I didn't think this drama was fast paced, in fact I thought it was slow, going in circles sometimes, and I got bored at times and found myself doing other things while watching. The plot is quite cliché in my opinion and except for maybe around three characters the rest were very one-dimensional, especially the bad guys. We don't learn much about anyone anyway, so it's quite superficial and it didn't make me connect with any of them, not even the ML. I also liked Choi Mi Ryeo and Cho Kang Ok as characters but I so wish we had gotten so much more insight into them, I didn't learn much at all about them. The dynamics of ML with his classmates could have also been deeper, but because it wasn't what happened in the end of the drama made me feel nothing. It felt even the writers/director knew this though, because it's treated as very secondary, something that happened in the background.

I'm ok with anti-hero stories, I do generally prefer them over hero ones, but it's not new nor fresh, and cases of corruption at all levels have been done many times as well. I don't think this drama brings that much new to the table that wasn't there, so I was not awed by it and I thought it was average. It's still watchable, especially if you like action thrillers, but it's not a masterpiece by any means.
Echoing what another user said, the fighting choreography was not bad but the way it was filmed adds no tension and didn't do any favours to the overall fighting dynamics, at times I felt I was missing the good bits, camera in and out... quite chaotic in my opinion.
I don't think they achieve enough in terms of discourse, there isn't any depth in the corruption itself either, nor in its politics, or the police involvement. Obviously there is no real debate about the police as an institution, despite the ML being both in and out of it. I haven't read the original material and it makes me wonder if there was a lot more of that that was cut out of the story.

Recommended to those that like action thrillers, it's entertaining enough but keep your expectations low to mid level.

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Very average at best

The show overall is very average at best. The acting is by far the best part and is a sign of the quality of the actors because all characters were entirely one-dimensional. Their motivations were severely underexplained and multiple characters appeared without any kind of sense or impact, almost as if to pad the rumtime. Due to that the villains often felt like they were bumbling around, just waiting for the plot to happen instead of being part of the plot.

The fighting choreography was okay, but severely hindered by the directing and editing reducing the tension and not really enhancing the movements.

They had an interesting theme going in the middle with vigilantism vs. law vs. the media, but it became muddled in the last 2 episodes with the main point of impact being that systematic corruption exists.

Lee Joon Hyuk as the crazy fan copycat is a delight, though as all characters one-dimensional and almost a deus-ex-machina. But his scenes were the most fun.

Also a special shoutout to the pig scene. That was a thing I did not expect, and one of the few times I thought that the villains were actually threatening.

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An average story with outstanding actors

Vigilante - a person who tries in an inofficial way to punish a criminal.

A very apt title to the story line. Here we get to see vigour of a young cop who is determined to punish criminals not by using law but by his own will. I absolutely enjoyed watching Nam Joo Hyuk as JiYoung, he perfectly expressed the angst and wrath hidden in JY. Must say i am more impressed by the actors than the story.

The story was just average to me as we already know who the vigilante was and expected kindof satisfying ending . No major twists in the plot and it just keeps flowing like a river with no barriers.

There are better thriller and investigation dramas out there but this stands out in terms of acting. I really like NJH, JiTae and JoonHyuk so whoever likes watching them can give this a try , like its just 8 episodes and definetly would not feel like a wate of time.

What i loved about this series is that they did not leave us on an edge cliffer hanging, loved how they ended it perfectly rather than dragging it to next season (if any)

What they failed to portray, we clearly know jiyoung has faced injustice in the past and has lost complete faith on the law and govt yey whay made him want to be a cop who abides by law ?

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Lots of satisfying punches

When Ji Young was a child, his mother was beaten, the criminal was caught but only receive light punishment. So when he grows up, he took revenge on him and continue beating other criminals on the weekends. He's known by public as the mysterious hooded vigilante.

Right from the get go, I see a proper action thriller of an underdog beating up criminal whom the justice system doesn't do justice of their crimes. The show is very fast-paced as the plot thickens by ep 3, becoming even more interesting beyond the main story of a mysterious Vigilante being hunted.

Kudos to Nam Joo Hyuk who is doing the heavy lifting carrying his character's inner struggle and action. He did a great job of showing us Ji Young’s motivations. We understand why he's doing this. It's hinting at neo noir genre because on one side he is supporting justice but also he's in murdering people, so isn't he evil or not? That's the aspect that makes me excited to find out what happens next. This show is very violent and vicious, but it is targeted to one on one combats not like chaotic crowd fighting. Another stand-out character for me is Cho Kang Ok. He provide the thrilling momentum throughout. The closure was quite simple and it’s a good thing! It concludes on a realistic and not-over the top note. I enjoyed it overall, just there's something minuscule off about the show as a whole for me and I can't put my finger on it. I love the premise, thrills and satisfying punches, then for some reasons when I leave it, I have no drive to talk about the plot besides thirst-trapping on Nam Joo Hyuk’s cool and badass actions.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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decent and well made drama, but needs more episodes to flesh out the story

I liked most of this drama, but had some issues with the overall story. This definitely could've benefited from a few more episodes to flesh out Jiyong and his backstory. The audience does understand why he's doing what he's doing, but I think it was an abrupt escalation from assaulting bad guys to killing them. And maybe I'm just dumb, but it took me a little bit to realize that he was actually killing the bad guys. In my defense, it never actually showed him finishing them off, and it seemed like he gave some of them an option to repent (ex: the rich guy who hit the old lady with the cardboard).
Beyond giving Jiyong more of a full character, a few more episodes could've given us more depth into relationships between the characters and made us feel more for them other than a passing interest (maybe it's just me, but I wasn't too invested in any of the characters and most of them seemed a little one dimensional. Other than Jiyong's Number One Fanboy. He was great.). I think the bad guys and their evil plan could've used more depth as well, but given that it was only 8 episodes, they crammed a lot into them and it was a complete story.
Overall, a decent and well-made drama, but needed a little bit more to really flesh it out.

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Focused point, Great actors, and a plot line that hooks you

It’s just unique, it has its own unique plot. I watched it thinking it would be something about catching weird thieves or solving mysterious crimes, but it turned better so much better (by the way I didn’t saw the trailer) I love how the plot is, like a police that is committing crimes (well not crimes but in law it is) and a reporter who is kind of helping him, and a rich fan who wants to be a team with him. I watched it mainly because (nam Jo hyuk) but also I liked the plot line that maybe can happen in real life,(you know like it is half way logical). Also we can’t forget the cinematography, sounds and the editing they can make a movie with that, It’s Superb. Of course the actors they portrayed the emotions and the feelings so well they chose the right actors for this Drama, they all did such an excellent job.
Real Justice can’t be real without one losing and sometimes it’s the victim losing. Like Kim ji woong’s Story made me feel terrible about how they just sent that trash to prison they let him away with it while she was killed I am sure if Kim ji woong was real his umma would be so proud of him. And so is the people who didn’t got their rights.
His every emotion was understandable, the only thing that makes me so mad is letting killers go away without receiving their punishment.
I like how he is just 2 different people, in the morning he is Kim Jiwoong and in the night he is the “vigilante” it always made me excited.
If we talk about the name I feel it’s the right name for him he is the meaning of vigilante, in case you don’t know the meaning of vigilante, it’s a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate. But he did by himself, he is such a strong person.
If we talked about the actors I feel if any other actor played Kim Jiwong no one would portray it like nam Jo hyuk.
I wish the ending will be happy one. Can’t wait for Wednesday.

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Great performance of Nam Joo Hyuk that could not save the drama from script and pacing flaws

The premise of this drama is super interesting. I loved they decided to go for a very dark tone to explore the vigilante concept. I was positively surprised how far they went into the violence and the choices made by the "hero". The introduction of the story hooked me but I was unfortunately very disappointed by the pace and the writing overall. It felt strangely slow and not as gripping as I would have wished.

The writing did not convinced me. Maybe it is because the series was too short but I found the side characters lacking development and the way the events unfolded felt rather predictable. The hero was a bit too omniscient but without enough details to support the fact he was so ahead most of the time. Some of the relationships he built along the way were pretty compelling but would have benefited from much more screentime to make their bonds believable.

The casting is pretty good overall. I was really impressed by the performance of Nam Joo Hyuk: he was really frightening in Vigilante mode...His gaze shifting from his "regular" persona at the police academy to his vigilante mode was amazing. I also appreciated a lot the other male main roles: Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Joon Hyuk. All three are excellent, even when I felt the scenario give them not enough to work with, they somewhat gave it their all. Unfortunately, I really disliked the sole female character of the series, played by Kim So Jin. I am not sure who is the most at fault here: the screenwriter or the actress, but clearly that character was horrendous.

The production value of the series is high. There are a lot of well-executed fighting scenes. It is very comics-like with the good guys being outnumbered by the villains but still making it through...and those sequences are very enjoyable to follow. The soundtrack was okay but not memorable to me.

I would not recommend this to people unless you like one of the main actors or the source material (which I have not read). The idea is good but the writing does not support it properly and the pacing felt oddly sluggish given the low number of episodes. Though if you are a fan of Nam Joo Hyuk, you need to watch this drama because he is brilliant in it. Be mindful if you have any trigger, it is very violent.

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Meh eh i guess

I usually like the revenge vigilante plot in dramas.
Everyone's acting was good.
My favorite character was definitely the copy cat Vigilante..
My least favorite character was the woman reporter.
the fighting scenes were great as well it fits into the overall story and does not stick out like a sore thumb. Gruesome scenes were gruesome.
I think if there was just a little bit more emotional investment - building up the characters emotionally (for example the victims) may have invested me more into the show but they only showed the criminals in the act or after it.

Story was fine.
It's a good watch but very average.

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