Vincenzo (2021)

Impeccable Series--Nearly Ruined by Writer Park Jae Bum!

I’m not sure how many times I have to repeat myself. I’m a writer of eight novels, and one of the most basic elements of writing is that you never sacrifice character for the sake of the plot. In other words, you don’t make a character do something that goes against the character in order to make the plot work. And writer Park Jae Bum makes a very rookie mistake in Episode 19 that carries over into Episode 20.

For the most part, Vincenzo is an impeccable series that is nearly flawless until those terrible 20-25 minutes—the end of Episode 19 and into Episode 20. We are extremely fortunate that this doesn’t ruin the series. As I said in the series “Mad For Each Other,” if you ruin the ending of a series, you destroy the series itself.

Vincenzo is a character on par with Jason Bourne or dare I say it—Batman (the comic character, not the live-action depictions) in which he’s like a grandmaster chess player. He’s always two or three moves ahead of his enemies. He’s also a master of assessing a situation and making the smart choice, not to mention his nearly infallible ability to predict what will happen next based on his enemies’ last move.

Choi Myung Hee has just arranged for herself to take the fall for Jang Han Seok. Despite the fact that we know why she’s doing it, it should be equally obvious to a character like Vincenzo. And yet, neither he nor Hong Cha Young can see the obvious: that it’s to get Jang Han Seok out of prison. That was rookie mistake #1 by Park Jae Bum

Jang Han Seok has abducted Hong Cha Young and Vincenzo is purposely brought to Jang Han Seok’s house in order to kill him. During the ensuing struggle as Jang Han Seok’s brother—Jang Han Seo—jumps him. Rather than helping Jang Han Seo subdue Jang Han Seok—who has a gun—Vincenzo rushes to free Hong Cha Young instead. Vincenzo would never do that. He would realize that the best way to keep Hong Cha Young’s safety—as well as Jang Han Seo—is to help Jang Han Seo take out Jang Han Seok. Now, if in the ensuing struggle, Jang Han Seok manages to escape, that’s all right. But I sighed with disgust when Vincenzo rushes over to Hong Cha Young instead. He would know that the best way to protect her would be to disable and take out Jang Han Seok. That was awful. And again, it’s something Vincenzo would never do. It goes against the intelligence and nature of the character himself.

Things briefly go from bad to worse as Vincenzo, who is now tending to the wounded Hong Cha Young, is literally watching the two brothers struggle with the gun—and only a few feet away—he still doesn’t rush to help Jang Han Seo. He sits and watches. Again, I was rolling my eyes with disgust at how ridiculous the entire scenario played out. It was obvious that they wanted Jang Han Seok to escape to set up the showdown for the rest of Episode 20.

As I said, the series was running smoothly, for the most part. Aside from some inconsistencies from the residents of the plaza and their fighting abilities as they go from an inability to fight to suddenly being experts, even though the so-called boxing winner can’t even throw a punch mirroring an actual boxer (a true boxer would know how!) the series runs like a fine oiled machine.

One more small issue--which most movies and shows take extreme liberties--is moving the gold bars. We see the bars being put into a piano, taken around in pockets and bags, sometimes 3-4 bars at a time. Gold bars weigh over 27 pounds each! (12.4 kilograms). While it made for some funny moments, it was highly unrealistic.

It's difficult to pen down the actual genre of this series, which often plays out like a black comedy and then transitions into a drama-thriller and then back again. I’ve marveled at the Koreans’ ability to fluctuate and do it seamlessly. It speaks to the genius of their writers, despite Park Jae Bum’s lapse in judgment and writing ability.

Vincenzo is a Korean-Italian consigliere—essentially one of the highest ranks in the mafia aside from the head man himself. He makes no apologies for his methods of dealing with those who would prey upon the weak and the helpless, and he brings his own sense of “justice” to bear against anyone—from lowly thugs to those sitting in power, bathed in corruption. Little do these people in power know who or what they are up against, nor do they realize what Vincenzo is capable of until it’s too late. It’s like watching very good chess players who think they can hold their own—finally meeting their match against a grandmaster. Vincenzo easily exposes their inabilities, and they find out soon enough that Vincenzo isn’t someone who makes idle threats. He means to do exactly what he says he’ll do. Jang Han Seok and his nasty den of lieutenants look at Vincenzo and laugh as though he’s just some character in a movie. But he outplays them and outdoes them at every turn.

“24”’s Jack Bauer—a special field agent for the Counter-terrorist unit once tells a panel of senators, “It’s sad that we live in a world where someone like me is necessary to do what needs to be done.” Vincenzo is of the same ilk. The higher-ups in corporations and political machinations believe they are all but untouchable and that they can do whatever they want. Someone like Vincenzo is able to prove to them just how wrong they are. But it also takes someone like Vincenzo to deal with them in complete and unforgiving ways.

I have always marveled at characters who are smart. I love Jason Bourne because of his ability to outthink his opponents. Batman is the same. And Vincenzo has those same qualities. Oh, he can fight and hold his own, but it’s his wits that make him formidable and such an iconic character. Song Joong Ki masterfully plays Vincenzo—who at times—seems light and almost playful, and other times as an absolutely scary opponent you would never dare cross if you understood him and what he’s capable of doing. He doesn’t play Vincenzo as a simple thug. And despite his background, Vincenzo becomes attached to the people of the plaza and will do whatever it takes to protect them. He calls himself a “villain” and yes, he often comes across that way, but he’s essentially a good man who simply finds himself using terrible methods to get the job done. Much like Jack Bauer, as I stated above.

The entire cast was nothing short of fantastic, and if it had not been for the major letdown of those 20-25 minutes, this series would have easily been a “10” for me. But, alas, those minutes put a big dent into a story that was running along so smoothly and so effortlessly. It’s just too bad that the ball was dropped temporarily. Still, it doesn’t torpedo the series, and it’s definitely worth a look. It’s not as great or as tautly written as “My Name” or “Stranger” but it’s most certainly good enough.

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2-star drama with a 5-star tag

the most overrated kdrama i've seen
it started off amazing, it had everything a good kdrama needs, suspense, comedy, and romance(the sexual tension between vincenzo and chayoung is like nothing i've seen before)
halfway through is where things started to go downhill:
it seemed like the writers knew their goal but didn't know how to reach it, and as a result they came up with the strangest plot devices.
by episode 12, this drama lost everything it had in the first 8 or so episodes, they seem to have forgotten where they started and now vincenzo and chayoung are just doing over-the-top and cringey stuff to embarrass jang hanseok....it has literally has no relevance to the plot.
the romance is the only good thing about this show and i feel like i haven't seen any of that in a WHILE.
some other things that annoyed me:
- hong chayoung is a really hypocritical and flaky character, she can't seem to stick to her own words
- the tenants with their over-the-top skits started to get annoying VERY quick, they got way too much screentime
- the dialogue is...BAD. it's childish. too many unnecessary lines. if two characters are about to do something, they should just go and do it! we don't need someone to say "come on,let's do ___!" each time.
- why are the good guys so bad?? i understand the main theme of the drama is that only evil can defeat evil, but what they're doing is no better than what babel is doing, i can't root for them
- additionally, their schemes aren't as "cool" as they make it seem, it's unnecessarily elaborate and falls flat, the way vincenzo and chayoung act all cocky makes me cringe 😂
P.S. every scene with the intelligence agent and his head officer was hilarious and inzhagi is the best character

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Master Piece

This is that one drama that no one should ever hesitate to watch! The perfect amount of comedy, suspense, thrills, and chemistry between the main leads. Like hats of to the writer, the director, the actors and the crew. They worked incredibly hard and I have to say... it is what made Vincenzo a true piece of art. It takes 4 episodes to be completely in love with it and by 8, you are hooked like never before. I suggested this to over 30 friends and every one of them loved it more and more! The story is incredibly well written, the acting is on point and I already rewatched it 8 times (well ongoing 8 times as I keep rewatch with my friends the previous episodes). Once again... a Beautiful drama and a well-deserved rating.

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JUST WOW. Cannot get over this show and it's characters and mature romance!!!!

Acting 10/10: This is only the second Song Joong Ki drama I've seen. But Song Joong Ki's character is so beautifully still in this show, he never fidgets, never gets startled, never loses control of his body movements, and it's a very strong character mentally as well. It's an absolute delight to watch all the episodes again and notice minute changes in his expression to the events around him, and he really manages to exude a natural intelligence and air of authority. His character gradually learns to love, and also accept that he is worthy of receiving love, and his actions show that clearly towards the end. In the beginning he is arrogant and distant without being mean in any way, and towards the end he is loving and caring without being suffocating in every way. The perfect character development. Also his deep voice is so hypnotic at many points of time, I'm convinced that's the main reason I unexpectedly loved his character from start to finish. I have become a fan of Song Joong Ki's acting after this show.

Jeon Yeo Been, MY QUEEN, is the BEST female character ever written, ever performed, ever shown on screen. She is fiery, sassy, bright, sexy, logical, brave, quick-witted, savage, sharp tongued, and beautiful beyond compare. She matches wit with everyone around her, is funny as all hell, her voice is SO hot. She never hesitates to express what she's feeling, and loves her dad despite what happened in her past. She is protective of those around her, and willing to go to any length to achieve her goals. I am IN LOVE with Hong Cha Young and Jeon Yeo Been and this is the main reason I gave the show a 10/10.

Their relationship is EXACTLY what I want in my life. They are best friends, so honest with each other, soft around each other, support each other, communicate so damn well, they TRUST each other, believe in each other, take care of each other without it being toxic in any way, and there is NO malice, NO games, NO hidden agendas anywhere between them. They also tease each other, and never fail to bicker endlessly.
In the simplest sense, it's the PINNACLE of romance, because every single glance and touch and dialogue leaves you to BEG for more. It's pining but also SO satisfying because I cherish every smile, every action that tells everyone around them that they are a unit, a team, a couple. It's realistic because they are both logical and understanding of their circumstances, and you can clearly see the struggle they both have with their feelings, one wants to love but is afraid that the other person has to leave, the other wants to love but is afraid he will have to leave.
The ending was quite satisfactory according to me.

Other factors I want to note:
Cinematography 10/10 Just WOW. The fashion, the shots, the bars/cafes they meet in, all beautiful.
OST 10/10 I have been listening to the ost on repeat even while working, just IN LOVE with it.
Story 9/10 The zig-zag storyline was great to watch, but could've been slightly better if less background character involvement was there.
Cast 10/10 Each and every single actor did their best, and their chemistry was off the charts, insanely good.
Background characters 10/10 Most of the side-characters are interesting and fun to watch. Villains did an awesome job.
Neo-Noir vibe was on POINT. Loved the ode to black and white gangster films, I think SJK nailed that part too.

OVERALL 10/10. I have already seen this show two times.

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DEF RECOMMEND TO WATCH! THIS DRAMA IS AMAZING

When this drama was released I was always up and watching no matter what time it was. Dark-comedy might not be the ideal genre for some people but I believe that this drama will change all their minds. The romance in Vincenzo isn't too deep and cringy but at the same time it isn't way too shallow and unrealistic. Plus, can I mention that Song Joong-ki is hotter and cuter than EVER in this drama? His mafia wear and the hilarious moments when he first arrives in Korea are so classy and funny. Lots of people say that fan reviews and the ratings are all bought and people were paid to write these good reviews, but in my opinion, there really isn't a point in doing that since its good enough for people who weren't paid to do that already. I mean, look at me. Anyways, I really recommend Vincenzo as a drama to watch and I guarantee that once you start watching you won't be able to stop. All your studies and classes won't be as important as watching Vincenzo. I promise that you will absolutely fall in LOVE with this drama. Whether you have a bad impression on Song Joong-ki (that's impossible but what if?) or any of the other characters this drama will totally melt your heart and change your opinion. What are you waiting for? Go log onto your Netflix right now and start Vincenzo!

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best mafia drama ever

Honestly, i was quite surprised seeing such bad reviews of a very popular drama and that led me to throw this drama in the watch later list, until recently i saw a clip of hong ya chong impersonating choi and vincenzo's fight scene and i was like "dammmm this is so goooood" and i immediately started watching it and guess what? I m absolutely obsessed with this drama, this couple, i m obsessed with everything and literally can't get over it, i keep rewatching the scenes, the thrill, the court scenes, the badass-ness, the boldness, the power of the couple, the subtle growth of their feelings that you can just feel from the behaviour, the humor, the action, the plannings, the lightness, the fight scenes, geumga plaza and the members, the gold, inzaghi, like i m crying because i miss this drama so much, i desperately wish there was a season 2 and hate these reviews lol for making me delay watching this absolutely wonderful awesome amazing brilliant mafia drama. Maybe i m a rookie, i don't know much about what a "drama" should really contain like these experts, but i just don't care. As a fan and a person who's totally obsessed with vincenzo, i really hate these reviews. I would advise everyone to ignore these reviews and just jump in to watching the drama, maybe you will love it like me, or dislike it or be disappointed like the people here, but decide it for yourself and not blindly follow the reviews like I did. Everyone is different and has different opinions, and this is mine.

For me, this is one of the best k dramas ever, the best mafia law drama ever, and i absolutely love and adore this, and desperately wish for season 2, after watching this drama no other drama feels the same and i keep wishing to see more and more of it. LOTS OF LOVE TO VINCENZO, AND CHACENZO AND THE REST OF THE CAST ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Did I like it? Yes. Would I criticize it? Also yes cuz why not?

This review will point out some positives and negatives.

I'll be speaking about 4 main points.

1. The Pacing
2. The Villain
3. The Romance
4. The Characters

[The Villain]

I'll start off with the biggest shortcome of this series, the villains. They were fundamentally weak antagonists. When you watch them, you DO NOT think,
"Wow, they are a step ahead."
"Omg, they are always winning!"
Because they never were. They were always behind. Even their so called small "victories" were never real victories. They were hollow. Whenever they try to gain an upper hand, they follow the exact same tactic throughout the entirety of the series. There were probably only few instances that they do something different aka bribe. You always knew, when watching, that Vincenzo would outsmart them. Which makes them boring and flat. They were not as smart as they initial were portrayed. The fact they even lasted that long is beyond me. I don't feel frustrated neither do I feel excited. They are that dull.

I had high hopes for our female villain but she truly just sucked. Had she been a good, smart opponent, it would have made everything more impactful and sweet when she gets what she deserves. One of the things that struck me as odd is how we don't get a background story on why she does the things she does and why she joined hands with Han Seok. Where does her trust in him stem from?

I would say Han Seo was the one that actually made me curious. He was a puppet but he was behaving in ways that were conflicting which made him interesting. His character development easily made him the most enjoyable one to watch.

[Characters/Pacing/Romance]

The series didn't use their time duration wisely. A lot of it was mundane. I would say they could have easily fixed it if they gave a bit of a background story about each of the tenants to deepen the connection with the viewer. Don't get me wrong, the tenants do grow on you and become an enjoyable aspect of this show. However, a short montage would have done the trick. It would have made this excellent if we knew more about them then just the surface.

With that being said, I would say the one character that disappointed me from start to end was the female lead. Her personality was fine and I gotta give her props for not enforcing her values on the male lead. However, she does BARE MINIMUM throughout the entire 28 hours of this series. Her role diminishes as the series goes. You know the writer messes up when the side characters does MORE than the main character. Even a bloody bird did something LOL. She is just there to represent Vincenzo plans during court because Vincenzo is Italian, therefore he can't be an attending lawyer in another country. I like it more when female characters have some worth to the story and she had the potential to go through a cool transition so it bummed me that it never happened.

But the good news is, she's a love interest. That covers up her shortcomings very well because you can enjoy the romance and the side characters can fill the gaps she is missing so you don't lose much viewing experience over her doing nothing. Romance is important because a lot of people can't watch a drama without romance. Plus the romance is actually mature, subtle and realistic. It doesn't use communication but actions to portray love. Whether you think they have chemistry or not is up to you to decide because it's subjective. If you you don't think they have chemistry then... YIKES.

Another thing I would say this series does well is being consistent with who Vincenzo originally were and they have done a lot of bold, daring, refreshing revenges that other dramas have never done before. It can't be replicated. When you watch them, they do leave an impact in you and it's very likely you won't forgot them.

I would like to end my review by saying the plot had a couple loose ends but you can move on from them. I do, however, want to address the Deus Ex Machina that is called the Guillotine File that somehow ended up in the same place as our protagonist...the whole existence of that file is ???? it doesn't bother me but I do want to point out how it's a very obvious plot convenience.

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I am glad that I didn't dropped it

So it took me 5 days to finish the first 9 episodes and 2 days for the last 11 episodes. It was pretty good drama. At first I didn't like it. I didn't understand what was going on. So I was gonna drop it after watching 3 episodes. But somehow I didn't dropped it and kept watching. Then again when I was in the 10th episode I thought that let's not drop it just put it in hold, take a break and start watching it again after few days. But OMG. From the 10th episode the story became so much amazing and enjoyable. It kept getting better and better with every episode. As I said I finished the last 11 episodes in 2 days. The story seems so slow in the first and it keeps getting better as the show goes on. There was so good action/fighting scenes. I also laughed very much watching the show. Some scenes was so well thought. I didn't like the comedic approach from the characters to be honest. But some people might like it. So overall it is an drama that's definitely worth watching. But you need to have patience as the story is kinda boring in the first. And there was some unwanted scenes just to make the drama longer. You can skip some scenes if you don't like it. And the drama is usually longer than other dramas. Each episode is longer than 80 minutes. So yeah as I said you need to have patience in the first few episodes only after that you will love watching it.

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Entertaining and fun to watch!

I enjoyed the drama quite a bit and give it a solid 8. I definitely think people should watch it. There were lots of things to love about it: the acting/cast, humor, action/fighting scenes, and thrilling main plot was fantastic.

However, I did detract some stars as there were a few things I would change. I think the beginning and middle was stronger than the end, as around episode 16 the pacing and side plots/characters went from tight and potent to loose and spaghetti like which detracted from the satisfying end. I felt like instead of fleshing out so many new pointless side characters (like the campaign guy towards the end) that it should have fleshed out already involved characters more and tied up some of the previous loose ends from earlier episodes in a neater way instead of just in the last episode during that montage to show that time had passed. It also seemed like the female main character disappeared in the last couple of episodes until the climax and was instead turned into a plot device. It was like the writer didn't want her character to know all of what VC did as they didn't make her character able to condone that level of revenge.

Also, I thought the villain reveal wasn't that iconic and was super obvious from the beginning and I thought was meant to be obvious for the audience as they didn't try to mask it at all and revealed it fairly early on in addition to the obvious clues. I was kind of hoping that a different character (the one related to the villain) was the true villain all along and was going to unusual suspects us at the end, I was disappointed that wasn't the case.

Though as I said, the show overall is really great, and the characters are unique and fun to watch. Give it a shot!

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Tonally disjointed with a nonsensical plot

Sigh. I'm so disappointed with "Vincenzo". I didn't expect a drama about a Korean adoptee who becomes a consiglieri in the mafia to be the second coming of "The Godfather", but I did expect much more than a legal drama that reduced the courtroom to a circus with a seemingly invincible and ridiculously deranged villain.

The first three episodes definitely have their flaws - most notably the strange comedy that feels disjointed from the more serious tone of the main story. However, the plot seems to have direction. Vincenzo's goals are clearly defined, the conflict that prevents him achieving said goal is established, and the event that spirals everything out of control is executed perfectly. The build up of tension across those three episodes left me with my jaw on the floor and ready to see how Vincenzo executed his revenge through both legal and illegal means.

But, by episode 5 I was already beginning to feel tired with the drama: the writer was speeding through so many scenarios, it was clear to see that he was going to run out of steam and that the story would drag across 15 more episodes. And I was correct. Because by the end of episode 9, not only is Vincenzo no longer calm, collected, calculative and cunning, but he's just plain stupid. He executes all his plans in the most haphazard obvious way, its a surprise he doesn't end up dead within five minutes. The writer keeps telling us that he's this intelligent mafioso, but honestly, how the hell did he last as long as he did in the mob by acting so carelessly? There's knowing when to show your hand to your enemy in order to push them into the corner, and then there's being so blatantly obvious it gets you and everybody else around you killed.

The legal stuff in this show requires so much suspension of disbelief it'll make your eyes roll into the back of your head. Anyone with an understanding of the South Korean political, economic and legal environment is aware of how much corruption is rife within the system. But courtrooms have principles and the way Hong Cha Young operates in court would get any lawyer in jail for contempt and could even lead her to lose her attorney's license. Its just so ridiculous. Its straight up comedic.

Speaking of comedy, the humour in this show is just so bad. One minute we go from seeing someone getting their head cracked open with a hockey stick, and the next minute we're suddenly thrust into a slapstick scene with the residents of Geumga Plaza. One episode basically shows a character with a domestic violence record as the source of comedic relief (really homophobic episode too). Even dark shows need moments of reprieve, but these sudden shifts of tone are so silly it undercuts the intended seriousness of the story and even results in the (many!) deaths that occur as feeling like cheap stunts. This show's body count is already so needlessly high after 9 episodes that the deaths lose all meaning. There's absolutely no pathos. And how am is the audience supposed to root for characters who keep getting other innocent people killed? Just highlights how Vincenzo is basically a dumb ass in a nice suit.

The acting and the direction are the only things that kept me going for as long as I did. Song Joong Ki somehow manages to make Vincenzo seem like a smart, cunning, almost Michael Corleone-esque character even though the script is constantly working against him and his Italian is atrocious. Jeon Yeo Bin does the best she can do with her character: her face acting when she's allowed to be more than just an over the top drama queen is honestly really good. She's capable of conveying anger, sadness, grief in ways that don't seem exaggerated at all. I'm definitely going to check out her other work, hopefully she gets more material that helps her shine as actress, because she really doesn't have much to do here besides be a bitch or Vincenzo's lackey.

There are some excellently directed sequences here. Episode three is definitely a stand out in terms of direction. The director is very aware of ways to build tension. But it can't cover for how bad the story is.

Don't waste your time and watch "Flower of Evil" instead if you want a good, tightly plotted thriller that isn't brought down by the more ridiculous aspects of the writing.

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Episode 1: Chess Mafia Analogy

After breaking out of jail, SpongeBob seizes the opportunity to eat corndogs instead of Krabby patties. Cinderella also likes wood shoes as snow white likes snot shoes now. Because of this, they want to launch a new store. A nunchuck store with a weenie detector for all those weenies out there. Wreck-it Ralph also launched a new candy store filled with lots of doves. They love to do things publicly: like even looking at each other's bottoms to see that wonderful hole for reproduction. And you might be saying, what is this about the movie [VINCENZO]? Well the movie, I suppose to say series or episodes are good and I highly recommend you to watch it.

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A series from the bad guy's point of view?? I eat this sh*t up

First things first: I'm Italian, so watching Vincenzo for me has been... an experience XD

I loved this series. Despite the (expected) stereotypes about Italians and the mafia, I could thoroughfully enjoy it.

What I love the most about this series is that the main character is a villain. He is a bad guy, a criminal, a guy who knows that he doesn't deserve Heaven or redemption, who is aware of his being bad and doesn't act like he wants to redeem himself.

The series doesn't hide or try to soften the fact that Vincenzo is a criminal, and I loved it. Up to the very end, you don't get some cheesy message like "yeah I did bad things, but for the right reasons because I believe in justice". That's just bulls*it, you won't find any "legal" justice here.

Don't get me wrong, Vincenzo is far from being unlikeable. In fact, he's very much likeable and you can't help rooting for him even when he does 'bad' things. But as you watch, in some remote part of your brain a voice says "wow, this guy is ruthless". And yet you can't help but fall in love with him for so many reasons.

Song Joongki in this drama is simply Oscar-worthy. And I loved how they managed to use the whole cast well despite having so many characters. I really grew fond of every single character.

Chapeau at the whole team behind this drama because they made 20 episodes of 90 minutes each (each episode is like a movie basically) and yet I never felt bored for one minute while watching it. It's pure entertainment! I wouldn't rewatch just because it's really really long, but who knows! I might rewatch my fave episodes in a month's time. There are many great epic moments in this!

Last thing I want to say is: Moonlovers should have had this kind of ending. It was that easy to give it a happy ending. Thank you Vincenzo for giving me my happy pill!

Ps: despite this drama not really romanticizing Italian mafia, I also think they painted a way too 'cheerful' picture of it. And unfortunately there are no charming guys like Song Joongki, so remember: MAFIA IS BAD!

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