There is nothing I didn't like about this drama. Taxi Driver, to some, may have been another revenge drama, but to me, it was one of those dramas that dared not only to undertake, but also address some mammoth issues that sometimes overwhelmed. From labor and mental health abuse to significant workplace harassment, pornography, organ trafficking, thrill killers, statute of limitations, and the biggest and hardest to reconcile the abuse of an almost lawless justice system, that was seemingly instituted to preserve the rights of the powerless victims, but somehow ends up shielding the lawless and the criminals. It's true when they say, the only thing more hideous than crime is repressive justice. So, it's no surprise that the issues above birthed and justified a service such as Deluxe Taxi that empowered the victims and punished the lawless as befitted their crimes. But as sweet as revenge can get, karma is sweeter, which the drama clearly articulates at its ending. And as Jung Sung Chul (Kim Eui Sung) says, revenge only begets more revenge.

The other thing Tax Driver unquestionably articulates is that if the criminal justice system intends to represent the victims and exact revenge by the law to dissuade people from self-help. It should then correctly do its job and not trivialize those it's supposed to protect. Just as people should be held accountable for their actions, so should the state, because there's a moral burden that comes from allowing heinous criminals and crimes not to be punished commensurate with their wickedness. I commend Kang Ha Na (Esom) and her Deputy Chief Prosecutor for recognizing that.

Taxi Driver's message is that revenge is never the answer, and neither is locking up criminals and throwing away the key. To achieve wide-ranging criminal justice reform, society and legislators need to overhaul how they think, dispense, and talk about social justice and crime. Because, as many experts have noted, how human beings describe each other either furthers their understanding and empathy or furthers othering and dehumanization. But what touched me most about Taxi Driver is the impactful and daring way it arrived at its final message. Everything from the system to the people who govern and are affected by it; are flawed humans, including our heroes. And that makes them more than capable of being the change they want to see.

As for the production -- well, a thousand and one kudos to the cast, the writer, the director, and production team of Taxi Drivers for a job beyond well done, but especially to Lee Je Hoon, this drama wouldn't have worked as well as it did without him. The same goes for Esom, Kim Eui Sung, Pyo Ye Jin; she was brilliant, and so was Cha Ji Yeon and the rest of the wonderfully talented cast. I will sorely miss this drama, but I look forward to seeing Lee Je Hoon in his next project -- Unframed and, if lucky, Taxi Driver 2. Highly recommended.