Riding the Netflix K-Drama Wagon with Vincenzo
It took me a while to get onboard the K-Drama wagon. So many of my friends have been at it since before the quarantine, but I could never quite get myself to do it. I tried watching “Crash landing on you,” which was very popular at the beginning of the lockdown, but I dozed off even before I made it to the second episode. I guess I just wasn’t interested enough to endure subtitles. Unlike other Asian shows on local networks, Koreanovelas on Netflix are not dubbed in Filipino.
I came across a review of Vincenzo in another blogger’s site. For the first time since K-anything has blown up all over the world, I sat up and paid attention.
It still took me a few months before I clicked it on Netflix, but a few minutes in and I was baited. Vincenzo turns out to be the K-Drama that finally reeled me in.
The plot
Vincenzo Cassano is played by Song Joong-ki, who has apparently won numerous acting awards. As a little boy, Vincenzo was adopted and raised in Italy by Mafia Lord, Don Fabio. Vincenzo grew up to be one of the most feared and ruthless Mafia consigliere in Italy.
Vincenzo flew to Korea to collect tons of gold which he arranged to be hidden at a basement of an old, unimportant building, Geumga-dong Plaza; however, he found out that the building was acquired by a cold-hearted Korean conglomerate, headed by the company, Babel, who threatened to destroy the building and its tenants with it.
Vincenzo worked with upright lawyer, Hong Yoo-chan, who was killed by Babel’s people in the earlier episodes. Vincenzo, together his Hong Yoo-chan’s daughter, Hong Cha-Young, played by Jeon Yeo-been, fight to keep Babel at bay and away from the building and its tenants whom Vincenzo has grown to love and care for.
Cheesy Goodness!
I have a penchant for Mafia movies — Bugsy, The Godfather trilogy, The Untouchables, Goodfellas, Casino, Scarface, and Mobsters — I devoured them all! So I have Hollywood standards for Mafia portrayal.
I wasn’t expecting much from Song Joong-ki but was pleasantly surprised by his suave. He had a good balance of cool and cruel, mysterious and brutal, mixed with a disarming smile that can make even the most dignified matron swoon.
Do I think the Mafia story is believable? Some parts, perhaps, some parts, no. It’s much more entertainment than anything. But fret not because whatever’s amiss, Song Joong-ki’s powerful screen presence overrides any of that.
I have to say, though, that at some point, the show started feeling a lot like “Ang Probinsiyano,” especially after the real boss of Babel has been revealed. With all the time spent building up the villain, the show suddenly sidesteps to less gripping subplots and stretches the story unnecessarily to accommodate more episodes.
We also noticed that the story had somewhat strayed from the earlier recount of Vincenzo’s “Mafia” roots and had shifted to a more rom-com vibe.
But scenes such as a van slamming against the window to run down Hong Yoo-chan and Vincenzo while they were drinking at a store after work and the revelation of Babel’s real chairman are redemptive of the show’s status.
The show is gory in many parts, so you may want to rethink letting your kids watch it with you. Mine did, but we made sure to process them, especially clarifying that revenge and violence aren’t exactly what we would advise them to do when wronged. It is, after all, categorised as “dark comedy,” so expect bloody and a few unsettling morals.
That said, the show is a great piece of entertainment. The action is delightful – my favourite would have to be when Cho Young Woon fights Babel killers alongside Song Joong-ki – dude, I think he can kick Song Joong-ki’s ass in real life! The humour is on point and each episode compact and well-written.
The romance is as cheesy as Full House, and just as appetising to its audience. There are also a handful of surprises springing in between from the other lovable, but less prominent characters in the show.
If there was one thing familiar about the formula used for Vincenzo, it’s putting together a bunch of loyal misfits that proxies as family for the otherwise, lonely lead.
Vincenzo also stars OK Taecyon, Kwak Dong-yeon, Kim Yeo-jin, Jo Han-chul, Yoon Byung-hee, Yoo Jae-myung and Kim Yoon-hye. It is currently ranked as one of the top 10 shows on Netflix Asia.
22 Comments
Catherine Sedano
Glad you found a K-Dra that will reeled you in mommy. Not a fan too but Vincenzo seems so interesting to me. ?
May De Jesus-Palacpac
You’d be surprised. Mapili din ako talaga sa pinapanood ko, it has to be worth my time kasi nga busy. 🙂 This one is.
Catherine Sedano ❤️
Ngayon ko lang nakita reply mo mommy. Yung Vincenco po bakit ang daming kinikilig? ? Nagtetrend na po siya sa mga nababasa ko sa ibang bloggers. May mga groups din na ang daming members. Hindi ko pa din po napapanood kahit isang episode. Mukhang maaaliw po talaga ako based sa mga nababasa ko ?
Maria Cristina Sadicon
I think I love Vincenzo
I like his character .I portrait on my mind Kung ano hitsura nya para syang Bida SA mga nababasa Kong pocketbook na may mga Saga like Braganza Saga .Hunk,simpatico pero mapagmahal.
This K drama sound interesting to me
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Watch it, di ka magsisisi!
Maria Cristina Sadicon
I don’t believe in Mafia but in the other movies specially in Japan.May malalaking Tao daw at grupo ng makakapangtarihang Tao o Mafia.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
oh, you mean Yakuza?
Jhie Vinas
Same tayo momsh. Hindi din ako nanunuod ng mga Kdrama because of subtitles. Mas more ako sa pinoy movies. Pero yung sister ko Kdarama addict na.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
I don’t think I’ll ever be addicted, but some shows are really good.
madelyn amposta
love ko po ung mga gantong story mommy May ung Mafia.. ung mga labanan ng mga rich people.. interesting po ung story.. ipapahanap ko po ito sa anak ko na sobrang K-Drama fanatic..
Jonna Cielo
Same tayo momsh hindi ako adik sa kdrama pero pag nagustuhan ko talaga yung content ng movie at maganda talaga sya yung nagtetrending pinapanood ko. ? Pero yang vincenzo di ko pa yan napapanood.
Adcel
I love vicenzio . Excited for the last two episodes. Kapag asar ka sa villains lakas magpakalma ng muka ni Song joong ki
Rae
My friends have been watching this, too! May I ask if there are scenes in Italy? I am intrigued as you said it is cheesy as Full House. I love Full House! hehe
May De Jesus-Palacpac
So far, just in the pilot episode, though Im not sure if that’s really in Italy or they came up with a set to look like Italy. 🙂
Ferry tells
I’ve been a kdrama addict all my adult life. And this one’s keep up on weekends.
Blair villanueva
I shouldn’t be reading this review coz could be a spoiler. But I find it more interesting and its available in Netflix Australia! Will watch it this weekend 🙂
Christianforemost.com
Ive been seeing this a lot din actually and super compelled to watch it na din! Been a fan of theguy din since descendants of the sun
WanderWoMom
wahahhhhhh napasilip ako pero di ko binasa ng buo. di ko pa napapanood eh. waaah. baka me spoiler eh!! sorrrry!!!! balikan ko pag napanood ko na!
Danica
I’ve been seeing several social media posts about Vincenzo and your review speaks about the movie’s nice plot…. so that got me thinking should I watch it na? Just like you I’m not big on Kdrama. I dunno, i am afraid I might get hooked and addicted. And ang gwapo ng lead actor, can’t deny that. haha!
enna
I have seen lots of kdramas but the thing with me is,, I don’t usually watch those dramas that people talk about the most. 😀 But recently, during the pandemic, I’m like “okay sige na nga para naman may kausap ako about the things I watch din, real time” lol Still, I haven’t seen Vincenzo but definitely on my list.
Rowena
Nahook dito husband ko ang ganda dAw kasi. Ako nasa Empress Ki pa lang ?
Owen ponce
How I loved too the so called cheesy goodness