Watching Vincenzo was like being invited to a chess match, only to find out both players are secretly breaking rules and moving pieces when no one’s looking—and somehow, the game just keeps getting better.
Here’s my Vincenzo review.
For those who haven’t watched it
Should you watch this?
If you like a plot that’s full of surprises, you should watch this drama.
If you like revenge that’s also filled with a lot of corruption, definitely watch this.
If you like dark and twisted humor, you should watch this.
If you want romance, don’t watch this show. There’s a tiny bit of romance but it doesn’t play a major role in the plot.
If you don’t like murder and blood, avoid this show.
Vincenzo Plot
For Those Who Have Watched It
The Good
A strong Start To the Drama
I really think this whole journey of revenge is one big boulder that rolls down a big hill. You need something to get it rolling and the first episode does just that. By introducing Vincenzo as this dominant Mafia consigliere, the show hooks you. You can’t help but wonder: what is he going to do in Korea?
The Italy scenes were awesome. From Vincenzo burning up the fields, to killing the murderers, to blowing up Paolo’s car—they were bold and set the tone for the episodes to come!
The Storytelling Is Entertaining and Addictive
Let’s get revenge on somebody? Okay, let’s pour pig’s blood on him at a corporate presentation. That wasn’t good enough? Alright, let’s rip away all his support systems by using a magical Guillotine File that has corrupt info on rich people or pretending to be a shaman or a gay man. The whole approach to getting revenge was unorthodox, which made the drama extremely entertaining and addictive to watch. You just wanted to know what Vincenzo would do next.
It’s also revealed that everybody in the plaza had a history in fighting. They became more than just humble shop owners, which made the whole journey of revenge also fun because you didn’t know if a character was just your run of the mill character. Almost every character had an interesting back story (aside from the Buddhist monks).
The Whole Lawyer Theme
The whole lawyer theme was a great idea because it added irony to the show. You would expect lawyers to battle it out in the courtroom, and they do sometimes, but most of the time, our lawyers are fighting outside of it. They’re not using legal arguments. They’re using fear, murder, threats, and bribery instead.
The antagonists were so good that even I wanted them dead
I can’t remember the last time I watched a show where the antagonists were so evil that I literally hated them. I was rooting for them to die. That’s how good Kim Yeo-Jin and Ok Taec-Yeon were in their roles.
Kim Yeo-Jin as Choi Myung-Hee
She turned her character into a monster with her weird dialect and insanity. I liked the fact that she was the only character that had a weird dialect. It made her stand out.
Her dancing also added to her deceptiveness as a character. Her enjoyment of Zumba dancing is initially seen as a seemingly harmless hobby, but after we see her true nature as a corrupt and ruthless person, the dancing almost seems like a cover up to her dark side.
Just like Vincenzo said, she wasn’t a woman. She was a monster.
Ok Taec-Yeon as Jang Joon-Woo
Ok Taec-yeon did a phenomenal job playing Joon-woo. His evil laughs, terrifying facial expressions, and chaotic energy made Joon-woo feel like a real threat. He was a total madman hiding behind a mask.
I would fear him in real life, and I cheered when he was in pain. I would waterboard him with pig blood LOL.
Song Joong Ki did a great job as Vincenzo
Bravo, Song Joong Ki! Bravo!
It sounds cheesy when I say this, but I couldn’t think of anybody else who could play Vincenzo. He brought a very balanced mix of boldness, control, and menace to his role. Even though he was in Korea, he was still a Mafia consigliere. Every stare, every calm threat, every calculated move…I wouldn’t want to mess with him or the plaza haha!
The Bad
Weak Romance Between Cha-young and Vincenzo
I didn’t feel the romance between Cha-young and Vincenzo. The chemistry wasn’t there. If there was any, it felt forced. That kiss at the end didn’t feel like they were in love.
Cha-young’s character is a bit too erratic and playful for Vincenzo’s calm and calculating demeanor. I think the show would’ve turned out just as good if there was no romance between them.
What I Thought Could’ve Been Better
Not much to be honest.
So does that mean the drama was perfect? By no means…I just felt pretty satisfied by the end of the drama. The focus was on revenge and the Vincenzo cast delivered. It was thrilling and genuinely satisfying to watch Vincenzo and Geumga Plaza’s tenants take down their enemies.
There was a moment when I thought…”What if we could see Vincenzo’s lawyer skills in court?”. But then I realized…the courtroom is rigged. Why play a rigged game inside when you can play dirty outside? That’s where the fun happens. The law still exists outside, but it’s harder to catch you when you do something shady.
Life Themes in Vincenzo
There’s a Limit to Pain but No Limit to Fear
This theme is actually a line that Vincenzo said to Sang-Yun (informant that went to Italy to get information on Vincenzo). Before I even explain my thoughts, I have to say that this was an absolute banger of a line. Probably my favorite quote of the entire drama.
Pain has a threshold. At some point, your body or mind will give out. But fear? Fear can linger. You can be scared of something as vague as the future, and your mind will just keep ruminating on the unknown. It doesn’t stop. You might lose sleep, but as long as you’re alive, the fear sticks around.
So what does this say about life? Sometimes, it’s better to face the pain than to run away from your fears. At least pain ends. Fear doesn’t.
The Law Exists to Make Sure the World Doesn’t Fall Apart
Everybody breaks the law. So why are there laws in the first place? It’s to establish order and prevent the world from falling into chaos.
It’s like what Winston says in John Wick—”Rules… without them, we’d live with the animals.”
We see how crazy Myung-hee and Joon-woo get with killing people. Imagine if murder wasn’t a crime. There’d be tons of people like them walking around and tearing the world apart.
That doesn’t mean we should all start breaking the law just because some people do. It means we need to do our part to keep the chaos from spreading.
Prove Yourself With Actions Over Words
Actions are the real proof to show people who you are. If you just make empty promises, people are less likely to believe in you.
When Vincenzo first came to save the people of Geumga Plaza, nobody believed that he would—even though he said he would buy them a new mall to move to. It was only after he saved them repeatedly that they finally believed him.
Know the Rules of the Game You’re Playing
Life is full of games. Every game has it’s own rules. But don’t assume that you’re opponent is playing by the same rules as you are. You may not always get to set the rules, but you can choose whether or not to play.
This idea speaks to what Cha-young’s dad said to Vincenzo—”only monsters can beat monsters.” Once Babel broke the rules, Babel became the rule-setter. Since Cha-young’s dad wasn’t prepared to fight dirty, Vincenzo knew that he was going to lose the battle. Vincenzo won the game because he understood that to beat Babel, he had to play their game, and he outplayed them.
Music
I loved the instrumental music in the drama! Vincenzo’s entrance music was my favorite.
I also liked Adrenaline. A classy song for a classy man like Vincenzo.
Vincenzo Quotes
Episode 3
“When you continuously turn lies into the truth, you become blinded to the truth.” – Vincenzo to Cha-young
“Smart people may rule the world, but reckless and stubborn people like me protect this world.” – Yu-chan to Vincenzo
“Only monsters can beat monsters.” – Yu-chan to Vincenzo
Episode 10
“Keep your heart cold. Revenge will go more smoothly that way.” – Vincenzo to Cha-young
Episode 11
“There’s a limit to pain, but there’s no limit to one’s fear.” – Vincenzo to Sang-Yun (informant that went to Italy to get information on Vincenzo)
Episode 15
“You can dodge a flying dagger, but you can’t dodge a hidden dagger.” – Vincenzo to Cha-young
“Regret is the most painful thing in life.” – Vincenzo to Cha-young
Episode 18
“All age does is give you a lot of responsibilities.” – Vincenzo to Seung-Hyeok (CEO of Wusang Law Firm)
Episode 20
Rewatchability
The drama has a strong start and great momentum. It’s got a good amount of action and comedy. I laughed a lot while watching it. Even though the romance was meh, this is an easy rewatch.
What did I watch before this?
Overall Rating
Easily in my top 10 Korean dramas.
I hope you enjoyed this Vincenzo review.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Did you resonate with anything here?
