Vincenzo

And what if we went back to South Korea for a little while? While my articles about my latest trip to the Land of the Morning Calm are taking their time to arrive, let’s talk about screens, let’s talk about series. And what better way to start again than with a thriller series featuring our amazing mafioso, Vincenzo.

Summary

Vincenzo is the name of a Korean child who was adopted and raised in Italy. As an adult, he becomes one of the most important consiglieri in the mafia world, working for the Cassano family. As a lawyer, he is responsible for handling the family’s problems, even if it means stepping outside the boundaries of the law. However, his benefactor and the head of the family passes away. Envied for his successes and the trust placed in him, he leaves Italy and returns to his country of birth, South Korea. But more than reconnecting with his roots, he has a plan: with the help of an ally, he intends to recover an enormous amount of gold hidden beneath a small building, Geumga Plaza, by a deceased client.

He thought things would be simple: compensate the people living there during reconstruction, retrieve the loot, and leave. But that was without counting on the stubbornness of the residents, who trust no one. On top of that, he is not alone in this matter: the Babel Group, a conglomerate already involved in several legal cases regarding public endangerment, wants to buy the building to expand its operations. Reluctantly, Vincenzo ends up joining forces with the building’s law firm and tries to defend both the establishment and its residents alongside a lawyer. She sees Vincenzo as someone willing to do whatever it takes to get results, even if it means getting his hands a little dirty. But does she realize that her definition of “getting your hands dirty” may be very different from that of a consigliere?

Point of vue

So, what can I say? Well, this series is absolutely fantastic in terms of visuals, sound design, and storytelling. One of the things I really love about this type of drama is its mix of flavors: you get dark scenes, macabre moments, torture, but also funny scenes and breathing spaces where you actually get the chance to know the characters. Nothing is purely black or white; however, the boundaries of morality are heavily blurred in this series.

There’s also this interesting blend between personal and collective goals. Vincenzo wants to walk away with the gold and secure a peaceful future for himself, but he also finds himself confronted with a past he never expected to cross paths with again. Most of the plot twists are fairly predictable, but they are still incredibly satisfying when they unfold. The antagonist is brilliantly portrayed and wonderfully psychotic.

Conclusion

You’ve probably guessed it by now: I really loved Vincenzo. I’ve watched it more than once and I might even end up rewatching it again soon. It was one of the first dramas where I saw Song Joong-ki in such a dark role (no, I haven’t had time to watch his entire filmography), and I was surprisingly impressed.

Italian-Koreano cookie, at your service. Warning: this one might be deadly!