Vincenzo

What kind of drama it is

Vincenzo Cassano, adopted to Italy as a child and now a consigliere for a mafia family, returns to Korea. He heads for Geumga Plaza, a run-down shopping arcade in Seoul, with a secret purpose connected to the building. But he clashes with a huge corporation that has its eye on the building and gets caught up with its colourful tenants, and things start to go differently from what he planned. Built on the frame of a legal drama and mixed with crime action and comedy, it follows a hero who takes on evil in ways more ruthless than the villains themselves.

The makers and the cast

The screenplay is by Park Jae-bum, who wrote Chief Kim and The Fiery Priest. He is well known for rousing black comedies in which ordinary people join forces to outwit the powerful. Kim Hee-won directed. Song Joong-ki plays Vincenzo, Jeon Yeo-been plays Hong Cha-young, the lawyer whose path becomes entangled with his, and Ok Taec-yeon joins them in a major role. The ensemble of supporting actors playing the tenants of Geumga Plaza is one of the show's great pleasures.

• Aired: tvN, 2021, 20 episodes
• Screenplay: Park Jae-bum
• Director: Kim Hee-won
• Vincenzo: Song Joong-ki
• Hong Cha-young: Jeon Yeo-been; also starring Ok Taec-yeon

Fighting evil with evil

Vincenzo is no hero burning with a sense of justice. He is cold and calculating, a man who will use any means to reach his goal. The show takes great satisfaction in showing such a person bringing down a greater evil from outside the bounds of the law. It is cathartic because it delivers the kind of retribution that rarely happens in real life, yet it also leaves an uncomfortable question about what justice really is. Rather than simply cheering him on, it is more interesting to ask yourself how far you can agree with his methods.

The people of Geumga Plaza

The show's other protagonists are the tenants who have set up in the old building. Each running a small shop and living eccentric, noisy lives, they first look like nothing more than a nuisance to Vincenzo. As the episodes go on, though, their modest solidarity gives the story its warmth. The contrast between the cold-blooded lead and his big-hearted neighbours provides laughter and breathing room within a heavy story. So the show's catharsis comes less from a lone hero winning than from people holding out together.

Things to watch for

The genre shifts constantly, so keeping the points below in mind makes it easier to enjoy the rhythm.

• How a serious scene is suddenly flipped into comedy right after
• The battle of wits in Vincenzo and Hong Cha-young's exchanges
• The hidden backstories and talents of each tenant
• Visual touches, such as the lead's suits and props, that reveal character

Park Jae-bum's style of black comedy

Anyone who has seen Chief Kim or The Fiery Priest will recognise a familiar formula: corrupt power and big business drawn as larger-than-life villains, and ordinary or eccentric people banding together to get the better of them. This show adds the exotic setting of the mafia, Italian-flavoured music and lush visuals, giving it a stronger genre colour. The fun lies in enjoying the rhythm of satirical lines and cartoonish exaggeration rolling along together. If you have not yet seen Park Jae-bum's other work, watching this first and then going back to look for what they share is fun too.

Worth knowing before you start

There is plenty of comedy, but there are also quite a few brutal scenes involving violence and killing, so the intensity is not low. Funny and gruesome scenes swing back and forth sharply within a single episode, which may throw you if you are not used to such shifts in tone. The lead speaks some lines in Italian, and with 20 episodes some viewers feel the pace sags in the middle. The courtroom scenes are heavily exaggerated for dramatic effect, so keep them separate from real legal procedure. The way the lead corners his opponents can feel extreme, so if you are sensitive to the intensity of revenge scenes, it is worth bearing in mind in advance.

Who it suits

It suits people who love stories that turn a frustrating reality satisfyingly on its head. It is also recommended for those who enjoy crime stories with an antihero lead or black comedy that mixes seriousness with laughter. If you liked stories of standing up to huge powers like Itaewon Class, or tales of retribution like The Glory, you will find a different flavour of catharsis here. Working out which of the tenants, not just the lead, you grow fondest of is another enjoyable way to watch.