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#VincenzoEp20: Let's debrief, shall we?
[Editor's Note: Contains spoilers]
"Vincenzo" has been a welcome respite since premiering on Netflix in February — a jipuragi of sorts to help us “grasp” on our sanity during these trying times.
Its 20th — and last — episode dropped last night and with some unresolved arcs left hanging, are we looking at a second installment with bigger conflicts and more brutal resolutions? Hello, guillotine file?
Hailed as one of the most anticipated dramas of 2021, "Vincenzo" has Filipino K-drama fans hooked. And we mean hooked: Filipinos couldn't stop talking about the gripping events in the finale, with #VincenzoEp20 peaking at the top spot in Twitter Philippines’ trend list even before the finale dropped!
For the last episode, my friends and I even had a watch party to “debrief” ourselves from some major Vincenzo-sepanx.
Most observations will help you decide if the mafia-themed dark comedy is worth your time... or not.
Fair warning, though. What you’re about to read contains major spoilers!
“Could-have-beens”
Real talk: The introduction of Director Kim and Presidentiable Park Seung Joon as villains came in too late — 16 episodes too late, to be exact.
It was a missed opportunity to put a significant dent on Vincenzo’s plot armor. I mean the Babel villains are evil, yes, but after episode 13’s Carrie-inspired welcome, Han Seok seemed no more than a loaded bully… with guns.
Some villains could have been “maximized” as most of them felt too “easy” to eliminate. Lawyer Hong Cha-Young was also a force to reckon with, but she lost her bite after getting awestruck with Vincenzo’s “omnipotence.”
Felipe Salvosa II, Journalist, Professor, KPOP, and K-Drama Enthusiast: If only "Vincenzo" got to his mom’s hospital room one minute earlier.
Myla Hayo Torres-Eder, Editor-in-Chief, Hallyudorama: They left out some parts, like what happened to Inzhagi? How did they split the gold among themselves? Medyo nakulangan din ako sa after effects ng pagkaka-reveal ng laman ng Guillotine file. I'm curious with Vincenzo's life in Malta. Sana naipakita kahit isang eksena na CG.
Hannah Petrache, Newsdesk Editor, GMA News: Sana mas marami pang in-expose ang guillotine file at sana nagkaroon din ng prosecution against those people. Kinilabutan ako when they presented the corruption of people in power. Siguro more scenes na nananalo nang panandalian ang Babel. Nabilang ko sa daliri ko ‘yung times na nakalamang sila kay Vincenzo, example, episode 8, ‘nung nakapirma sila ng deal with the bank, nung bumaliktad ang prosecutor kay Vincenzo, and episode 16. Palagi na lang 3 steps ahead si Vincenzo sa kanila.
(I was hoping they exposed more details about the guillotine file, and I hope they prosecuted more people involved in it. I also felt chills when they presented the corruption of people in power. It would have been better if they also gave the Babel Group a “chance” to win. I can count the times they’ve won against him, for example, on episode 8, when they signed the deal with the bank, and when the prosecutor turned against Vincenzo. Vincenzo was always three steps ahead of them!)
New take, Old formula
I’m a fan of mafia-themed stories and the thought of infusing it in a K-drama made me sold for the first episodes.
The two-week hiatus, which was supposed to improve the drama’s storytelling paid off to some extent, however, some elements felt jammed. If anything, the cinematography is on point and every frame seemed planned up to the last detail!
Felipe: One thing about K-dramas is that they keep your attention via effective concealment of plotlines from one episode to the next. It was mostly effective, in my view.
Myla: I like that it’s a dark comedy — I didn't expect that. I thought it was going to be action and suspense-type because of the mafia theme.
The comedic parts were a perfect breather for the intense, violent scenes. Gusto ko ‘yung mga unexpected deaths na mala-Game of Thrones! (I liked the unexpected deaths. They remind me of "Game of Thrones").
Hannah: For me, the storytelling was pretty fast-paced. it's good there's a story arc per 2-3 episodes, maliban sa one whole arc about the gold.
In the beginning, I thought they were only going to focus on the gold pero nakakita siya ng treasure worth more than gold sa mga tao sa Geumga Plaza.
Scene-stealers
Episode five where Jang Han Seok cornered his younger brother on the couch to assert his dominance. Ok Taecyeon was such a revelation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kwak Dong Yeon literally cowered in fear while shooting that scene!
Felipe: The two “previews” Vincenzo Cassano-ssi gave the Jang (half-)brothers!
Myla: My favorite scene is the ending of episode 17, when Vincenzo gets his revenge against his mother’s killers. Ang galing ni Song Joong-ki doon — from his stoic expressions hanggang sa mailabas niya ‘yung rage niya. (Song Joong Ki was incredible, from his stoic expressions to the point when he had to let out his rage!)
Hannah: ‘Yung mga usapan nila sa pagitan ni Atty. Hong Yoo Chan while drinking makgeolli.
Kay Atty. Hong niya natutuhan ‘yung value of fighting for the weak and inaapi. Gusto ko ‘yung in-explain sa kanya kung bakit Jipuragi ‘yung name ng law firm because lahat naman tayo, kailangan ng kinakapitan ‘pag wala na halos pag-asa. Second fave was the courtroom scene because it showed the ingenuity of Vincenzo and the first time na nagpakita ng support ang mga tenants ng Geumga Plaza. Third, ‘yung kissing scene sa museum.
(His conversations with Atty. Hong over makgeolli. Atty. Hong taught him the value of fighting for the weak and oppressed. I also like the part when he explained why he chose ‘Jipuragi’ as the name of his law firm because it’s true; we all need something to hold on to when we’re already losing hope. Second fave was the courtroom scene because it showed the ingenuity of Vincenzo. That was also the first time the Geumga Plaza tenants showed their support for him. Third, the kissing scene at the museum.)
Cultural appreciation or cultural appropriation?
Felipe: I don’t think it’s appropriation! The crossover of sorts made the whole series intriguing. Besides, Western productions have long been “appropriating” Asian culture and themes, if I may use the term. Can’t Asians/Koreans do a mafia-themed series?
Myla: It depends on your lenses. I see why some people would find some parts of the drama offensive to a particular culture because of some stereotypes. However, there is definitely no intent to ridicule anyone or any culture. It’s a drama. As long as it doesn’t blatantly offend anyone, then I’m fine with it.
Hannah: For me, it's cultural appreciation because the character is Italian-Korean and I didn't feel that they made fun of mafias. Pwede pa ‘yung romanticized. In the end, may artistic license din ang writers to do what they want. (You can call it romanticized. In the end, the writers have the creative license to do what they want).
Personal ratings
With the drama securing its spot among the 15 highest rating series in Korea, is it safe to say that many found Vincenzo’s method of schooling the bad guys cathartic?
While I love the combo of baby-faced Song Joong Ki versus hot and intense psychopath Taecyeon, I’d give it a flat 7 for the late plot elements that could have added texture to the otherwise predictable episodes.
Felipe: I would say it’s a 9. K-dramas make you root for the protagonists. I rooted for an entire building — Geumga Plaza!
Myla: 8/10 in terms of entertainment, 8.5/10 for production quality
Hannah: 9 for me. Kailangan malaman anong nangyari kay Inzaghi! (We need to know what happened to Inzhagi!)
What’s next?
Is it just me, or Jeon Yeo Bin has some major Jun Ji Hyun vibes? She doesn’t strike me as the damsel-in-distress type, so please, K-drama gods, give her meatier roles! And Ok Taecyeon is oh-so-OK as a villain! His acting improved so much that he’d give veteran A-listers a run for their money!
Felipe: Song Joong Ki is a bona fide action star. Something like "Mission: Impossible" would be really interesting. I’m looking forward to watching Jeon Yeo-bin in the forthcoming Netflix series “Glitch.”
Myla: Lead role for Taecyeon! He deserves it. He's perfect as a villain pero puwedeng bad boy pero bida.
Song Joong Ki can star in a comedy, his role as Vincenzo was pretty heavy. Pero okay rin if he reprises the role for a second season.
Hannah: I would like to see Taecyeon doing another kontrabida role dahil napaka-effective niya dito sa Vincenzo. For Jeon Yeo Bin, gusto ko rin siya maging villain dahil I can see na magaling siyang actress. (I would like to see Taecyeon play villain roles because he’s very effective in Vincenzo. For Jeon Yeo bin, I want to see her play villain roles since she’s a good actress).
— LA, GMA News
