The Devil Wears a Tailored Suit
Vincenzo Cassano is a consigliere for the Italian Mafia who returns to South Korea to retrieve a hidden fortune buried beneath an old shopping plaza. What should be a simple retrieval mission becomes a war when he discovers that the Babel Group, a corrupt pharmaceutical conglomerate, plans to demolish the plaza and all the quirky tenants who call it home. Vincenzo must decide: take the gold and leave, or stay and fight a battle that is not his own.
The answer, of course, is that Vincenzo stays — not because he is a hero, but because he despises bullies even more than he loves gold. What follows is a deliciously dark tale of revenge served with Italian flair, where the good guy is actually a very bad man who happens to be fighting even worse people.
Song Joong-ki Reinvented
Gone entirely is the boyish charm of Descendants of the Sun. Song Joong-ki is magnetic, menacing, and unexpectedly hilarious as Vincenzo — a man who can calmly negotiate a multimillion-dollar deal in one scene and orchestrate the elaborate humiliation of his enemies in the next. His comic timing is as sharp as his impeccably tailored three-piece suits, and his ability to shift from charming diplomat to cold-blooded avenger in the span of a single line reading is nothing short of extraordinary.
The role required Song Joong-ki to speak fluent Italian for significant portions of the drama, and his dedication to mastering the language adds an authenticity that elevates the entire production. This is not just a Korean actor playing Italian — it is a fully realized performance that honors both cultures.
The Geumga Plaza Family
The quirky tenants of Geumga Plaza provide warmth, comedy, and surprising depth. What begins as a simple landlord-tenant relationship evolves into something far more meaningful: a found family of misfits, dreamers, and survivors who would do anything for each other. Each tenant has their own mini-arc, from the aspiring actor running a struggling Italian restaurant to the former gangster turned devoted father.
Jeon Yeo-bin is spectacular as Hong Cha-young, the unhinged lawyer who becomes Vincenzo partner in crime — literally and figuratively. Her journey from ethically compromised corporate attorney to passionate defender of justice is one of the drama most satisfying arcs. She matches Vincenzo beat for beat, quip for quip, and her willingness to get her hands dirty makes her far more than a typical love interest.
A Genre-Bending Masterpiece
Vincenzo refuses to be categorized. It is a dark comedy, a legal thriller, a mafia action epic, and a found family drama rolled into one. Characters who seem like comic relief in Episode 1 become the emotional core by Episode 20. Plot threads that appear to be throwaway jokes resurface with devastating significance. The tonal shifts could have been disastrous in lesser hands, but writer Park Jae-bum and director Kim Hee-won navigate them with confidence and precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vincenzo worth watching?
Absolutely. Vincenzo is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas on Netflix globally, with a 9.4/10 score. It features Song Joong-ki best performance, a unique genre-bending story, and some of the most satisfying revenge sequences in K-drama history.
How many episodes is Vincenzo?
Vincenzo consists of 20 episodes, each approximately 75-90 minutes. The longer format allows for rich character development and complex plot progression.
