The best way to describe Vincenzo is the lawyer cousin to The Fiery Priest. It’s either a dish your screwball tastes love or you will find it awkward and no clue on the purpose of what you’re watching is leading up to. The first episode was a serious of scenes to establish character/motive threaded by male lead Song Joong Ki as the straight man wandering through first a mafia movie and then later a South Korean fish-out-of-water comedy with a neighborhood of weirdos. I don’t have any complaints on the acting, directing, or writing because if there is anything awkward it feels all intentional – from Jeon Yeo Bin overacting like she’s paid by each emotive display to the random guest star appearances by big names like Jin Sun Kyu and Lee Hee Joon for a scene that really has no payoff. But I sense a greater narrative lies ahead and the delivery is simply through this herky jerky way, the building denizens and the fight to own it anchors the central conflict (for now) and perhaps the over-the-top Korean feels is to overcompensate for Vincenzo growing up in Italy and therefore needs a stronger taste of Korean flavor to return this consigliere to his ethnic roots. The ratings for the first episode are really high with 7.659% (third highest weekend drama premiere on tvN after Mr. Sunshine 1st and Queen Cheorin 2nd) but only time will tell if it goes up or down because this drama is really just for certain palates.
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Been trying to post my comment but it's not appearing. Why does this always happen on your blog, Koala?
Dayum, look at that premiere rating! Looks like the cable channels as usual and SBS will be winning the ratings war. Penthouse 2 started off with 16.7 and 19.1. Then hit 20% in its second episode! Sisyphus got good numbers for its premiere week. MLDM is holding the fort for TV Chosun with 7%, it's highest over 9%. Beyond Evil started off with 4% and dropped to 3% in EP2. Maybe too dark for K-viewers?
Now lemme squee about Vincenzo:
SJK was a total badass! And boy, is he sexy! That smirk at the end? The opening scenes in Italy were fire. Literally. (Did they really shoot in Italy?)
I was worried they would tone it down when the story shifted to Korea. But I'm glad they didn't. Arms getting cut off? Stabbings with bread knives? A crazy father-daughter relationship where the daughter destroys her father in court and he's all set to disown her? Truck of doom? A whole mafia consigliere getting his ass handed to him by petty thieves? Vincenzo, my man, that was embarrassing. Lol.
Negatives? I found Jeon Yeo Bin's acting over-the-top. Like she was trying too hard to land a spot on the list of iconic female characters in K-dramas. She reminded me of Lee Hanui's character in Fiery Priest then I remembered it's the same writer and I'm like aha. Come to think of it, I see traces of those dramas in here. Can you plagiarize yourself? Also, the drama is too long at 1 hour, 24 minutes. And 20 episodes is just pushing it. Too much room for the drama to f/ck up.
However, I loved all the fun and wacko characters in this exciting story world. And there's a lot of 'em. The OST was cool, too.
Out of all this week's premieres, hell yeah, this one was the best and my favorite. Now my hope is that the story stays on course for the whole crazy ride. Dammit, does it have to be 20 episodes? Drama, if you go downhill, I will run you over like a truck of doom.
OMG we both mentioned Lee Honey character in fiery priest!
I’m glad you loved episode 1 although I couldn’t get into it myself, I enjoy reading your feedback ?
I don’t think they filmed in Italy due to covid
Hahaha, yes we did! I guess it was so obvious. My review is ecstatic but I'm cautiously optimistic. I've been burned enough by K-dramas.
You're right, the CGI wasn't perfect. The fire, especially, looked so fake. I was also pleasantly surprised that for once the foreign actors in a K-drama were good. I don't speak Italian so I don't know how well or poorly SJK did. But I read comments that he was stilted and got some pronunciations wrong but he was decent overall.
Omg you’re right there has been too many relatively recent dramas that has been given us lackluster endings and/or ran out of gas in the second half :(
I was thinking to myself the lawn that caught on fire first was so close to his get-away car, that must have been some brilliant aerial precision that the gasoline spray from the airplane didn’t also splatter on the car or the drama would have probably ended ?
That’s amazing that song joong ki did adequate with his Italian delivery according to the feedback you encountered! It’s not easy! Not everyone can be like the master of accents such as Meryl Streep haha
Oh so they shot everything in Korea, huh? They did well approximating Italy vibes. I wonder where in Korea those locations are.
I'm surprised they didn't shoot him and let him leave after the talk didn't go well. And when they figured out it was gasoline, I expected them to chase him and shoot him. That car must be fireproof. Lol.
Meryl Streep is the GOAT. Nuff said. ?
I don’t where they film those scenes but I’m quite certain it wasn’t in Italy but if it was in a different country it would have been where covid rules are more lax and the covid rates are in the lower end. It took mission impossible part 7 a long time before they were granted permission and able to continue their shoot in Italy.
Haha you did reveal some good points. I hope they give us flashbacks of him being adopted and raised in Italy and showing his relationships with his family, and more on why his brother disliked him and not only just due to jealousy. I think that would be a very interesting story to tell. I don’t want to see him lose his Italian roots just because he now lives in Korea.
There's this wonderful, heaven-sent site that collates filming locations in K-dramas with their addresses and mini-directions to get there. I'm sure they'll cover Vincenzo too so I'll find out that information from there.
I also hope they show us his childhood in Italy and overall backstory. So far, it seems the woman in prison is his mum who might have abandoned him. Speaking of Italian roots, I can almost swear he sometimes speaks Korean with a foreign accent. Lol.
I know that airport scene was supposed to emphasize his foreignness but it was so stupid.
Awesome! Keep me posted if possible.
I think so too, it probably is his mother.
LOL
Haha that’s the comedy style of the writer. I still don’t know why it’s not working for me here because I thought I appreciate the writer’s sense of humor for the most part.
Speaking of, was The Fiery Priest worth the hype? The toilet/poop jokes kinda turn me off. Also the religious/preachy aspect too. Any thoughts y'all?
It wasn't without its flaws but I think it was definitely worth the hype. Man, it feels like long ago since I watched it but it didn't feel preachy to me. Overall, it was hilarious, entertaining and had heart. Ugh, it seems poop jokes are most writers' go-to for humor. Hello It's Me has them too. They can be a turnoff, especially in FP's case (ew, those scenes) but maybe you can ff through them?
What I loved: Song Joong Ki! I wished his character was transferred into a different drama. His acting is phenomenal! The foreigners were surprisingly good actors, normally foreign actors aren’t good, they’re awkward and cringe. Song Joong Ki speaking Italian is everything ? The opening scene was so cool although the cgi was wonky at times. I think the story centering around the ML will be interesting but I just don’t like the comedy aspects.
It’s strange, I vibe with Fiery Priest but I don’t vibe with it here. I don’t like the parodies shown here, I think one of the scenes was playing homage to sweet home. The introduction to the tenants was too cheeseballs for me haha The shower scene wasn’t funny to me but it’s always nice to see guys with nice bodies haha
The introduction of FL was boring and I felt like she was trying to be Lee Honey character in Fiery Priest but doing a poor job of it, a very pale imitation. I read some comments stated the actress said her character is intentionally annoying and will have some growth, maybe that will happen but the bigger problem is the acting and delivery. Annoying characters can be lovable. I don’t find her character lovable maybe because the acting snuff that opportunity for me personally.
I had high hopes because I loved the trailers and most of the cast members but episode 1 didn’t do it for me and I had to use FF button, mostly the scenes with the FL. I’ll probably give episode 2 a shot.
First paragraph, I mostly agree.
Second paragraph, ditto on Fiery Priest. Haven't watched Sweet Home but which other parodies did you spot?
Third paragraph, I wholeheartedly concur. I was not impressed with her acting or character at all. That's not a good excuse. Intentionally annoying can also be fun and charismatic. She should ask the Trinity: CSY, JMW or KMY.
Fourth paragraph. I was actually underwhelmed by the stills and teasers. It felt too Lawless Lawyer 2 to me. And though I know the main cast, this is my first work of a few of them. The writer-director combo was one of the draws for me.
Maybe try one more episode? An unspoken rule in dramaland is to give a show about three or four episodes to hook you. If they fail after that, then it's asta la vista, dramaf/cker. Lol.
There were a few scenes I believe I saw before such as getting upset at a random dog and telling it to shut up and cursing Korea repeatedly haha but I just cant recollect where for the time being. The motley tenants crew definitely gives throwbacks to the writer previous projects. The writer sure likes to write zany characters. And maybe I will grow to love them but right now they’re all just annoying. I don’t know how a wannabe Italian or that lady who hits her son(?) or that unwarranted bad attitude monk will charm me later. I loved most of the characters in chief Kim and fiery priest almost from the very beginning so I don’t know why I’m not embracing them as quickly.
The hidden gold definitely reminds me of the hidden money vault in fiery priest haha
Haha I’m just hoping there won’t be any romance between the leads because there wasn’t one in both fiery priest and chief Kim.
How funny, we had opposite reactions to the promotional materials and then we also had differing overall consensus of episode 1 as well. ?
LOL you’re right, I think I’ll give it another episode.
Btw I watched episode 2 of hello it’s me. And while it was an improvement, I’m still not onboard but it’s relatively harmless and light and I’m kinda invested on FL potential transformation to be the best version of herself, so I’ll probably continue for the time being.
I do understand the plight of young her and why she’s so distraught, and why she’s embarrassed but she gets on my nerve like a kid jabbing me with their toy sword. Young self is so apathetic to herself (older version) even though she witnessed all of those scenes. She just adds to the pain of the FL. It’s bad enough when the world kicks you but it’s worse when you kick yourself while you’re already down lol
The ML is still very annoying.
Tbh I got tempted to try the squid dance lol
I do like the conversation/confrontation in the stairway. I hope that is a good first catalyst for the adult version. I honestly don’t see any similarities between old and young self besides the few forced scenes lol
Yeah, I understand where you're coming from.
Oh that's true. I forgot about the hidden vault!
It's possible there'll be a romance. The synopsis did say Vincenzo falls in love with her.
Hello It's Me:
Hahaha... I did warn you that you'd wanna smack her. Lol.
Which male lead? They're both annoying.
The squid dance was SO funny and out of sync! Lmao. Did you notice that FL's manipulative supermarket boss is pulling double duty as the law firm boss of the FL in Vincenzo?
I read some comments elsewhere that there is suppose to be romance but I’m deluding myself hoping there won’t be based on the writer’s previous works haha in fiery priest and chief Kim it seemed more likely for the FL to end up with 2ml than the ML. There were some subtle hints haha
Oh I didn’t notice that, thanks for pointing it out!
And yes you’re right, I wanted to smack younger her with a seaweed haha
We have some good news here..?.. Honestly high premiere ratings of Vincenzo was kind of expected..First , it is sjk's comeback drama and most importantly Mr Queen ended with a bang..I mean in terms of ratings..So yes, the high ratings for Vincenzo were inevitable.. However rest of the ratings will depend on the plot..
I m not a joongki fan having watched only DOTS and Arthdal..But it is good to see him doing well in his career be it his movie or drama.
I think the writer-director combo was also a factor. Among their works I know of, Chief Kim, Fiery Priest, Crowned Clown, Money Flower were all hits.
Oh yess definitely..lots of factors contributed to the high premiere ratings.. However, it would be interesting to check the 2nd epi ratings.. only then we will know abt the general verdict of korean audience
I'm also very curious to see how EP2 will do in ratings. Given that the K-audience liked the aforementioned hits I listed, let's see if they'll like this one too. Haha.
EP2 hit a whopping 9.295%! Wow. tvN is really winning.
I haven't seen any of the previous work of the director or even the writer so I came in with zero knowledge of how they do things. But so far, I like what I see.
Other than the off putting performance of the female lead, I like the cast. Even the Italians. Oftentimes, I feel like KDramas just cast random foreigners they see on the street so it's a welcome surprise to find that the Italians can actually act.
Overall, I think the show is still finding its rhythm and once the story settles it will be able to gel all the elements and genres together.
The first episode was bad. It was trying to be funny (but it's not) and full of cringeworthy moments.
Even Yoo Jae Myung and Song Joong Ki can't save this.
Amen for this. But will continue for SJK. But the female is a no no.
At least it comes with competitors, not like the other River drama.
I see you’re not yet bored talking to the wall, please continue :)
Are you sure it has no competitor when its first half is directly competing with LUCA and its slot is on Mon-Tues, which is definitely a hectic day for everyone. No need to bring up other dramas alright? Also, they both have a completely diff genre and charm. I don’t see the need for comparison.
Comparing with cable dramas? What a joke..They should gauge the competition along with SBS and MBC.
@LPY is clearly a hater and @Lai Pei Yee is a "World class hypocrite" as other user said. HAHAHAHA and as Laura said "Let them talk to the wall".
@Angela
LPY and Lai Pee Yee are one and the same hypocritical hater-troll. Using full name for one account and initials for the other while both accounts express the same vitriol is a dead giveaway.
i came here just want to see the review abt vicenzo.. coz i love song joong ki and ok taecyeon..and this drama is in my watchlist..but then i see this comment.. so i want to drop comments too.. so I'm sorry for this comments coz it isn't related to vicenzo at all. but just this one comment.. then I'll let her talk to the wall.
LPY and Lay Pei Yee is literally the same person..previously.. she pretended to be a sohyun fan.. now she decides to show her true color... a real hater. but that's her own business.. and i don't really care. but how i wish she stopped with her idiotic thinking with the no competition thing and emphasised it again and again and again. coz following her logic, she likes literally saying the same thing about the penthouse 2 too...should we say penthouse 2 got high rating (friday slot) due to no competition from other channels? that's ABSURD! but ironically her thinking didn't apply to Wednesday Thursday drama. coz there're only 2 dramas in this timeslot (less competition), but the kbs drama (public drama) did not get high rating yet. so LPY... please stop showing ur stupidity! and stop with ur doctrine abt no competition and no competition thing...u r so annoying.
Beyond Evil is a Fri-Sat drama competing with Penthouse 2. One airs earlier than the other but there's an overlap at some point. But even if there was no competition, the high ratings of Penthouse 2 are because of the huge success of its first season. So any drama unlucky enough to go against Penthouse 2 could be like a David-Goliath situation without the twist. This is just a small correction but I agree with your overall point. ?
Damn, imagine being so obsessed with RWTMR that you have to constantly bring it up in unrelated articles ?
And these trolls say we are the ones obsessed with ratings lmao
I can't with these clowns and as we all can see, this Lai Pei Yee is the hypocrite of the year ???
Too bad, the story is bound to have some romance between the two leads. I wonder if some people actually bother to do their homework.
"Odd Mix Plate" is exactly how I found EP1 lol, although once I've adjusted my expectations, it sat well with me, so I'm sure I will continue to watch Vincenzo. The first few minutes of scenes in Italy were beautifully shot and I thought it would be a semi-action/suspense drama (obviously I've only seen the posters and not the trailers). Once the story moved to SKorea, my head was kinda spinning at first on the direction the story took and how some scenes were over the top and just simply noisy (literally and figuratively), but once I recalibrated my expectations, I realize that this drama is kinda an ensemble drama, with seemingly lots of side characters and sub-plots. I can't say I'm 100% hooked but I will definitely be giving 2 hours of my time to this drama every weekend. Yes, I found the FL's acting to be over the top here, I hope she was told to do that by the director, otherwise, I'd have to rethink my assessment that she is a good and refreshing actress based on when I saw her in Be Melodramatic.
I enjoyed both Chief Kim and Fiery Priest a lot. So there is a high probability that I may also like this series. I also didn’t like Lee Honey’s character at first but later on I came to like her character so I have reservation with the FL here. I guess the comedy is more relatable for Korean audience but I am loving it like how it did to me with the CK and FP. Like everyone else, I am amazed by the foreigner actors! I am excited for Kwak Dongyeon appearance. He is still so young but I really hope that he will get his biggest break from this show. This young man deservers recognition.