Bravo! 'Vincenzo', an action drama that Hong Kong movie fans should also watch

I'm Junpu, and I want to visit Sicily at least once before I die.

Based on the Netflix trailer and key visual, I started watching 'Vincenzo' thinking it was a noir. By the time I realized something was off, I was already hooked by the creators. I finished all 20 episodes, completely swept away by the pacing of the suspense and comedy, which was packed with parodies and inside jokes, while also incorporating family and legal elements (and bromance...!).

Italian mafia consigliere Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki) returns to his home country, South Korea. His goal was to dig up 1.5 tons of gold bars buried under an old apartment building called 'Geumga Plaza.' However, Geumga Plaza falls into the hands of the Babel Group, a massive conglomerate that uses aggressive tactics to develop the area. Partnering with a major law firm, Babel covers up all its illegal activities to secure its interests. Vincenzo decides to 'settle the score' in his own way, making them pay for what they stole and the harm they caused.

Vincenzo looks sharp in his Brioni suits. He is a man with a face as beautiful as porcelain who purges his enemies without changing his expression, yet he suffers terribly upon arriving in Korea, getting stripped of everything by a taxi scam and being bothered by pigeons that disturb his sleep.South Korea, a country where even the mafia can't have it easy.While dealing with the quirky residents of Geumga Plaza and the pushy Koreans, Vincenzo learns Korean drinking etiquette and grows to like the taste of makgeolli and instant coffee. The fact that he names the pigeon that comes to his window 'Inzaghi' is something I love as much as when they call Kunie Tanaka 'Borsalino' in 'Truck Guys'.

Of course, Vincenzo's charm carries the whole show, but that 'something off' feeling I felt early on is that it's like a Hong Kong movie... specifically, like a Stephen Chow film (which means I love it). The way the residents of Geumga Plaza, who wear the masks of the weak rather than ordinary masks, show off their superhuman skills, and the plaza itself, all remind me of Pig Sty Alley in 'Kung Fu Hustle.' As it turns out, it was indeed an homage to 'Kung Fu Hustle.' Screenwriter Park Jae-bum said he was inspired by Pig Sty Alley. They did a great job! Although they each have their own skills, they had lived servile lives as the socially vulnerable. Inspired by the villain Vincenzo, they choose to fight. It feels incredibly satisfying to see them become Vincenzo'sHissatsu Shigotonin (Professional Hitman)team.

For those who have watched 'Crash Landing on You,' 'Itaewon Class,' or 'Parasite,' there are plenty of supporting cast members and dialogue jokes to enjoy. I burst out laughing at the scene in episode 13 where Yoon Kyung-ho makes a phone call. Is there anyone else who can play a screw-up second-generation heir as perfectly as Kwak Dong-yeon, who played the Babel Group chairman, following his role in 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay'? As the climax approached, my expectations kept rising.

I feel that the interactions between Vincenzo and the guys who want to call him 'hyung'—and want to be called 'hyung' by him—because they are captivated by him, fit perfectly with the Italiano essence.

Which one is the 'hyung'? The insurance agent from 'Crash Landing on You,' Im Chul-soo