Vinchenjo Quassano is *chef's kiss* - [update: the drama is a cathartic experience you won't forget]

If you are looking for a comedic, thrilling, creative, and oddly-satisfying drama to brighten your weekend, then Vincenzo is it!

STORY: If you liked dramas like The Fiery Priest or Chief Kim, then you will love the plot, characters, action, dialogues, and style of story-telling here. It's absurd, wacky, funny, but also very serious in its themes of crime, corruption, revenge, and justice. There is a good-mix of lovable characters and crazy evil villains (the main bad-guy is perhaps the biggest surprise, definitely takes the crown for the most iconic villain reveal!). The plot twists, comedic timing, chemistry between characters, and anti-hero vibes are immaculate. Also, so many great one-liners!!

CAST: Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Bin, Ok Taecyeon, need I say more? With such a star-studded main and supporting cast, I think that should be enough to urge you to watch! All the actors and actresses are perfect in their respective roles and bring the characters to life. Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young have chaotic energy as partners and I'm all for it (I also ship them so much!!). SJK's Italian rants leave you mesmerized and laughing, and JYB's unique take on the quirky, eccentric female lead will leave you dying for more! And Taecyeon's acting as a ditsy, lovable English-speaking intern is (almost*) the best thing ever!

MUSIC: Thrilling, catchy, exciting. I love the vibrancy of the OST and the Italian/opera-inspired music that plays whenever something funny happens (especially when poor Vincenzo is suffering LOL).

RE-WATCH: The drama isn't even over yet and I already rewatch episodes, so there you go!!

If you haven't started watching this yet, what are you doing?! This drama is the highlight of my weekend, and now that we're nearly half-way in, I've been itching to write a review. So far, I am loving every minute of the drama, so I had to share my thoughts!

EDIT 5/3/21: Just finished the drama and I stand by everything I said 6 weeks ago! Vincenzo is a masterpiece and I dig the message at the end. The cinematography and production quality are absolutely top-notch. The entire cast and crew were absolutely wonderful and let's just say... there are bad villains, and once in a while, there are good villains too. A special shoutout to my precious baby Jang Han Seo. Excuse me while I go cry and feel empty for days now that the drama is over. What a cathartic experience.

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HONEST REVIEW: This is a good drama! A lot of the ratings/reviews here are too harsh and biased!

I just finished watching the drama on Netflix and had to write this because the reviews and ratings on here are way too harsh! This drama is very heartwarming and inspiring, and the chemistry between the whole cast is amazing! I will admit, the storyline became a little draggy mid-way because of the love triangle, but the last episode was satisfying and gave us well-deserved closure (raise your hand if you teared up more than once!).

The Good:
1. Kim Seon Ho as jipyeong-ah~!! This was definitely a breakout role for Kim Seon Ho, I've been following his work for a while and he has grown so popular now, I don't want to share him (loll)!
2. The chemistry between Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk: Dalmi and Dosan are a whole power couple, and I have to say, the acting of Suzy and NJH has improved and dude--stunning visuals!! Also, the BTS and Soop interviews tho!!!
3. The supporting cast--let's just say: SQUAD GOALS!! and FAMILY GOALS!!
4. Filming and OST: The cinematography and music in this drama are top-notch and high quality.

The Bad:
1. Kim Seon Ho, Kang Hana, and their characters deserved better!!! When I saw interviews and promos before the drama started, I thought Ji Pyeong and In Jae would have more prominent storylines, but by the end, I felt pity for Ji Pyeong's unrequited love and unsatisfied with In Jae's character arc. I think people with second lead syndrome are upset that Ji Pyeong doesn't get the girl, so they're being harsh towards the drama and the main leads but I think that the Dalmi-Dosan pairing was always meant to be from the start. Ji Pyeong acted as an unintentional cupid and sadly, developed a one-sided love for Dalmi. I wish they didn't define Ji Pyeong's character with the cliche first love trope and a dragged-out love triangle. Instead, the writers should've given Ji Pyeong his own little story that isn't centered around Dalmi and Dosan. That would've been a lot more realistic and satisfying to watch. I also just hated seeing him so lonely!

2. Overall, if it weren't for the cast, music, and quality of production, I think the storyline was lacking. The plot was a tad-bit unrealistic at points, and it was absolutely unnecessary to make the love triangle such a central part of the story. While the romance was wonderful, I would've enjoyed a more unconventional take on the theme of start-ups.

If you are a fan of the cast and enjoy easy-breezy dramas with emotional, romantic, and comedic themes, then this is perfect for you! I've recommended it to all my friends for the past three months, and every one of them has enjoyed it! I will miss you, Start-Up!!

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Worth the Hype: Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy-Romance Drama (watch for the 5 leads!!)

Wonderful acting, sizzling chemistry, stunning visuals, great humor, beautiful and innovative cinematography, and a breathtaking soundtrack! This is a unique, slow-burn drama and a gift that keeps on giving. If you liked Goblin, Tale of the Nine-Tailed, or Hotel Del Luna, then this fantasy romance is for you!!

Pay attention to the story, dialogue, and characters, and you'll become immersed in this new, enchanting, and thrilling world. Kudos to the director, writer, and crew because the visual effects, storytelling, and production quality are top-notch--the transitions and dream sequences are pure perfection. So aesthetically pleasing and a joy to watch.

STORY: The drama is more dialogue-heavy and character-oriented than action-driven. It depends on metaphors, symbolism, and poetic imagery to explore the love story between a dying human who wants life and an immortal deity who wants death. With such a larger-than-life storyline, the plot can feel slow at first (especially during episodes 1&2) but I think this is intentional. Each episode is better than the last and you lose track of time while watching! By episodes 3&4, the drama picks up the pace (much like Vincenzo) and definitely raises the stakes. Think of each episode as the missing piece of the puzzle, and pay close attention to details. I sense some plot twists and tears in store!

ACTING: Seo In Guk and Park Bo Young are phenomenal in their roles, and oh, the CHEMISTRYYY! The (sexual) tension between the leads, the intense gazes, bickering, and banter, everything is to die for! I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers plots!! LSH, KTO, and SDH are also great so far, despite minimal screentime. There's a lot of dialogue between characters in this drama, and it requires skill to keep the audience engaged throughout such long exchanges, so I'm very impressed so far. I am also a long-time fan of our five leads so watching all of them in one drama is a dream come true!

MUSIC: I'm waiting for TVN to release the OST! The background music is mellow, subtle, and unintrusive. I love it so much and can't wait to add the songs and instrumentals to my playlist!

REWATCH VALUE: We are only four episodes in, but I can tell this drama will be on my favorites list. I literally cannot handle two-eps per week, I need more!! I can watch this drama--especially the leads--all day. Can't wait to binge this after it's completed! :))

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Refreshing sageuk drama with intriguing plot, good acting, top-notch visuals + humor

Lee Se Young and Lee Jun Ho, need I say more? :)

I have been so excited for this drama to come out and let's just say, the first episode has exceeded my expectations! I know it might be too early to write a review but I had to share my initial thoughts. So far, the drama is like literature in motion, which makes sense, since it's based on a historical novel. The first episode has all the elements of a good sageuk drama--an engaging storyline, emotional dialogue, endearing characters, and a healthy balance between light-hearted and intense scenes. The child actors (especially little Yi San) have done such a wonderful job to set up the story between the older leads. Junho and Se Young look marvelous and make such a beautiful, refreshing pair! With such a great line-up of actors, intriguing storyline, and beautiful background music and visual aesthetics, I have no complaints.

Beyond the typical romantic premise and classic tropes that K-dramas are known for, there is also something unique about the storytelling here. I sense that this drama is trying to capture the underlying tensions between the themes of gender, class, womanhood, patriarchy, and monarchical rule within this historical time period. I love that every detail of every scene ties together nicely and seems to carry symbolic and thematic meaning beyond aesthetics (the last few minutes of the first episode were so well done!). I can't wait to see how the story unfolds...but I also predict this may have a tragic, sad ending for our leads, given the foreshadowing tone of the first episode (praying that I'm wrong!! T_T).

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