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Suzume no Tojimari || Quick Review

Suzume, a 17-year-old girl, meets Souta, a young man looking for a door. Out of curiosity, she sought out the mysterious door and discovers that it opens to a different world, only to welcome disaster and destruction in hers. Now she embarks on a journey to help Souta to close the doors all over Japan in order to save everyone.  Makoto Shinkai and RADWIMPS really know how to use music in creating the world and emotions of the story. With Japanese mythology and historical elements, they get to tell a common message differently that in the end leaves you emotional. Cinematography and animation are just beautiful yet intentional. (Wish I can say more about this but I might spoil)  And dammit, I have nothing to say about the voice actors because I have a soft spot for Japanese VAs.  Although, I kinda wish that there was more emphasis on Suzume’s feelings and thoughts about her past. There are scenes that do but they didn’t express enough for me to make the ending more im...

Vincenzo 빈센조 | Series Review: Leaves you wanting more'

I’ve been looking for some Mafia series (for research reasons) and coincidentally Netflix featured a Korean Mafia series. It was the Top 10 most-watched series here in the Philippines, so I was curious.

Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki), a Korean-Italian Mafia lawyer pays his home country a visit to do some unfinished business, only to discover a conglomerate interfering with his plans with injustices.

The series started with our main character in Italy doing some business for his deceased boss. It was dark, mysterious, and brooding. The series screamed crime and mystery, a story that’ll delve into a dark web of conspiracies.

Since his boss and father-like figure died, he decides to go back to his motherland, Korea. Little did we know, it’s not only Crime and Drama, but also comedy. Just as Vincenzo lands on Korean soil, things start to get eccentric. The well-groomed, dangerous mafia lawyer is out of his element: he gets mobbed, and people around him are almost defined as crackheads. 

But after each episode, you begin to warm up to these quirky characters like Hong Cha-yeong, the leading lady and a lawyer, and the tenants of the Geumga Plaza. This Mafia k-drama is like an Anime in real life. It’s entertaining to watch the weird antics of the characters and how a cool, mysterious man like Vincenzo reacts to them. It’s an odd mix, but that’s what makes Vincenzo the series that it is now. It is dark and twisted with a blend of slapstick comedy, family, and friendship.

This is my second K-Drama series, and I’m starting to think that Koreans are really good at developing their side characters’ arc. Their personalities are likable and you truly root for them (despite how annoying they can sometimes be), most especially when they start to work together with our Korean-Italian protagonist.

Vincenzo was in Korea to do some unfinished business until he finds himself part of a lawyer’s case that is actually bigger than all of them. As the story progresses, it truly gets darker, and blood will be shed. A conglomerate – Wusang Law Firm and Babel Tower-- is causing havoc behind the scenes that cause innocent people to die for their own power and greed. The devil was working hard.

We watch Vincenzo, Hong Cha-young and their friends try to take them down. As Vincenzo would say, 

“Only evil can punish evil”

In order to win the game, you’ve got to play dirty. The whole thing not only spills blood but also deceit, corruption, and psychotic games. Our gang plays hard, but the other shows that they can do better. As you go through the 20 episodes, it invites the audience to investigate and predict what’s going to happen, but the storytelling is really clever with its twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect. It makes it overall exciting.

Vincenzo is a crime, drama story about how in this world, only evil can be stopped by evil. It’s a story about trust, family, and friendship. Accepting the past, and make do with the present.

And, oh yeah, do not mess with Mr. Vincenzo Cassano.

That iconic thumps up of approval.
RECOMMENDATION

I truly recommend it to those who love Mafia stories with a touch of ridiculous comic relief. If you love crime scenes and investigation, this one is also for you. I had a blast watching this. It’s a fun and fulfilling K-Drama that can actually leave you with separation anxiety just after watching it. I know I have.

If you’ve watched it, let us know your thoughts on the series in the comments down below.

RATE: 💣💣💣💣

EXPERIENCE: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

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