After a plane crash in which every person on board dies, a man who had his nephew on the flight discovers that a man his nephew filmed on the plane is still alive. Together with a rookie NIS agent, they try to uncover the brutal truth.
Vagabond consists of 16 episodes and stars Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy in the lead roles.
The first episodes of Vagabond are solid, especially if you like the Jason Bourne movies. However, as the series progresses, you’re watching a poorly written cartoon with cartoonish characters. There are so many foolish decisions in Vagabond that after nine episodes, I almost couldn’t continue watching. But then, suddenly, I started to like it again because I accepted the absurdity while watching the series. And the turning point for me is when the hunted become the hunters.
Many things don’t make any sense, but at the same time, you can’t deny that it’s a well-acted series with hard-hitting action scenes and top-notch cinematography.
We know that South Korea has a huge problem with corruption and greed, and Vagabond takes this to another level. The government is corrupt across the board, especially a group of NIS agents, whose corruption is unbelievable. This was one of the reasons I almost stopped watching after nine episodes. The antics of this group are out of this world, and my brain hurts just thinking about it.
And then we have the waste of life corrupt politicians who will make you angry. The president in the series is one of the most foolish characters ever depicted, a man who seems to enjoy smelling his own farts. He doesn’t understand the game that he thinks he understands. He’s just happy if he can smell his farts, and act stubborn. That’s his role, while the vultures are waiting for their chance to eat him. Stupid idiot!
People are killed throughout the series, but you feel that the protagonist is like a superhero who won’t die easily. Of course, there is also a romantic subplot with the cute NIS agent played by Bae Suzy. She has an innocent charm that is easy to like. She isn’t the typical stunning Korean actress, but her cute charm is as attractive as a beautiful face and body.
And then we have Lee Seung-gi. Since I’m pretty new to South Korean TV series, I have only seen him in a movie and the TV series Mouse. He was great in Mouse, and he is also great as an action star. However, his character is like a man from the Stone Age. He can’t calm down, he can’t think clearly, and he’s a loose cannon. This makes him entertaining to watch because he is, and will always be, a stubborn idiot who creates problems for the villains. He could be best friends with the President. Two stupid and stubborn idiots!
Vagabond was made in 2019 and it looks like it will get a season 2 this year. To be honest, season 2 should have aired a couple of years later. The ending is really bad. The series ends with a cliffhanger, which is why so many hate the ending.
I had some huge problems with the scriptwriting in general. However, most of the characters are easy to like or hate, making it an engaging journey. It also has its cute moments with the rookie NIS agent who falls in love with the man from the Stone Age, and they have their adorable moments together.
It’s also a fast-paced series, so time never stands still. But the corrupt politicians and the overall corruption in Vagabond are just too much to take in, especially the corrupt NIS agents and their super-evil leader. And don’t get me started on the ending, where a special corrupt character is let off easily after what he did. My brain hurts just thinking about it. It’s beyond belief.