Untamed Scarlet reveals on MyDramaList the Vincenzo Success Formula: A Game Changer for K-Dramas.
But first, if you are unfamiliar with K-Dramas, please refer to this comparison with American Movies and Anime:
Note that the zig-zag plot above is only for the first of probably sixteen hour-long episodes!
Netflix describes Vincenzo as a TV comedy series: “During a visit to his motherland, a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer gives an unrivalled conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice.”
Untamed Scarlet says, “The impact that Vincenzo has had on the global audience is tremendous, and because of that, these are some of the expectations that future K-Dramas will have to meet:
- Game changing CGI & special effects
- An international grand setting to pique interest
- The main lead’s entrance needs to scream excess and should blow us away!
- Make the lead insanely stylish, that you set the new fashion trend across the globe! Swoon to the star!
- Equality is everything. Make the whole cast insanely stylish and every moment a fashion extravaganza.
- Pick a relatable theme which resonates worldwide and sensationalize the core theme through the drama!
- Extraordinary fight sequences are a must.
- An empowered and powerful female lead is a necessity and must share great screen time other than just during the romantic sequences!
- Make the dialogues historically memorable.
- Build strong emotional associations with every character of the drama.
- The darker the shades of the character, the better.
- Twists and turns that are shocking.
- A larger than life romance.
- Make the leads the envy of everyone, fashionably speaking!
- Romance should be evident even through the subtle hints, like the glorious backgrounds and the appeal of the shot!
- Create a lead character who will be remembered forever; in short, just make him immortal all the way!
- Let the lead character pique interest. Consigliere you say?
- Rewatch value is another perk.”
Vincenzo stars Song Joong-ki.
My take: what I appreciate about Korean television drama is its genre-bending storytelling. What starts out as a romantic comedy will veer into horror territory and then turn into a revenge vehicle. A sampler: Bad Guys, Strong Girl Bong-soon, Hyena, Taxi Driver and Itaewon Class. Check out where to watch these and more on Just Watch.