With Nam Joo-Hyuk enlisted in the military, we were under the impression that we’d have to wait two whole years to see him again, but here we have a new TV show with the actor as the leading man. The actor is known for his slice-of-life roles that are both adorable and emotional, and he does a fantastic job of balancing pain and humor that really makes you root for him, whatever the role may demand. The actor’s last show was Twenty-Five Twenty-One, which was widely beloved, even though the ending received a lot of backlash for being too realistic. Vigilante will see the mostly romantic actor in a completely new light, and we’re excited to see him try something new. The show is based on a webtoon of the same name and follows a very “Batman” tale, where a young man sets out to take revenge after his mother is killed by some random thug for seemingly no reason. He is left to lead a double life in order to get justice and be a good citizen at the same time. The Korean industry’s love for revenge thrillers is astonishing, but they churn them out like Wonka’s chocolate-making machines with no fear of failure.
Plot & Story: What Is The Show About?
Kim Ji-Yong’s childhood comes to a tragic standstill when his mother is killed by a gangster. But that’s not all, the killer is given a mere 3-year sentence for murder, leaving Ji-Yong completely shattered. Taking matters into his own hands as an adult, Ji-Yong decides to show criminals what justice really is. Ji-Yong begins to live a double life, one as a perfect student at the police academy and another as a weekend vigilante who teaches criminals lessons through violence. Of course, he will face his own battles as someone who makes a joke of the law with a target on his back. On the other hand, his efforts don’t go unnoticed, and a TV channel pays special attention to his work as a justice seeker.
In the trailer, we see that Ji-Yong gets the title Vigilante from the people of the city. He’s a superhero to the locals as presented by the media. A mother and child living in a basement apartment get harassed by gangsters who appear to be money lenders. The “Vigilante” shows them how things are done and puts them in their place, leaving them unconscious and bowing down to the mother and child in front of her house. Ji-Yong is the kind of guy who tells his criminal victims to blame the law for letting them off so easily, because of which they have to face him, a man who will show them what hell really is.
On the other hand, Jo Heon, who is the head of a police investigation team, understands that the vigilante is very familiar with the inside work of the police (sounds very familiar, no?). There’s a company called “DK Group,” and the vice president becomes friends with Choi Mi-Ryeo, the journalist who is struck by the vigilante’s ways. It seems like this DK Group Vice President may be someone to keep an eye on because he is on Ji-Yong’s side, impressed by his work. We can assume he’s this story’s version of the “Lucius,” except one who is independently rich and capable of making sure that the vigilante is seen when he needs to be, or get protection. Of course, all the reporter really cares about is giving the public a fantastic show. We see Jo Heon work out a couple of times in the trailer—his outlet of energy to capture the vigilante, we suppose. Jo Heon’s goal is to remove “Vigilante” from the public eye for good.
The trailer states that Ji-Yong is a “dark hero” created by society, and he will serve justice himself. It ends with the question of what justice is and Ji-Young says he will fill the void and become justice. The show will start airing on November 8, 2023, with eight episodes released once a week. Hannah Montana always had it wrong; you never get the best of both worlds.
Cast And Characters
Nam Joo-Hyuk stars as our protagonist, Kim Ji-Yong, the revenge-seeking vigilante who wants to make sure that criminals face real punishment. The actor, who is currently in the military, was last seen in the movie Remember and the show Twenty-Five Twenty-One in 2022. The actor is best known for his outstanding performance in Korean Dramas like The Bride of Habaek, Start-Up, and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo. It will be interesting to see him take on such a violent role after being the romantic hero all this while. He’s done some emotional roles in sad dramas before too, but this is a completely new look for him. The actor has also been making waves through his appearance in the military because of his new physique, something that will be an added benefit to this show, as we can see from the trailer.
Yoo Ji-Tae is Jo-Heon, the police officer. The veteran actor is well known worldwide thanks to his role in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. He was previously seen in both seasons of Money Heist: Korea. The actor is well known for his dark roles and tends to play villains, so we can presume he might be one in this show as well.
Lee Joon-Hyuk plays the DK group vice president, Jo Gang-OK. He’s meant to side with the vigilante because of his admiration for him. Another character feels a little in the gray area from the trailer. The actor was previously seen in the show Our Beloved Summer and stars in two movies this year, The Round-Up: No Way Out and 12.12: The Day.
Movie star Kim So-Jin wears striking pink hair as the reporter who wants to show the country a good show. She was last seen in the movie Emergency Declaration in 2022. The actress is best known for her role in The King, for which she won three Best Supporting Actress Awards.
Vigilante will air on Disney+ world-wide from November 8th.
