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Song Joong Ki to Lee Je Hoon: Korean dramas in 2021 see the rise of dark heroes
K-Dramas are mirroring the absurd nature of the social system while providing excessive entertainment.
Vincenzo Cassano, played by actor Song Joong Ki, from Netflix's, and tvN's, Vincenzo and Kim Do Gi, played by actor Lee Je Hoon, the protagonist of SBS's Taxi Driver, are stealing hearts of viewers on weekends as Korean Dark Heroes. This is quite different considering the attention the ordinary heroes gained in 2020 in dramas like The Uncanny Counter and The School Nurse Files. Vincenzo is a Mafia consigliere of Korean descent. Owner of the perfect poker face, he is a cold-blooded strategist. He is the perfect lawyer and just as perfect outlaw. Kidnapping and threatening, to him, is as easy as eating. Though not very realistic, it doubles the excitement. Evil is punished by evil. The character moves freely between genres of comedy, crime, noir, thriller and action. While on the topic of dark heroes in Vincenzo, we can never forget to mention his companion Hong Cha Young, played by actress Jeon Yeo Been. Though not as dark as Vincenzo, she has done her fair share of dark things landing her in the grey area.
Kim Do Gi is the epitome of a dark hero from the drama that received double-digit ratings on premiere which hasn't fallen to date. He is a former special forces officer who currently drives a taxi at the Rainbow Taxi Company. His boldness, extraordinary physicality, and natural intuition coupled with cold judgment enhance his performance at the agency that helps you serve revenge in a very pretty platter. His dialogue, "How long do (insert swear words) like you have to be fermented to reach maturity?" had us squealing.
And then there is Lee Dong Sik, played by actor Shin Ha Kyun, from jTBC's Beyond Evil. Unlike the somewhat cheerful Vincenzo and Kim Do Gi, he is the real dark hero. He becomes a monster to catch the monsters. There are laws/rules to follow even if the individual knows someone to be the culprit. And this character takes it upon himself to be the bad guy in the shadows that gets the evidence for a conviction.
The reason so many dark heroes are emerging can be somehow related to the increasing number of things/incidents, in real life, that cannot be solved by social systems, say for example, of protection. The existence of dark heroes is like denying the present social systems. So to be on the safer side creators have made them as entertaining characters with fun and comical behavior to balance the darkness.
ALSO READ: Taxi Driver records rapid rise in viewers; Actor Lee Je Hoon makes us swoon as a hot teacher
Which of these dark heroes do you love the most? Share your thoughts with Pinkvilla in the comments section down below!
