SERIES REVIEW – Korean dramas, action films and series continue to appear frequently on Netflix, and while the quality is sometimes uneven, there are some very fair and interesting ones. These works bring a breath of fresh air to a market often dominated by American and European series, often burdened by woke culture and clichés, mainly through their spectacle and unique action sequences, which at times resemble John Wick films or the works of Quentin Tarantino. This freshness and visual spectacle is brought to us by Studio Dragon’s latest Netflix adventure, Song of the Bandits, although the series’ distinctly Asian, tear-jerking melodrama sometimes casts a shadow over the overall picture.

Song of the Bandits takes viewers back to a very turbulent period in East Asian history, the early 1920s, when the Korean people were fighting the Japanese invaders (an empire that in many ways resembles the repressive Soviet Union of the time, or Putin’s Russia today). The main setting is the rugged frontier region of Gando, which provides the backdrop for this action-packed and at times extremely brutal drama, with its political backdrop and Wild West (or rather ‘Wild East’) atmosphere. The series, which boasts relatively complex characters, stunning if stark imagery, breathtakingly spectacular action sequences reminiscent of a real-life adventure film and much more, picks up slowly but by the end of the nine episodes it is an exciting and rewarding watch.

A guilt-ridden protagonist’s journey to become a Robin Hood in Korea

Song of the Bandits, directed by Hwang Jun-hyeok and written by Han Jeong-hoon, revolves around Lee Yoon (Kim Nam-gil), a former slave of Major Lee Kwang-il (Lee Hyun-wook). Yoon travels to Gando to atone for the atrocities he committed against his own people. On his way, he meets the cool and cynical assassin Eon Nyeon (Lee Ho-jung), who initially has him in her sights, but then agrees to let her chosen killer go instead.

As it turns out, Choi Chung-soo (Yoo Jae-myung), the leader of the hidden village, doesn’t want to kill Yoon. After Yoon rescues a kidnapped girl from the clutches of bandits besieging the village in a stunning John Wick-esque action sequence, Chung-soo takes in the guilt-ridden former soldier. From there, the story of The Song of the Bandits begins, as Yoon and Chung-soo form their own bandit team, a sort of Korean Robin Hood, and together they hunt down Japanese soldiers and Manchu savage tribes (“evil” bandits) to protect their people.

However, the lives of our heroes take an unexpected turn when the possibility of a train robbery and assassination plot arises. Familiar faces, such as unrequited love Nam Hee-shin (Seohyun), emerge from Yoon’s past, and their paths cross repeatedly, forcing Yoon to make important, life-changing decisions that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Everyone struggling to survive

Even for those unfamiliar with the period, it is clear how classes and ethnic groups were divided. More importantly, the world of The Song of the Bandits is unpredictable and fraught with danger. Anyone can die at any time, whether at the hands of Japanese soldiers, roving bandits or Chosun’s own people. This murderous and suspenseful atmosphere runs through every episode. The fates of all the main characters are shaped to some extent by the effects of Japanese colonialism and the steps they take to survive. A single look into Nam-gil’s eyes reveals Lee Yoon’s guilt, fear and pain over his actions. But when the time comes to take down his enemies, our hero, nicknamed “The Grim Reaper”, switches into true Korean “John Wick mode”. Hyun-wook Kwang-il, Yoon’s counterpart, is emotionally unstable and lacks empathy. Although he is of Korean descent, as an officer in the Japanese army he is desperate to prove his loyalty to the Japanese cause and commits acts that would make even a trained viewer blanch.

While Nam-gil is the clear star and strength of the series, Lee Ho-jung’s Eon Nyeon is a sexy, dynamic and entertaining female assassin character. In every scene, Ho-jung stealthily and effortlessly dominates the screen. The character is confident and skilled at taking down enemies, but in her rare moments of calm, there is also pain and a kind of jaded cynicism. As a little girl, Eon Nyeon suffered a huge trauma when and how she lost her parents and learned the hard way, in a very cruel and difficult way, that she can trust no one but money.

A Wild East

Gando’s world, and Manchuria in general, is presented in the series as a ‘character’ as much as the human characters. This harsh and unforgiving landscape, portrayed as a symbol of hope, is in fact far more cruel. The vast, arid expanses, the sudden sandstorms and the dangers lurking around every corner could spell doom for our heroes or innocent civilians at any moment. Yet this harsh landscape has the charm of offering a desperate group of people something to hope for when all other hope is gone.

The Song of the Bandits, which runs to nine episodes, picks up a good pace once you get past the slow and initially tedious opening episode. Once the events and action get underway, the series really gets the viewer involved. The action sequences, whether in an inn, on the open road or on horseback, are extremely well done and spectacular. The clever editing and fast camerawork is reminiscent of classic westerns and presents a spectacular and exciting action that is often bloody and brutal, but not overly so.

Song of the Bandits is a thrilling and at times heartbreaking series that is only slightly hampered by its slightly kitschy, tear-jerking scenes, which are typically Asian, but its action sequences are brutal and incredibly spectacular. It attempts to engage the viewer with a superb musical score and multi-layered characters who, although sometimes overly sentimental, take us back to a time in history that may be less familiar to us, but which can be very familiar because of our own history, with an interesting and suspenseful story.

-BadSector-