It’s been a while since the last time I watched a Korean TV Series but because I saw this as one recommended by some online list, I thought I give it a try.
I am going to summarize this 16-episode series in as cohort as I can. Spoiler alert, I am extremely disappointed with how it ended.
Vagabond Main Cast
The series starred two of the top South Koreas actors Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dal-gun and Bae Suzy as Go Hae-ri. Dal-gun is a stuntman who drives a taxi as a part-time job and Hae-ri is a National Intelligence Agent (NIS) who, at the beginning was assigned in Morroco.
Vagabond Korean TV Series Short Summary
The film starts with Dal-gun (a sniper) waiting in the desert in the Kingdom of Kiria (a fictional place in North Africa). He is ordered to shoot a woman on board the passing limousine. He shoots the front wheel of the limousine causing it to stop. The woman got out of the vehicle and had her scarf blown by the wind revealing her face. When he was about to shoot, he realized that the woman was Hae-ri… and then the scene changed.
In Korean, Dal-gun convinced his kid nephew to go to Morroco for a Taekwondo training. The training was organized and sponsored by a Korean company John & Mark. Hae-ri working undercover was one of the organizers of the program.
The plane from Korea to Morroco carrying his nephew and more than 20 other kids crashed due to a terrorist attack. Dal-gun went to Morroco together with the family of other victims.
While in Morroco he spotted someone that looked like the man on the plane with his nephew. He recorded a video of their conversation hours before the crash. Dal-gun chased the man but lose him. It was later revealed that the man was the bomber with the co-pilot as the accomplice. Both survived by jumping on the plane with a parachute. The co-pilot has been hiding in Morroco.
Dal-gum is determined to uncover the truth and chaos ensues. He meets Hae-ri and discovered that she is an NIS agent and the two worked together to solve the case.
Due to stiff competition between two defense companies, the Dynamic Systems Corporation (the owner of the crashed airliner), and John and Mark – another defense company, it was later uncovered that John and Marked bribed the President of Korea to get the massive defense deal. The President was impeached and the Prime Minister took over the presidency.
A web of investigations and discoveries were uncovered when the President of John and Marke (Jessica)helped Dal-gun. It was revealed that the real culprit of the crash was the head of the syndicate called Samael (Edward Park head of Dynamic Systems). Samael kidnapped Dal-gum and the co-pilot and left them to burn. Jessica’s aides, however, managed to get Dal-gum out safely. He kept his identity and all people believed he was dead except for his saviors and the impeached president. He asked helped from teh impeached president for money to further his plan for revenge.
Back to Morroco he finally meets Jerome – the man on the plane who triggered the bond – a close aide of Samael. Dal-gum killed Jerome after giving him more details about the syndicate.
Back in Korea, knowing that Dal-gum is dead. Hae-ri was convinced by Jessica to work with her as a lobbyist for her company – a life-changing offer which she grabbed.
She was sent to the Kingdom of Kiria to meet with the government. The scene then goes back to where the film begins. Dal-gum was about to shoot her but instead, he shoots his accomplice sniper after he refuses to shoot her. The film ends leaving viewers thinking WTF just happened.
Vagabond Review and Reaction
The series was really good from the beginning until the end of Episode 15. The plot was great and the flow of events was really exciting and in place.
The main reason why Dal-gun chased the plane crash culprit was to uncover the truth in order to get justice for his nephew but the film ends with him not getting his objective done. Yes, he killed Jerome, the man who bombed the plane, but he got no revenge from the masterminds that includes Edward (Samael) and the Prime Minister. The film ends with him wandering in the desert while the main culprits are laughing.
Viewers are wondering and asking if there will be a second season but knowing how Koren directors think, I think there will be nothing. One of the most disappointing drama ending so far.
It’s like the writer wrote the first 15 episodes sober and then get drunk and decided to go to the bathroom. The last episode was rushed and does not make any sense after Dal-gun killed Jerome.
The following questions need to be answered:
- Why Dal-gun join the Black Sun when the film ended without him taking his revenge on Samael? Useless effort.
- Who ordered to kill Dae-ri? Is it Edward/Samael? Are Jessica and Edward competing again and putting Dae-ri in harm’s way?
- How can he take revenge on Edward/Samael? This was thrown out of the window.
- Why does a righteous woman like Dae-ri change her mind and join Jessica?
Recommendations
I personally recommend that you only watch this series if they announce that there is a Season 2. If not, don’t waste your 8 hours and then later scratch your head. I watched a lot of Korean TV Series before and this is more disappointing than the Fashion King, which had also a garbage ending.
See Also:
- Beyond the Block Full Movie (2017)
- Tukaan Full Movie (2002)
- Pwera Usog Full Movie (2017)
- Tatlong Bibe Full Movie (2017)
- Moonlight Over Baler Full Movie (2017)
