Vigilante ~ Another Dark Hero, Another Webtoon Adaptation

Vigilante is a gritty crime and action Korean drama series, with 8 episodes, released in 2023, currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

♦ Even a Child Knows When Justice is Not Served

In “Vigilante”, Kim Ji-Yong is a top student in the police academy. But when we first meet him, he is a young child sitting in a courtroom. His mother was the victim of a violent crime but the criminal was sentenced to only 3 and a half years. Why? Well! Because he didn’t really have the “intention” to commit the crime? WHAT?

Even a child knew that justice was not served. Ji-Yong was an eyewitness and watched a man brutally beat his mother to death. The justice system failed.  When he grew up he became a policeman. Smart decision. It’s easy to access details in records about crimes and the criminals who committed the acts.

He became a policeman so that he could be a vigilante. Since the justice system failed, he acted on his own to track the criminals and get justice for victims of violent crimes. In the process of tracking one particular criminal, he uncovered an illegal drug operation.

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

• As a police officer, he can work on the investigation and break up organized crime rings. It’s his job.
• As a vigilante, he can confront the criminal directly and get justice for the victims. It’s Heaven’s Net; a term from Tao Te Ching, a book by Lao Tzu.

♦ Is the Vigilante a Criminal?

A reporter named Choi Mi-Ryeo was the one who broke the story about the vigilante’s activities. She comes up with the name “Vigilante” and calls him a dark hero. She reported the details about what he had done via public media. It was clear that he was going after criminals who had not received the punishment they deserved.

Choi Mi-Ryeo was being manipulative and only reported on the vigilante for ratings and views. It did not matter if he was right or wrong. The public liked hearing about him; so she gave them what they wanted.

By contrast, those in law enforcement investigated him as if he was a criminal. Generally speaking, a vigilante should not be allowed to take justice into his own hands. Much public debate arose about the vigilante’s activities. The public supported his efforts and were angry with the police.

Public sentiment and opinion are not right, but it’s understandable.

The police are right. What the vigilante does can be dangerous because he might harm or even kill innocent people. Of course, his actions would be “unintentional”. But then, isn’t that what they said about the other criminals? That they did not “intend” to commit the crime.

And then there is always the problem of “copycats”.

♦ The Irony of Profiling

Criminal profiling is a law enforcement technique used to identify suspects of violent crimes. As a top student in the police academy, Kim Ji-Yong was working on developing a profiling app. That’s ironic. One would think that a person who decided to become a vigilante would be very easy to profile.

VIGILANTE PROFILE: Obviously, the vigilante is someone who is disappointed and angry with the justice system. Their disappointment and anger are linked to a personal tragedy. Either they were the victim of a violent crime, or someone very close to them was a victim and the criminal did not receive just punishment.

Ironically, the vigilante is the person developing a profiling app. Suppose the app does not include specifics on a “vigilante profile”? An application is only as good as the developer who wrote the code. Just sayin’.

Main Characters:

• Kim Ji-Yong (played by Nam Joo-Hyuk, “Remember” )
• Choi Mi-Ryeo (played by Kim So-Jin)
• Jo Heon (played by Yoo Ji-tae, “Svaha: The Sixth Finger”, “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb Rating: 7.9 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.6 out of 10 stars

My personal rating aligns with My Drama List. Vigilante is based on a webtoon of the same name.  An Introduction To “Vigilante”: The Dark Hero Webtoon Getting A K-Drama & Film Adaptation Starring Nam JooHyuk | Kpopmap

In the USA, people loved the movies starring the late Charles Bronson, where he acted as a vigilante. In those movies criminals who commit violent crimes get the justice they “deserve”. Unfortunately, justice is served outside of the law and legal framework for the justice system.

You have to wonder why this is such a popular theme in movies and TV series. Does “Vigilante” and similar K-drama series echo the genuine feelings of people who believe that justice failed? In the real world, is Lady Justice blind (i.e. fair, balanced, and objective) OR does Lady Justice turn a blind eye to wrongdoings?

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Disney+ K-drama review: Vigilante – thrilling crime series starring Nam Joo-hyuk that explores the different sides of justice doesn’t lose steam | South China Morning Post
• ‘Vigilante’ review: a delight for adrenaline junkies | NME Networks
• Nam Joo Hyuk’s “Vigilante” Dominates Disney+ Rankings, Showered with Positive Reviews | KBIZoom

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Disney Plus Singapore. “Vigilante | Official Trailer | Disney+ Singapore.” YouTube Video. YouTube, October 30, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXecjX4dIGM.‌