Back in the year 2021, the South Korean drama series Vincenzo reached new heights, earning a cult. Following a successful television release, its popular demand earned it a spot on Netflix. Shows like Vincenzo tend to break norms, and that is what makes such shows thrive on TRP charts. The show enjoyed not only domestic but international craze as it became the fourth most-watched Korean series on Netflix in 2021.
Charming lead Joong Ki as Vincenzo was so convincing in his role that one could not help but admire his screen presence and acting. The action-filled dark comedy-drama with bits of romance is a treat to watch.
Its plot revolves around an adopted boy, Vincenzo, who ends up becoming a mafia lawyer. After the death of his adoptive father, he flees to Seoul, South Korea, to earn his fortune. He is later joined by Hong Cha-young (played by Jeon Yeo-been), who was earlier part of the rival gang. She joined hands with him after her father’s death to take on the unstoppable and unethical Babel Group.
This rollercoaster of 20 episodes had an open ending that was hard to predict and harder to handle. Leaving people yearning for another season, the buzz reached Joong Ki, who shattered the hopes by denying a scope for part two.
So is it the end? Certainly not! While season 2 has been given no heads-up, it is hard to get over the demand that Vincenzo created. If you are also addicted to the drama and cannot wait for more, don’t worry. This article discusses 20 kdramas like Vincenzo that you must watch right away.
Taxi Driver (2021)
This K-drama has much more in common with Vincenzo than just the release year. Originally broadcast on SBS TV, the series roped Lee Je-hoon for the role of Kim Do-gi, a graduate of the Korea Military Academy. He works in Rainbow taxi company as a taxi driver to provide revenge call service to customers. This works as a system to serve justice and take revenge from criminals for their clients.
Along with Lee Je-hoon, it had some big names like Jang Hyuk-jin and Pyo Ye-jin. Packed with tremendous acting, the series drew inspiration from real-life incidents and crimes in Korea, adding a realistic touch and thrill. The webtoon named “The Deluxe Taxi”(Red Cage) is the basis of the plot of this series.
The first season had a total of 16 episodes. Viewers showered their love on the twists and storyline, making it one of the highest-watched miniseries. The demand for another season was answered by season 2, released in 2023.
The striking similarity between the taxi driver and Vincenzo is the theme of revenge. The casting of charming heroes with antihero attributes deepens the likeness of the two kdramas. Moreover, both the heroes have past traumas related to their mothers. The leads are backed by a team and experience some uncertain romance blooming.
The best part is except for two seasons and two special episodes, making a total of 32 episodes, another season has been confirmed. So you won’t have to wait hopelessly to avail fun and action like Vincenzo. Currently, the series is available on Viu, and season one can also be watched on Apple TV.
The Fiery Priest (2019)
One of the highest-rated dramas of 2019, the Fiery Priest also aligns with the tone and style of Vincenzo. It is a comedy-drama full of thrill and action. The characters have stories and backgrounds one had never heard before, like a gambler turned nun and short-tempered priest.
The main protagonist, played by Kim Nam-Gil, is Hae-il, an ex-NIS agent who turns into a priest. However, he differs largely from the saintly qualities a priest possesses and is seen being rude and lashing out at people. After the death of an elderly priest, he decides to expose the real culprits. His attempts are hurdled by a corrupt official Kyung-Sun who refuses to cooperate. Now, the priest with anger management issues has to work with a newbie detective Goo Dae Young from Gudam police station to solve the murder mystery.
This series has 20 episodes, each of 1 hour, which is available in some places with 40 episodes of half an hour each. Since it is written by Park Jae-bum, the writer of Vincenzo, you can spot numerous similarities. It is also rich in dark comedy, builds on twists, and has most loved heroes despite lacking moral validation of heroic traits.
Although it may not be as intense as Vincenzo, it is worth a try due to the similar wit of the writer. If you are not much into romance and prefer humor and action, this one will leave you impressed. Season one is available on Viki for you to binge. As per talks, season two is expected to be released this year.
Lawless Lawyer (2018)
Missing the courtroom tactics of Vincenzo? Trail back to the 2018 kdrama, the Lawless Lawyer, written by Yoon Hyun-ho. The drama stars Lee Joon-gi as Bong Sang Pil. He was earlier a gangster and fighter who turned into a lawyer to form the Lawless Law Firm. His tactics to use loopholes in law as an advantage are well known in the fictional city of Kisung. He looks to avenge the death of his mother by putting the accused behind bars.
He is accompanied on this journey by another lawyer Ha Jae-Yi who is suspended from practice when accused of assaulting a judge. Their common enemy is the corrupt and wicked Cha Moon-sook, who is assigned the prestigious position of judge.
Moon-sook and associates use all unethical practices possible, be it murdering or false framing, to stop the Lawless Law Firm. Fighting against evil, Sang-Pil and Jae-yi go from partners to lovers beating all odds together.
Except for the resemblance of law and tactics, the lawless lawyer also runs down the line of revenge. Although it has romance and tension that reciprocates, the main focus is on action and thrill throughout. Sang-Pil does not preach the law and uses force and fists instead to handle matters. You can expect to watch some mixed martial arts and great acting, along with energy packed screen presence.
This series was a total of 16 episodes which concluded with a happy ending and no hint of another season. While a new one might occur in the future, you can watch the first thriller season on Netflix.
Also read: 21 Dramas To Watch If You Liked Reborn Rich
Hyena (2020)
Once in a while, a kdrama hits all the right notes, and Hyena excels in it. This one holds a lot in common with Lawless Lawyer and Vincenzo. This drama deals with two top-notch lawyers of the firm Song&Kim, who only work for the richest of the rich. The role of Jung Geum-ja is played by Kim Hye-soo, and her male counterpart Jang Tae-yoo portrays Yoon Hee-Jae.
Jung Geum-ja is a lawyer with no boundaries who aims to win at all costs. Ethical or unethical, it’s all right for her when it comes to money. Her rival from the firm is Yoon Hee-Jae, who keeps ethics above all.
Geum-ja has an art of using and outsmarting people, but Hee-Jae loves to play on his confidence and abilities. The two clash and also share a love-hate relationship which is refreshing to watch. Both appear as equals on screen without shadowing the other, and their chemistry is not the typical love story of kdramas.
Kim Hye-soo nailed her role, which is hard to play and against the norms of how females are projected in kdramas. This legal drama is full of romance, betrayal, and dark comedy. The mystery, law, and corrupt officials are similar to Vincenzo but have a darker side in Hyena.
It involves a total of 16 episodes which are not easy to understand. It might take you some time to form a grip on the story, and it will give you pangs of disbelief. Overall, the performance of the leads makes this a must-watch that you can avail of on Netflix.
Chief Kim (Good Manager-2017)
An office drama with tremendous humor which matches Vincenzo in some of the aspects is Chief Kim(Good Manager). Released prior to Vincenzo, the workplace drama is addictively hooking despite the lack of romance expected from Kdramas.
Kim Sung-Ryong (Namkoong Min) is an accounting expert who favors gangsters by using his skills to get away with crimes by managing their cash flow. He is ready for another heist by joining a renowned company to get his hands on the cash. When he gets the opportunity to be the middle manager of the accounting department at the company TQ, he grabs it with both hands.
With time, he is astonished to see corruption rooted in the company, especially at the top tier. The company leaders want to use their skills to their benefit to add some money to their pockets. A change of heart descends upon him, and he decides to fight for the company to be a better man. This transformation journey from good to evil is challenging for Kim and equally entertaining.
Since the writer of this drama is also Park Jae-bum, the striking similarity with Vincenzo despite the different plot hits. It has an antihero lead who is fighting against mighty villains. The hero is ready to help people around, and his group is there for him too. Later, the same people were revealed to have absurd backgrounds. The comic timing, energy, casting, charisma, and entertainment this kdrama brings even surpasses Vincenzo, which was on the darker side. It is more realistic with a not-so-strong lead who is vulnerable at times. This 20-episode drama is available on Viki and Netflix.
Vagabond (2019)
Vagabond is a crazy action K-drama series that matches the dark vibe of Vincenzo. This K-drama series is very relevant to the audience that loves Vincenzo. This K-drama series is all about the cruelty that all the evil people with power hold in them. The blood-thumping action and thrill of this anime far exceed your expectations.
Filled with multiple negative roles and twists in the story, Vagabond is a prime series that is similar to Vincenzo. Chaos is the forefront representative of Vagabond, which will pull as hard as it gets. The storyline and the action involved are so pure it gets you hooked instantly.
The K-drama show Vagabond is based around a stuntman Cha Dal Geon who lost his nephew in an airplane crash. This tragedy leads Cha Dal Geon to investigate what caused his nephew’s death in detail. The story starts on more grounded and goes on getting darker and more serious as time passes by.
Gradually, Cha Dal Geon loses trust in the authorities in the investigation and is exposed to the true scandal and corruption of the system that he has believed to be true all this while. All the eventual revelations of the darker realities of the government and core system break his mind and composure.
That is when he decides to embark on another quest to expose the truth about the government and authorities that have gone neck-deep in corruption. The gradual vindications and revelations are the prime reason why you must try Vagabond if you love Vincenzo.
Also read: 30 K-Dramas Like Our Blues To Watch
Man to Man (2017)
If you liked the intense and dark plot of Vincenzo blended with moments of hearty laughter, Man to Man would be full of reminiscence for you. The only thing you might miss is the fearless mafia plot, but if that’s not your thing, give it a try.
This Korean television series deals with a secret agent who is undercover to achieve his goals and has a celebrity counterpart.
Park Hae-Jin bagged the role of the secret agent named Kim Sul-Woo, who reaches out to Yeo Woon-Gwang, a popular celebrity who is looking for a bodyguard. This handsome celebrity is played by none other than Park Sung-Woong.
Seol Woo, also known as Agent K, works for NIS and deals with matters of national security. While trying to accomplish his goals, he develops a bromance with Woon-Gwang, who is a soft-hearted person famous for villainous roles.
Meanwhile, the fan girl of Woon-Gwang, who is also his manager, is the biggest hurdle in completing the secret mission for Agent Kim. Eventually, she falls for the charm of Seol Woo. Her shift of feelings creates a confusingly romantic situation between the two.
Despite being funny, it does not miss out on action and thrill throughout 16 episodes.
Mouse (2021)
The fight for justice against evil, where the male leads are ready to do it all, is something you find both in Vincenzo and Mouse. Where Vincenzo has the mafia antihero, Mouse has Jeong Ba Reum, the police officer. This kdrama has taken inspiration from the Incheon Elementary School Murder case.
Lee Seung-gi, who nailed his role in Vagabond, plays the lead role of Officer Ba Reum. The plot of the drama is an imaginary setup where psychopaths feel guilt and agony, which makes them repent their actions. Go moo chi is a detective who demolishes all boundaries of right and wrong while catching psychopathic serial killers. Young officer Ba Reum joins him to unveil the truth about these maniac killers and the reason behind their behavior.
The naive and honest Ba Reum experiences a life-changing encounter with a psychopath who becomes a threat to the nation. The two officers are struck by curiosity to know if a scan can help detect psychopaths in the womb. If yes, should the psychopath be brought to life? Or can the psychopathic gene be altered?
The drama unfolds with numerous twists raising all ethical and unethical questions instigating curiosity, and making you wonder.
The dark plot of Mouse makes it both worth watching and similar to Vincenzo. The mystery, confusion, and sci-fi make this crime thriller stand out. Another similarity to Vincenzo is the traumatic past of one of the main leads(Goo moo chi). He witnessed the gruesome murder of his parents as a child, and his inner demons continue to haunt him. The gory scenes of this kdrama are not everyone’s cup of tea. You can binge this 20-episode thriller on Viki.
Itaewon Class (2020)
Itaewon Class is a pretty dark K-drama series that matches the theme of Vincenzo pretty closely. Both the drama shows are based on dark antagonists with dark pasts. Itaewon Class and Vincenzo hold too many badass moments within them. The female characters in both shows are interesting to watch.
Besides these similarities, Vincenzo and Itaewon Class share similar LGBTQ+ characters and their stories. Both dramas have quite confident storylines. Both series are absolute beasts with the content and concept they share. The family arcs of the shows are as intriguing as the revelations take place.
The shows get pretty dark from the very beginning when Park Sae Yo Ri gets into a fight with the bully of the school trying to save a victim student. This act of heroism causes a major loss to Park Sae Yo Ri as he gets expelled from the school for violence despite him being the better person in the entire fight. Things don’t stop right there because Park Sae Yo Ri soon loses his father to a bike accident with his own ex-classmate, Jang Geun Won. Park Sae Yo Ri is indulged in a piece of the action once in trying to avenge his father’s death against Park Sae Yo Ri, which lands him in jail.
Enraged with a feeling of revenge, Park Sae Yo Ri decides to compete with Jang Geun Won’s owned business run by his father by opening a restaurant of his own in Itaewon. He targets to financially destroy the father-son duo. There is loads of darkness in this K-Drama, which also has a hint of love interest involved for obvious reasons. Overall, both K-dramas share a similar dark tone and interesting plot, which is why if you have enjoyed Vincenzo, Ittaewon Class is an absolute K-drama series for you to try.
Also read: 44 K-Dramas Like Tempted That You Should Not Miss
Kill It (2019)
Kill It is yet another lovely dark-themed anime similar to Vincenzo. Although this K-drama series is not exactly similar to Vincenzo, the factors matching makes Kill It a must-watch for all Vincenzo lovers. Both the K-dramas run on the good and evil binary that never goes wrong with the concept. The dark tone of both anime is at a whole new level where the protagonists are taught to kill from their childhood making them heartless killing machines (metaphorically).
Another similarity counts as both the protagonists are based in another country. Kill It, just like Vincenzo, has thrill on thrill stacked upon each other as the story is based around Kim So Hyun, a veterinarian also working as a professional ghost killer that nobody knows the identity of. He is an absolute loner who has nobody to care for.
While he struggles to build a relationship, one day, he receives a consignment that is meant to change the mundane dark life of this anonymous hitman. Soon his paths are intertwined with Do Hyun Jin, ex-ballerina currently working as a detective with a strong personality and a sweet and soft heart. Besides the trauma of her life, she’s always dared to keep moving forward.
Both the characters make a hard match, but the spark rises gradually between them despite all the gore and darkness in their life. While she thinks of Kim So Hyun as a serial killer, Kim So Hyun has no different opinions like that Do Hyun Jin about our male lead. This K-drama is a definite suggestion for all Vincenzo lovers.
The Devil Judge (2021)
The dirty fight and being evil to defeat evil is the core of Vincenzo and also of The Devil Judge. Set in the dystopian version of South Korean society, people here hate their leaders and live a life of chaos. To handle this, the government launches a live courtroom session inviting anyone and everyone to take part. Three judges are selected from the citizens to grant justice and verdict on cases.
Kang Yo Han (Ji Sung) is designated the highest post in the highest court. This ruthless “devil judge” radiates a mixed vibe to people who are confused if he is a hero or the mastermind behind chaos himself. While citizens participate in the live session and corruption is exposed nationwide, an ambitious woman Jung Sun Ah (Kim Min Jung), has her eye on power. Rising to the position of director of a corporate foundation from the property, she sees Devil Judge as her rival and wishes to expose his dark secrets. Sun Ah has ties with politicians and businessmen which she uses to promote her vision.
Amidst all this, the torchbearer of true justice and childhood friends mark an entry into the scene. Police officer Yoon Soo Hyun (Park Gyu Young) and rookie judge Kim Ga On (Jinyoung) take on the Devil Judge for justice to prevail.
Besides the handsome male leads, the devil judge also matches the law sphere of Vincenzo. It may lack comedy, but it has a better storyline. The presence of GOT7 member Jinyoung as one of the males leads up to the craze. You can watch all 16 episodes on Viki and Netflix.
The K2 (2016)
Blood, weapons, and violence are what describe both Vincenzo and K2 quite well. Both the main leads of the shows are super underrated in the community despite the potential they hold in the industry they work in. The darkness of both Vincenzo and K2 is unmatched and similarly matching. These series are prime examples of how dark action content is to be created for the audience.
The violent action sequences are absolute showstoppers that will get you hinged with the show for sure. The rich mafia vibes of both the K-dramas are interesting to witness. Although the mafia vibes of K2 wear off gradually, Vincenzo easily manages to keep the aura intact.
The creators have done a great job with the show and creating a show that is well aware of making an entertaining series for all. While Vincenzo takes an international approach to the story, K2 stays grounded and slays very well. K2 is the story of Kim Je Ha, a retired mercenary who was popular by the name of ‘K2’.
After being accused of the death of his girlfriend while being posted to Iraq, he turns fugitive. While working as the bodyguard of the Next potential president’s wife, Choi Yoo Jin, he plans to take revenge on the murderer of his girl, who is the leader of the ruling party Park Kwan Soo.
The story goes on further getting serious with a hint of romance as our protagonist develops feelings for his client’s daughter, Go An Na. This is where things get more twisted. Similar to Vincenzo, the twists and turns of K2 will leave you begging for explanations. This is the beauty of The K2.
Also read: 44 Gangster Korean Drama To Watch If You Like Action Series
The Flower of Evil (2020)
A hero with a dark past? Check. Chemistry of the male and female lead with some uncertainties like Vincenzo? Check. One of the most loved kdrama, The Flower of Evil, will set your bar of expectations high. This melodrama is more of a crime thriller than a romantic tale.
Baek Hee Sung (Lee Joon Gi), the charming lead, seems to be an idealistic husband. He is a craftsman who provides a decent life to his detective wife, Cha Ji Won (Moon Chae Won), and their six years old daughter. This fairytale of a picture-perfect family soon faces a crisis.
Cha Ji Won is determined to solve all mysteries, and in her attempt to do so, she starts investigating some old murder cases. Down the line, she realizes that the suspect she is looking for might be someone very close to her.
Turns out that the best husband, Hee Sung hid his real identity from his wife, and now their relationship faces troubles. Despite the betrayal, she holds onto him to protect all they have.
The dark plot of this kdrama grows intense throughout. The unpredictable twists and actions will remind you of Vincenzo or maybe surpass it to become your new favorite. The chemistry of the stars of “Criminal Minds” does not disappoint and is just enough to keep the thrill and mystery as the main driving components. All 16 episodes of the series are available on multiple platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio Cinema, Viki, Voot, and MX Player.
Reborn Rich (2022)
Reborn Rich is another mafia K-drama series by Song Jong Ki. This actor has performed his best acting skills in both the drama series, which makes him the best performer for shows like Vincenzo. With Reborn Rich, the show has an Italian mafia played by Song Jong Ki.
This K-drama series might just turn out better than Vincenzo for you if you enjoy the dark, action-packed concept of Vincenzo. The occasional laughs integrated with the show are what keeps it growing better on your nerves. The awards won by Reborn Rich are simple examples of how perfect this K-drama is.
The gold hunt associated with Reborn Rich is the interesting core factor that will keep you hooked for sure. The story of Reborn Rich is also based on reincarnation, which starts with Yoong Hyun Woo, the secretary of the Soonyang Chaebol family, who is responsible for the operations of the Soonyoung Group Business empire.
Over time, in the battle for power in Soongyang Group Business, Yoong Hyun Woo gets murdered by a member of the Soonyang family. Soon he is reincarnated in the body of a kid and the youngest member of the Soonyang family. As soon as he collects his senses, Yoo Hyung Woo plans his way to get the rightful owner of the expiring business.
With this, he also goes on a revenge spree to take revenge on the mastermind behind the planned murder of Yoong Hyun Woo, besides his quest to own the rightful ownership of Sooyang group business and run it as the rightful heir of the business firm.
This K-drama includes loads of politics and an intellectual battle between the heirs of the Sooyang chaebol family and their business empire. This K-drama is all about who gets the legal ownership of the business and how reincarnated Yoong Hyun Woo avenges his death from the murderer in the Sooyang family.
Healer (2014)
If you missed romance in Vincenzo, this drama will end your search for more. Both of them are thriller crime dramas where male leads play iconic characters and have secret identities. The spark between the male and female lead makes the romance intense in both the Kdramas but Healer has the upper hand in this case.
Healer revolves around three main leads: a low-level news reporter, a journalist, and a guy named “Healer,” the mysterious guy who takes up any work except killing and kidnapping. He possesses amazing fighting skills and is a master of his work.
The journalist Kim Moon-Ho (Yoo Ji-Tae) is a popular face of a broadcasting company. Dealing with a case from the past, he tries to connect to the people related to the incident. Meanwhile, the errand guy Seo Jung-hoo better known as “Healer,” is assigned the task of monitoring a woman reporter working at a low-level news agency. This woman is named Chae Young-Shin (Park Min-Young).
To execute his secret mission, Healer applies for a job at Chae’s company. To his surprise, he starts developing feelings for her. Chae, who always aspired to be a star reporter like Kim, also falls for the mystery man “Healer.”
The trio of leads unites to solve a case and serve justice, and with Kim’s help, Chae and Healer turn into real reporters. The role of Healer is played by Ji Chang-Wook, who earned global fame for his role and undoubtedly did justice to it. The Healer is a 20-episode series available on Viki and Netflix.
Also read: 41 Best Spy Kdrama That Will Keep You on The Edge of Your Seats
One the woman(2021)
One The Woman is yet another lovely K-drama series that holds pretty superb at the bold behavior of the series. Both series have bold female characters with outspoken personalities. There are loads of witty scenes and charm in the characters that come. While One The Woman is not as dark as Vincenzo, it still manages to grab the similarity as an action comedy K-drama series with a hint of romance to it.
A lot of things with On The Woman have been pulled off quite well, which is a plausible fact about the show. The comedy associated with the series is downright hilarious to watch and doesn’t seem forced. The story of One The Woman is indeed too twisted, like Vincenzo, where the story begins with Yeon Joo, an elite prosecutor, in the forefront.
A classic example of rags to riches, Yeon Joo, is a determined professional who has a master in corruption cases. One day, while chasing a suspect, Yeon Joo meets a lethal accident that costs her her memory. Coming back to life, Yeon Joo finds herself as Kang Mi Na, who is the daughter-in-law of the conglomerate at the Hanju group.
As Kang Mi Na, she fails to hide her nature as Yeon Joo, which gets her into more trouble. Things take a turn when Seung Wook enters her life to disclose the reality behind her father’s death. The entire K-drama series is a hell of a ride with multiple twists and turns that ought to get you hooked till the end. The storyline of One The Woman is quite evidently different from that of Vincenzo, but the minor similarities are significant enough to get you hooked on the show like Vincenzo.
Tracer (2022)
When it comes to similarities, Tracer is one show that is significantly more similar to Vincenzo through the core. Both the K-dramas have captivating male leads who have keen professions that will serve the hook for you. Both these shows are based on the pure drive of revenge that runs the motivation of the leads. The strategic planning carried out by the main leads is far from plausible.
The dark tone is indeed the most similar factor about Tracer and Vincenzo, with a hint of comedy to it, giving it a perfect blend to make up a good K-drama series to watch. Tracer is a story about Hwang Dong Joo, who works as a chief tax officer at the national tax service in Korea, which seems similarly interesting to the main lead’s profession as a mafia consigliere. He serves his duty of finding the tax that has been evaded from the taxation department and tracing it down to the core.
With a great team and bright personality, Hwang Dong Joo has been doing a great job at the National Tax Service. The story is not just about his daily professional adventure but also a collision with the corrupt director of the regional tax office – Tae Joon, who loves to take unethical steps for his benefit and holds a cocky attitude towards everything. From the very beginning, the storytelling associated with Tracer has been the key factor that hooks like glue to the show.
If you have enjoyed Vincenzo, then Tracer is a fresh and unique take on the concept that Vincenzo is built on. Tracer hence becomes an absolute suggestion to watch as your next K-drama series.
Prison Playbook (2017)
When it comes to a perfect blend of action, romance, and comedy, Prison Playbook is just the K-drama series in the forefront after Vincenzo. This K-drama is just the most optimal blend of all the three just discussed. The action associated with Prison Playbook is superb, and the romance blends in well too. Both the K-dramas focus on the male lead, who grows feelings for the person when they move in with the female partner.
The dark tone of the show is held quite impressively well, while the characters from prison share a similar vibe with the male lead in Vincenzo and Prison Playbook. The romance with Prison Playbook is quite a little more evident than that in Vincenzo, but it does the trick. At the same time, Vincenzo is based around the mafia and has a deeper dark tone than the Prison playbook but the prison arc of the latter cuts somehow.
Prison Playbook revolves around Kim Je Hyuk, a highly popular baseball player from South Korea who, in an attempt to avenge and protect his sister from sexual assault, gets arrested and sentenced to a year for applying force against the culprit. The entire story sets in prison, where he tries to spend his time rightfully and meets his childhood friend and baseball mate, Lee Joon Ho, who serves as a prison guard.
Lee Joon Ho is also a die-hard fan of our male protagonist. As discussed, the entire K-drama is set in a prison, where Kim Je Hyuk spends his sentenced time rightfully making friends and indulging in adventures throughout the prison. If you enjoyed the mafia vibe of Vincenzo, then a unique take on dark action comedy and romance through Prison Playbook should be your cup of tea.
Also read: 6 Kdramas Similar To Imitation; Because We Still Cannot Get Over This Kdrama!
Big Mouth (2022)
A dark vibe with humor was what made Vincenzo stand out, and the Kdrama Big Mouth also aligns with the theme. The thriller also upkeeps the mystery and fun despite taking dark turns sometimes. The main lead also lacks heroic qualities but collides with evil to take revenge for their misdeeds. He doesn’t mind mending the rules and breaking some to get what he desires.
Accompanied by a smart female lead, the two stand tall and united to win this cat-and-mouse game. This law-based mystery drama has a compelling script with a touch of reality.
The story revolves around Park Chang Ho( Lee Jong Suk), who was popular by the name “Big Mouth” in his school days. He was a man of mere words without action who made big promises without fulfilling them. This full-of-lie antihero grows up to be an unsuccessful lawyer who is hired by a mayor. Soon, he is caught up in a murder case and is framed as a swindler Big Mouse. His wife, Go Mi-Ho (Lim Yoon-A), a nurse by profession, decides to prove her husband innocent.
Ending up in life-threatening circumstances, Park Chang Ho decides to protect his family and comes across the dark upper-class conspiracy world. You can binge this 16-episode series on Disney Plus.
Doctor Prisoner (2019)
If revenge dramas are your taste, Doctor Prisoner is the one for you. It is also similar to Vincenzo in several aspects. The male lead is a skilled and smart doctor with a mafia background. He is also fighting against injustice and is seeking to take revenge. The female lead is supportive of his actions and shares common goals. Suspense, law, and action make this kdrama worth a watch.
Na Yi-Je (Namkoong Min) is an excellent surgeon who treats his patients with utmost dedication. His life changes when he loses his job when accused of malpractice. He ends up at a prison where he continues to serve as chief of the medical clinic of the prison. He decides to build connections and use the prison system to reclaim his reputation. He ties up with celebrities, sports stars, business tycoons, and all potential helpers who ended up in prison due to drugs and gambling. Every course of his action is determined to take revenge from the hospital.
Doctor Prisoner (Credit: KBS2)While you cannot expect romance and cheesy stuff from this drama, it is not even required. The intriguing plot, full of twists and great acting, is enough to sail through. This medical drama builds through all 32 episodes and ends on an unexpected note, and is available on Viki and Netflix.
Also read: 30 K-Dramas Like Fated to Love You
