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Song of the Bandits Review: Amid Kim Nam Gil and Seohyun’s romance, Lee Ho Jung emerges as real action star
Period drama Song of the Bandits premiered on September 22 and has been receiving attention from viewers for its cinematography and acting. Here’s what we thought of it.
Name: Song of the Bandits
Premiere date: September 22, 2023
Cast: Kim Nam Gil, Seohyun, Yoo Jae Myung, Lee Hyun Wook, Lee Ho Jung
Director: Hwang Jun Hyeok, Park Hyun Suk
Writer: Han Jung Hoon
Genre: Period drama, Action
No. of Episodes: 9
Where to watch: Netflix
Song of the Bandits Storyline
Taking you back to the early 1900s, the turbulent time in the lives of thousands of Joseon people who had fleeted base to other parts of the world, including this particular one called Gando where the Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese, each wished to claim their land, with the former aiming for peaceful livelihood away from the politics between the other two, Song of the Bandits is a page from the rebel’s diary. The story stars Kim Nam Gil, Seohyun, Yoo Jae Myung, Lee Hyun Wook, and Lee Ho Jung in the main roles, with fabulous support from the bandit squad as well as Cha Chung Hwa.
Watch Song of the Bandits teaser
Acting performances in Song of the Bandits
Kim Nam Gil as Lee Yoon is the leading man with the skills to save the day as is the norm. Despite finding the worst fateful encounters with those like him in the foreign land, he soon forms a pseudo-family that he wills to protect. It is the presence of those around him that push him up to the pedestal as the savior, in the bad books of all high officials. Declaring himself a bandit and vowing to sing the song of their swords, it is only confusing as to why he carries a gun instead. His acting and more so his action is as good as one would expect, upholding Kim Nam Gil’s long-running fame.
Seohyun as Nam Hee Shin is often the damsel in distress, having to be carried around while she is firm on her decision to return to her own country. In the meanwhile, she falls for Lee Yoon and fools her own betrothed, but you have to give it to her- she looks very desirable at all times, even amidst a sandstorm. Yoo Jae Myung and Lee Hyun Wook as Choi Choong Soo and Lee Kwang Il are the very best. The former puts his all in even at 50 while the latter pulls off a despicable character with style intact.
Lee Ho Jung as Eon Nyeon is our favorite portrayal and what a shame that she wasn’t romantically linked with Lee Yoon after all. The chemistry between the two, as they bickered every other minute, was one of our favorite bits of the show. She is given this boss babe character which Lee Ho Jung pulls off with charm dripping each time she moves. Every expression pulled to the very brink of personal best while she rules the action in the whole series. Smooth on her feet and swift with her actions, it was a delight to watch her get to business.
Best things about Song of the Bandits
Period, action, and drama all come together with a bang on screen as a team of uncivilized bandits come together to protect what they have claimed as their land and a makeshift family. We can praise Lee Ho Jung’s acting once again but her dual action scene with Kim Nam Gil as they hold the enemies at bay, and snuck at each other’s back, is our pick for the poster that should have been. The invigorating soundtrack by NCT member Taeil, Bandit, which rings in your ears every important scene, as the dashing hero marks another fabulous move in the storyline, is the best fit and will make you go search for it, to play it on repeat, fulfilling its mission exceptionally well.
What we did not like about Song of the Bandits
Though there’s not a lot to pick on, one constant thought we had through the first episode was the hair on Kim Nam Gil’s Lee Yoon. If it was a wig, they ought to have chosen a better one than this which looked flat against his head and bothered us a lot. On the other hand, between being a bandit and pursuing his love story with Seohyun’s Nam Hee Shin, the chemistry seemed a little off. Maybe they could have left the last visit from him to her a bit more suspenseful or developed it further for an even sad end.
While we appreciate the open ending, leaving us with the possibility of their reunion or the continued rise of the Gando bandits, what also seemed only natural and well done was Nam Hee Shin’s marriage with the seemingly evil Lee Kwang Il, who seemed only a hair’s length away from pursuing the independence route himself. He could very well keep the lady trapped under his wing while pursuing bad intentions of supplying intel to the Japanese army, or give in to her charms and join the other side. Who knows? And that’s the fun of it.
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