Geumga Plaza’s Greatest Hits
Vincenzo is an intriguing blend of law drama, comedy and outright gangster action flick. The result is something that works surprisingly well, settling into its role nicely around the middle slew of chapters and trailblazing its way into becoming one of 2021’s better Korean dramas.
If you’ve finished watching this one and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming Vincenzo.
Lawless Lawyer
Similarities – Action & Law
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for writing off Lawless Lawyer as another Korean law drama. However, under the hood this action-driven romp features a fair amount of action and some decent mixed martial arts too. At its core, the show revolves around a gangster lawyer called Bong Sang-Pil. He doesn’t trust the law and takes matters into his own hands, using his fists and feet to do the talking.
Unlike other K-dramas of its kind, Lawless Lawyer doesn’t get bogged down in big romances and contrived love triangles and instead, focuses much more on its action and drama, to the credit of this series.
Healer
Similarities – Mystery & Action
Healer is not only a solid watch, it’s also an intricately placed puzzle that manages to slot every single piece together perfectly by the end. The show mixes the right blend of action, romance and thrills together to create something truly special.
The premise just does not do the drama justice but essentially revolves around a popular reporter called Moon-Ho haunted by the memories of a decades-old incident involving five friends.
In trying to uncover the truth about what happened back in 1992, Moon-Ho finds himself aligned with an illegal “night courier” called Healer and a reporter called Young-Shin. Across the 20 episodes, they grow into real, honest reporters but face quite the struggle along the way.
The story itself is fantastic and has just the right amount of humour and drama to make for an engaging watch. Each episode is paced nicely and it’s one of those rare instances where it doesn’t fall into the usual k-drama trap of dragging out the third act. Instead, Healer layers its story with a constantly evolving and consistently great story that’s well worth checking out.
Itaewon Class
Similarities – Intense Rivalry
While it could be argued that some of the middle chapters run out of steam before picking up toward the end, this conventional 16 episode Korean drama combined important themes around acceptance, belief and racism when it aired earlier this year.
The story revolves around rebellious high school student Sae-Ro-Yi, who finds himself entangled in a blood feud with a bully named Geun-Won following the shocking death of his Father.
Consumed by rage and thrown in prison, Sae-Ro-Yi finds himself antagonized by the Chairman of Jangga. What follows is a revenge-fueled redemption story that sees Sae-Ro-Yi team up with the eccentric Yi-Seo to open a pub in the bustling tourist area of Itaewon in a bid to usurp the Chairman and Jangga Co.
The main plot line is engaging, well written and this one is also armed with an incredible soundtrack too.
You can read our thoughts on Itaewon Class in our full season review here!
Hot Stove League
Similarities – Fighting Back & Healing
Much like the American film Moneyball, Stove League is a show that hones in on what makes the business-side of baseball so fascinating, delivering a really clever, character-driven drama in the process.
At the heart of this story lies a team called ‘Dreams’ who are in complete disarray. Power struggles and bickering in the board-room divide the team. There’s a hierarchy at work too and a megalomaniac star player to boot. Unfortunately, it’s all up to promising manager Seung-Soo to try and change their fate.
With right-hand woman Se-Young by his side, the drama combines a serialized approach to its overarching plot, as episodic chapters sprinkled in helps learn more about the different players.
You can read our thoughts on Hot Stove League in our full season review here!
Billions
Similarities – Intense Rivalries
If you’re looking for intense rivalries that mirror some of those infamous stand-offs in Vincenzo, look no further. Billions is a series revolving around U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades who finds himself locked in a bitter feud. He sets his sights on the hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, culminating in a powerful battle between two New York figureheads.
While the later seasons lose sight of what made this initial match-up so endearing, the early couple of seasons do an excellent job showing the trials and tribulations of Wall Street trading.
Descendants of the Sun
Similarities – Dark Past & Action
With so many Korean dramas descending into the usual tropes (evil Chairman, love triangles etc.), Descendants of the Sun is refreshingly unique. The story begins simply enough, with a soldier meeting and falling for a gifted surgeon at a hospital. Soon though, trouble brews in paradise and the two find themselves going their separate ways… until fate steps in.
I won’t spoil anything more here but suffice to say the series has some great themes and does well to step away from the usual tropes in Korean dramas.
It’s a show that doubles up on its romance to deliver one of the more memorable and emotionally engaging stories in K-drama land. Much like many others on this list, Descendants of the Sun is a show that knows how to write its characters and it does so with just the right amount of melodrama to make it a must-watch.
The K2
Similarities – Drama & Romance
The K2 combines an intriguing story with lots of action and a fair amount of drama too. It does sag a little during the middle chunk of episodes but it remains a solid watch regardless.
The story revolves around a former mercenary soldier known as Kim Je-Ha. While in Iraq, he’s framed for the murder of his lover, Raniya. Forced to flee, this soldier-turned-fugitive returns to South Korea. Once there, he becomes a bodyguard to Yoo-Jin, the owner of a security company and the wife to presidential candidate Jang Se-Joon.
Happily accepting the job, Je-Ha starts working while also trying to get revenge on those who have wronged him.
In terms of action, drama and romance, The K2 certainly shares a lot of similarities with Vincenzo.
Hyena
Similarities – Law Drama & Corrupt Officials
While the cases in this law drama are interesting and full of twists to keep you coming back, it’s ultimately the powerful and intriguing chemistry between Kim Hye-Soo and Ju Ji-Hoon that help elevate this one.
The story starts off in a pretty cliched manner before shattering expectations and diving into the growing rivalry between our two lawyers. Cunning Geum-Ja is a lawyer only interested in one thing – money. By comparison, Hee-Jae is the up-and-coming golden boy at top law firm Song&Kim.
The two soon become entwined together, with the first half of the drama seeing the two fight against one another. The second half then forces them to come together and cooperate against a common foe.
Hyena won’t be for everyone but there’s certainly a lot to like. There are a fair few individual stand-out moments, while the excellent chemistry between the two leads is enough to keep you watching until the end.
You can read our thoughts on Hyena in our full season review here!
Man to Man
Similarities – Comedy & Drama
Man to Man is a Korean drama that blends comedy, drama and romance together nicely into one bubbly and lively series.
The story revolves around long time celebrity Yeo Woon-Gwang who finds himself in need of a bodyguard. This subsequently sees him hiring Seol-Woo, a handsome and mysterious man trained for special investigations.
As it turns out, Soel-Woo is actually an NIS black ops agent who has assumed this role as a cover to achieve his own goals.
What follows is a nicely paced thriller that doubles up a budding bromance. There’s also a healthy side order of romance and hearty laughs here too!
The Fiery Priest
If you’re looking for something with a similar tone and feel to Vincenzo, The Fiery Priest is a great option. Also written by Park Jae-Bum, this 20 episode comedic thriller has some great moments sprinkled throughout.
At the heart of this lies Hae-il, an ex-NIS agent turned Catholic Priest. He’s certainly not the most saintly of priests though, spending his time being rude to others and making spiteful comments. He’s thrust into the middle of this drama following the mysterious death of an elderly priest.
With the corrupt prosecutor Kyung-Sun refusing to cooperate and many other shadowy officials in the city, what follows is a crazy adventure full of drama, romance and comedy.
Although it can be a little slow at times, The Fiery Priest is great fun and certainly worth checking out.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with Vincenzo on Netflix.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
Hot Stove League and Itaewon are only the great ones in the list. They’re only similar to Vincenzo in a way it’s about buisness but nothing else lol
Non of those on the list are anywhere close to Vincenzo. Lawless Lawyer is not even close as fun or intense, the rest are not even worth a mention. Except the K2- that one is awsome if you leave out the cheesy romance between the girl and the main hero.
Are you joking?
Vincenzo copied heavily from Lawless Lawyer. The writer, director and production companies are shameless. The courtroom tactics used etc are the same, if you analyse the dramas carefully,