[Drama 2019] Vagabond, 배가본드

[nrllee]

1 hour ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

As usual it's terrible, greedy people behind the whole thing... what they wouldn't do for a lot of money. But I am struggling to see how this storyline should be dragged out for 16 episodes. I'm wondering if I should just binge watch this when it's done.

 

Same.  I think I will stay for a few more episodes and then jump on the Leverage bandwagon instead. 

[imgreatgal]

Episode 1 till 4 have been wow! I'm still hoping they'll keep up with it. The car chase scene was awesome although not as awesome as the Bourne movie lol . Just wondering with the care scene don't these people ever get a traffic summons? I mean they were wrecking public property and endangering people's lives.

Since I'm between other dramas I just don't mind keep up with this.

3 hours ago, katakwasabi said:

And why are there no curtains. Haha 

When he has been a target since Morocco. Crazy!

[rocher22]

LSG is simply excellent in this role.

Whether it is an emotional scene or an action scene, or

a shirtless scene...

 

I kinda would  like it if TW were on the team with HR and DG, and they

would work together to find out the truth.

 

Of course Lily liked when  DG is shirtless. 

But, I think she really became interested in him when he got out of that

overturned car. 

 

 

[Ameera Ali]

 

 

 

Ep 3 & 4   Conclusion thought  

 

@Lawyerh & @Sarang21  I am glad she still like to doze in his shoulder after all these 100 years  - he probably thinking the same 10 dollar by hour darling pay in front 

 

[rocat]

At ep4, I would think that CDG would have wizened up to the antics of the bad guys. It seems he has been in the realization mode from ep2. Perhaps they are trying to show just how deep and wide the corruption is but i hope they know we get it. 

 

Other than that, I like the show for its chase and action scenes. They’re pretty well executed and there is satisfaction in having a hero who smacks everyone who tries to hurt him. It might be unbelievable but hey, it’s entertainment. He does get minor injuries to look like the part. 

 

I had no expectations of Suzy because I don’t know what to expect. But she’s pretty okay though I wish she was a bit tougher. She looks very groomed even in a tussle...that is quite funny. 

 

I think i am I am going to love Mr Ki. Is SSR really going to be the good guy this round?? I can’t wait!

[Sarang21]

53 minutes ago, Ameera Ali said:

 

 

Ep 3 & 4   Conclusion thought  

 

@Lawyerh & @Sarang21  I am glad she still like to doze in his shoulder after all these 100 years  - he probably thinking the same 10 dollar by hour darling pay in front 

 

Old habits never die 

At the end of their previous drama If I remember correctly Suzy´s character was a police officer in the modern world? So this drama could be seen as a  continuation of their over 100 years old love story . 

[ktcjdrama]

47 minutes ago, rocat said:

there is satisfaction in having a hero who smacks everyone who tries to hurt him.

This is probably the main reason I am continuing watching. And SSR possibly being the good guy. 

[thistle]

I'm really enjoying the show this far.  Is it imperfect?  Yes.  But to be fair, no drama is completely perfect.  Perhaps we all had very high expectations for the drama because we waited so long; maybe our expectations were too high, and we are too easily disappointed in consequence.

 

 I will continue watching and enjoying Vagabond.

 

However, after the threat that was made against me by another poster on this thread, I am dropping posting about Vagabond.

[Sarang21]

1 hour ago, thistle said:

I'm really enjoying the show this far.  Is it imperfect?  Yes.  But to be fair, no drama is completely perfect.  Perhaps we all had very high expectations for the drama because we waited so long; maybe our expectations were too high, and we are too easily disappointed in consequence.

 

 I will continue watching and enjoying Vagabond.

 

However, after the threat that was made against me by another poster on this thread, I am dropping posting about Vagabond.

For me my expectations were high because it´s a pre-produced drama with a high budget. So since they are not under the same time stress that live-shooting dramas are under..I expect the quality to be better.  But with all it´s flaws I´m still enjoying the show and hope that it will continue to get better until the end. 

 

I´m sorry to hear that you have received a threat by another poster but please don´t take it to heart and don´t let it discourage you to stop posting. 

 

 

[bebebisous33]

@thistle Please continue posting... I agree with you, @nrllee and others that this drama is definitely lacking in some areas.

 

In my eyes, this drama has its flaws but mainly due to the writing. They turned GHR into a superficial and naive NIS agent. Her reactions were sometimes quite disturbing... like f. ex. when she is happy because she thinks, she will get promoted for discovering that the plane crash was a terror attack. How can she rejoice about such a promotion, when it is connected to the death of more than hundred people? It makes her look like insensitive and selfish. Besides, she was initially introduced as a super agent (she has a cover in Morroco), then once week later, she is described as a rookie. Then we see her having a gun unloaded (?) in her flat... as a NIS agent, her gun is supposed to be loaded. Her colleague came aloof too... I can not see her as a NSI agent due to her comments. 

 

I guess, the main error is that the writer tried to create funny scenes but this doesn't work here. They should have sticked more to the action and the thriller. Comedy is in the wrong place here.

 

 

But now, let's focus on the story itself. I have the impression that the real issue of this "incident" is not just J&M as such but the politicians and the NSI. Like the director Kang Joo Chul said it, the NSI's work has changed. The agents have become the errand boys for the government. Jessica would have never been able to organize such a plane accident, if the president and the Prime Minister hadn't already decided to support J&M. I have the feeling that there could be another person working at the NSI who has been helping them... the one who was smoking a big cigar. So the corruption is the real problem in reality which explains why CDG has to work outside the box in the end... he is forced to become a vagabond as he can no longer rely on the authorities. He will try to use the media and ask for the president's help, in the end he will fail. That's why he will leave GHR's side. GHR is definitely too naive, when it comes to NSI. She has not realized that agents in the NIS are traitors.

[philosophie]

53 minutes ago, bebebisous33 said:

@thistle Please continue posting... I agree with you, @nrllee and others that this drama is definitely lacking in some areas.

 

In my eyes, this drama has its flaws but mainly due to the writing. They turned GHR into a superficial and naive NIS agent. Her reactions were sometimes quite disturbing... like f. ex. when she is happy because she thinks, she will get promoted for discovering that the plane crash was a terror attack. How can she rejoice about such a promotion, when it is connected to the death of more than hundred people? It makes her look like insensitive and selfish. Besides, she was initially introduced as a super agent (she has a cover in Morroco), then once week later, she is described as a rookie. Then we see her having a gun unloaded (?) in her flat... as a NIS agent, her gun is supposed to be loaded. Her colleague came aloof too... I can not see her as a NSI agent due to her comments. 

 

I guess, the main error is that the writer tried to create funny scenes but this doesn't work here. They should have sticked more to the action and the thriller. Comedy is in the wrong place here.

 

 

But now, let's focus on the story itself. I have the impression that the real issue of this "incident" is not just J&M as such but the politicians and the NSI. Like the director Kang Joo Chul said it, the NSI's work has changed. The agents have become the errand boys for the government. Jessica would have never been able to organize such a plane accident, if the president and the Prime Minister hadn't already decided to support J&M. I have the feeling that there could be another person working at the NSI who has been helping them... the one who was smoking a big cigar. So the corruption is the real problem in reality which explains why CDG has to work outside the box in the end... he is forced to become a vagabond as he can no longer rely on the authorities. He will try to use the media and ask for the president's help, in the end he will fail. That's why he will leave GHR's side. GHR is definitely too naive, when it comes to NSI. She has not realized that agents in the NIS are traitors.

Chingu! So happy to see you here.

 

Yes absolutely, I have a problem with the writing too. I mean I don’t even work for the government and if I found out children, the very ones I was responsible for inviting from my country, died in a plane crash, I wouldn’t be so cavalier about it like she’s been the whole time (maybe except when she flashed back to what he said and when she heard the audio but still the promotion and just overall lack of empathy and accountability ruin it). We also know from her interview video, that she applied there in 2006(and it’s 2012 at this point in drama?) so how can she be so much of a rookie that even after six years she can’t defend herself against the male lead yet be qualified enough to call herself an NIS agent?  And then if she’s so smart and relies on brains, why did she so far have to ask two of her colleagues one of which (elder guy) seems to be in on it with her male coworker? 

 

I think my my biggest problem is none of these spy centric cases seem to relate to modern day issues like I’m used to seeing in kdramas and enjoy. Unless maybe this plane event was a re-enactment of when that Malaysia airlines went missing or something? I don’t know, I’m honestly a bit lost with what’s going in. So far we have this woman (always speaking super good English) that seems to be related to the old mans death that tried calling in the plane crash to report. She is the bad side I guess. Along with others working for korean embassy as we see our leads face off each one. But what conspiracy is going on? What kind of corrupt is happening that little kids would have to be the sacrifices of it? And you’re telling me there’s no good NIS agents? Just seems like everyone in power and the mass majority of spies are on the bad side which makes this even more frustrating.

 

So vagabond means he’s not loyal to one agency? Is he like a freelancing assassin? Or agent for intelligence (aka giving info to different country agencies?) or he’s like a vigilante and just does his own thing? The only thing about the last one is how does he have the money to fund being a nomad like that and hide from such powerful people that want him killed to shush him up?

[nrllee]

4 hours ago, bebebisous33 said:

In my eyes, this drama has its flaws but mainly due to the writing. They turned GHR into a superficial and naive NIS agent. Her reactions were sometimes quite disturbing... like f. ex. when she is happy because she thinks, she will get promoted for discovering that the plane crash was a terror attack. How can she rejoice about such a promotion, when it is connected to the death of more than hundred people? It makes her look like insensitive and selfish. Besides, she was initially introduced as a super agent (she has a cover in Morroco), then once week later, she is described as a rookie. Then we see her having a gun unloaded (?) in her flat... as a NIS agent, her gun is supposed to be loaded. Her colleague came aloof too... I can not see her as a NSI agent due to her comments. 

 

I guess, the main error is that the writer tried to create funny scenes but this doesn't work here. They should have sticked more to the action and the thriller. Comedy is in the wrong place here.

 

Exactly.  It’s not the fault of the acting cast, it’s the writing.  How HR has been written makes it very hard for me to accept now that she’s suddenly going to move from where she is at now to becoming a super agent.  Her drunk kissing, her overconfidence.  It just makes her comedic when I desperately want to take her seriously.  

 

4 hours ago, Sarang21 said:

For me my expectations were high because it´s a pre-produced drama with a high budget. So since they are not under the same time stress that live-shooting dramas are under..I expect the quality to be better.

 

Yeah that was me too.  It was hyped so much and I was really expecting writing and production to be tighter.

 

@thistle keep posting if you’re staying on to watch regardless. I enjoy reading your posts .     

[lightbringer06]

So this drama is about not trusting anyone. Except for CDG, GHR, Bo Ra and KTW (maybe?), I will trust no one. Oh, maybe that Judo guy whose wife died, maybe I'll trust him going forward as well.

 

 I really feel bad for DG coz it seems like wherever he goes, everyone's after him. This isn't just the government against him, but the world. I know this drama has its flaws just like any other drama, as most of you have already clearly pointed out. So I'm not gonna dwell more into it. And if I may borrow The8's, of SEVENTEEEN, phrase when he said, "I actually don't try to look at the bad side" , that's how I'll enjoy my dramas for now .

 

In that manner, I just wanna point out this scene which kinda struck me..

 

 

 

CDG had been raising his nephew by himself, since we know from ep. 4 how Hoon's mother isn't actually the best mom in the world (which is why I always think Hoon should have never died, because he deserves better). So I can imagine how painful it must have been for Dal Gun, so when GHR mentioned to him about his dream of being a martial arts director and should start acting again, as she remembers Hoon's vid message, he was grateful that someone at least remembers Hoon. Also, during this scene...

 

 

I think DG just needed someone to believe him and show him sympathy for what he's been going through. So I think this will probably what brings him and Hae Ri closer and where their romance starts to bloom. No one actually showed him that except for Hae Ri since everyone is so busy trying to kill him. Someone needs to give him a hug. So that he doesn't need to do this...

 

.... hiding away his pain 

 

 

@thistle .. I agree with everyone. Don't stop posting, don't let it bother you too much .. people are either black or white. 

[40somethingahjumma]

Before I launch into my critique of these early episodes, I would like to preface by saying that dumb action shoot-em up flicks are a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm a child of the 70s and 80s so I was practically raised on those.  I've even started enjoying the Gerard Butler "Fallen" franchise lately. It's all pure mindless escapism to me. Of course a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required like in every genre but people might be surprised to note that these action flicks are usually much better thought out than one might think.

 

One of my biggest issues with the whole thing is how unnecessarily over-the-top everyone and everything is. I realise that this is K drama and they like a bit of theatre but it takes something away from the credibility of what's going on. I'm not unsympathetic about how DG is feeling. The entire situation is appalling and reprehensible. Crashing an entire aircraft to get a military contract. It is beyond corrupt. Moreover, he and his nephew didn't exactly part on good terms...  on top of that, he hasn't had much of a chance to grieve properly and yes he has an especially bad case of survivor's guilt. I can understand his need to be confrontational at the start as he's learning how to navigate his way through dodging bullets. LSG is fantastic in this... as he always is... bringing his A game and giving the character far more dimension than he has on paper. It's sort of the game Kdramaland likes to play: Make your characters continually do dumb things with good actors and hope the audience doesn't notice. 

I can tolerate this to some degree but after a while I want my leads to sharpen up. DG needs to be far more circumspect than he is because bulldozing through confrontations with the baddies won't get him very far. While I don't think Go Hae-ri is portrayed as a complete airhead... I think they're trying too hard with the comedy to the point that it comes across as being trite. 

 

I'm also not sure what I think of the villains at this stage. The women are hilarious on some level and Lily borders on camp but they're working far too hard for my liking and making too much noise in their attempts to keep DG quiet. The political stuff is okay... creating honey traps and getting their government cronies/stooges to stonewall the investigation etc... that's par for the course. My feeling is that they're going for a cat and mouse game in this... nothing wrong with that... but that tells me I should probably bail sooner rather than late and then come back closer to the end and marathon the whole thing. Cat and mouse games are hard to do well. The writer has to be super sharp and creative. Cliches can kill it instantly. I thought Doctor Prisoner was amazing because the primary protagonist was superbly written and the villains were no slouch either. With this show... I don't know... it feels at times like cheap theatre despite the slick camera work. It would help, I think, if the overacting toned down somewhat.

 

It's been a while since I've seen a drama where SSR isn't a bad guy... it's nice actually... I hope he stays on the straight and narrow even if the character is a bit stiff and boy scoutish.

 

 

[Muslim Bakr]

I'm new here. Just got disillusioned with how unrealistic this drama is so I decided to post something. 

 

I really wanna like this drama. Episode 1 & 2 were excellent but after that the writers chose to dumb everything down and decided to insult the viewers intelligence. 

 

1. They made the family members of the victims slow, passive individuals that will accept whatever they're told without questioning anything or wanting to hear anything beside grieving.

2. The NSI team, self absorbed, lack of anything intelligence, no urgency (bruh 200 people just died and you all are thinking about promotion and self interests), loud and fast talking for no reason without listening and lack of maturity it feels childish the entire organization.

3. Comedy, really? Not even subtle but a haha loud silly attempt to make me laugh by making the female lead an airhead? And her female NSI friend just mad annoying and ineffective? Over 100 people of your citizens died, I'm not looking to laugh bro. 

4. And the male lead, at some point he is gonna have to stop being the hunted and think without being driven by emotions all the damn time. He goes into everything 100 percent with feelings without using his head. Take a second and think. 

 

I get it this is kdrama but c'mon be realistic to the content you tryna produce without making it silly or just don't do it at all. 

 

End of rant. 

[lebeaucouple]

While most people are chasing after and enjoying the main lead couples, I like the villain role, that's her, Jessica Lee (played by Moon Jeong-Hee). I noticed this actress since her previous drama "Mama" (MBC / 2014). But in this drama, unlike her mama role, She played a well spoken english high corporate lady (CEO?) who is beautiful, confident, brainy, but a cunning villain role, sexy enough to seduce the minister that night... I like confident and smart women, that's why I pick her, a versatile actress who can transform herself from a motherly look (her previous drama) into this confident but cunning role.

 

In any thriller action storyline, whether in movie or drama, I like to see who is the actor in villain role because it serves as an obstacle the hero must struggle to overcome. Typical storyline will create a contrast distinguishing heroic traits from villainous ones.

 

As mentioned in my earlier post, this drama is similar to Jackie Chan's movies, usually come with action and comedy genre, a typical entertaining storyline, we can't expect much with the substance storyline that we prefer. I like IRIS 1st drama, i tend to compare but i stopped it because i know they are different genre. There are a variety of reasons to tell stories — to inspire, to entertain, to sell, or to educate the audience. There may be pretty complicated topic to describe to the typical audience. 

 

I can accept that most drama stories have flaws and that one drama can't fit all type of audience.  I will simply sit back and relax watching the funny moment of this drama. Less expectation, less disappointment. Sometimes, life will give us surprises if we have the least expectation. 

[katakwasabi]

I read a theory on DC gallery....and I find it interesting....

 

Is it possible that Dalgun's dead bro is Ki Tae Woong's dead partner?

 

I think it is possible. So everyone is tied. Hahahahaha

 

On another note...my dad says Ki Tae Woong seems trustworthy as of ep 4. I am on the Ki Tae Woong is the nice guy ship. Even if others say he is dubious and shady, I have no reason to think he is. I support his goody two shoes character. Hehehe

[40somethingahjumma]

11 hours ago, Sarang21 said:

For me my expectations were high because it´s a pre-produced drama with a high budget. So since they are not under the same time stress that live-shooting dramas are under..I expect the quality to be better.  But with all it´s flaws I´m still enjoying the show and hope that it will continue to get better until the end. 

 

 

I had no expectations at all... to be honest  ... hadn't heard anything one way or another and I only started watching this because of LSG and I thought that the storyline looked somewhat interesting. The show looks very slick but yeah... the characterization of the leads are a bit off. I suspect it's a case of Kdramaland wanting its cake and eating it too. What I mean is that it wants to be ambitious but it doesn't want to jettison tried and true tropes. 

It has potential but the silly aspects are a cause for concern.

 

6 hours ago, nrllee said:

 

Exactly.  It’s not the fault of the acting cast, it’s the writing.  How HR has been written makes it very hard for me to accept now that she’s suddenly going to move from where she is at now to becoming a super agent.  Her drunk kissing, her overconfidence.  It just makes her comedic when I desperately want to take her seriously.  

 

 

She's a rather schizophrenic character IMO. She has her moments when she has flashes of brilliance.  The stuff about the bolt action rifle, for instance. But they are just flashes at the moment. The problem is that they want to tie her to some kind of aegyo trope initially and it just doesn't work. It's also obvious that she's being exploited as comic relief and not in a good way.

 

I'm not against splashes of gallows humour now and again (the early bits of DG and Hoon were good) but it should come naturally from the characters and the situations that they're in, not inserted just to remind the audience that they're watching a Kdrama. 

 

11 hours ago, bebebisous33 said:

But now, let's focus on the story itself. I have the impression that the real issue of this "incident" is not just J&M as such but the politicians and the NSI. Like the director Kang Joo Chul said it, the NSI's work has changed. The agents have become the errand boys for the government. Jessica would have never been able to organize such a plane accident, if the president and the Prime Minister hadn't already decided to support J&M. I have the feeling that there could be another person working at the NSI who has been helping them... the one who was smoking a big cigar. So the corruption is the real problem in reality which explains why CDG has to work outside the box in the end... he is forced to become a vagabond as he can no longer rely on the authorities. He will try to use the media and ask for the president's help, in the end he will fail. That's why he will leave GHR's side. GHR is definitely too naive, when it comes to NSI. She has not realized that agents in the NIS are traitors.

 

I don't think J & M are the beginning and end of the whole thing either. There's obviously someone much higher up than Jessica who is really calling the shots. Very well-funded undoubtedly. J & M is probably a front for some kind of James Bond villain, I imagine who wants to blow up N or S Korea and beyond. 

 

I just want DG to smarten up and give the confrontational style a rest. I'm fine with him and some others with the NSI going rogue as is necessary when there's so much evil and corruption but he needs to stop flying by the seat of his pants. 

[cherriesblue]

I wonder who is the man who killed the Jerome.  He seemed to be with the military given his attire.  What is his connection with Jessica if any?

 

The PM sent Jessica and the NIS's kissing pictures to the president.  What is his goal?  Is it to show that thr NIS is being blackmailed, and that J&M is dead set to win thr contract even though Dynamic is better? Is it so that the President will choose Dynamic System?

 

I wasn't keen on Haeri and the scenes with her female friend.  In general i dislike comedy especially when it feels forced and contrived like theirs.  I find it annoying and do not like chick flicks.  I didn't watch Vagabond to see a chick flick, i am watching it for thr thriller and mystery.  But i am still interested in the story, so this I can just ignore.  In this regard, I like Stranger better because the was no contrived and unfunny comedy scenes.  If there was any, it felt natural.

[imgreatgal]

11 hours ago, nrllee said:

How HR has been written makes it very hard for me to accept now that she’s suddenly going to move from where she is at now to becoming a super agent.  Her drunk kissing, her overconfidence.  It just makes her comedic when I desperately want to take her seriously.  

At this point i can't quiet put my finger on HR's character. At one point she come across as a nitwit especially at the beginning of ep1. That Ho Shik guy was telling her about the consul who's been arrested for taking bribes from a local drug gang and she tells him she isn't surprise because the consul's eyes often look drowsy huh?? In another scene she looks all serious talking on the phone with someone telling him/her she just returned from Lisbon and something about that suicide in Portugal. We were made to believe that she had something to do with it. I believe she may be a double agent and the NIS is just a cover. She acts foolish so as not to be taken seriously and in turn no one would suspect her. This takes me to that first scene in the middle of the desert from ep1.