Song of the Bandits Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

Synopsis:

In the lawless land of Gando, fierce bandits will stop at nothing to fight for their precious homeland and loved ones — even if it means life or death.

Set in 1920s, during the turbulent period of Japanese occupation, the people of Joseon have been deprived of their place of living and expelled to Japan. Those who head to Gando, a land of lawlessness, unite as one to protect the homeland of the Koreans.

When it was announced that Studio Dragon would be teaming up with Netflix, I was very intrigued, even more so after the first trailer for Song of the Bandits was released. Going into this series, I was already hyped, but the hype versus the reality turned out to be very far apart. While that initially sounds a little ominous or negative, that is not the case, as this series went above and beyond what the trailer offered, and I was blown away by this series from start to finish!

Song of the Bandits makes no apologies for taking its time with its pacing, as this deliberate presentation allows the series to showcase the importance of the historical, social and cultural elements of the time. While there were some elements of a “slow burn” here, it was never dull or frustrating, as the extra breathing room allowed for more story and character development as well as adding a well-timed palette cleanser for the slick and fast-paced action. Speaking of the action… The choreography, performances and camera work were sublime and worked together in perfect harmony, creating a symphony of artistic and visual flair that looked incredible on the screen. The balance of wonderful performances, dramatic storytelling and outstanding action makes Song of the Bandits a perfectly balanced series.

Visually and from a production standpoint, Song of the Bandits is remarkable. It has a wonderful look and tone, with the sets, locations and wardrobe all looking immaculate. You believe in their authenticity, which is especially important when creating a historical or period piece. Linking into the visual elements, I was incredibly impressed with the exceptional editing and direction both of which enhanced the quality of the other aspects ten-fold.

As for the cast, Kim Nam-gil (Lee Yoon) is incredible and you immediately buy into his character. Seohyun (Nam Hee-shin) and Lee Hyun-wook (Lee Gwang-il) were also incredible in their lead-supporting roles, as was Yoo Jae-myung (Choi Chung-soo), who brought real gravitas to the series. While I loved the cast as a whole, my stand-out star was Lee Ho-jung (Eon Nyeon) who was phenomenal and I was hooked and held my breath every time she was on screen. She handled the action and drama elements flawlessly.

With exemplary cast performances and stunning visuals, Song of the Bandits combines slick editing and choreography with perfectly executed action-drama storytelling, resulting in a phenomenally entertaining series.