Vigilante
Vigilante
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Vigilante

"I'll show you real justice."

8.5
Yr 2023
Rt 45m
Status Ended
Crime Action & Adventure Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Kim Ji-yong leads a double life as a Korean National Police University student by day and the Vigilante by night, personally punishing criminals who evade the law. He is surrounded by people who all possess different ulterior motives.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 80 /100

Critics generally received Vigilante as a punchy, fast-paced crime thriller that delivers plenty of excitement for action fans. Reviewers appreciated the show's snappy pacing and dark exploration of justice, noting that the series wastes little time getting straight to the point and keeping viewers hooked.

The series was praised for introducing unpredictable plot twists and featuring uncompromising characters who relentlessly fight for victims. Although the central premise of a traumatized individual seeking street justice is familiar territory, commentators found the execution engaging and high-octane.

Some minor reservations were raised regarding genre tropes and casting, with a few critics feeling that lead actor Nam Joo-hyuk occasionally seemed slightly out of his comfort zone playing a cold, violent stoic. Nevertheless, Vigilante was broadly welcomed as an entertaining and thrilling entry in the K-drama crime genre.

“The first episode smartly opens with this brutal origin story without dwelling on it too much by diving into the present with a snappy pacing...”

“this series has some nice twists and turns that I didn't see coming.”

“Story-wise, the tale of a vigilante with a traumatised childhood is not exactly new material...”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Disney Plus
CA • UK
Hulu
US
Why fans love it

Adapted from a webtoon, this 2023 crime drama delivers a focused exploration of social justice through the lens of a double life. Nam Joo-hyuk plays a police university student who spends his nights operating as a vigilante, personally targeting criminals who managed to evade the law. The premise creates an immediate tension between the rigid rules of official law enforcement and the raw satisfaction of street-level punishment.

The story deepens as a cast of characters with competing motives converges on the situation. Between a ruthless cop pursuing the cases, a TV reporter documenting the fallout, and a protagonist driven by the memories of a traumatized child, nobody approaches the situation with clean hands. It is a sharp action series that leans into the chaos of personal morality overriding systemic failure.

Production Board

Crew

Lighting Director
Shin Tae-seob
Producer
Kwon Michelle Han Hye-won Choi Jun-ho
Production Sound Mixer
Park Hyun-soo
Director of Photography
Lee Yong-gab
Digital Intermediate
Kang Min-joo Park Jin-ho
Comic Book
CRG Kim Kyu-sam
Special Effects
Hong Jang-pyo
Digital Imaging Technician
Ok Im-sik
Editor
Steve M. Choe Go A-mo
Sound Designer
Kim Suk-won
Grip
Kang Sang-hyup Jeon Seung-hwan
Art Direction
Yang Hong-sam Jung Kyung-woo
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Kwak Tae-yong Hwang Hyo-kyun
Adaptation
Choi Jung-yol
Director
Choi Jung-yol
Screenplay
Lee Min-seob
Props
Lee Sang-hun
Makeup & Hair
Kim Seo-young
Creator
Moon Yoo-seok
Music
Kim Tae-seong
Visual Effects
Noh Geuk-tae
Action Director
Jung Yoo-heon
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Vigilante overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

double life police vigilante tv reporter social justice ruthless cop traumatized child based on webcomic or webtoon
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 08, 2023
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
45 minutes
Origin
KR
TMDB Votes
112