REVIEW: ‘Song Of The Bandits’ Clings To Hope Amidst Cruel Realities

Korean dramas continue to elevate and take risks on a global stage. Sometimes it works. Other times, it can misfire. In Studio Dragon’s latest Netflix Kdrama, Song of the Bandits, it works and then some. Audiences are taken to an incredibly turbulent time in East Asian history, with much of the location focusing on the tumultuous border region of Gando as the backdrop for this high-stakes Old West-feeling politics-driven drama. Boasting complex characters, stunning yet stark imagery, heart-raising action sequences, and more, this series is a compelling and exciting watch.

Directed by Hwang Jun-hyeok, and written by Han Jeong-hoon, Song of the Bandits takes us to the early 1920s. Lee Yoon (Kim Nam-gil), former slave to Major Lee Kwang-il (Lee Hyun-wook), heads to Gando to relieve himself of his guilt. Having committed acts of terror and carnage against his own people, Yoon is determined to confess his truth to the heaviest burden he carries, Choi Chung-soo (Yoo Jae-myung). Along the way, he meets assassin-for-hire, Eon Nyeon (Lee Ho-jung), who has him in his sights but acquiesces to let his chosen killer off him instead.

As it turns out, Chung-soo has no intention of killing Yoon. He takes the guilt-ridden former soldier in after a momentous act of courage occurs. From there, Song of the Bandits jumps to 1920, and audiences watch as Yoon and Chung-soo, along with their bandit squad, go after Japanese soldiers and ne’er-do-wells in order to protect their people. However, their lives are upended when the potential for a heist and assassination rears its head. Familiar faces like unrequited love, Nam Hee-shin (Seohyun), from Yoon’s past come together, their paths intersecting repeatedly, forcing Yoon to make some important, life-altering choices that will ripple through time itself.

Even to those unfamiliar with the time period, it is clear how class and ethnic groups are divided. More importantly, the world of Song of the Bandits is highlighted as unpredictable and dangerous. At any point, anyone can die. Whether at the hands of the Japanese soldiers, roaming bandits, or even Joseon’s own people, no one is safe, and this energy is carried throughout every episode.

All main characters are shaped by the effects of colonization, and the actions they’ve had to take in order to survive. In just a look at his eyes, Nam-gil reveals all of Lee Yoon’s guilt, anguish, and pain over what he’s done. But as soon as it’s time to dispatch enemies, the calm focus of his “grim reaper” moniker takes over. Hyun-wook’s Kwang-il is an opposing force to Yoon, emotionally volatile and lacking in empathy. So desperate to prove himself loyal to the Japanese cause, he takes action that will make the viewer pale.

While Nam-gil is the clear star and powerhouse of the series, Lee Ho-jung’s Eon Nyeon is dynamic. Ho-jung steals and easily commands the screen in every scene she’s in.  The character is confident, and well-seasoned in dispatching enemies, yet there’s pain and fatigue in the rare moments of calm. Eon Nyeon is a byproduct of her upbringing and has learned the hard way that she cannot trust anyone. Money is the only thing that can be trusted.

Gando and, more broadly, Manchuria are as much a character as anyone else here. Harsh and unforgiving, this land has been imagined as a symbol of hope, but the reality is more cruel. With wide open expanses of dry land, sandstorms that threaten to overwhelm in seconds, and enemies around every corner, this symbol is nothing more than a facade. But, for an overwhelmingly desperate group of people, a facade is still something to grasp onto when hope is a scarce resource.

Clocking in at nine episodes, Song of the Bandits is well-paced after it gets through its slow and dense opening episode. Once the ball gets rolling and the action kicks into gear, hearts will race. The action sequences, whether within an inn, whilst out on an open road, or on horseback, are well done. Smart edits and fast camerawork capture everything, highlighting the clean execution and practice that went into crafting each fight scene. What gore is shown is brutal, but not overly so.

Exciting, heart-wrenching, brutal, and utterly captivating, Song of the Bandits is another Kdrama that knocks it out of the park. With well-timed musical cues, multidimensional characters that will have you feeling all sorts of ways, and an incredibly strong, tense story, this is a must-add to any Kdrama watch list this year.

Song of the Bandits is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.