CAST: Kim Nam-gil , Seohyun , Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Hyun-wook, Lee Ho-jung, Cha Chung-hwa

DIRECTOR: Hwang Jun-hyeok

Lee Yoon, portrayed by Kim Nam-gil, finds himself drowning in alcohol when he receives a message informing him that a man he had long been searching for has been located in Gando, a lawless region in Northeast China inhabited by his fellow Joseons. Yoon, a former Japanese soldier burdened by deep regrets related to events from six years ago in this very area, believes he must return. However, this decision requires him to defy his former master, Major Lee Kwang-il, played by Lee Hyun-wook, who had once enslaved Yoon before bringing him into the army. Major Lee is infuriated by Yoon’s defiance and vows that he should have eliminated Yoon six years earlier.

Yoon embarks on a train journey to Gando, where he reunites with Kim Seon-bok, portrayed by Cha Chung-hwa, another former slave who has found financial success by selling firearms to various parties, including independence fighters, Japanese soldiers, and marauding bandits who fight for the highest bidder. Seon-bok describes the region as a place of chaos, with Chinese land, Japanese currency, and the displaced Joseon people, all without any clear leadership.

Yoon cryptically reveals to Seon-bok that he’s “not here to live.” The following day, he sets out for the village where Choi Chung-soo, portrayed by Yoo Jae-myung, resides, hoping that Choi will recognize him as the soldier responsible for the massacre of Choi’s entire family under Major Lee’s command six years ago and kill him on the spot. Yoon encounters Eon-neyoni, played by Lee Ho-jung, a peasant sent by Major Lee to assassinate him. After a confrontation, Yoon informs her of his desire for Choi to end his life.

However, when Yoon finally confides in Choi about his past actions as a Japanese soldier, Choi is on the verge of shooting an arrow at him when a more pressing crisis emerges: bandits have invaded the village, resulting in casualties and the abduction of a teenage girl. Yoon returns to town and obtains weapons from Seon-bok, formulating a plan to confront the bandit gang single-handedly. As he methodically eliminates members of the gang one by one, Seon-bok marvels at Yoon’s extraordinary skills, believing that if anyone can take on an entire gang, it’s him.

The backstory of “Song Of The Bandits” may appear somewhat convoluted, but this complexity stems from the tumultuous circumstances in the region during the era of Japanese occupation. The first episode of the series effectively establishes that Lee Yoon is poised to lead a band of independence fighters, composed of individuals like Choi, who have endured the oppression of both Japanese forces and marauding bandits for an extended period.

One can’t help but wonder how Lee Yoon’s plans will unfold. Will he undertake the task of training individuals to become skilled fighters like himself? After all, he won’t always be able to confront gangs single-handedly. It appears he’s assembling a diverse group of his own bandits, dedicated to safeguarding the Joseons in the region.

Then there’s the looming presence of Major Lee. As soon as he learns of Yoon’s survival, it’s likely he’ll continue dispatching soldiers like Eon-neyoni to eliminate him. In fact, there’s a strong possibility that we’ll cross paths with Eon-neyoni again, and it’s intriguing to see whether she’ll evolve into a formidable adversary for Yoon or perhaps eventually transform into an ally.

Despite some of the action scenes being somewhat challenging to discern due to their nighttime or indoor settings, they were executed with skill. However, they did follow the familiar pattern of supposedly elite fighters struggling before ultimately succumbing to Yoon, adhering to a somewhat predictable trope.

The series was created by Studio Dragon, the production company responsible for other Netflix Korean hits such as Love Alarm, My Holo Love, Sweet Home, and Crash Landing on You. Furthermore, Hwang Jun-hyeok directed the episodes based on scripts penned by Han Jeong-hoon.

Song of the Bandits streams on Netflix