incroyable drama d'action!
Des justiciers qui n’ont pas froid au yeux? validéUn super héros " bad ass" au coeur de bisounours? validé
Une équipe aussi solide qu’une montagne? validé
Une bande son qui déchire? validé
Des vilains qui s’en prennent plein la poire (et c’est bien fait clamons-nous)? validé!
Tout commence avec la sortie de prison d’un tueur en série. Nous apprenons, comme souvent, que le criminel n’a peu ou prou purgé une peine à la hauteur (si cela pouvait compenser les victimes) de ses crimes. Ainsi commence. Taxi Driver.
Do Gi est un ancien officier des Forces Spéciales. Suite à la mort de sa mère odieusement assassinée, il rejoint sans beaucoup d’hésitation le groupe de justicier « arc en ciel ». Un groupe formé par leur président, Jang Sung Chul, ainsi que de l’adorable hacker, Ahn Go Eun, et du duo de mécano« frère pour la vie » Park Jin Eon et Choi Kyung Goo. Tout ce petit groupe vont mener une vendetta au nom des victimes bien souvent « abandonnées » par la justice.
Le drama est basé sur le web-comics « The deluxe taxi » de Carlos et Lee Jae Jin.
En voilà un drama d’action mené tambour battant. Cela faisait bien longtemps que les coréens ne m’avaient autant tenu en haleine avec un thriller aussi étourdissant. Le dernier en date était « Vagabond » avec mes chouchous Suzy et Lee Seung Gi. C’est pour dire.
Mais au-delà des scènes d’actions magistralement orchestrées, nous entrons au coeur d’un sujet sensible : les victimes de violence. De viol. D’abus physique. De pornographie. De fraude financière. De meurtre sans preuve…
Il faut noter que certaines scènes sont dures à regarder (cela fait longtemps que je ne regarde plus de séries US ; une explication simpliste de ma sensibilité exacerbée et de ma tolérance très limitée?). Chaque cas dont est en charge Do Gi et son équipe est montré avec ce mélange de pudeur et de vérité que l’on retrouve souvent chez les coréens. Résultat, le spectateur ressent vivement la douleur, violente ou psychologique, des victimes, leur désarroi et leur envie (légitime) de se venger.
Un détail qui peut avoir son importance, les divers crimes relatés dans ce drama se sont réellement déroulés en Corée du Sud, ayant fait la une des journaux. Le sentiment d’horreur pour certaines histoires en est logiquement décuplé. On retient son souffle et on respire lentement, car ce sentiment d’injustice est ressenti jusqu’au tréfonds de sa chair.
La question tout au long du drama se pose rapidement : Peut-on se faire justice soi-même? C’est un débat ma foi qui peut soulever avec passion la foule. Ici, point de discussion (en même temps, je monologue un peu), mais au fur et à mesure des épisodes, sachant pertinemment que ce n’est ni moralement, ni éthiquement bien, j’ai tout de même adhéré à leurs actions. J’ai même applaudi (avec mes mains et pieds!). Voire même attendu avec délectation le moment où les vilains se feront « punir ».
Les actions de Do Gi et de ses amis peuvent être perçus comme extrêmes. J’avoue avoir eu de la peine pour Madame Rim jouée par Shim So Young, et j’ai été soulagée de voir que sa punition n’a pas été aussi lourde que les autres. Cela dit la douleur psychologique et la peine de Madame Rim n’en était pas moindre, et ce fut la seule et unique fois où je me suis sentie mal à l’aise.
Pour le reste des vilains, je dirai juste « ils l’ont bien mérité! ». 1000 fois mérité…
La cruauté envers les criminels et la violence qui leur sont impitoyablement appliquées sont contrebalancées par toute cette empathie et aide qui sont apportées sans compter aux victimes et à leurs proches. Cette reconnaissance infinie que ces dernières doivent ressentir envers leur sauveur est inqualifiable. Innommables. Il y a eu tant de fois où j’aurais aimé, moi aussi, être cette main tendue. C’est aussi pourquoi, je ne pouvais pas personnellement condamner Do Gi et ses amis. Qu’aurions nous fait dans leur situation? Surement pareil. En ce qui me concerne.
La réussite de ce drama repose non seulement sur cette réalisation soignée des épisodes, sur la qualité de l’OST rendant certaines scène épiques et sur les scènes d’actions et de « baston » minutieusement filmées, mais aussi et surtout sur le jeu des acteurs et ce lien incroyable au sein de l’équipe « arc en ciel » qu'ils ont réussi à nous dépeindre.
Chaque personnage a sa croix à porter, un passé douloureux qui se dévoile peu à peu. Malgré cela, chacun d’entre eux campent des êtres humains qui nous rendent foi en l’humanité.
Prêt à se tenir la main et n’en faire qu’un.
Prêt à défendre la veuve et l’orphelin.
Prêt à se sacrifier les uns pour les autres.
Ce lien présent dès le départ est incroyablement fort.
J’ai été particulièrement touché par le lien entre Do Gi et Ahn Go Eun. Cette tendresse qu’ils ont l’un et l’autre était particulièrement attendrissante.
Mon seul regret aura de ne pas avoir eu droit à une petite, même minime, romance entre Do Gi et Go Eun, leur complicité était adorable et l’alchimie entre les deux acteurs parfaite.
Lee Je Hoon a été magnifique dans ce drama. Acteur qui a su prouver son talent comme dans « Signal », « Secret Door » ou « Tomorrow with you », il a pourtant réussi à me surprendre dans « Taxi Driver ». Je n’imagine personne d’autre être Do Gi. Je n’oublierais pas de sitôt ses nombreux déguisements dans ce drama. Voir l’imperturbable et peu causant Do Gi se transformer au grès de ses missions en un professeur stupide et maladroit ou en un employé de bureau totalement loufoque était extraordinaire. Sa capacité à s’imprégner de chaque rôle tout en restant Do Gi était tout simplement bluffant!
Il a apporté cette subtile touche étonnante de fragilité (j’aurais voulu moult fois aimer le prendre dans les bras pour le consoler) en face de ses amis tout en étant ce justicier impitoyable frappant encore et encore jusqu’à s’en faire mal.
Pyo Ye Jin n’a pas eu beaucoup de rôle majeur, si ce n’est « VIP », et c’est bien dommage car c’est une actrice que j’aime beaucoup et qui mériterait plus de fanfare autour d’elle. Difficile d’imaginer que Pyo Ye Jin ait été prise à la dernière minute tant elle a été parfaite.
Elle a apporté une profondeur certaine à ce personnage si émouvant dans sa douleur silencieuse, sa force ainsi que sa capacité à soulever l’équipe entière. Elle était un peu la mascotte des « Taxis Arc En Ciel ».
Ahn Go Eun a été un de mes personnages préférés, sa blessure psychologique n’entamant en rien sa bonne humeur au sein du groupe. Elle a été un vrai rayon de soleil.
Jang Sung Chul me semblait louche. Au départ. A force, on se méfie de tout le monde.
Quel soulagement de voir que par la suite, il est et restera le président honnête et altruiste, cette image que nous avons de lui dès le début. Son comportement paternel, bienveillant avec tous les membres de son équipe, son sourire et ses attentions permanents envers les victimes en font un personnage clé, le support inconditionnel de son équipe, celui qui ne désavouera jamais les siens.
L’acteur Kim Eui Sung est loin d’être un novice. Si vous ne le savez pas encore, il a incarné San Woong dans « Arthdal Chronicle», Cha Bying Jun dans « Memories of the Alhambra » ou encore Lee Wan Ik dans un des mes dramas préférés « Mr Sunshine ». Vous l’avez peut-être vu aussi dans « Train to Busan » en tant que Yong Suk ou dans « Rampant », deux magnifiques films de zombies héhé. C’est donc un acteur qui a fait ses preuves depuis longtemps, et il nous prouve encore ici son immense talent !
Il serait bien long de parler de tout le casting. Il y’aurait encore tant à dire, kang Ha Na en tant que procureur fiable et droite, le procureur Jo Jin Woo et son amitié indéfectible envers Sung Chul ou encore la diabolique Baek Sung Mi. N’oublions pas nos deux joyeux lurons Jin Eon et Kyung Goo, adorables jusque dans leur chamaillerie. Les rôles de vilain superbement interprétés et qui nous ont donné plus d’une fois l’envie d’en découdre personnellement...
Pour conclure, je vous invite fortement à visionner ce magnifique drama, vous ne le regretterez pas. Vivement la saison 2 (avec un peu de chance Do Gi et Go Eun...).
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Pour mener à bien une vengeance, vous vous perdez également...
J’ai commencé ce drama après avoir vu la critique plus qu’élogieuse de « achuland » (que je remercie d’ailleurs, je serai sans doute passée à côté si je n’avais pas lu sa critique =D).Ce drama change un peu de ce que j’ai l’habitude de voir. Pourquoi me direz-vous ? Car ici, nous mettons en avant les familles de victimes d’assassinats… Nous voyons souvent des séries traitant de tueur en série ainsi que la reconstruction de la famille de ces assassins… Mais nous voyons rarement comment la famille des victimes fait face à cette perte plus que douloureuse…
Courte introduction : L’histoire nous conduit au cœur d’une organisation qui se veut réformer les criminels violents, sous le couvert d’une association d’aide aux familles des victimes.
Nous retrouvons en son sein une équipe particulière ayant eux-mêmes été sujet à la perte d’être(s) cher(s) & souhaitant aider les personnes qui comme eux ont trop perdu. C’est ainsi, qu’ils se lancent dans une quête de vengeance pour toutes ces personnes lésées…
Au fur & à mesure des vengeances, nous découvrons petit à petit chacun des membres de l’équipe & faisons face à leur passé ainsi qu’à leur gestion du deuil… Mais nous devons également faire face aux histoires de leurs clients qui sont plus « abominables » les unes que les autres… Il est clair que ce drama nous montre des crimes d’une violence extrême… Cependant, il nous permet de nous questionner & ne laisse pas indifférent !
L’histoire nous mène dans un questionnement assez profond… Au final, comment faire son deuil ? Comment accepter que la personne qui nous a tout pris puisse continuer sa vie alors que nous n’arrivons pas à nous reconstruire ? Ce drama nous montre ici la « vengeance » mais également la procédure de pensée du leader de l’organisation. Il rêve de faire que les criminels ne commettent plus d’acte(s) abjecte(s) mais à quel prix ? Pour réaliser ses aspirations, il devient lui-même un être douteux… Alors finalement, comment réaliser quoi que ce soit en restant le plus humain possible ? J’imagine qu’il est difficile d’arriver à une conclusion satisfaisante…
Cette histoire, comme de nombreuses sur la criminalité, nous montre encore la puissance des conglomérats… Plus on est puissant, plus il est difficile de nous attraper… (Est-ce ainsi dans la vie réelle ? Sans doute en partie…)
Le seul petit point noir pour moi dans cette série est que Kim Do-Gi ressemble plus à un « super-héros » qu’à un être humain à proprement parler… Pourquoi ? On le voit souvent se battre… Je veux bien qu’il ait été à l’armée & qu’il soit « badasse » mais il y a des limites… La scène où il est kidnappé par le président de « U-Data » en est sûrement le meilleur exemple. Excusez-moi mais… Vu le nombre de coups (à mains nues comme à l’aide d’armes…) qu’il a reçu, il est techniquement IMPOSSIBLE pour un être humain de s’en sortir sans séquelles & pire encore… Sans aller à l’hôpital =O !!!
Vous l’aurez sans doute compris, j’ai apprécié mon visionnage & vivre ces aventures avec cette petite équipe que j’ai hâte de retrouver dans une deuxièmes saison. (En espérant qu’ils gardent le même casting =D)
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La vengeance vaut-elle justice ? Eternelle question...
Je l’ai beaucoup aimé, surtout la première moitié, durant laquelle la réalisation se calque sur un style manga, ou webtoon, avec poursuites effrénées, bagarres homériques à 1 contre 30 et c’est toujours le 1 qui gagne, avec un ton assez parodique qui ne se prenait pas trop au sérieux.Par la suite ça change, la réalisation s’alourdit, et le propos devient plus dur car, il faut bien le dire, le pitch de base, c’est : « La vengeance est-elle de la Justice ? » Avec une pareille thématique, le ton ne pouvait que devenir plus sérieux, et, si, dans le principe je trouve ça normal, là, la réalisation perd de sa nervosité et on commence à sentir et à être gêné par les énormes invraisemblances qui, autrement, seraient passées comme étant « ce genre d’histoire de style manga » Si on se prend au sérieux il faut que le scénario suive et j’aurais bien aimé savoir comment le type jeté en pleine mer dans un tonneau scellé a pu en sortir et se retrouver dehors à s’essuyer les cheveux avec le copain censé le repêcher sur la terre ferme 1/2 heure après ! Surtout que le copain est censé pêcher à la ligne sous l’œil constant de la police ! ça pour moi, ça casse complètement la magie de l’histoire ! Pareil pour les bagarres à 1 contre 30, le scénariste aurait dû au moins réduire la troupe des assaillants à 10 ou 12 !
Bon, ceci mis à part, ça reste passionnant de bout en bout, car le cheminement intérieur des « justiciers », qui vont en venir à admettre que la vengeance ne sert qu’à appeler d’autres vengeances, est très intéressant à suivre. L’affrontement entre la procureure jouée (très bien !) par Esom et le Justicier en chef (Lee Je Hoon) est la concrétisation thème central : la Justice est-elle suffisante ? Peut-on s’y substituer sans y perdre son âme ? La procureure se heurte sans cesse à la pusillanimité de sa hiérarchie, quand ce n’est pas à sa corruption ou son népotisme, le chauffeur de Taxi veut lui prouver qu’il n’a pas à affronter ces obstacles. Mais cette liberté engendrera le chaos et « il vaut mieux libérer 100 coupables que de condamner un innocent ».
Les personnages sont attachants, très bien interprétés, particulièrement les « gentils » Lee Je Hoon, Esom et Kim Eui Sung (le président Jang), et la très vilaine méchante Baek Sung Mi (Cha Ji Yeon). Ce sont des gens qui ont tous vécu de graves traumatismes émotionnels, et si certains croient se battre pour la justice, d’autre ont basculé du côté de la haine, et pourtant au final ils ne font que chercher à se venger, la vengeance étant le seul moyen à leur portée pour assumer une douleur intolérable !
Les seconds rôles, comme toujours sont excellents dans le bon comme dans le mauvais…C’est parmi ces derniers qu’on peut trouver les mauvais par nature. On a là une belle galerie de ce que la nature humaine a de pire, représentée par chaque « cas » traité par le taxi premium Arc en Ciel… A la fin de chaque épisode, le N°d’appel à l’aide est donné, comme si le drama, en plus de placer des produits, voulait aussi placer un certain sens civique, et pourquoi pas ?
Le dernier épisode conclut très bien l’ensemble de l’histoire, sauf les toutes dernières minutes qui m’ont dérangées car elles remettent tout en question et on a l’impression que c’est seulement pour le plaisir d’une jolie scène qui va à contre courant de tout le drama ! Mais c’est la spécialité des fins de dramas coréens !
Au final, je le conseille, je ne l’ai jamais lâché, j’ai aimé les dialogues, les personnages, la musique très bien adaptée (sans les paroles qui souvent ne cadrent pas du tout avec la scène) , mais il y a quand même quelques scènes un peu difficiles… Avis aux âmes sensibles, bien que ce soit bien moins difficile que « Voice » par exemple !
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Let me just say, if you plan on starting this, prepare yourself, it's going to be hard to watch. Not because it's bad but because the stories being told will get you angry and break your heart. This was the hardest part for me, see the stories of the innocent lives of them being mistreated and abuse by evil people. I won't go into details on what these are. You'll just have to watch and find out yourself.When the law fails at providing justice and safety for the victims, you as a victim just want somebody to turn to. In this case, that's the rainbow taxi, since they all have been through that feeling of not receiving that justice and how criminals goes free or get not as harsh punishment. It all seems well and all and even their actions seems reasonable. Revenge seems sweet. I mean watching this, I enjoyed seeing the revenge but it does come at cost as well. Was everything done by them was right in their eyes or did they miss some crucial pieces with their actions?
Then you have the other side, Prosecutor Ha Na, who believes in finding justice through the law. At first, she's a character who solely follows by the law and believes everything through the law. She's a hardheaded character with nothing else in mind other than solving and winning cases. For me and many others, she was a difficult character to like as she had that kind of snobbish personality for 11 episodes of this drama. However, she was the one with the most growth in my opinion once that hard wall of hers broke and she finally sees the flaw of the law, along with having consideration and feelings for others. I really enjoyed her character afterwards as she works hard to fix this broken system of a law which does involve teaming up with Do Ki and the rainbow taxi crew.
If it's one thing I wasn't too fond about this drama, it's that there are plot holes within the sub stories. Now they did a great job with concluding each sub story in the beginning but towards the halfway mark and the end, there were a lot sub stories that's just didn't have a full end conclusion as I would've liked. I say this because the clients are what makes Rainbow Taxi and the cases. Without them, you wouldn't have any of this to begin with. So that being said, I'm disappointed how this drama didn't have a full conclusion some of the clients with their sub story plot before moving on to another client or sub story.
Besides that, I still liked this drama. The buttkicking scenes from Lee Je Hoon and also his all around personality his character were my favorite. But also the realness of cases that were presented in this drama as well.
Let me just end this off with my favorite quote of this drama.
"Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good"
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A different perspective
Overall, the premise was interesting, cast and acting was outstanding. The unique musical taste added a memorable flair to the entire drama. I truly enjoyed the entire ride, though there were some major flaws which did not sit well with me. I'll focus on mainly the negative points as most of the other reviews here are positive.- I don't watch too many action movies as I'm not a big fan of fight scenes, and this drama really reinforced that in me. The main character, Doki, just seemed invincible to the point where there was no conflict during any fights. You were not rooting for him anymore because you just knew he would survive. Too many times he would go 1 vs 15... and win... Even at one point getting whacked by a baseball bat over 20 times, then escaping and going 1 vs 15... TWICE, and winning. Another time getting stabbed in the shoulder and taking down an entire legion of men with baseball bats, solo. Not humanly possible, no matter what level of military experience.
- Judging from the title, you'd expect more involvement of the taxi or the taxi driver. I loved the style of the first two revenge cases - the factory and school violence cases - picking up the client in the taxi and hearing their stories. From the data centre case onwards, it just became so convoluted. The agency picked up cases where they had no stakes in, and it felt like the drama shifted more to focusing on the content of the cases rather than the agency's role in protecting the victims.
- Potential spoiler ahead! The last episode left a sour taste in my mouth. I interpreted the last scene as the gang getting back together, DESPITE already agreeing to part ways just 20 minutes before (1 year in the timeline). So what was the purpose, then, of building up the whole 'Revenge begets revenge' narrative? I felt like it was a clear money grab at securing a second season, and, speaking of money grabs, the product placement was a little over the top that that was all that stuck in my mind after watching the finale.
With all that being said, it was definitely an enjoyable ride as, after all, it's just entertainment. In terms of Kdrama quality, this was undoubtedly an extremely well-produced drama, with a memorable plot as well. I wouldn't call this my favourite crime/thriller, but I'd give it bonus points for going beyond just the mundane cat and mouse plots typically found in police dramas.
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Don't Get Mad, Get Even
When this drama first appeared on my radar, my initial thoughts were of Robert De Niro’s Taxi Driver. It turned out not too different and the themes definitely give off similar vibes for me. Although dark, violent and gritty, it is also ADDICTIVE, COMPELLING and POIGNANT. Taxi Driver is one of the year’s best and must-watch dramas.The Story
Taxi Driver is based on the webtoon, The Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin. It’s about a team of people who work together in running a deluxe taxi service, Rainbow Taxi company, that provides “additional services” which entails a mix of rescuing people, dishing out vengeance on deserving bad guys and delivering (street) justice - not necessarily in that order - for victims of (especially violent) crimes who have been so wronged, exploited, downtrodden and tormented to the point that they are ready to end their lives just to escape their tragic circumstances.
Every single member of team avengers carry their own chilling backstories - crimes committed against their loved ones where the perpetrators never truly received the punishment that they duly deserved, no thanks to the failings of the local police and judicial system. It is this tragic past that motivates the team to do what they do - seek justice for those who experience the same trauma that they themselves had gone through.
The drama features the general format of case-based procedurals presented in mini story arcs which run for 2 to 3 episodes. There isn’t any overarching plot or underlying conspiracy per se but the story does evolve in the final third where the direction of the team changes course significantly.
The Production
For a SBS production, I was surprised by both the production values and the raw grittiness being depicted. This is a quality drama which doesn’t skimp on budget. The action choreography of men and machines (including the number of vehicles destroyed in the process), set designs and props used, the various filming locations as well as the technical aspects of directing, cinematography and screenplay all contribute to making this drama a top-tier production.
At around the episode 11-mark, the screenwriter was changed due purportedly to creative differences with the producers. I’m not sure whether this is attributed to Lee Ji Hyun taking over from Oh Sang Ho or because the evolution of the story begins at this point, but the change in the overall tone of the drama is quite noticeable. Suffice to say, the amusement factor was no longer present because things became profoundly serious indeed heading into the finale.
The Main Cast & Characters
I have truly enjoyed Lee Je Hoon’s performance here, in what is his best work to date (I have yet to watch Move to Heaven where some viewers claim his portrayal is even better). I haven’t read the source material but I think it’s fair to say the story revolves around his character, hence the drama being titled Taxi Driver. Compared to his singular focus in Signal and bits of what I had seen in Where Stars Land, he gives us so many more different sides to his titular character of Kim Do Gi in this drama.
Think of Denzel Washington’s Equalizer, Liam Neeson’s Taken, Mel Gibson’s Mad Max and yes, even Robert De Niro’s Taxi Driver. Elements from each of these iconic characters all rolled into one irresistible combo. Perhaps his background as a former Special Forces operator has afforded him combat proficiency, coupled with extremely mad driving skills as well as an uncanny ability to blend into any given environment like a chameleon. In any case, what we end up with is Rainbow Taxi company’s employee of the month, every month! This man doesn’t just mete out physical punishment on the villains, he does so without them even realising before it's too late - via utterly convincing undercover and infiltration missions to search and destroy the target from within. Efficient, effective, lethal. Lee Je Hoo executed this portrayal to perfection. However, if there is any criticism of this character, personally for me it would have to be the logic-defying fight scenes when he alone takes on a whole horde of assailants. The plot armour for the ML is very apparent, amidst the very well choreographed sequences.
It’s my first time seeing Esom and truth be told, I’m quite impressed. Little wonder she’s been nominated for acting honours in the past because she exudes talent. For the most part, her character Kang Ha Na subtly projects determination that’s borne of stubbornness, and takes a while to warm up to (at around episode 12 for me) but that’s down to the way it’s written as part of the underscored tension between the prosecutors and our band of avengers. I appreciate her nuanced interpretation of the role and she pretty much showcased her impressive range by delivering those intense emotional scenes really well, it must be said.
Pyo Ye Jin plays my favourite character in the show, Ahn Go Eun. She steals the scene every time she appears on screen and I think that’s not only due to her immense charisma but also her characterization. There are several highly charged scenes particularly in the Udata story arc that enables her to fully flesh out her character, in addition to the rather charming but quirky role that she’s already assuming. She is definitely one to keep an eye out for, and I’ll be looking forward to her future projects eagerly.
Rounding off the main cast is Kim Eui Sung who plays the owner of Rainbow Taxi company, Jang Sung Chul. There’s not much else that can be said about this veteran award-winning actor that hasn’t been said before. Having seen him in Six Flying Dragons and Mr Sunshine, this man is the real deal and his portrayals are often flawless. He gives a very decent account of his role here, which is perhaps somewhat more subtle compared to his previous works.
The Side Characters & Guest Stars
It would be completely remiss of me not to highlight some of the insanely superb performances by the diverse cast of guest actors. Taxi Driver, for me, is made particularly compelling because of this eclectic ensemble. Without them, this show just wouldn’t be the same. I honestly believe it’s a combination of pure joy of acting and the ingenuity in the script that manifests in these “perversely entertaining” story arc characters.
Cha Ji Yeon as Baek Sung Mi certainly deserves a mention. This interesting yet complicated character oozes class, style and villainy in equal measure. It’s not often that we get female mobsters, especially a memorable one at that, in a K-drama. Her lieutenant, Goo Seok Tae who is played by Lee Ho Chul, looks like he came straight out of a Bond movie as the evil mastermind’s oversized bodyguard. This is one character that you will come to despise as the story develops, and for very good reasons too.
Tae Hang Ho plays the uber-violent jeotgal factory owner Park Joo Chan almost too convincingly. Out of so many fight scenes I’ve seen in dramaland, the ones involving him are frighteningly vicious and unforgiving. The top prize for the most disgusting villain (to me anyway) goes to Baek Hyun Jin’s Park Yang Jin. This vile sociopath may appear unbelievably exaggerated but make no mistake, the severity of his crimes and misconduct are pushing stratospheric levels.
The Themes
On the face of it, Taxi Driver is dark and violent. The first half in particular incorporated much black comedy as well. The crimes depicted are not for the faint hearted, with references to subsets of violence, notably sexual abuse, physical assaults, and exploitation. White collar crimes are represented in the form of fraudulent acts, voice phishing, and blackmail. Toxic corporate culture is also vividly portrayed. There are times that I personally find it hard to stomach some of the portrayals of suffering and trauma inflicted on the victims.
I think the most disturbing aspect for all the crimes featured is the fact that they are very real and are currently happening all around us. We may or may not be aware of their existence in our neighbourhood but it would be extremely naive to think otherwise. It’s an extremely visceral and realistic part of the world that we live in, and this drama truly shines the spotlight on all of such elements right before us.
On a more positive note, the depiction of camaraderie among our team of avengers is a joy to behold. Everyone has his or her own strengths, weaknesses and fears, and together they accomplish so much more than any of them individually could. They are each other’s pillar of support, both mentally and spiritually.
Music
There are 2 songs in particular that I really love, which were beautifully integrated into the drama. Pyo Ye Jin’s rendition of the soulful jazz piece, A Walk, which plays during one of her more poignant moments where she stares pensively into the distance from the backseat of the taxi. Kwak Jin Eon’s A Gloomy Letter hauntingly evokes a profound sense of deep sorrow through his richly layered vocals in his slow ballad. Maybe I’m just drawn to evocative and sad songs…
Anyway, full OST listing as follows:
1. YB – SILENCE
2. Kwak Jin Eon – A Gloomy Letter
3. Pyo Ye Jin – A Walk
4. Cha Ji Yeon – All Day
5. Simon Dominic – RUN AWAY
6. Sanha – Moon Light
Overall
Taxi Driver is arguably compelling and essential viewing. As dark as its themes may be, I honestly believe viewers can glean a thing or two potentially life saving survival skills from this drama. This deluxe taxi service might be fictional, but the crimes depicted do not get any more real that what is seen here. I find myself rooting for the team to wreak vengeance upon these truly horrible evildoers during every episode. Although deep down I know it’s probably morally and ethically wrong, I can’t help feeling a deep sense of pleasure and gratification from the street justice being dispensed. Long story short, watching this drama will evoke many emotions and feelings, with nary a moment of boredom. And the best part? I absolutely love the perfect ending.
Fun Facts:
1. The model of car used as the deluxe taxi is the 1996 Hyundai Dynasty.
2. The deluxe taxi faces off against the dreaded White Truck of Doom and “history was created” in that scene.
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Interesting premise but struggles mightily with setting a consistent tone and story.
Taxi Driver had an interesting setup and premise. I really liked how it highlighted a vigilante taxi driver and his squad out for vengeance to defend the helpless. I loved that the cases were based on real stories which did well to ground this drama.Yet this drama had a hard time creating a special tone for itself. I’m thinking that it’s because I expected more grit from this drama, and it had settled on giving more #SquadGoal vibes.
Around the second half, the overarching story went a bit off the rails, and I don’t feel like it was ever able to right itself. I personally think this drama would have done much better if it stuck to its more episodic arcs focused on real-life cases. Those cases were all heart. In contrast, it tried to develop an overarching baddie, that took the drama into eyebrow-raising unbelievable territory. I also think with the exit of the original writer, the second half lacks a lot of focus and purpose. Unfortunately, Taxi Driver left a lot of opportunity on the table and veered away from a lot of what made it fun and magical early on. Quite the shame!
If you are looking for a crime drama, this may fit the bill. Alternatively, if you are looking for a drama that is offering something new and never been done before, I may suggest looking elsewhere.
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ACTION THRILLER OF THE YEAR
Note: DO NOT EXPECT A BRAINY CRIME THRILLER & A CONTINUOUS STORYYes, you read the headline right! Do check it yourself. TAXI DRIVER is not a crime thriller, rather an action thriller, where you see a lot of action and stunts and it'd not be false to say that the action by Lee Je Hoon (Kim Do Ki) is not at all exaggerated or overdone unlike crime thrillers or simple melo dramas where everyone just flies off, climb walls like a reptile or jump high places like a squirrel (lol).
TAXI DRIVER is a perfect balance between thriller and melo, and a lil romance. The drama being based on a combination of real crime cases of Korea, is created on a concept of a transportation firm, namely Rainbow Taxi Service, that help people get revenge to avenge there dear one's death.
I am happy how brilliantly the main writer of the drama came up with this idea of portraying real cases and it's actually enthralling to witness this kind of direction. At the same time, I am unhappy how people have slept on this absolutely wonderful thriller piece. PEOPLE, DON'T DO IT.
I saw some people disappointed because there is no romance between the male lead and the second female lead, but what's with you expecting to see romance everywhere? Not everything necessarily has to be about it. Go watch romcom dramas.
I loved how this drama is straight-forward. Obviously, there are back stories for each of the major characters but you know what? They are not that long; even if they had stories to tell, those were shown as prologues and epilogues at the beginning and ending of each episode. You might not like the fact that there is almost no depth in there characters but I don't see that as a problem, given the drama is an absolute treat to yoyr mind & emotions.
Are you expecting a steady plot development to back a major protagonist-antagonist story? Well, it's better you to be aware that, you won't find a solid 16 episode long narrative here. Various cases that would be over come in broken prices will come together at a time in the end to haunt you down, haha.
Let's talk about acting? What exactly should I tell you? Just ummah! People, you have literally slept on Lee Je Hoon's acting till now. I am telling you he's one of the top 10 Korean actors. Let's start recognising his skills because it's not too late, okay? Esom noona is fierce as always. She did her job really nice. And oh my goodness, Pyo Ye Jin, I really really wish this drama will be a breakthrough to her carrier. This lady has waited long enough for such a role, which ahe deserved, and she's doing nice. Kim Eui Sung-nim is as always a solid actor. Jang Hyuk Jin & Bae Yoo Ram have done a impressive job as supporting characters which they've been doing fkr a long time.
Special mention to cinematography and the screen editing. The background themes and the songs that give you goosebumps, uff! Fabulous direction, coordinated and well organized script. A bit disappointed with the change of the main writer when only 3 eps were left but okay.
Please don't hesitate to watch. I am assuring you, this is the year's on of the best thriller because 2021 is indeed the year of thrillers.
P. S. First two episodes are introduction episodes. So don't drop the drama thinking it's slow, okay?
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1Overpowered Oppa with 768 IQ and ninja skills saves the day once again! I am surprised.
Listen to me. I really wanted to like this drama. I wanted to like this drama so bad that I watched it to the very end just so it could prove me wrong. I was crossing my fingers to the last minute, almost praying for it to get better. I ADORE Lee Je Hoon and Esom and I love the crime/thriller genre so there really was no reason for me to not like this except that... this is just bad. There, I said it. Now, let's get to the list of reasons why:▪︎Writing▪︎
See, the fact that this drama is based on true cases was something that was like catnip for my True Crime loving heart. It started out strong as well with a few really jarring cases but soon it gave way to sheer monotony. The cases are so dramatized and they all follow the same black and white format: extremely evil villains get caught by a bunch of street smart folks out for vigilante justice.
That's ok, I mean. That's what you expect from an episodic drama what's not okay is the sheer amount of stupidity in literally every episode. The way these cases are solved is just mindnumbingly dumb. They hinge on convenient plot devices, pure luck on the good guys's side and Lee Je Hoon's ultra acting skills. Yes, you can let the ridiculousness slide once but not again and again.
▪︎ Just an example: ▪︎
Our ML wants to teach this criminal lady (who voice phishes people out of money) a lesson. He wants to play the biggest uno reverse card in k drama history and instead rob her out of all her wealth. So, what does he do? He romances her ofcourse. That's okay. Then, he goes along with her to the bank and leaves his duffel bag that is CONVENIENTLY fitted with a microscopic camera and asks her to take care of it. And what do you know, this lady who literally runs a whole voice phishing ring and bosses around quite a few dimwits CONVENIENTLY places that duffel bag on the freaking table where her atm pin machine is and she also CONVENIENTLY angles the bag towards the pin machine so the camera can CONVENIENTLY record her pin and the good guys can then CONVENIENTLY use that to rob her out of her money as revenge.
I mean, come on. Who even puts a gigantic ass duffel bag on the table and not the floor in the first place? And even if they do, how can the good guys know for sure that they will. It's just them counting their blessings instead of using actual smarts.
See, this is just one example because every single episode is filled with ridiculous stuff like this that requires a lot of suspension of belief.
Moreover, the way the Taxi Gang operates is akin to flashing a bright neon sign that says 'Look at us! We exist' so the entire secretive, batman hiding in broad daylight saving the world plotline falls flat hilariously.
There are also a lot of flashbacks, scene repetitions and just lazy writing with the way conflicts are written for the main leads.
▪︎Characters▪︎
This is your typical squad of self righteous goody two shoes united by their shared tragic pasts. The male lead is so over powered. He can fight, is smart, is hot, is basically a wonder boy all around. You know your typical oppa in every run of the mill k drama.
These guys never lose. Everything is just a small hiccup for them. Never mind the people they are trying to catch are seasoned murderers/criminals and have been successfully evading the authorities. No, because this gang of average joes can take them down EASILY.
I mean yes it helps that one is a hacker, one is an engineer, one is a CEO- but really these job descriptions are all just for the sake of moving the plot. These are one dimensional characters you've seen in so many dramas before and while there is definitely camaraderie and warmth between them, there's not enough focus on thorough character development both individually and in terms of the group dynamic for us to truly form a connection.
The serious problems they do face in the last couple of episodes are so tropey, badly written and resultant of their own stupidity complimented with pointless death baiting and trucks of doom that it's hard to sympathize.
The antagonists are screechy and definitely not the smartest bunch themselves so the entire drama is just a bunch of goldfishes fighting against each other.
▪︎Female Lead▪︎
Now this just made me mad. Prosecutor Kang Ha Na has to be one of the worst female leads I have ever seen on screen. Now, I know a lot of people didn't like the fact that she was out to get the group but I didn't have a problem with that. My entire issue was how useless she was. Her contribution to the plot was zero and she was just terrible at her job. I wanted her to have like 10 minutes of relevance and I would have been pacified but no throughout the show she wears these badass business casual suits and power walks to... literally nowhere.
She's the last to arrive at the scene, she solves nothing, saves nobody and basically is just a walking talking product placement there to create this fake and hollow opposition for the Taxi Gang and to justify or question their system of justice.
Cause after a while, even you start thinking that if the Prosecutor with so many resources at her disposal can't even decipher the most basic of clues, it's better to just let this rag tag group do their thing.
The only action the poor girl gets is this random gun firing in the air for like five seconds where she badly tries to assert her barely there authority. It's sad, really.
▪︎Plot Development▪︎
The ending episodes just makes the drama look like it's floundering for direction. For like 12 episodes, it has different cases, then suddenly it just focuses on this one villain and then phew that gets solved and what do we know, they pull out an entire plot line from thin air and just throw it in your face. There's no structure at all to the show and it feels like the writer brainstormed all these ideas and just splattered them all on screen without any elegance whatsoever.
▪︎Acting▪︎
Now, here's why watching this drama really hurt me. The cast is phenomenal. Lee Je Hoon is a chameleon. He is great at completely embodying every role he does. Esom is so charismatic on screen. The rest of the cast is great as well but the plot execution and script is so bad that despite the talented cast, it's just 16 episodes of wasted potential.
▪︎What I Did Like▪︎
The only saving grace for me was the comedic moments in the show cause they made me smile and Lee Je Hoon in his various roles was a delight to watch. There was also a lot of potential love/hate bickering chemistry between Kang Ha Na and Kim Do Ki that was left untapped.
The action sequences while enjoyable are nearly not as sophisticated as some other productions. Some fights look obviously fake and visibly "acted". You see the punch, hear the punch but it's like it never really landed lmao. Still, action with hype music playing in the back is always good.
I also loved Esom's Prosecutor boss but he has a total screentime of like 30 minutes in the entire show so that's awkward.
▪︎Ending thoughts▪︎
In my opinion, this drama is a time waste and massively undeserving of the hype. Better examples of episodics with a gang of underdogs fighting crime with crime can probably be found in Bad Guys and Mad Dog.
So, even though I know that you guys are readying yourself for hate comments and downvotes right now, this drama still gets a solid NO for me. Sorry.
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My Liberation Notes
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Revenge is Sweet but Karma is Sweeter -- Amazingly Done and Yay to a second season
There is nothing I didn't like about this drama. Taxi Driver, to some, may have been another revenge drama, but to me, it was one of those dramas that dared not only to undertake, but also address some mammoth issues that sometimes overwhelmed. From labor and mental health abuse to significant workplace harassment, pornography, organ trafficking, thrill killers, statute of limitations, and the biggest and hardest to reconcile the abuse of an almost lawless justice system, that was seemingly instituted to preserve the rights of the powerless victims, but somehow ends up shielding the lawless and the criminals. It's true when they say, the only thing more hideous than crime is repressive justice. So, it's no surprise that the issues above birthed and justified a service such as Deluxe Taxi that empowered the victims and punished the lawless as befitted their crimes. But as sweet as revenge can get, karma is sweeter, which the drama clearly articulates at its ending. And as Jung Sung Chul (Kim Eui Sung) says, revenge only begets more revenge.The other thing Tax Driver unquestionably articulates is that if the criminal justice system intends to represent the victims and exact revenge by the law to dissuade people from self-help. It should then correctly do its job and not trivialize those it's supposed to protect. Just as people should be held accountable for their actions, so should the state, because there's a moral burden that comes from allowing heinous criminals and crimes not to be punished commensurate with their wickedness. I commend Kang Ha Na (Esom) and her Deputy Chief Prosecutor for recognizing that.
Taxi Driver's message is that revenge is never the answer, and neither is locking up criminals and throwing away the key. To achieve wide-ranging criminal justice reform, society and legislators need to overhaul how they think, dispense, and talk about social justice and crime. Because, as many experts have noted, how human beings describe each other either furthers their understanding and empathy or furthers othering and dehumanization. But what touched me most about Taxi Driver is the impactful and daring way it arrived at its final message. Everything from the system to the people who govern and are affected by it; are flawed humans, including our heroes. And that makes them more than capable of being the change they want to see.
As for the production -- well, a thousand and one kudos to the cast, the writer, the director, and production team of Taxi Drivers for a job beyond well done, but especially to Lee Je Hoon, this drama wouldn't have worked as well as it did without him. The same goes for Esom, Kim Eui Sung, Pyo Ye Jin; she was brilliant, and so was Cha Ji Yeon and the rest of the wonderfully talented cast. I will sorely miss this drama, but I look forward to seeing Lee Je Hoon in his next project -- Unframed and, if lucky, Taxi Driver 2. Highly recommended.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Are The Car Windows Tinted? AKA I Created an MDL Account Just to Review This
I just came from watching Signal, which for me was quite literally the greatest drama I've ever watched and if I could I would give it a 12/10. Having quite enjoyed Lee Je Hoon's acting in it and enjoyed the break from romantic themes, I searched for a drama that would hopefully produce similar results. I read through comments, choosing to disbelieve the nay-sayers because i OH-SO wanted to love this drama, but i cant, I just cant. Episode 14 is the episode that broke me.What frustrates me so much about this series is the fact that the plot devices are SO inconsistent. Furthermore, the characters don't learn and make the same mistakes, they just aren't always caught by the plot unless it's convenient to the writer. Most of all, despite appearing so invincible and intelligent, they do things that make absolutely no sense. I want to give several examples below:
SPOILERS BELOW:
•Are the deluxe taxi's windows tinted? In every scene so far the deluxe taxi's windows were tinted pitch black. So dark that when all those news vehicles and helicopters were after it no one could see inside. So WHY OH WHY when it's convenient to the plot for the Prosecutor lady to drive by him at night to perfectly be able to look into the vehicle and see the male lead's face? It makes no sense.
•When the second female lead finally gets her hands on the cellphone of the perp who ruined her sister's life, she steps on it, crushing it. I'm just like DOES THE PHONE NOT HAVE A MEMORY CARD OR CLOUD BACKUP STORAGE? Like isn't this girl a hacker? Shouldn't she have confiscated the phone to delete the manual and cloud forms of the video as well instead of just stepping on it?! Like they literally blew up servers for that case but they couldn't do a tiny bit more due diligence? I got so upset.
•When our parallel universe batman male lead just came from saving an important character, he turned his back to the villain and got STABBED because of it. He's not wearing any protective gear despite getting stabbed several times before. THEN, RIGHT AFTER this event, he goes to save another important character (ep. 14), punches the bad guy (who is still perfectly conscious and able) and GETS STABBED AGAIN. I just want to know...IS IT SO HARD TO RESTRAIN THE BAD GUY BEFORE MOVING ON TO SAVING THE INNOCENT?
•Why are they always giving their names and identities/faces to the perps? If something goes wrong in the mission they have their identities and wont be able to know how the perps will demand retribution. Which leads me the stupidest part when Jang Sung Chul got stabbed by that other dude I was like "this man's family was murdered and he has NO home security systems?" also it didn't make sense that the guy who stabbed him didn't go for the kill, like why? There was nothing in that character's characterisation that would indicate he would spare him.
The show makes the male lead out the be this invincible character who solves all his problems by dropping bodies, but for a show with so many complexities this isn't SUPPOSED to always solve his problems and yet it conveniently always does. It's SO incredibly frustrating.
The other concern I have about this show is about the themes of revenge and philosophy of justice. It felt so lackadasical for Jang Sung Chul's character to think he had the answer to all of morality. The revenge schemes were also highly dissatisfying for me because they literally basically involved beating people up then throwing them in that makeshift prison. The reasons prisons exist is first and foremost to keep those who are harmful to society away from society. How are you going to trust a CRIMINAL to keep other CRIMINALS and think everything will be okay.
I just feel like the writer thinks this drama is smarter than it actually is, but there are SO many plot holes, philosophical holes, judicial holes, criminal holes, character-identity holes, conflict resolution holes they might as well have called this drama "HOLES."
What I Liked:
•The acting. The rag tag bunch of vigilantes had excellent chemistry together and really felt like they worked as a team. I thought they worked so well together that I actually feel invested in their relationship, despite the fact that I didn't love the story.
•The initial story--I liked the idea of a group of people coming together to support one another in a unique way which could have made for a more interesting story, but instead it just wasted a lot of potential on messiness.
•The PURSUIT of philosophy. I did NOT like at all Jang Sung Chul's moral condescending nature, but I did APPRECIATE his PURSUIT of morality and at least realising that even though the judicial system is flawed, he on his own cant be responsible for "reforming" criminals/ "fixing" them.
In any case I will probably still finish it. I might even try to watch the second season next year. But I most CERTAINLY wont be rewatching season 1.
4 stars 14.5 episodes in. Will update after finishing.
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unterwegsimkoreanischenD
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Being a victim in the face of injustice is the worst – revenge promises release of suffering
Dealing with some actual crimes in South Korea, "Taxi Driver" retells them from the perspective of the victims - a variation of vigilante justice is the driving force and explosive in the plot development. A lot of action is guaranteed. The pace is high. There's nothing tear-jerking about. Romance has no place here. However there is room for emotions.Although the crimes are extremely brutal and unscrupulous as well as the fights and chases don't sugarcoat anything - Taxis Driver is overall fun to watch (not in the sense of ´funny´ though!). On the one hand, this is because the perpetrators are caught and the victims actually get 'help'. On the other hand, and above all, it is the actors. Not only the team around Kim Do-gi, also and especially the individual villains in male and female versions. While on the one hand turbulent action fills the time (yes, for me personally less would have been more, but that's probably a matter of taste), it's actually the theatrical performance of the mimes that characterize the esprit of the series. The fact that Do-gi has to slip into new roles for his assignments has a certain charm - i.e. sometimes he mimes the inexperienced substitute teacher, sometimes the gallant, wide-legged criminal with a fur coat...
It's still quite a brutal TV serial. That's because of the cases. Yet they aren't invented. It helps that there is room for a pinch of humour, harmless situation comedy and a wink every now and then.
Despite all the vigilantism, which is the driving and fundamental premise of the entire series (and probably also of the 2nd season that is already planned), it is respectable: there is also a serious examination of justice/injustice, law/judiciary and the state's monopoly on the use of force. The brilliant public prosecutor Kang Ha-na in her idiosyncratic way and her team are excellently suited to this. The heroic deeds of the 'exemplary taxi crew' are thus not only whitewashed, but also rightly confronted. The script has in that sense hit a fine line that doesn't take away the joy of satisfaction, but still puts a question mark behind vigilantism, and thus gives credit to honest, committed and highly motivated law enforcement officers - because the country needs them. Vigilante justice, that should be clear, cannot and must not be the solution. (Human history is full of cultures of lynching and blood feuds - certainly this never did and will not promise a better world.)
And then: the heroes of the story are human beings, too. Flashbacks provide an insight into the taxi team's traumatic, formative past while tying them into current cases. They too are victims. On this earth there is probably hardly any person who does not have had the experience of being a victim in the course of their life - more or less traumatical. It is an ugly feeling, a deeply shameful experience, as it reminds mankind of its greatest weakness: the ultimate loss of control and helplessness inherent in the finitude of being, the inevitable surrender that sooner or later everyone awaits.
Accordingly, forgiveness and reconciliation are also a topic of this KDrama. However, this is ruled out as a serious option quite early on. A nice concept, yes, but rather not practicable, because people prefer to thirst for revenge. In this story, the emphasis is on the satisfaction of such. There are others, emphasizing that the pain doesn't go away with revenge. Because the fact remains: For a victim, the past cannot be reversed - in fact, the pain associated with it and the feelings surrounding it are rarely in the past anymore. They shape life from that moment on, become a part of it in the here and now. The experience cannot be erased or undone. In this respect, revenge on the perpetrator doent´t help either.
Taxi Driver gives less importance to this consideration. That's actually my only (but not insignificant) criticism. The series prefers to ride the obviously successful Speed&Action wave. Because otherwise that would have robbed the KDrama of the basis for the second season, so to speak. Consequently, they want to build on the success of the first. (Without Esom in the role of prosecutor Kang Ha-na, by the way, since she apparently left the actors´ crew due to other appointments.)
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