Despite the monumental rise in popularity of Korean drama over the last few years, thanks in large part to streaming platforms like Netflix and the success of shows like Squid Game, it’s still hard to say that South Korea’s often stellar entertainment output quite qualifies as “mainstream”.
It’s on its way there, of course, and Song of the Bandits might go some way towards expediting the process. It’s a period drama, fundamentally, a sub-genre beloved by the nation perhaps above any other, but it’s also a distinctly modern show in its presentation and pacing, co-opting the iconic visual language and story beats of class Westerns.
Since there is no genre more beloved in the West, or that has had more of an influence over popular culture, Netflix may well have fittingly struck gold with this deliberately anachronistic nine-parter, which feels like the best of both worlds.
Set in the 1920s, Song of the Bandits finds Korea under brutal Japanese occupation, with many Koreans having fled to the Gando region of China.
Among them is Lee Yoon, a former lieutenant and indentured servant in the Japanese army, though “fled” isn’t the right word in his case. He has ventured out to atone for his actions on behalf of the Japanese, seeking death at the hands of Choong-soo, a Korean independence fighter and the head of an ethnically Korean settlement in Gando whom he previously wronged.
What he finds, however, is purpose — an enemy to fight against, and a raggedy crew of like-minded bandits who are willing to fight alongside him.
Running parallel to this plot, and quickly intertwining with it, is the story of Nam Hee-shin, an undercover executive for the Japanese Government-General who enlists the services of a skilled assassin, Eon-nyeoni, to help heist substantial funds that have been earmarked for the construction of a railway vital to Japanese conquest — and all under the nose of her husband, Japanese officer Gwang-il.
With these outlines established, Song of the Bandits rockets off at quite a clip, with stellar action sequences aplenty and a powerful exploration of the expected themes of oppression, resistance, identity, and freedom.
Song of the Bandits is inarguably impressive, but it also delivers well-rounded characters whose plights you’ll buy into on a fundamental level.
