An Overlooked K-Drama Is One Of Netflix's Best Westerns
As South Korean television programming, or K-dramas, continues to find success with audiences worldwide, one overlooked gem is "Song of the Bandits." A Netflix original series, "Song of the Bandits" is a period piece Western set in the 1920s during the brutal Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. While not as popular as other K-dramas available to stream on Netflix, "Song of the Bandits" deserves its place among the best K-dramas on the platform. Moreover, "Song of the Bandits" is a fantastic Western in a region and culture not typically associated with the genre.
Incorporating actual history into its narrative, "Song of the Bandits" takes place primarily in the Gando region of China, near the Korean border. In the face of the oppressive Japanese control over Korea, many Korean refugees fled to Gando, including resistance fighters looking to liberate the peninsula from the Japanese. With the sudden influx of refugees, Gando descends into chaos, inspiring a handful of characters to rise up and protect the vulnerable from those looking to exploit them. This includes series protagonist Lee Yoon (Kim Nam-gil), a former Japanese soldier who stands against cruel bandits and the growing Japanese military presence preying on the refugees.
Boasting an 86% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, "Song of the Bandits" is the best K-drama to cue up for your next Netflix binge.
What makes Song of the Bandits so effective
Like many K-dramas, "Song of the Bandits" tells a complete story within its nine episodes instead of leaving dangling plot threads to set up a potential second season. With that in mind, the pacing on those episodes moves briskly – this show is, quite literally, all killer, no filler. "Song of the Bandits" is full of Western-tinged action and interpersonal drama couched within Lee Yoon's quest for atonement, righting the injustices he committed as part of the Japanese military. Yoon's Robin Hood-esque bandits aren't just interested in stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, they're leading a full-on independence movement. This gives the story a grander sense of stakes and scope which it takes full advantage of.
The action itself is stylized and well-choreographed, with these sequences brutal and easy to follow, even the ones set within darkened locations. The skirmishes themselves are a mix of swordplay, archery, and cavalry-mounted gunfights, with the show featuring the greatest Western trope of all, a high-stakes train robbery. To up the ante, Yoon finds himself pursued by hired killers and the Japanese military as his reputation grows, with these showdowns giving the action a more personal quality.
With its engaging pace and impressive production values, "Song of the Bandits" is sumptuously staged and a welcome change from the multitude of South Korean crime thrillers on Netflix. Regardless of country of origin, the show stands with some of the best Western shows on television, blending classic Western tropes with its unique geographical and historical setting. Whether you're a fan of K-dramas or Westerns, "Song of the Bandits" is well worth a look.