Becoming The Muse

Song of the Bandits 도적: 칼의 소리 also known as Bandit: The Sound of the Knife is a 2023 South Korean Drama series directed by Hwang Jun-hyeok, written by Han Jeong-hoon, and released on Netflix on 22 September 2023.

Set in the early 1900s, the period drama is centered on events in Gando which was a land of lawlessness during the turbulent time of Japanese occupation. A ragtag group, band together to make a stand and protect their homes and familes…

“We fight. If you fight for your country, that would make you a soldier. But if you fight to protect your family, that would make you a bandit, wouldn’t it?”
Lee Yoon -Song Of The Bandits

The Good

Song Of The Bandits is the sort of show you get when you infuse the emotive perfomances of K-dramas with western influence, giving it an Old West feel reminiscent of a Spaghetti western…. Lawlessness, raids, bandits and there’s even a great train robbery…

The misfit crew of bandits ,could have easily been lifted from the script pages of the Magnificent 7 or members of The Chamber Of Wildside Commerce each having their unique specialities and weapons of choice: marksman, sniper, archer, axe thrower, strongman and the result is choreographed massacre.

The lead character Lee Yoon plays the reluctant action hero atoning for the pain and suffering he has caused carving up a bloody path to redemption after earning himself the name  the guardian grim reaper

“He's the reaper who watches. The reaper who guides. In passing, the meaning sounds nice, but who does the Grim Reaper guard, exactly? Ones who are meant to die, of course."
-Seonbok

The characters have complicated relationships and the paths of their lives are intertwined in ways one wont see coming, in a world where betrayal and survival are synonymous and compatriots are sacrificed.

Naturally it would not be a K-drama if amidst all that there isn’t a sad love story plot: love triangles and unrequited love.

While Song Of Bandits is not a historically accurate TV show, it inspires a critical look at a sensitive chapter in Korea’s history , colonisation, oppression, freedom, survival…

“Chinese land, Japanese money, and Joseon’s people. Which one do you think will take over this place?” – Seonbok

The soundtrack of Song Of The Bandits compliments the cinematography and enhances the atmosphere of the show. My playlist has been updated with some K-pop stars.

For a series called Song Of The Bandit of course the soundtrack and theme song had to be memorable 🔥

Currently my most played jams on Spotify are from K-Pop stars:

Sad Waltz by Karina
Bandit by Taeil
Sad Hitman by Seori

도적 칼의 소리https://t.co/AbZQkOUfI0 pic.twitter.com/5GfoaOB3Nl

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) October 13, 2023

The Bad

The show’s pacing is not making sure, it begins at a slow burn, while there’s good character building and sets the stage, it feels drawn out which doesn’t track well with the action sequences … and the climactic showdown is before the final episode which doesnt wrap up the plot and instead sets up for a potential second season.

The storytelling can get  bit confusing, the episodes usually begin with a sort of flashback, for back story that then merges back to the now of it which makes it easy to get lost, on which events are in the past and what is the present or the actual sequence of events that led to how a situation is the way it is…  

The one-man-army trope is overplayed where you have individuals standing against scores of people, not to mention having a seeming endless supply of ammunition and dead shot aim… suspend disbelief.

The Ugly

The show has some graphic violence, executions, brutality and torture that can be a bit unsettling… War is an ugly thing, dark and oppressive.

Even though it does not accurately depict history, it gives a fair bit of insight into the hardships people faced and the choices they were forced to make out of survival.

"The hardships you've faced up to this point in your short life haven't been your fault. It's all our fault.
It's all my generation.
We were the ones who let Joseon fall into utter ruin, and our mistakes made refugees of us all. You can only get rich by siding with the Japanese. And backstabbing your comrades makes your survival more likely.
This is the world we created for you. I have nothing but the utmost pity for you all. And for all of our mistakes, I apologize to you
-Choi Chung-soo

Final Thoughts

Took a couple of episodes to get fully immersed into the series but once I knew all the players it was a captivating watch.

The show has not yet been approved for a second season but it has had a good run Netflix topping the non-English charts… its likely to get renewed for a second season.