Vagabond is an SBS drama starring Lee Seunggi and Bae Suzy. It’s an action-packed drama that will have your heart racing right from the beginning. Vagabond sets the scene from the exotic sights of Morocco and North Africa, to the dark alleys of Lisbon and Portugal, and the President’s residence at the Blue House in South Korea. This drama takes you on a whirlwind trip around the world to uncover an international conspiracy with the help of one Cha Dalgun, a humble stuntman whose only wish is to find the reason behind his nephew’s death.

Synopsis

Vagabond follows the story of stuntman Cha Dalgun (Lee Seunggi). His dream is to follow in the footsteps of his favorite action stars and become a martial arts director. His life, however, takes a different turn when he is forced to take care of his orphaned nephew Cha Hoon (Hoon Woojin). Dalgun hence works hard as a stuntman to bring up Hoon whom he eventually grows to love dearly. Dalgun later decides to give up his job as a stuntman because of the dangers that come with the job and becomes a taxi driver, upsetting Hoon who knows and shares his uncle’s dreams.

Hoon is set to go to Morocco with other children from his class. He refuses to let Dalgun bring him to the airport but decides to upload videos on his cloud for Dalgun to watch. He leaves for Morocco with his classmates and other passengers but the plane never lands. All passengers are reported dead and Dalgun is devastated by the news. He travels to Morocco with fellow bereaved families to offer a memorial for their loved ones and discuss compensation with Edward Park (Lee Geungyoung) the head of Dynamic KP, which is the company that made the plane.

At the Moroccan airport, Dalgun spots a man who looks the same as one of the passengers from the crashed plane; he is able to recognize him from Hoon’s cloud videos. Dalgun goes after him, but the man escapes. Returning to the Korean embassy in Morocco, Dalgun reports that he saw a survivor from the plane crash, but no one believes him.

At the embassy, Dalgun meets Go Haeri (Bae Suzy), an undercover NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent. Determined to find out why his dear nephew died, Dalgun is able to convince Haeri that the plane crash was not an accident, and the two go on to uncover a conspiracy that will shake the entire country to its core!

Review

Vagabond is a gift to action drama fans, a story filled with thrilling action scenes that will make you share in Dalgun’s desperation on his journey to uncover the truth. The story is exceptional from the start, building up the backstory well so that it completely sucks you into its chaotic world as the story develops.

Vagabond is an underdog story that highlights the strength of will. It is a testament to how much we can achieve when we are really determined and focused on something. Looking at the scale of the conspiracy and the powers behind it, it seems impossible for Dalgun, a mere underpaid stuntman, to do anything other than cry for his nephew and move on. However, he refuses to be cornered into helplessness and uses the only resource he has, his martial arts skills, to find out the truth behind his nephew’s death.

Dalgun is not a smart man by any means and appears reckless most of the time, but this makes him an endearing character. I appreciate that the writers did not make him the clever know-it-all guy, as this makes him relatable. He is a normal citizen who is trying to fight against those in power and show them that they cannot always have their way. He is underestimated and disregarded by everyone, but that turns out to be his secret weapon as no one is able to see him sneak around while uncovering what happened.

Bae Suzy as Go Haeri is an interesting character. She is trying to rise through the ranks in the NIS and is mostly dismissed as a woman, but this helps motivate her to help Dalgun. She is a relatable character as well, a woman trying to make it in a male-dominated profession. It is good to see a woman included within the action as part of the solution rather than one who always instigates a dangerous situation. Haeri is gutsy and as important to the drama as Dalgun. 

The story of Cha Dalgun is exciting, full of action, and an inspiration, a testament of how far sheer will and determination can get us no matter who we are.