Mobeomtaeksi

This Korean series is centred on Kim Do-gi, a Seoul taxi driver. He is a former special forces soldier whose mother was murdered several years before; the killer died in prison but our protagonist is still left with a desire for revenge... it turns out that a small group within the taxi company, including its owner, is helping others get revenge on those who wronged them and got insufficient punishment. Over the course of the series they help several people seeking revenge; these include a woman whose 'employers' were treating people like slaves and an internet hosting company that has a bullying culture. Those they 'arrest' are taken to a 'prison' run by female crime boss Baek Sung-mi. Prosecutor Kang Ha-na has noticed the disappearance of several criminals and starts investigating; she soon suspects the involvement of the taxi company but finding evidence isn't easy.

I thought this series was really good. The central story was really good; while most viewers will get behind the revenge seeking taxi firm it doesn't shy away from raising questions about the morality of their extrajudicial actions... especially when we see how those they take to their prison are treated. Before each arrest the group investigates the 'accused'; these tend to expose some disturbing practices which make uncomfortable viewing at times. There is a decent amount of action; these scenes are exciting and well-choreographed. While this is by no means a comedy there are some fun amusing moments. The cast is solid; most obviously Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi, Esom as Kang Ha-na and Kim Eui-sung as taxi company boss Jang Sung-chul. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Korean dramas.

These comments are based on watching the series in Korean with English subtitles.

The action scenes in this drama are superb and the story line are great. I love this drama so much, waiting for season 2.

Lee Je-hoon was awesome as usual! He took on multiple characters while undercover on cases; he was so much fun to watch. Everyone's acting was very convincing as well, I felt complete hatred for the bad guys. The good guys were all very likable, although at times the female prosecutor came off as overbearing.

Of course it isn't realistic, some things left me smiling and thinking if only things worked like that in the real world. The show is very addicting, from the first episode it grabs your attention. The cases/ crimes involved were very interesting to me, and the action was great! However, I do feel that some episodes were longer than they needed to be.

Overall I personally enjoyed it!

The story is clearly outlined in the other well written reviews, so I just wish to add that every actor and actress in this series was top notch. Recently I have been watching several Korean serials and they all show that South Korea has a fantastic stable of skilled performers. Unlike American Method acting, they seem to follow Stanislavski's system and really become the characters they are portraying. Not two dimensional at any level, you really believe them.

Add to that the superb camera work, thumping soundtrack and clever, non-formulaic script and you have TV which is at last worth watching. If you have not seen this yet, and you're not too slow to read subtitles, then you really should try this; you will be hooked!

(Deluxe) Taxi Driver could easily have fallen into that destructive trap of victimhood, sexism, the vicious circle of low expectations, bigotry etc., but fortunately the Korean writers had the wisdom to feature a nuanced story not only about Restorative Justice but also to question whether it's right to take the Law into one's own hands? So we have two opposing forces - Kim Do Gi the Deluxe Taxi driver with a mission to right wrongs and the Cop on his tail, Kang Ha Na, (better known as Esom) who represents the voice of reason, the rule of Law, and the "right" and "civilized" way of doing things. So it is a relief to see amid the melodrama of sobbing victims an intelligent point or two made. Kang Ha Na has certainly shown for me a depth of personality that stands her out from other characters, not to mention female roles in other K-Dramas. So far, so good!