Vigilante (비질란테)
Vigilante (비질란테) is a 2023 South Korean action thriller series in which Kim Ji-yong, a model student at the Korean National Police University by day, secretly punishes criminals who escaped serious punishment under the law by night. It was released on Disney+ in eight episodes from November 8 to November 29, 2023, and is adapted from a Naver webtoon of the same name written by CRG and illustrated by Kim Kyu-sam.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 8 episodes, each about 44 to 46 minutes; TV-MA rating; genre action, thriller, crime2 • 3 |
| Release | November 8 to 29, 2023, on Disney+; first three episodes screened at the Busan International Film Festival on October 5, 20231 • 4 |
| Source | Naver webtoon Vigilante by CRG (writing) and Kim Kyu-sam (art), serialized April 27, 2018 to January 8, 2021; viewed more than 370 million times1 • 5 |
| Main cast | Nam Joo-hyuk as Kim Ji-yong, Yoo Ji-tae as Jo Heon, Lee Joon-hyuk as Jo Gang-ok, Kim So-jin as Choi Mi-ryeo2 |
| Director and creator | Directed by Choi Jeong-yeol; created by Moon Yoo-seok1 • 6 |
| Production | Studio N and Beyond Story6 |
| Availability | Disney+ in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, and other markets; Hulu in the United States7 • 2 |
Spoilers
Premise
As a child, Kim Ji-yong saw his mother beaten to death on the street by a thug who received only three and a half years in prison. As an adult he finds that the killer has not changed, and he beats him brutally himself. Afterward he lives two lives: on weekdays a model student at the police university, and on weekends a figure called the Vigilante who punishes criminals that received light sentences and continue to offend.1
Around him stand people with different motives. Jo Heon, team leader of a police investigation team, hunts the Vigilante. Jo Gang-ok, an admirer who helps him, supplies money and support. Choi Mi-ryeo, a broadcast reporter, covers the Vigilante for her own career.1 As the series progresses, copycat vigilantes appear nationwide, and Jo Heon and Choi Mi-ryeo close in on the original's identity.2
Season 2
In July 2024, JTBC Entertainment News reported that a second season was in production. According to the report, the agencies of Nam Joo-hyuk, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kim So-jin took differing positions on appearance at that time, but the actors were expected to reprise their characters if scheduling could be arranged.14
Cast
- Nam Joo-hyuk as Kim Ji-yong, the police university student who becomes the Vigilante. Nam, known for Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) and The Light in Your Eyes (2019), did not attend the November 6, 2023 press conference because he was serving his mandatory military service.1 • 5
- Yoo Ji-tae as Jo Heon, the investigation team leader pursuing the Vigilante.1
- Lee Joon-hyuk as Jo Gang-ok, a tycoon figure who admires and sponsors the Vigilante.1 • 8
- Kim So-jin as Choi Mi-ryeo, the reporter covering the Vigilante.1
- Supporting cast includes Yoon Kyung-ho and Lee Hae-young.2
Source webtoon and adaptation
The series adapts the Naver webtoon Vigilante, written by CRG and drawn by Kim Kyu-sam, which ran from April 27, 2018 to January 8, 2021.1 Director Choi Jeong-yeol said at the Seoul press conference that because the original webtoon is lengthy and covers a vast amount of story, he selected impressive episodes to keep the tension high and make the series fast-paced. He said he hoped the series would raise questions such as whether the law is fair and functioning well, whether a vigilante is a hero or a villain, and what is needed for a more solid legal framework.5
The webtoon had been viewed more than 370 million times on the Naver Webtoon platform by the time of the drama's release.5 The drama is one of many webtoon-based adaptations produced by Studio N, whose webtoon-IP dramas numbered 24 by one 2024 industry count.9
Production and filming
The series was produced by Studio N and Beyond Story, with Moon Yoo-seok credited as creator.6 In October 2022, Kongju National University's Cheonan campus issued an internal notice cooperating with filming: from October 15 to 17, 2022, a crew of about 80 people used the engineering buildings, the sports field, and drone shots of the campus, and in the drama the Cheonan campus buildings appear as a hospital. The university received on-screen location credit at no charge.10
Release and reception
The first three episodes premiered at the Busan International Film Festival on October 5, 2023, and the full series ran on Disney+ from November 8 to November 29, 2023, in South Korea and other markets.4 • 1 In the United States it streams on Hulu; in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other regions it streams on Disney+.2 • 11
Critical response. The South China Morning Post gave the series four stars out of five, praising its vigorous set pieces and punchy pacing and noting that the characters who join Nam Joo-hyuk's bloodthirsty police recruit add to its pulpy appeal, culminating in a showdown between embodiments of different sides of justice.8 Jae-Ha Kim rated it two and a half stars out of four, finding the first three episodes thrilling but the morally bankrupt anti-hero difficult to root for by the end.4 NME called it a delight for adrenaline junkies while suggesting viewers seeking fresh perspective might skip it.12 On JustWatch the series holds a user score of 7.7 from about 5,400 votes; on MyDramaList it stands at 8.6 from about 30,000 votes.3 • 13
References
- Vigilante (Korean Drama), AsianWiki
- Vigilante, Disney+ official page
- Vigilante (2023), JustWatch
- "Vigilante" (비질란테), review by Jae-Ha Kim, November 30, 2023
- Disney+'s 'Vigilante' targets global audience as Korean dark hero action series, Yonhap News Agency, November 6, 2023
- Vigilante (2023): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch, SearchOTT
- Vigilante Streaming, FlixPatrol
- Disney+ K-drama review: Vigilante, South China Morning Post, December 1, 2023
- 스튜디오N 웹툰 IP 원작 드라마 보도, 2024년 6월
- 국립공주대학교 천안캠퍼스 촬영 협조 요청 공문
- Where to Watch Vigilante (2023), Helposter
- 'Vigilante' review: a delight for adrenaline junkies, NME, November 30, 2023
- Vigilante review, DramaRecs
- [[단독] 남주혁·유지태·김소진 출연 '비질란테' 시즌2 제작, JTBC 엔터뉴스 via 네이트, July 19, 2024](https://news.nate.com/view/20240719n08745)
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Thriller, crime, and mystery series › Crime and mystery thrillers
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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