Korean content has long been a goldmine for Netflix, with subscribers rarely able to turn down the opportunity to dive into the country’s latest exclusive film or television offering regardless of genre. By conventional standards, then, Song of the Bandits has gotten off to a surprisingly disappointing start.
Since debuting this past Friday, the blood-soaked and action packed period piece has only managed to enter the Top 10 in 16 countries worldwide per FlixPatrol, although that has at least seen it debut on the global Top 20. On the other hand, it’s the weakest premiere for a blockbuster Korean series in a while, but that might change in the coming days once audiences have the chance to indulge its high-octane insanity.
Set a century ago during the turbulence of Japanese occupation, the story finds the residents of Joseon – the last dynastic kingdom of Korea – removed from their home and expelled to Japan. Those who make their way in Gando – the historical border region along the Tumen River of Northeast China – then find themselves banding together in order to protect what’s rightfully theirs.
In the broadest of terms an expansive Western rooted in real-world history that boasts no shortage of spectacular set pieces and bullet-riddled shootouts, it’s strange that Song of the Bandits hasn’t instantly taken root among Netflix’s audience to become a more substantial hit than it has.
That could – and more than likely will – change sooner rather than later, but if it doesn’t, then it could end up going down as one of just many underrated and overlooked gems at the platform’s disposal.