Introduction: A Taxi That Takes Revenge Where the Law Fails
Rainbow Taxi Company - a secret organization that carries out revenge for victims suffering in the blind spots of the law. "Taxi Driver," which aired on SBS and became a major sensation, goes beyond simple revenge narratives to pose fundamental questions about justice in modern society. Lee Je-hoon's charismatic performance combined with solid storytelling and satisfying revenge plots helped both seasons achieve high ratings and widespread popularity. Based on a webtoon, this drama unpacks the heavy theme of delivering justice for those the law cannot protect through action and human drama, leaving viewers with profound resonance.
Series Overview and Basic Information
Taxi Driver Season 1 aired on SBS from April 9 to May 29, 2021, consisting of 16 episodes. It recorded an average viewership rating of 12.8% and peaked at 17.4%, marking tremendous success. Taxi Driver Season 2 aired from February 17 to April 15, 2023, also consisting of 16 episodes. Season 2 recorded an average rating of 10.2% with a peak of 14.6%.
The original source is a webtoon of the same name serialized on Kakao Page, created by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin. The drama adapted the basic setting from the webtoon while reconstructing the story and characters for television. Season 1 was directed by Park Joon-woo, Season 2 by Lee Dan, with screenwriting by Oh Sang-ho throughout both seasons.
The main cast includes Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi, Lee Som as Ahn Go-eun (Season 1), Shin Eun-soo as Kang Ha-na (Season 2), Kim Eui-sung as organization leader Jang Sung-chul, Pyo Ye-jin as hacker Go Eun, and Jang Hyuk-jin as mechanic Park Jin-eon. The ensemble cast's chemistry and performances elevated the production quality significantly.
Season 1: The Beginning of Revenge and the Meaning of Justice
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Plot and Major Events
Season 1 begins when Kim Do-gi, a former special forces operative seeking revenge for his mother's death, joins the secret revenge agency Rainbow Taxi. Disguised as an ordinary taxi company, Rainbow Taxi is a covert organization that delivers justice to criminals the law cannot punish. Operating on a 50 million won fee basis, they carry out revenge exactly as their clients request.
Kim Do-gi disguises himself as a taxi driver to meet victims and hear their stories. He executes elaborate revenge operations against evildoers who have escaped legal punishment - school bullies, sexual predators, illegal loan sharks, and criminal organizations running entertainment establishments. While each episode handles independent cases, a main storyline runs through searching for the culprit who killed Kim Do-gi's mother.
The climax of Season 1 involves confrontation with a massive criminal organization behind the scenes. Prosecutor Kang Ha-na initially pursues Rainbow Taxi but gradually empathizes with their justice, forming a complex relationship. Kim Do-gi struggles between revenge and justice as he uncovers the truth about his mother's death.
Major Themes and Messages
The core theme of Season 1 is the gap between law and justice. The drama poses the weighty question of whether private revenge can be justified when the legal system fails to function properly. Through victims' desperate stories, it reveals the limitations of our actual legal system and depicts Rainbow Taxi's attempts to fill that void.
The narrative of trauma and healing is also treated importantly. All organization members, including Kim Do-gi, carry past wounds, and gradually heal by confronting their own pain while helping others get revenge. Revenge is portrayed not as simple retribution but as a process that gives victims the strength to stand up again.
Season 2: Expanded Universe and Deeper Contemplation
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| Source: NAMU WIKI(https://namu.wiki) |
Changes and Development
Season 2 depicts Rainbow Taxi facing new challenges after Season 1's successful conclusion. The organization has developed more sophisticated and systematic operations, with the scale of cases they handle growing larger. Former prosecutor Kang Ha-na (Shin Eun-soo) joins as legal counsel, making the organization even more professional.
Season 2 tackles even more massive and complex evils - international criminal organizations, digital sex crimes, organized human trafficking, and medical cartels. Moving beyond individual-level revenge to challenge systemic social problems, the series' social message becomes significantly stronger.
New Characters and Relationships
The key antagonists in Season 2 are not simple criminals but establishment figures with power within the system. Confrontations with them develop beyond physical fights into psychological warfare and intellectual battles. Kim Do-gi matures into a more seasoned leader while contemplating the meaning of revenge more deeply.
Kang Ha-na seeks to realize justice within legal boundaries, collaborating with Rainbow Taxi while constantly questioning their methods. This tension creates important drama in Season 2. Team chemistry among organization members strengthens further, with operations showcasing each member's expertise.
Direction and Acting: High-Quality Action and Emotional Lines
Lee Je-hoon's Charisma
Lee Je-hoon revealed new dimensions as an action performer through the role of Kim Do-gi. He perfectly expressed the dual charm of being a cold, meticulous avenger while offering warm comfort to victims. The natural and convincing transitions between his friendly appearance as a taxi driver and charismatic presence during operations stand out.
Lee Je-hoon's physicality in action scenes resulted from extensive practice and effort. Action sequences he performed without stunt doubles - combat scenes, chase sequences, infiltration operations - significantly enhanced viewer immersion. His emotional acting delicately expressed the grief of losing his mother, conflicts about revenge, and empathy for victims.
Ensemble Casting Strength
Kim Eui-sung portrayed Rainbow Taxi leader Jang Sung-chul with both charisma and humanity. While externally a cold leader, his warm side that treats organization members like family added depth to the character. Supporting actors like Pyo Ye-jin as hacker Go Eun and Jang Hyuk-jin as mechanic Park Jin-eon enriched the production with performances highlighting their individual personalities and expertise.
Lee Som in Season 1 and Shin Eun-soo in Season 2 completed their female characters with distinct charms. Lee Som captured a justice-driven prosecutor bound by rules, while Shin Eun-soo portrayed a flexible yet principled legal professional. Guest antagonist actors also convincingly portrayed realistic evil that viewers could relate to.
Social Messages and Reality Reflection
Legal Blind Spots
One reason Taxi Driver resonated strongly is its direct handling of real social problems. Using actual social incidents as material - school violence, sexual crimes, cyber crimes, human trafficking, medical accidents - it vividly shows secondary victimization and legal voids that victims experience.
The series particularly criticizes how perpetrators escape proper punishment because they are minors or have power and money. It shows victims being treated as perpetrators in court or carrying lifetime trauma without receiving adequate compensation or apology, stirring public outrage among many viewers.
The Dual Nature of Revenge
However, the drama does not simply glorify revenge. It balances coverage of how Rainbow Taxi's activities violate law through private sanctions, and how excessive revenge can sometimes become another form of violence. Through prosecutor Kang Ha-na, it continuously reminds viewers of the importance of rule of law and procedural justice.
Kim Do-gi also experiences internal conflict while carrying out revenge. He poses questions to viewers about whether revenge truly heals victims or creates another chain of hatred. This balanced perspective elevated the work beyond simple good-versus-evil drama.
Production Quality: Cinematic Visuals and Solid Structure
Visual Direction
Taxi Driver boasts film-level cinematography and editing despite being a television drama. Dynamic camera work in action scenes, tension-filled editing in chase sequences, and detailed mise-en-scène of spaces where revenge operations unfold enhance immersion. Operation scenes particularly utilize various angles and slow motion to realize stylish action.
Lighting and color grading effectively convey the work's atmosphere. Rainbow Taxi headquarters features warm lighting creating a sanctuary feeling, while crime scenes are treated with cold, dark tones for contrast. Each episode's color palette varies according to case characteristics, securing visual diversity.
Music and Sound
The OST and background music that heighten dramatic tension are important elements. Action scenes use intense beats to capture speed, while emotional scenes leave resonance with gentle piano melodies. Music during Kim Do-gi's operational taxi driving scenes became a series signature.
Sound effects usage is delicate. Taxi engine sounds, tires racing on roads, and impact sounds in combat scenes enliven the sense of reality. Sound design effectively utilizing silence in quiet scenes to build tension also stands out.
Season Comparison and Evaluation
Season 1 Strengths
Season 1 captivated viewers with fresh settings and solid fundamentals. The novel concept of revenge agency, structure handling different cases each episode, and harmonious integration of Kim Do-gi's personal story with the main plot excelled. Characters were built to allow sufficient emotional investment in each case's victims, and the satisfying process of revenge delivery provided viewers with catharsis.
The narrative structure building tension toward the latter half proved particularly effective. The process of finding Kim Do-gi's mother's killer, tense relationship with the prosecutor tracking Rainbow Taxi, and crises threatening to expose the organization intertwined to heighten immersion. Season 1's conclusion left resonance while hinting at new beginnings with satisfying revenge.
Season 2 Challenges
Season 2 launched under pressure from Season 1's success but attempted differentiation. It increased case scale, delved deeper into systemic social problems, and showed character growth. The addition of new character Kang Ha-na created fresh chemistry.
However, some viewers felt Season 2 was somewhat complex and heavy compared to Season 1's straightforward satisfaction. Evaluations noted decreased pacing as cases developed across multiple episodes. Yet many opinions held that Season 2 excelled in character depth and weight of social messaging.
Viewer Response and Social Impact
Popular Success
Taxi Driver received heated responses on SNS and online communities during broadcast. After each episode, viewers enthusiastically shared satisfying revenge scenes and memorable quotes. Kim Do-gi's line "Client, we have arrived at your destination" became the series' signature phrase.
International availability through Netflix secured a global fanbase. Particularly popular in Asian regions, it was evaluated as demonstrating Korean drama's competitiveness in the action genre. The original webtoon's popularity also surged, proving IP value.
Social Discussion
The drama sparked social discussion beyond simple entertainment. Active debate occurred on issues like victims in legal blind spots, perpetrator-centered judicial systems, and punishment severity for juvenile crimes. While some criticism arose about glorifying private revenge, most found meaning in raising awareness of real problems.
Episodes connecting to actual social problems like sexual crimes and school violence particularly contributed to heightening interest in related legislation and policies. Some issues the drama addressed led to actual legislative discussions, and it receives credit for helping improve social awareness of victim protection and support.
Conclusion: Questions About What Justice Means
Taxi Driver Seasons 1 and 2 sought balance between the primal emotion of revenge and the higher value of justice. While acknowledging the reality that law cannot solve all problems, it also warns of dangers in private sanctions. Kim Do-gi and Rainbow Taxi's activities are not perfect answers but methods found within imperfect reality.
This drama's true value lies in providing viewers satisfaction while making them question what justice means themselves. It creates empathy for victim suffering, anger toward perpetrators, and contemplation of law and institutional limitations. It makes us think about the direction our society should take.
Passionate performances from Lee Je-hoon and the cast, film-quality direction, realistic social problem-raising, and solid storytelling combine to establish Taxi Driver as a memorable work in Korean drama history. I strongly recommend this essential viewing to those who enjoy action and human drama, and to those who want to contemplate social justice together. Through satisfying revenge narratives, examine modern society's pain and reconsider the meaning of true justice.