In the Korean drama market, establishing a "seasonal system" remains an unfamiliar and difficult challenge. In the United States, once a drama becomes a hit, it is common to continue seasons for 10 or 20 years, expanding its worldview until every bit of potential is exhausted. On the other hand, Korea strongly prefers narratives with a perfect beginning, middle, and end, so it has been rare for a show to continue to a Season 2, no matter how popular it is. Even if a subsequent season is produced, the flow is often broken due to lead actor replacements or long hiatuses of several years. However, the Taxi Driver series has boldly overcome these limitations of Korean dramas. Thanks to the explosive success of Seasons 1 and 2, it has proudly returned with Season 3, which viewers have been longing for. This is a case that proves the potential of a Korean-style franchise procedural drama beyond simple success.
Taxi Driver 3 also maintains the core theme of a private revenge agency punishing villains who are not judged within the boundaries of the law. The exhilarating punishment delivered by the Rainbow Transport team on behalf of unfair victims has provided strong catharsis to the public living in a frustrating reality. In particular, the biggest reason this drama is loved is that it goes beyond simply defeating fictional villains and persistently digs into the dark side of our society. Season 3 also brought up a heavy social issue that could arouse public indignation from the start. The activities of Kim Do-gi and Rainbow Transport, who listen to the voices of those suffering in blind spots that the law cannot resolve and throw punches on their behalf, remain valid and desperate.
The greatest power of the Taxi Driver series lies in its chilling reality indictment and foresight. Do you remember the confinement case under the guise of overseas employment covered in Season 2? The episode, where young people were lured overseas with high-paying jobs, had their passports taken, and were forced to do illegal work, was shocking at the time. However, it was talked about again as similar crimes actually occurred in places like Cambodia and were reported extensively recently. It leaves a bitter taste that a national response only began long after the drama aired. The fact that crimes warned about through the drama in 2023 are still rampant in reality shows that Taxi Driver implies a documentary nature that sounds a social alarm beyond simple entertainment.
In this context, the episode that Taxi Driver 3 brings out from the beginning also feels significant. This season expands the stage to include activities in Japan. The setting where Rainbow Transport crosses borders to fight crime organizations in Japan increases the scale of the play while suggesting that crimes are no longer limited to domestic areas but are linked internationally. Just as the Cambodia episode in Season 2 became reality, the story of the crime cartel in Japan covered in Season 3 makes one reasonably suspect that it might actually be happening somewhere. The eeriness of fiction in the drama feeling like a preview of non-fiction is a factor that immerses viewers even more.
One of the notable features of the recent Korean drama market is the active collaboration with Japan. In addition to Taxi Driver 3, Korean and Japanese actors are frequently seen working together in various works such as What Comes After Love. Of course, the fact that the proportion of Japanese dialogue is excessively high despite being a Korean drama leaves some disappointment for some viewers. However, this is interpreted as a strategic choice to expand the external scope of Korean content to the global stage, including the Japanese market. It reflects the reality that the majority of Koreans enjoy traveling to Japan and cultural exchanges have become frequent, while simultaneously being an attempt to grow the pie of the market in terms of content business.
For Japanese actors, appearing in Korean works is also an attractive option. The ripple effect of Korean content spreading around the world through platforms like Netflix provides opportunities incomparable to the Japanese domestic market. It is a result that meets the needs of those who want to establish a foothold to grow into global stars by appearing in Korean works. Kasamatsu Sho, who appeared in this Taxi Driver 3, is a representative actor showing this trend. He recently made his mark on Korean audiences by appearing in the movie Good News. Being cast in significant roles in Korean works consecutively is proof that his acting skills are solid and he has gained the trust of the Korean production team.
The methods of the crime organization Kasamatsu Sho is involved with in the drama are incredibly vicious. In collusion with loan sharks, they lure teenagers into the swamp of illegal gambling games. It is a typical setup where they first let them win money to stimulate dopamine, and eventually make them lose everything and incur huge debts. They mobilize thugs to threaten teenagers who cannot pay their debts, and eventually drag them to Japan to force them into prostitution, committing terrible crimes. In this devilish structure that pushes hopeful youths into hell, the victim places their last hope on Rainbow Transport and asks for help. Expectations are high on how Kim Do-gi will be dispatched to Japan to smash this huge international crime organization.
The vitality of a seasonal drama comes from 'familiarity' and 'bond' above all else. Viewers feel relief and can immerse themselves in the worldview again only when the characters they loved keep their places unchanged. If even one member of Rainbow Transport had changed, the unique flavor of Taxi Driver would have been greatly reduced. Fortunately, this season also features the original members: Lee Je-hoon as the taxi hero Kim Do-gi, Kim Eui-sung as the leader Jang Sung-chul, Pyo Ye-jin as the hacker Ahn Go-eun, and the duo Jang Hyuk-jin and Bae Yu-ram as Choi Kyung-goo and Park Jin-eon. Just seeing this perfect lineup again is like a big gift to fans.
The actors also seem to have become one with their characters as the seasons go by. Now, it feels natural, as if they are not acting but becoming those people and playing on set. The chemistry has reached its peak: Action leader Kim Do-gi who suppresses enemies with overwhelming force, Jang Sung-chul who acts as the team's spiritual pillar and reliable shield, Ahn Go-eun who becomes the eyes and ears with keen information power, and the licorice duo Chief Choi and Chief Park who refresh the atmosphere of the play that could easily become heavy. In particular, Kim Do-gi's transformation into various 'alternative characters' (bu-kae) and the unique 'quirky humor' that comes out in the process puts a pleasant comma in the crime thriller genre that could be cruel.
The Taxi Driver series is a clever drama that does not forget its duty as entertainment while indicting the absurdities of society. Season 3 also proved its undeniable popularity by recording a surprising viewer rating in the 9% range from the start. However, unfortunately, news comes that this season will be the last run of Taxi Driver. It may be the production team's intention to leave while they are ahead, but from a fan's perspective, it is already sad to let these charming dark heroes go. As it is the last, I look forward to a hotter and more exhilarating revenge story than ever before, and I hope they present an unforgettable 'true education' to the evils rampant in our society.
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