'Taxi Driver 3' grabbed attention from its first broadcast with full-throttle action, announcing the thrilling return of an unprecedented taxi hero.
On the 21st at 9:50 p.m., the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' (written by Oh Sang-ho, directed by Kang Bo-seung, produced by Studio S, Group Eight, B.A. Entertainment) episode 1 depicted the 'rainbow five'—Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon), Representative Jang (Kim Eui-sung), Ahn Go-eun (Pyo Ye-jin), Chief Choi (Jang Hyuk-jin), and Assistant Park (Bae Yoo-ram)—receiving a direct request call from high school student Yoon Yi-seo (Cha Si-yeon), who had been kidnapped and detained by a Japanese crime organization, and traveling to Japan to find the missing client and begin a revenge-for-hire service in an exciting sequence. Along with this, 'Taxi Driver 3' episode 1 recorded a peak viewership rating of 11.1%, metropolitan area 9.9%, 20-49 peak 3.13%, 20-49 average 2.4% (all according to Nielsen Korea), ranking first among all programs in the same time slot and starting its first episode with the highest ratings among all mini-series dramas aired on all channels in 2025, kicking off its box-office run.
The broadcast opened with Do-gi and the rainbow members storming a horrific human auction scene, announcing the glamorous return of the soda-like heroes. Next, the first case the 'rainbow five' took on was portrayed. The client was Yi-seo, a high school student who had been kidnapped and detained by a Japanese crime organization; she barely escaped and requested the revenge-for-hire service but was in an explosive situation after being captured again by the organization members.
Do-gi decided to infiltrate the school to learn about Yi-seo's surroundings and summoned the legendary side character 'Hwang In-seong teacher' from season 1, producing a bit of comic relief. At that time, Do-gi learned the details of the case through Yi-seo's friend Ye-ji (played by Lee Yoo-ji), who showed suspicious signs. Because of Ye-ji's recommendation, Yi-seo had entered an illegal mobile gambling game, fell for the schemes of vicious loan sharks, incurred gambling debts, and accepted job placement from the loan sharks to repay the debt, which led her to head to Japan.
Taxi Driver 5283 was dispatched again to save Yi-seo, who had been dragged into a quagmire by a phone game. To uncover the loan sharks' schemes who sent Yi-seo to Japan, Go-eun disguised her identity and, like Ye-ji, incurred gambling debts to approach the loan sharks. They discovered that everything from the mobile game to loans and job placement was part of a vicious criminal cartel, and learned of the existence of a company called 'NecoMoney' behind it.
Go-eun boarded the passenger ship bound for Japan like Yi-seo, and the rainbow members all set sail with her. Upon arriving in Japan, Go-eun was taken to a suspicious office marked "life reset." Sensing unease at the suspicious office that even had a signal jammer installed inside the building, Do-gi immediately stormed the office to rescue Go-eun, creating a nail-biting tension. Fortunately, Go-eun had already subdued the assailant on her own. The relief was short-lived: Do-gi became enraged when he saw the walls of the "life reset office" covered with profiles of women and abandoned suitcases. There were so many people who had disappeared without a trace at the hands of the crime organization.
It was difficult to approach the leadership of the organization because moving kidnapped people and laundering identities were all carried out by a cell structure. So Do-gi took drastic measures. Determined to become an insider if outsiders could not approach, he created a charismatic alter ego and infiltrated the lower ranks of NecoMoney. Using the excuse "there's spit on the shoes," Do-gi picked a fight with organization members, rampaged in the gym where the lower-ranking members hid, and then threw down a challenge with a CCTV video message saying, "Tell your boss. Tell him to call when he buys new shoes," delivering a thrilling jolt. This bold challenge by Do-gi raises curiosity about what reaction it will provoke and whether they can rescue the missing Yi-seo.
In this way, 'Taxi Driver 3' instantly captured fans who had long awaited a new season with the familiar Taxi Driver universe and the even more perfect chemistry and character play of Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, and Bae Yoo-ram. In addition, the enlarged scale due to overseas location shooting, the immersive performance by famous Japanese actor Kasamatsu Sho, who made a special appearance as the episode villain "NecoMoney boss," the fast-paced development, and the edgy visuals became the new attractions unique to season 3, making viewers anticipate the running of 'Taxi Driver 3,' which has just started its engine.
Meanwhile, the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' is a private revenge-for-hire drama in which the taxi company Rainbow Transportation, shrouded in mystery, and taxi driver Kim Do-gi complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims, and it airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
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