Latest news with #MercyforNone
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mercy for None Review: So Ji Sub's sad eyes are the only redemption in Netflix's flawed adaptation
Mercy for None, on paper, might seem like another gritty Korean noir, Netflix's shot at recreating the success of The Glory, Beyond Evil, My Name, Abyss, and the likes. But this one's not just about blood and brawls. The story's carried by emotion and the weight of unfinished business. Casting So Ji Sub was a masterstroke; the actor practically breathes life into the live adaptation of the popular webtoon War of Plaza. The plot holds up, but it's the strong noir lineup that compensates for the weak execution. Over time, South Korea's landscape of storytelling in the dark genre has grown sharper and more commendable than most industries out there—be it Bong Joon Ho's Parasite or Kim Jee Woon's I Saw the Devil, drawing in global audiences. And while plenty have tried gangster sagas with a Hollywood gloss, So Ji Sub just did it better. Also read: Mercy For None: 3 reasons you can't skip this Netflix webtoon adaptation serving up Korean noir action with So Ji Sub and Lee Jun Hyuk A former gangster limps his way back into the crime world, 11 years after his Achilles tendon was cut as punishment for tipping the balance between South Korea's two biggest gangster groups. Gi Jun, played by So Ji Sub, one of the deadliest fighters in the business, had struck a deal with the bosses: he'd walk away from their world, but in return, they'd keep his younger brother Gi Seok safe. But when Gi Seok falls prey to an inside betrayal, Gi Jun throws himself back into the chaos to settle the score. The best part of So Ji Sub's acting is the calmness he carried throughout the seven-episode run. He came back to find his brother's lifeless body and didn't shed a single tear. Took down everyone involved, one by one, in a slow-paced but steadily burning storyline. Had minimal dialogues, but strong ones. Most of the time, I wasn't even watching the action—my eyes focused on his. Gloomy, heavy, grieving. His face held the same mix of disgust and heartbreak, watching the betrayal unfold around him. Since his leg's damaged, most of the action leans on his hands. He handles the choreography clean, sharp, like muscle memory, just brutal, efficient hits. Also read: Good Boy first Impression: Don't be fooled by 'Pouty' Park Bo Gum, he's delivering career-best punches Nam Gi Seok, played by Lee Jun Hyuk, barely had a few minutes on screen, but the Stranger actor made every second count without letting the audience down. Gong Myoung (Extreme Job) as Gu Jun Mo, honestly, the casting didn't fully hit for me—he's got too much of an innocent face to pull off true villainy. The Trauma Code's Choo Young Woo caught us off guard as the prosecutor with a hidden agenda. Huh Joon Ho and An Kil Kang, both playing veteran gangster bosses, brought the weight of their long, rich careers to the table. This is the kind of show you start already knowing no one's squeaky clean, and you're half-expecting the protagonist's downfall. But, apart from action and revenge, Mercy for None also has some symbolic expressions, which tease the end in just the first episode. Like when Gi Jun wipes out his first targets, then limps off into a pitch-black underpass. That's the point of no return, no happy ending. But for So Ji Sub, this kind of role is second skin by now. Over his 30-year run, he's mastered the quiet storm act, a boxer in Always, a gangster in Rough Cut, a conflicted hitman in A Company Man. But the show's not without hiccups. So Ji Sub spends most of the series looking quietly broken, always silent, always vaguely grieving. His vibe feels like someone carrying the ghosts of a past way darker than just what happened 11 years ago. But we never really get to peek behind that curtain. There's no personal backstory, no emotional unpacking. We're just expected to accept what's happening and move on. For a series that's supposed to be packed with action, the villains don't even stand a chance near the protagonist. Gi Jun feels untouchable from the start, which takes the tension out of every fight. And despite the whole thing circling around family and loyalty, there's no female arc. The plot's patchy, the action sometimes clunky, but if you're here for So Ji Sub, it still works as a decent one-time binge.
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
So Ji Sub's Mercy for None Ending Explained: Was Nam Gi Jun able to find his brother's killer and take revenge? Find out
Mercy for None is South Korean noir action drama, centred around So Ji Sub's revenge arc. The noir action series was released globally on Netflix on June 6. The plot included an ex-gangster's return to the underworld after 11 long years, to uncover the truth behind his younger sibling's murder. To know whether he succeeded in his mission, read the article till the end. Why was Nam Gi Seok killed? Mercy For None 's story was set against the backdrop of two powerful criminal organizations, Bongsan Group and Juwoon Group. The former is led by Lee Ju Woon (Heo Joon Ho) and the latter by Koo Bong San (Ahn Kil Kang). Their respective sons, Lee Geum Son (Choo Young Woo) and Koo Jun Mo (Gong Myung) dream of taking over their father's roles someday. However, things get tense as Lee Ju Woon announces managing director Nam Gi Seok (Lee Jun Hyuk) as his successor. Nam Gi Seok then uses his newly-gained influence to slap Koo Jun Mo and put the inefficient lad in his place. Koo Jun Mo feels extremely humiliated and the next thing we know is that Nam Gi Seok is lying dead in a parking lot. Was Nam Gi Jun able to seek revenge for brother Nam Gi Seok's death? Due to the conflict between Nam Gi Seok and Koo Jun Mo, Nam Gi Jun (So Ji Sub) took the latter to be his sibling's murdered. He, thus, kills Koo Jun Mo, but guess what? He isn't Nam Gi Seok's murderer. This was all meticulously planned by Lee Geum Son, who aimed to hit three birds with one stone. He was the one who ordered a hitman to slay Nam Gi Seok, which would force Nam Gi Jun to come out of exile. As per the evil man's plot, Nam Gi Jun would kill Koo Jun Mo and then, would get killed by Lee Geum Son's men. In this way, he would the rival group's successor and the rivals in his own organisation would all be eliminated, making him gain absolute power. But, alas, his dreams remained unfulfilled as Nam Gi Jun connected the dots and reached him. His life came to end with Nam Gi Jun stabbing him and leaving him to die in the very chair he desired to conquer. The protagonist's revenge was thus fulfilled, culminating in a gruesome yet satisfying conclusion to the 7-episode mini drama.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mercy For None: 3 reasons you can't skip this Netflix webtoon adaptation serving up Korean noir action with So Ji Sub and Lee Jun Hyuk
Starring the iconic So Ji Sub, Netflix drops another Korean action noir masterclass into its growing K-content slate. The mini-series, based on the Naver webtoon, follows Gi Jun, a former gangster who vanished 11 years ago and now returns to avenge his brother's death. The webtoon (2020–2021) was an instant hit. The show's got all the right hooks, an impressive cast, emotionally-fuelled action, a plot that doesn't play by the rules, raw brawls, and a finale that'll stick with you. Ahead of the premiere, the series teased key details, not to be missed in the series. Also read: Good Boy first Impression: Don't be fooled by 'Pouty' Park Bo Gum, he's delivering career-best punches After Bloodhounds, The Glory, My Name, Beyond Evil and more, there's a new name in the noir binge club. Directed by Choi Seong Eun, the series brings together a high-powered lineup, led by So Ji-sub as Ki Jun. His casting is fan-picked. Webtoon loyalists had him in mind for the live-action from day one. The director admitted she was unsure at first, but after meeting him, she said, 'I felt he could carry Gi Jun's emotions. I had the space to create freely, with truly great ingredients.' His character in the series is quiet, limping, intense, and out for blood. You've seen So Ji Sub in I'm Sorry, I Love You and Master's Sun. Lee Jun Hyuk plays Ki Seok, the brother whose mysterious death sets everything off. Heo Joon Ho steps in as a gang boss and father figure to Seok. Gong Myoung brings in heat as the hot-headed heir of a rival gang, and Choo Young Woo slides into the role of a prosecutor who plays clean in public but is all rot underneath. Ahn Kil Kang, Lee Beom Soo, and Jo Han Chul round out the gang ensemble. And then there's Cha Seung-won, a total wildcard. You'll have to binge to find out. Also read: Popular Korean actor caught cheating, forced to quit shows after private photos explode online The unpredictable plot The best part of this genre often lies in its climax and plot twists, and Mercy for None checks both boxes. Ki Jun, who once cut his own Achilles tendon to cripple himself out of the crime world, is now limping back into it. His return is triggered by the shady death of his younger brother. But don't expect flashy, fast-paced action here. The director made it clear, they wanted the pace slow, the movements deliberate. No wasted punches. Just emotion-heavy sequences that keep pressing forward. 'I think it effectively conveys the character's struggle to forge ahead, no matter the odds,' he said. The show holds tight to the cold, sharp tone of the original webtoon, Plaza Wars. Two rival gangs, Ju Un and Bong San, battle for control, with old bosses and next-gen heirs in the mix. It's a world where mercy isn't just rare, it's a weakness. The K-drama has no flashy or stylised actions, with bodies flying in the air. No stylish punches or heroes walking out of explosions. Since action sits at the core, Mercy for None makes sure it's heavy, raw, and bruised. So Ji-sub said he treated fight scenes like dialogue. 'The director told us not to include unnecessary action. He said it would be better not to throw in action just for the sake of it during transitional scenes. When it comes to revenge, are we going to subdue these people or punish them? There's a difference, and we tried to make that distinction,' he told The Korea Herald. The idea was simple: if the emotion doesn't land, the action doesn't matter. So they let the rage, the guilt, the grief do the heavy lifting. Get ready for some intense basement brawls, back alley knife fights, and baseball bats. Mercy for None is streaming on Netflix.
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Violent Ending of Netflix K-Drama Mercy for None
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Mercy for None. Bloody and brutal, the backstabbing in Mercy For None is both figurative and literal. Based on a webtoon called Mercy For None: Plaza Wars, the Netflix noir follows the vengeance campaign of Nam Gi-jun (Doctor Lawyer 's So Ji-sub), a former key member of Seoul's criminal underworld. When Gi-jun's little brother, Nam Gi-seok (Vigilante 's Lee Jun-hyuk) is killed, he returns from exile to bring those responsible to justice. However, determining who is behind Gi-seok's murder is not so simple. Gi-seok had been caught up in the delicate web of power and deceit that holds Seoul's two major gangs—the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group—in place. While Gi-jun left his life of crime behind a decade ago, Gi-seok was in line to inherit the Jowoon Group from chairman Lee Ju-woon (Bloodhound 's Huh Joon-ho). Unbeknownst to Chairman Lee, his intention to pass the baton to Gi-seok would lead to Gi-seok's death and, in Gi-jun's vengeance, the deaths of an entire generation of the criminal community. Let's talk about the twisty and twisted ending of Mercy For None … The fall of Beomyeongdong Mercy For None 's story begins over a decade ago, when Seoul was ruled by one gang: Beomyeongdong. Controlled by Chairman Oh, Lee Ju-woon and Gu Bong-san (A Shop For Killers ' Ahn Kil-kang) were his right-hand men, and Gi-jun was their most effective fighter. Under this dream team, Beomyeongdong's power and wealth grew, leading to rumors that Chairman Oh was planning to pass the organization on to Ju-woon and Bong-san after his death. These rumors didn't sit well with Oh's son, Seung-won. He ordered hits on Bong-san and Ju-woon. Meanwhile, dirty cop Cha Yeong-do (Our Blues ' Cha Seung-won), known in the crime world by alias Mr. Kim, saw an opportunity to grow his control within the organization. He told Gi-seok (at that time, a rookie member of Beomyeongdong) that Oh Seung-won planned on killing his brother, Gi-jun. Gi-seok killed Seung-won, sending the organization into further chaos. In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup. He helped them overthrow Oh, and the gang was split into two: the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group. Still, someone had to pay for upsetting the balance. Gi-jun took the fall for it all, leading people to believe that it was him, and not his little brother, who killed Oh Seung-won. Ju-woon and Bong-san owed Gi-jun a lot, so they made a deal: If Gi-jun left the business and never came back, they would let him live. To prove his commitment, Gi-jun sliced his own Achilles tendon, diminishing his ability to fight, and disappeared into the countryside. Before he left, he made Ju-woon promise to look after Gi-seok. The Graveyard hit Initially, the death of Gi-seok is blamed on a group of young hooligans, who pick up the job of killing Gi-seok on The Graveyard, a kind of gig economy app for the criminal community. In the first episode, we see the ragtag group of wannabe gangsters attack Gi-seok in a parking garage, getting in some good hits, but ultimately not finishing the job. Later, we find out the hit was ordered by Chairman Gu's dangerously entitled son, Gu Jun-mo (Way Back Love 's Gong Myung). Gu Jun-mo is a thorn in his father's side, causing chaos within the Bongsang Group, and rarely facing accountability for his actions. When Jun-mo hires some foreign thugs to kill a fellow Bongsan manager encroaching on his share of the business, Chairman Gu asks old friend Chairman Lee for his help. He needs to make it clear to his son that his behavior is unacceptable, but thinks it will look bad if it comes from him. In exchange, Gu promises to help Lee with some of his land acquisition troubles. Lee agrees to the deal, and sends Gi-seok to rough Jun-mo up. Jun-mo takes out the hit on Gi-seok in retribution. When the truth of Jun-mo's hit against Gi-seok surfaces, the carefully maintained peace between the Bongsan Group and the Juwoon Group is threatened. They turn against one another, and Ju-woon comes out on top, with a little help from Ju-woon's prosecutor son, Lee Geum-son (The Trauma Code 's Choo Young-woo), who greenlights a raid on the Bongsan Group. Ju-woon kills Bong-san, the man who was once his colleague and friend, but his victory will be short-lived. Meanwhile, Gi-jun's rogue mission to find justice for his brother has led to Jun-mo's death. Gi-jun fights through dozens of men to do so, and kills Jun-mo even after realizing that it was not Jun-mo's hired thugs who dealt the killing blow on his brother. For Gi-jun, it is enough that Jun-mo tried. The plot behind Gi-seok's death Gi-seok's death was envisioned as the catalyst for a gang war. The person behind it all? Chairman Lee's son, Geum-son. For his whole life, Geum-son has been intentionally kept from the criminal world by his father, who wanted a better life for his son. When we meet Geum-son, he is a prosecutor in the Seoul Central District Attorney's office, living his life on the right side of the law. However, Geum-son dreams of running a criminal organization like his father, and will do anything to make it happen. He hatches a plan to take over both the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group. He recruits Cha Yeong-do, whose plan led to the fall of Beomyeongdong 11 years prior, to help. Together, they put into motion the death of Gi-seok, and the plan to pin it on Jun-mo. To ensure that Gi-seok actually dies, Geum-son sends assassin Shimane to finish him off. When the dust settles on the gang war that follows, Ju-woon has killed Bong-san, Yeong-do has killed Ju-woon, and Geum-son is in charge of the organization. Gi-jun's relentless rampage But Gi-jun doesn't care about power; he only cares about his brother. While Chairman Gu, Chairman Lee, Cha Yeong-do, Gu Jun-mo, and Lee Geum-son fight for control of the criminal organizations, Gi-jun cuts a relentless, ruthless path through their ranks. He kills Jun-mo, Shimane, Yeong-do, and eventually Geum-son for their roles in Gi-seok's death. Before Gi-jun kills Geum-son, they discuss the plot that would lead to so much death and destruction. Geum-son feels no remorse, but he also isn't sure if it was worth it. Gi-jun has leaked Yeong-do's recording of Geum-son, implicating him in the murder of Gi-seok, to the press. Geum-son has lost everything, including his father. 'Everyone feels that way,' Gi-jun tells him, offering insight but no mercy. 'They'll do anything to get there. But when they finally do, only emptiness is left. Because they can only go down from there.' Geum-son tries to shoot himself in the head, but Gi-jun stops him, hacking into his wrist. 'You don't get to die like that,' he tells Geum-son, before slicing his throat and killing Geum-son himself. How Mercy For None ends After Gi-jun kills Geum-son, he returns to the campground he runs. As he sits dying from the many bullet and stab wounds he accumulated during his rampage, he remembers his brother. Gi-seok visited Gi-jun shortly before his death, and they sat by the campfire. 'Should I just come work with you here?' He remembers Gi-seok asking—later, Gi-jun will find books on the business of camping that imply Gi-seok was really considering it. Gi-jun tells him to do it, and the brothers laugh together. They both already know that there is no leaving the organization behind—not really. Gi-jun dies, after having avenged his little brother, immune to the promises of power that swayed so many.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Legendary webtoon comes to life
Netflix Korea's 'Mercy for None' brings popular webtoon to Netflix, with So Ji-sub as main lead Two icons converge in Netflix Korea's latest crime noir series as one of the country's most widely beloved webtoons gets the live-action treatment with fan-favorite actor So Ji-sub stepping into the lead role. Titled 'Mercy for None,' the series follows Ki-joon (So Ji-sub), a former gangster who resurfaces after an 11-year disappearance to avenge his brother's death. Adapted from the wildly popular Naver Webtoon of the same name, which ran from 2020 to 2021, the series builds on the source material's reputation as one of Korea's most anticipated noir-action titles this year. So's casting as Ki-joon was a dream come true for longtime fans of the original comic, who had long envisioned him as the perfect fit for the ruthless fighter, according to the series' director. 'So Ji-sub was the casting that fans of the original webtoon wanted most for the live-action adaptation. I was really glad that he agreed to take the role,' said director Choi Seong-eun at a press conference held Thursday in Jung-gu, Seoul. 'Even I wasn't sure at first what kind of image or expression that actor would bring to the character Ki-joon. But on the first day I met him, I felt that he would be able to convey Ki-joon's emotions well. I was given the opportunity to create freely in a rich environment with truly great ingredients.' Known for his performances in past hit dramas such as "I'm Sorry, I Love You" (2004) and "Master's Sun" (2013), So returns to the action genre for the first time in over a decade, following his role in the 2012 feature "A Company Man." 'Mercy for None' also marks his debut in an streaming original series. Discussing the action-driven narrative, So explained his approach to the role's physicality. 'The director told us not to include unnecessary action. He said it would be better not to throw in action just for the sake of it during transitional scenes. When it comes to revenge, are we going to subdue these people or punish them? There's a difference, and we tried to make that distinction,' he said. 'For each character, I thought of the action as a form of dialogue spoken through the body. The director said it would be great if the characters' energy and emotional flow could be felt when they fight. He also said the action should have a narrative arc —beginning, development, twist and conclusion. He wanted the intensity of the action to build gradually and reach a climax. We talked about a lot of things beyond that too, and fortunately, I think all of that was well reflected in the final piece.' Director Choi emphasized that the emotional stakes were central to staging the combat. 'For the action scenes as well, Ki-joon's emotions were the most important. If the emotions weren't convincing, it could come across as just a physical clash. I directed it so that the collision of emotions would manifest as action.' 'Mercy for None' premiered Friday on Netflix.
