This was something that I did not expect! - Watch at your own risk.
This is a series that I don't have any intention to watch; however, I was curious as to why it keeps popping up on my FYP page.The plot was well written and executed almost perfectly. This reminds me of one of the movies I watched (John, you know who). I mean, the hell with the level of concentration when doing revenge. I was at the edge of my seat with the fight scene. I mean, they used blades and knives (that sh*t hurts). I completely understand why he does what he needs to do.
The lesson I learn is to never do something that might haunt you back. And also mind your own business and save your ass.
If you are looking for something that will entertain you in a somewhat gross way, go and watch it.
For those who are not fond of the killing and violence genre. I suggest skipping this one.
But for those who are fans of the same genre (John, you know who). Go!!!!! Watch...
FYI, WATCH THIS SERIES IN ONE SITTING.
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Mercy for None: Where Sad Eyes and Fists Do All the Talking
If John Wick had a Korean cousin who once limped out of gang life by literally slicing his Achilles tendon, you'd get Nam Gi-jun—our brooding anti-hero in Mercy for None. Played by So Ji-sub with all the emotion of a man who’s just realized the last dumpling is gone, Gi-jun is quiet, deadly, and has a personal vendetta that could fuel three seasons of pure, poetic punching.The story kicks off when Gi-jun’s little brother, who was clearly not gifted with survival instincts, gets himself killed after joining a rival gang. That’s Gi-jun’s cue to put down the rice bowl, dust off the trauma, and go full avenger mode. What follows is a wonderfully absurd but entertaining journey through seedy alleys, boardroom betrayals, and enough dramatic stares to give your reflection a complex.
It’s bloody, it’s moody, and it has more “men staring in silence” scenes than an indie art house film. Everyone’s always standing in the rain or the shadows, contemplating betrayal or just... life in general. No one smiles. Except maybe the extras, and even then, only when they’re not being punched.
Now let’s talk about the action. It’s crisp, brutal, and stylish. If you ever wanted to see a man dismantle a crime empire with just a frown, a limp, and a strategically timed uppercut, this one’s for you. But don’t expect complex character arcs. Most of the cast is there to either get beat up, betray someone, or monologue about “the past” before dramatically dying.
Is it deep? Emotionally? Not really. But it tries. It wants to be noir with heart, but mostly ends up being noir with occasional bro-hugs. Still, there’s a weird comfort in watching So Ji-sub glare people into submission. Honestly, give that man a drama where he just silently judges the world from a rooftop and I’d still watch it.
Mercy for None doesn’t reinvent the revenge genre, but it does give it a slick Korean polish. It's stylish, savage, and strangely satisfying. Think of it as a gritty bedtime story—with less lullaby, more knuckle sandwich.
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This could have been a movie
Too long for me to actually get invested, too short for me to stop watching. I feel like this could've been like a 2h45 minute movie and had way more of an impact.Might just be me, but I got lost somewhere in episode 3 and now I'm not quite sure what the end goal is other than revenge (which if that's it then I guess I didn't get lost??) but I don't understand anyone else's motives except for Gi-Jun, and even that seems like a bit of a stretch considering he doesn't even know who actually made the order regarding his brother.
I'm not done, but at ep 6 I really feel like its dragging a bit. I will finish it and possibly update my review if it wraps up well.
*Edit, finished it, statement still stands. Satisfied with the ending though.
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This review may contain spoilers
It Gave John Wick
Mercy for None is straight-up a revenge drama with no frills, and honestly, that’s what makes it so fun. The plot is basic as hell—Nam Gi Jun used to be a gangster, left the life after his little brother joined the rival gang, and now that said brother’s dead, he’s back in the game to wreck shop and take names. That’s it. You can literally guess what’s going to happen from a mile away, and somehow that doesn’t make it boring—it actually makes it better. This show does not slow down for a second. From the first episode, it’s just action, action, more action, and then someone gets stabbed in the neck or slammed into a wall for good measure. No downtime, no filler. It gave John Wick energy in the best way possible—like, tired ex-killer dragged back into a world he tried to escape, except in this case it’s Korean gangsterdom and he’s got nothing left to lose. The fights are brutal, choreographed like they actually hurt, and the cinematography keeps everything looking gritty and slick without being overly stylized. There’s no emotional depth to dig into here, and the characters are mostly there to either die cool or be punched in the face, but that’s part of the vibe. If you’re looking for a twisty, introspective drama, this ain’t it. But if you want to watch a guy go full beast mode on everyone who wronged him while drenched in neon lighting and blood, Mercy for None seriously delivers. I enjoyed every second.Was this review helpful to you?
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Great watch, great acting
Mercy For None was a pleasant surprise. I watched the series over a weekend and was immediately hooked from episode 1. I feel like this series is violent but not gratuitously bloody just for shock, even though people die in every episode.The show overall is amazing, but the first half is far superior to the latter episodes. The "late-in-the-game" main villain is not something easy to pull off. Jun-mo was a way more interesting main villain than Geum-Son—or it could just be that Gong Myung is a better actor. I'm used to seeing him play the cute, nice guy, so his turn as a crazy douche was fun.
So Ji Sub was absolutely perfect as Nam Gi Jun, delivering an amazing performance without having much dialogue. The rest of the cast also did an amazing job.
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if your don’t like revenge and gore, this is not for you.
Binged this in one go.I see there’s a lot of complaint about lack of plot, but really I think the plot was spot on, twists and turns nearly every episode, it kept you thinking just enough, but allowed you to immerse yourself in what was simple revenge for his brother and honestly I don’t know why you would expect anything else, after all it was mercy for none and oh boy did it deliver. Those fight scenes, honestly couldn’t get enough of them and there’s no lacking in quantity.
It stands perfectly at 7 episodes and honestly I’d be happy to end it there, but I felt like they left it open at the end to go two ways. First you have the back story with his brother and gosh I’d be a fool to say I wouldn’t like to see more of LJH :fire: as the younger brother, that man owned the screen in the first episode, so much so you felt he was in the entire drama.
Secondly did he die at the end? after all look at what he survived throughout the drama, and I felt there is a whole story to be had with
LJH’s right hand man from the first episode to the last, with both brothers having a legacy type conversation before both their deaths. As I say I’d greedily watch another series but I’m also happy with what was for me a perfect drama. It was a 10/10 for me.
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Very bloody, very ruthless revenge story, but nothin original, but entertaining. Good Soundtrack!
I love this kind of revenge drama, can´t get enough of it. The story in itself isn´t original, the story is predictable, and the friends and foes are all clear from the stars. No surprises! It´s bloody, most of the time very eventfull, with bloody scenes. The action is well executed. Very good actors, familiar faces. The Music is good. Would watch is again, because of the fast pased action, I definitly missed something, and I would recommend!Was this review helpful to you?
Bloody! Really no mercy!
I hate bloody series specially gang-based series. But this one was good. I was hesistant to watch it because of the first setence of this review yet I gabe it a try. It made me wonder who might be the one to kill Gi-seok. I have my hunch already and looks like I was right.There were times I covered my eyes because they really show the bloody hell fight specially with knives and axe. They actually made it looks real but good thing they were able to not make it looks so gross. Just a little bit I guess.
Since it was so bloody, I am sure that I won't rewatch. So Ji-sub really is a overpowered man here and he was actually have a heart that's why despite the bloody scene we can't hate him because he was doing it for love. Really no mercy when you hurt his family!
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Intense!
This drama was short but every episode was full of action! So Ji-Sub's deadpan face is so on point for this merciless character. Reminded me of John Wick. Definitely recommend to those who like action thrillers. I would have liked to have a bit more of back story on the brother and maybe even a love interest. Other than that, I liked this show very much.Was this review helpful to you?
So good!
Watched this on a flight and wow, It's so good.I normally wouldn't watch series like this but I'm glad I gave this a try. It was just so satisfying to watch and the gorey scenes thankfully weren't THAT bad (the anticipation was worse).
So Ji Sub was great in this - I'd love to see him in more dramas like this. Since it's a short series and the episodes are shorter than usual (more like cdrama episode length), the story felt tighter and more intense which benefitted this drama a lot.
Not much to say other than that I'm glad I watched it. It was so good - the scenes, the music, story and acting. The 7 episodes flew by so quickly. There were scenes that require you to suspend disbelief but honestly it worked in this drama.
The ending was perfect though - that was quite a poignant way to end the series. I loved Ji Sub's eyes on there, so much emotions!
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Vingança sombria em Seul, onde lealdade se compra com sangue
Viagem do protagonista da reclusão para um confronto sangrento com o submundoViolência corpo a corpo, coreografia seca, fotografia sombria e atmosfera tensa
Roteiro veloz e direto, sete episódios intensos e ritmo que não dá trégua
A vingança não busca redenção. Ela revela quem somos quando o mundo se cala.
"Quando a justiça falha, a única resposta às vezes é o próprio punho."
Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub) – ex-criminoso que abandona tudo após dilema moral, volta para vingar a morte do irmão
Lee Ju-un (Heo Joon-ho) – líder da gangue rival, poder e ameaça em pessoa
Gu Jun-mo (Gong Myung) – filho inconsequente do crime, que subestima Gi-jun e paga caro
Sim Seong-won (Lee Beom-soo) – mentor misterioso envolvido nas tramas de poder
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Vingança - Ganância e Ambição...
Acho que são as coisas que mais se destacaram na minha mente depois que terminei essa minissérie, porque consigo visualizar o rosto de alguns personagens com uma palavra específica destinada a cada um. Nam Gi-seok? Lealdade. Nam Gi-jun? Vingança. Lee Geum-son? Ambição. Gu Jun-mo? Covardia. Cha Yeong-do? Ganância. Para mim são os personagens que mais se destacaram, além de claro, Lee Ju-woon, o homem que diz não sujar as mãos, mas não acho que seja realmente verdade. Porque "fechar os olhos", também te torna conivente e não tira parte da sua responsabilidade no que quer que seja. No fim, as pessoas fazem muito para obter pouco e quando finalmente conseguem, só resta o vazio. Eu amei como cada ato de Nam Gi-jun sequer precisou de palavras para expressar a sua simbologia. "Quando alguém arruma um problema, tem de ser punido" e cortaram seu calcanhar por conta disso... No fim? Cha Yeong-do, o homem responsável por todas as crises durante longos 11 anos, teve seu calcanhar cortado e morreu, assim como Nam Gi-Seok, com uma facada na jugular. Nam Gi-jun matou todos os envolvidos na morte de seu irmão com uma facada na jugular, e ele nem mesmo precisou cuspir isso na cara dos seus inimigos para que a simbologia do carma ficasse clara, ela se fez clara em cada caminho percorrido pelo protagonista. Assim como Lee Geum-son morreu sentado na cadeira em que o corpo morto de seu pai foi colocado. Eu não sou o tipo de pessoa que gosta de finais abertos, mas nesse preferi muito mais um assim do que ter a certeza de que Gi-jun morreu... Enfim, começou com Gi-jun conversando com seu irmão em um carro e terminou com Gi-jun conversando com a imagem de seu irmão falecido na floresta, o mesmo lugar em que se falaram pela última vez.Was this review helpful to you?
