This review may contain spoilers
Rooting for Revenge in the Grim World of 'Mercy for None'
The story is good and simple: Nam Gi Jun was once in a gang but left when his younger brother became part of a rival gang, promising never to return. After eleven years, his brother—who is now second in command—dies under suspicious circumstances, forcing Nam Gi Jun back into the world of gangs and violence. While he tries to unravel the truth about his brother's death, he is met with a lot of resistance from both gangs and all parties involved. Based on a webtoon (though I haven't read the original material myself), it's a grim, dark, and violent story that is well written, maintains a great pace across its 7 episodes, and is definitely worth watching.
All the actors involved were good, but the following three shone the most:
- So Ji Sub, who plays Nam Gi Jun, manages to get you—as a viewer—on his side from episode one. He plays Nam Gi Jun as a quiet, dangerous character who will fight until the very end. You completely understand where he is coming from and find yourself rooting for him to eliminate everyone that stands in his way. His fighting scenes are amazing.
- Gong Myoung plays Koo Jun Mo, the son of gang leader Koo Bong San. Gong Myoung finds a very natural way to bring this arrogant, spoiled character—who has a desperate need to prove himself—to life. He made me instantly dislike the character, and I found myself hoping that Nam Gi Jun would teach him a lesson. I was very impressed with his acting after seeing him in this kind of role, especially because, until now, I have only seen him in romantic dramas. He clearly knows how to make any character work.
- Choo Young Woo, who I know from the film Even if This Love Disappears From the World Tonight, plays Lee Geum-son, the son of gang leader Lee Ju Un. At first, he looks harmless, but when events start to unfold, you start to see that he is a very manipulative character with psychopathic tendencies. His cold stare fits his character really well, and I think he brought him to life fantastically.
The cinematography is very well done, the fight scenes are fantastically coordinated, and every minute of this short 7-episode story is put to great use.
Obviously, it is not very realistic, because the main character wouldn't even have made it to the end with the amount of times he gets kicked, punched, stabbed, and shot. But if you forget about that, you will have a good time watching this.
All the actors involved were good, but the following three shone the most:
- So Ji Sub, who plays Nam Gi Jun, manages to get you—as a viewer—on his side from episode one. He plays Nam Gi Jun as a quiet, dangerous character who will fight until the very end. You completely understand where he is coming from and find yourself rooting for him to eliminate everyone that stands in his way. His fighting scenes are amazing.
- Gong Myoung plays Koo Jun Mo, the son of gang leader Koo Bong San. Gong Myoung finds a very natural way to bring this arrogant, spoiled character—who has a desperate need to prove himself—to life. He made me instantly dislike the character, and I found myself hoping that Nam Gi Jun would teach him a lesson. I was very impressed with his acting after seeing him in this kind of role, especially because, until now, I have only seen him in romantic dramas. He clearly knows how to make any character work.
- Choo Young Woo, who I know from the film Even if This Love Disappears From the World Tonight, plays Lee Geum-son, the son of gang leader Lee Ju Un. At first, he looks harmless, but when events start to unfold, you start to see that he is a very manipulative character with psychopathic tendencies. His cold stare fits his character really well, and I think he brought him to life fantastically.
The cinematography is very well done, the fight scenes are fantastically coordinated, and every minute of this short 7-episode story is put to great use.
Obviously, it is not very realistic, because the main character wouldn't even have made it to the end with the amount of times he gets kicked, punched, stabbed, and shot. But if you forget about that, you will have a good time watching this.
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