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Gripping but without substance
Mercy For None was a series that caught my eye due to its premise that promised to deliver epic fight scenes and violence. I love myself a good action series with intense fights and a setting that involves gangsters is always tempting, so it's no wonder I decided to give Mercy For None a try.
From the very first episode, Mercy For None goes straight into the point without any delay. The series makes itself more than clear: this is a story about revenge and violence. Nothing more, nothing less. I was immediately immersed in the world of crime and I was looking forward to see Gi-Jun's revenge for the death of his brother.
Despite its short length, I would say that Mercy For None handled its story decently. It was cohesive enough and while it was nothing groundbreaking, it managed to be entertaining. The episodes' length was ideal, time flew by rather quickly and it was easy for me to binge the series in two days. For the most part, the pacing was serviceable, it was fast enough but not in a way that made the story seem too rushed.
The acting was pretty good and I found myself enjoying the performances of the actors much more than I anticipated. So Ji-Sub nailed Gi-Jun's stoic and ruthless character. He didn't get to showcase a variety of emotions but just from his eyes and expressions, you could sense his fury and thirst for vengeance. His gaze was cold, dead even and it perfectly captured the character. Even the stern and collected tone of his voice was enough to command my attention and make me feel uneasy, for I couldn't predict the lengths his plan for revenge would reach. Aside from this aspect of his character, there were some small moments where he was allowed to break Gi-Jun's cold facade. The scenes between Gi-Jun and his brother had a calm, domestic vibe and you could see from Gi-Jun's soft look how much he cared about him. Although this type of scenes weren't a lot, Ji-Sub's micro expressions and body language were enough to convey Gi-Jun's grief and tiredness.
Huh Joon-Ho and Ahn Kil-Kang delivered two good performances as Lee Ju-Woon and Koo Bong-San respectively. Their dynamic was very interesting to observe and so were the differences between them. While Lee Ju-Woon was calmer and could keep his cool, Koo Bong-San was more fierce and expressive. Both delivered decent performances as one would expect from veteran actors like them.
I was especially amazed by Gong Myung's performance as Koo Jun-Mo, Bong-San's son. I had watched him for the first time in Extreme Job, where he played the role of the rookie and kinda naive Detective Jae-Hoon. Well, in Mercy For None his character couldn't have been more different. A bratty and arrogant son of a gang leader, who thought too highly of himself and who believed he could come on top by commanding others the way he wanted. He was a scene stealer, I was both annoyed and intrigued by him. I wanted to punch him and see more of him at the same time. I really hope he'll get to play the villain again, I seriously wish we had gotten more of him.
As someone would expect, one of the strongest aspects of the series (if not the strongest) was the fighting scenes. From the moment I started watching the first episode, I knew I was in for an intense experience. And I was right. The direction and choreography were very impressive, my eyes were glued on the screen and I was so excited to the point I would move even closer to my screen in order to not miss anything. I really liked Gi-Jun's fighting style. Raw, bloody and fierce, it hold my attention and I couldn't help but root for him. Yes, I admit that at times the way he won against all these thugs was kinda unrealistic, but the series made it work. I also appreciate how it was shown that he was getting hurt and needed medical help to continue with his revenge, at least the writers didn't make him come off unarmed after facing all of these people.
Mercy For None delivered exactly what it promised to. It never attempted to hide behind its finger and pretend to be a deep drama. It promises you action and you get exactly that.
But was this enough? Hmmm, well, not so much.
While I certainly had an overall good time, once I was finished watching the series, I couldn't help but feel empty. Throughout the seven episodes, I was never able to feel any type of connection with the characters or the story. Of course I was curious to see the lengths Gi-Jun would go to in order to avenge his brother but I didn't hold any strong feelings about him. Which is not necessarily bad. Sometimes you just need something thrilling to watch while sitting back and enjoying yourself. But me, personally, I prefer my dramas with more substance.
I would put Mercy for None in the same category with dramas like Vigilante and Trigger: action packed with interesting premise, yet lackluster execution. While Mercy For None does not offer an extraordinary script, there were more opportunities to make the story and the characters more engaging. First and foremost, Gi-Jun's character could have been explored more. I totally understand the purpose his dark and stern attitude served, but the writers could have invested more in his character. It would have been nice to see him being more expressive. His actions obviously spoke louder than words but I wanted to see more of his emotions. He came across as too bland at times, which again, it fits his character but it didn't leave any room for development.
Another aspect that should have been explored more was the dynamics between the characters. The series tried to highlight the relationship between Lee Ju-Won, Koo Bong-San and their sons but it was done poorly. I would have particularly preferred to see more of Koo Bong-San and Jun-Mo's dynamic. Jun-Mo was obviously a brat who wanted to have his way but based on the few interactions he had with his father, it was clear that the writers tried to build the basis of a complex father-son relationship, that went nowhere. Jun-Mo was desperate to gain his father's approval and be taken more seriously. Bong-San on the other hand, cared for his son, even though he treated him harshly. It would have been nice to see more of them and observe how Bong-San's treatment towards Jun-Mo shaped up his character.
As for Ju-Won and Geum-Son, their relationship was even more underdeveloped. Geum-Son as a character lacked depth and his motivations were too bland. His actions and ambition steamed from his father's treatment but the writers didn't bother to highlight their dynamic more. Geum-Son was interesting to look at in the last episodes since the first ones focused on Jun-Mo but apart from that, he didn't offer anything special.
But my biggest disappointment was the relationship between the two brothers, Gi-Jun and Gi-Seok. What did the writers think in order to sideline their dynamic so much? I can barely recall any meaningful moments between them. When you're writing a story about revenge for the death of an important character, you are supposed to show the relationship between them and the main hero. I do not deny Gi-Jun's grief and I could understand how much he cared for Gi-Seok. But the series should have done a much better job to establish their relationship. We should have seen more of them caring and protecting each other. Some flashbacks would have added more layers in their characters and enhance the emotional depth of the tragedy that came with Gi-Seok's death. It is such a pity that they were so overlooked by the script, especially since both Ji-Sub and Jun-Hyuk are very good actors and had good chemistry in the few scenes we got.
It's more than clear that the team behind Mercy For None put more effort in the visuals and technical elements than the story. While the result was not bad, good action sequences are not enough to make up for a poor story that could have offered more. That being said, this is just my mere opinion. While I do not consider Mercy For None as a masterpiece, it did its job to entertain me. I strongly recommend it for those who are in need of a fast-paced, action heavy drama but if you want more than that, I'm afraid you might get disappointed.
From the very first episode, Mercy For None goes straight into the point without any delay. The series makes itself more than clear: this is a story about revenge and violence. Nothing more, nothing less. I was immediately immersed in the world of crime and I was looking forward to see Gi-Jun's revenge for the death of his brother.
Despite its short length, I would say that Mercy For None handled its story decently. It was cohesive enough and while it was nothing groundbreaking, it managed to be entertaining. The episodes' length was ideal, time flew by rather quickly and it was easy for me to binge the series in two days. For the most part, the pacing was serviceable, it was fast enough but not in a way that made the story seem too rushed.
The acting was pretty good and I found myself enjoying the performances of the actors much more than I anticipated. So Ji-Sub nailed Gi-Jun's stoic and ruthless character. He didn't get to showcase a variety of emotions but just from his eyes and expressions, you could sense his fury and thirst for vengeance. His gaze was cold, dead even and it perfectly captured the character. Even the stern and collected tone of his voice was enough to command my attention and make me feel uneasy, for I couldn't predict the lengths his plan for revenge would reach. Aside from this aspect of his character, there were some small moments where he was allowed to break Gi-Jun's cold facade. The scenes between Gi-Jun and his brother had a calm, domestic vibe and you could see from Gi-Jun's soft look how much he cared about him. Although this type of scenes weren't a lot, Ji-Sub's micro expressions and body language were enough to convey Gi-Jun's grief and tiredness.
Huh Joon-Ho and Ahn Kil-Kang delivered two good performances as Lee Ju-Woon and Koo Bong-San respectively. Their dynamic was very interesting to observe and so were the differences between them. While Lee Ju-Woon was calmer and could keep his cool, Koo Bong-San was more fierce and expressive. Both delivered decent performances as one would expect from veteran actors like them.
I was especially amazed by Gong Myung's performance as Koo Jun-Mo, Bong-San's son. I had watched him for the first time in Extreme Job, where he played the role of the rookie and kinda naive Detective Jae-Hoon. Well, in Mercy For None his character couldn't have been more different. A bratty and arrogant son of a gang leader, who thought too highly of himself and who believed he could come on top by commanding others the way he wanted. He was a scene stealer, I was both annoyed and intrigued by him. I wanted to punch him and see more of him at the same time. I really hope he'll get to play the villain again, I seriously wish we had gotten more of him.
As someone would expect, one of the strongest aspects of the series (if not the strongest) was the fighting scenes. From the moment I started watching the first episode, I knew I was in for an intense experience. And I was right. The direction and choreography were very impressive, my eyes were glued on the screen and I was so excited to the point I would move even closer to my screen in order to not miss anything. I really liked Gi-Jun's fighting style. Raw, bloody and fierce, it hold my attention and I couldn't help but root for him. Yes, I admit that at times the way he won against all these thugs was kinda unrealistic, but the series made it work. I also appreciate how it was shown that he was getting hurt and needed medical help to continue with his revenge, at least the writers didn't make him come off unarmed after facing all of these people.
Mercy For None delivered exactly what it promised to. It never attempted to hide behind its finger and pretend to be a deep drama. It promises you action and you get exactly that.
But was this enough? Hmmm, well, not so much.
While I certainly had an overall good time, once I was finished watching the series, I couldn't help but feel empty. Throughout the seven episodes, I was never able to feel any type of connection with the characters or the story. Of course I was curious to see the lengths Gi-Jun would go to in order to avenge his brother but I didn't hold any strong feelings about him. Which is not necessarily bad. Sometimes you just need something thrilling to watch while sitting back and enjoying yourself. But me, personally, I prefer my dramas with more substance.
I would put Mercy for None in the same category with dramas like Vigilante and Trigger: action packed with interesting premise, yet lackluster execution. While Mercy For None does not offer an extraordinary script, there were more opportunities to make the story and the characters more engaging. First and foremost, Gi-Jun's character could have been explored more. I totally understand the purpose his dark and stern attitude served, but the writers could have invested more in his character. It would have been nice to see him being more expressive. His actions obviously spoke louder than words but I wanted to see more of his emotions. He came across as too bland at times, which again, it fits his character but it didn't leave any room for development.
Another aspect that should have been explored more was the dynamics between the characters. The series tried to highlight the relationship between Lee Ju-Won, Koo Bong-San and their sons but it was done poorly. I would have particularly preferred to see more of Koo Bong-San and Jun-Mo's dynamic. Jun-Mo was obviously a brat who wanted to have his way but based on the few interactions he had with his father, it was clear that the writers tried to build the basis of a complex father-son relationship, that went nowhere. Jun-Mo was desperate to gain his father's approval and be taken more seriously. Bong-San on the other hand, cared for his son, even though he treated him harshly. It would have been nice to see more of them and observe how Bong-San's treatment towards Jun-Mo shaped up his character.
As for Ju-Won and Geum-Son, their relationship was even more underdeveloped. Geum-Son as a character lacked depth and his motivations were too bland. His actions and ambition steamed from his father's treatment but the writers didn't bother to highlight their dynamic more. Geum-Son was interesting to look at in the last episodes since the first ones focused on Jun-Mo but apart from that, he didn't offer anything special.
But my biggest disappointment was the relationship between the two brothers, Gi-Jun and Gi-Seok. What did the writers think in order to sideline their dynamic so much? I can barely recall any meaningful moments between them. When you're writing a story about revenge for the death of an important character, you are supposed to show the relationship between them and the main hero. I do not deny Gi-Jun's grief and I could understand how much he cared for Gi-Seok. But the series should have done a much better job to establish their relationship. We should have seen more of them caring and protecting each other. Some flashbacks would have added more layers in their characters and enhance the emotional depth of the tragedy that came with Gi-Seok's death. It is such a pity that they were so overlooked by the script, especially since both Ji-Sub and Jun-Hyuk are very good actors and had good chemistry in the few scenes we got.
It's more than clear that the team behind Mercy For None put more effort in the visuals and technical elements than the story. While the result was not bad, good action sequences are not enough to make up for a poor story that could have offered more. That being said, this is just my mere opinion. While I do not consider Mercy For None as a masterpiece, it did its job to entertain me. I strongly recommend it for those who are in need of a fast-paced, action heavy drama but if you want more than that, I'm afraid you might get disappointed.
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