Latest news with #MercyForNone
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
6 Netflix K-dramas To Watch: 'Mercy For None,' 'Dear Hongrang' And More
'Dear Hongrang' and 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' Wondering what to watch as the world waits for the June 27th premiere of Squid Game season 3? Whether you're a longtime fan of K-dramas or have only recently started getting into them, Netflix has released a slew of top-notch Korean series in recent months. But with the streamer premiering at least one new Korean title every week between April and early June, many viewers might find it difficult to keep up with all the K-content that's being offered. So to help audiences figure out what to watch, here are six new and recent K-dramas on Netflix that are worth watching. From grisly action thrillers to historical romance to coming-of-age family dramas, all of the shows on this list have ranked in Netflix's weekly Global Top 10 list of the most watched non-English shows. (As a side note, Korean series have taken up anywhere from three to over half the spots on Netflix's Global Top 10 list of non-English shows every week since April—a testament to K-content's ongoing global popularity and also to Netflix's continued commitment to investing in Korean projects.) Mercy For None In this gritty, uber-violent thriller, veteran actor So Ji-sub stars as Nam Gi-jun, a former gangster with formidable combat skills who decides to leave the mob after his younger brother Nam Gi-seok joins a rival gang. But when Gi-seok is brutally murdered, Gi-jun returns to the underworld to uncover the truth behind his brother's untimely death, embarking on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge. Inspired by the webtoon Plaza Wars: Mercy for None by Oh Se-hyung and Kim Gyun-tae, the gripping seven-episode series features stellar acting and gruesome fight sequences that will leave you aghast as you watch Gi-jun slash and smash his way through Seoul's underbelly, smacking down anyone who gets in his way with bone-crushing blows. Despite the series' mixed reviews back home in Korea, Mercy for None has found international success, taking the top spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 list of the most watched non-English shows shortly after its premiere earlier this month. Fun facts: After his breakout role in the iconic 2004 K-drama I'm Sorry, I Love You, So Ji-sub became one of Korea's most famous actors and a leading Hallyu star in the 2000s. Mercy for None marks his return to the noir action thriller genre after 13 years. Huh Joon-ho, who plays the chairman of Juwoon Group, has been acting for roughly four decades and is the son of legendary actor Heo Jang-kang, known for playing memorable villains in Korean films from the 1960s and 1970s. So Ji-Sub as Nam Gi-jun in 'Mercy for None' Our Unwritten Seoul Park Bo-young (Daily Dose of Sunshine, Melo Movie) shines in a dual role as identical twin sisters Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-rae in this heartfelt, coming-of-age drama. Mi-ji and Mi-rae look so alike that even their own mother can't tell them apart, but their personalities and lifestyles couldn't be more different. After an unfortunate injury, younger sister Mi-ji is forced to give up on her dream of becoming a track and field athlete and stays in her hometown to work odd jobs and take care of her grandmother. Meanwhile, older sister Mi-rae, who excelled in academics, now works for a public corporation in Seoul and helps support her family with her paycheck. Dissatisfied with their current situations, the two decide to swap their lives, launching each of them on a path towards love, renewed hope, personal growth and self-discovery. Fun facts: Audiences in Korea have been praising Park Bo-young for her performance as essentially four different characters in this series—as Mi-ji, Mi-rae, Mi-ji pretending to be Mi-rae, and Mi-rae pretending to be Mi-ji. The show's Korean title, 'Mi-ji-eh Seoul' (미지의 서울), can be interpreted as 'Mi-ji's Seoul' or 'Unknown Seoul.' When Life Gives You Tangerines Lauded by many fans and critics as one of the best K-dramas ever made, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a sweeping family saga that will give you all the feels. Oh Ae-sun (played by K-pop superstar IU, who also portrays Ae-sun's daughter Geum-myeong) is a poor but ambitious girl who grows up on South Korea's Jeju Island in the 1950s and 1960s. She longs to leave the island to attend college and pursue her dream of becoming a poet, but socioeconomic and family circumstances keep holding her back from achieving her goal. Yang Gwan-sik (played by K-drama heartthrob Park Bo-gum) is Ae-sun's childhood friend who later becomes her devoted husband. As the two of them start a family, will they be able to provide a better future for their children, and will Ae-sun ever be able to realize her dream of becoming a poet? As Professor David Tizzard wrote in The Korea Times, the entire series is a poem. A poem about life, love, loss, family, hope, struggle, dreams, sacrifice and resilience. It's also a bit of a crash course on South Korea's history, traditional customs and pop culture, as the story takes place against the backdrop of the country's rapid economic development and democratization and includes iconic Korean songs playing throughout. Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik, IU as Oh Ae-sun in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' All that said, if you find that the series doesn't resonate with you, you're certainly not alone, as some reviews have criticized the show for its slow-moving plot and boring dialogue. But it's important to note that When Life Gives You Tangerines is a show where the richness and poetic qualities of the Korean language are on full display, so while the English subtitles capture the essence of the characters' lines, much of the lyricism, emotional depth, nuances and humor in the original Korean dialogue unfortunately gets lost in translation. In that sense, it's perhaps a bit surprising that the series did so well outside of Korea, given its heavy reliance on the unique characteristics and subtleties of the Korean language that are practically impossible to convey in English. Fun fact: The writer of When Life Gives You Tangerines (who also penned other hit K-dramas like When the Camellia Blooms and Fight for My Way), is known for hiding her true identity from the public and the media. She reportedly adopted the pseudonym Lim Sang-choon (which sounds like a man's name in Korean) to avoid any potential discrimination based on her gender or age. Both When the Camellia Blooms and When Life Gives You Tangerines won Best Screenplay in the TV category at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2020 and 2025 respectively, but Lim skipped both awards shows, sparking heightened public interest in her identity. She is rumored to be in her late 30's or early 40's and living with her husband in Seoul's Mapo district. Dear Hongrang When Hongrang, the son of the most powerful merchant family in Joseon Korea, goes missing at the age of eight, his half-sister Jae-yi relentlessly searches for him. Twelve years later, a man claiming to be Hongrang suddenly shows up, though he has no recollection of his childhood. Nevertheless, everyone in the household is convinced that he is the real Hongrang—everyone, that is, except for Jae-yi. Determined to expose the truth behind her brother's disappearance, she sets out to investigate, only to find herself developing complicated feelings for the mysterious man—and her life increasingly in peril. With action, romance and intrigue unfolding over the course of 11 episodes (an unusual episode count for K-dramas), Dear Hongrang received mixed reviews upon its release but was generally praised for its cinematic quality, costume design, thrilling fight sequences, and tension between its characters. (Personally, I thought the series improved with every episode, and the onscreen chemistry between Lee Jae-wook and Cho Bo-ah was exceptionally strong.) Fun fact: The show's Korean title is Tangeum (탄금), which literally means 'swallowing gold' and is also the title of the 2021 novel by Jang Da-hye on which the series is based. According to Korean media outlets, 'swallowing gold' has a double meaning in this case. First, it refers to a form of punishment reserved for nobles and royalty in ancient China, in which the condemned individual would swallow gold nuggets until their insides literally burst. However, as gold is also highly valued and associated with wealth, the expression can also have the positive connotation of attaining something you've greatly desired. Lee Jae-wook as Hongrang, Cho Bo-ah as Jae-yi in 'Dear Hongrang' Heavenly Ever After After decades of working as a loan shark to support herself and her paralyzed husband, Lee Hae-sook (Kim Hye-ja) dies shortly after his passing and arrives in Heaven. There, she's told that she can select her age in the afterlife. She chooses 80—the age at which her late husband Ko Nak-joon had said she looked the most beautiful. But when she reunites with him in Heaven, she's shocked to find him in the form of his 30-year-old self. Despite their age gap, Hae-sook learns to navigate her new life in Heaven with Nak-joon's help as they begin to build the life they never had on earth. Featuring a star-studded cast that includes veteran actress Kim Hye-ja (Mother, Our Blues), Son Suk-ku (A Killer Paradox, My Liberation Notes), Han Ji-min (Love Scout, Yonder), Lee Jung-eun (Parasite, Miss Night and Day) and Cheon Ho-jin (Beyond Evil, My Liberation Notes), Heavenly Ever After combines comedy, romance, fantasy and even horror to weave an imaginative tale that feels adorably quirky, heartwarming and occasionally terrifying all at the same time. A touching scene with pets in Heaven might move you to tears, while another depicting Hell in graphic detail might give you chills. Throughout the show, you'll likely find yourself pondering questions about the afterlife, Heaven and Hell, and possibly even reincarnation. Fun fact: Han Ji-min wasn't initially cast in this drama, but when she expressed her strong desire to participate—she even went so far as to say that she would work as part of the production crew if that meant that she could work with Kim Hye-ja—the series' creators invented a new character just for her. Son Suk-ku as Ko Nak-joon and Kim Hye-ja as Lee Hae-sook in 'Heavenly Ever After' Weak Hero Class 1 And Weak Hero Class 2 Based on the popular eponymous webtoon by Seopass and Kim Jin-seok, Weak Hero follows Yeon Si-eun, a star high school student who seems frail and weak but uses his cunning and mastery of physics to fight back against bullies. In the series' first season (Class 1), Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon) becomes the target of a class bully after beating him at their school's math competition. When Si-eun stands up to the bully's aggressive behavior, he and his friends find themselves unwittingly caught up in an increasingly violent chain of events. The second season (Class 2) sees Si-eun transferring to another high school, where he faces off against a menacing gang with the help of some newfound allies. Although Weak Hero Class 1 initially premiered on the Korean streaming platform Wavve back in 2022, it found a huge global audience after dropping on Netflix in March of this year, ranking in the streamer's Global Top 10 list of non-English shows for six weeks. Weak Hero Class 2 topped that same chart soon after its release on Netflix in April. Though a third season hasn't been confirmed, many fans are speculating that class will be back in session soon given the rave reviews for the show's first two seasons. Park Ji-hoon as Yeon Si-eun in 'Weak Hero Class 2' Be warned though that despite its high school setting, this series really is for mature audiences only (let's just say that it features a myriad of creative ways to maim someone using only school supplies…). Many viewers have praised Weak Hero for its tight storytelling and themes around friendship, resilience and personal growth, but some might find its bloody fight scenes and overall violence hard to stomach. Fun fact: Interestingly enough, director You Su-min revealed that once he knew that the show's second season would be released globally on Netflix, he decided to make it less emotionally intense than season 1 so that international audiences would find it easier to watch.
The Star
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Mercy For None' review: One-punch gangster is a one-note wonder
'Idiot! Chairs only work for lion tamers in circuses. And you're just a clown.' Photos: Handout Whenever South Korean beat-'em-up extravaganzas are mentioned, one would think Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee has all the other stars ... er, beat. Not so fast. We can now add rapper-actor So Ji-sub (Doctor Lawyer, Sophie's Revenge, Be With You) to the pantheon of screen bruiser demigods. The short, decidedly unsweet action/crime limited series Mercy For None rests firmly on So's squared shoulders and melancholy gaze as he bludgeons his way through gangsters, hitmen, dirty cops and fixers on a mission of revenge. The storyline uses familiar building blocks: intergang rivalry, sons trying to prove their worth to their fathers, fathers wanting their sons to lead better lives than they did, gangsters vying for position, betrayal, duty, corruption, and the ever-popular heroic bloodshed. So plays Kim Gi-jun, formerly a trusted lieutenant of gang lords Lee Ju-woon (Huh Joon-ho) and Gu Bong-san (Ahn Gil-kang) back when they were mere flunkies to a bigger fish. 'Sigh, what a mess. And is that guy sleeping on the job? Oh well, it was time to redecorate and rightsize anyway.' While helping them take over and split the territory, Gi-jun committed a big breach of criminal ethics (cough cough) and was forced to leave after having his Achilles tendon severed – undoubtedly more debilitating than just taking a little finger, like they do across the Tsushima Strait. When his younger brother Gi-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk, Stranger, Vigilante), who is being groomed as the Ju-woon gang's next boss, becomes a target, Gi-jun comes swinging back into action. The culprits seem obvious at first, but it soon becomes evident (to the viewer, if not the clueless principal players in this little melodrama) that a far-reaching conspiracy is afoot. Mercy For None, based on the 2020 webtoon Plaza Wars: Mercy For None by Oh Se-hyung and Kim Gyun-tae, has all the elements for an engaging study of the interesting relationship among its trope-heavy characters. Not so fast, there. From the sparse credits found online for writer Yoo Ki-seong and director Choi Sung-eun, this seems to be their first high-profile project, and they prefer to let So's flailing fists do the talking rather than linger on brooding gangster noir moments (although one shared drink between Ju-woon and Bongsan does fill in the gangland gravitas quota somewhat). 'I like what you've done with the grounds. Odd choice of garden gnomes, though.' Also, unlike many of its comrades in the K-drama sphere, Mercy For None dispenses with characters who are in there just for comic relief. (One split-second exception being a disposable goon in an early episode who seems to defy all of Newton's Laws of Motion when Gi-jun hits him in the face.) Heaping helpings of poetic justice are served along the way, with the tale ending more or less how you imagine it should. Not for the squeamish, Mercy For None is ironically a soothing salve for viewers in need of spleen-venting through the vicarious thrill of screen carnage. And from the way this one shot to the top of the local charts, that covers a whole lot of us. All seven episodes of Mercy For None are available on Netflix.
The Star
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
So Ji-sub responds to 'Mercy For None' backlash
'Mercy For None' marks So Ji-sub's long-awaited return to the action genre, 13 years after his turn as a corporate assassin in 'A Company Man'. Photo: Handout Adapting a hit webtoon into live action has become a go-to move for drama creators, lowering risk while guaranteeing a ready-made fanbase eager to leap from digital panels to episodic storytelling. It is no surprise that original screenplays are becoming the exception rather than the rule in today's drama landscape. Netflix Korea's tentpole series Mercy For None rode that wave, bringing one of the most critically acclaimed webtoons to life with a star-studded ensemble cast. Fans were especially thrilled by the casting of So Ji-sub as the lead — a longtime fan-favourite pick to embody the webtoon's ruthless protagonist. However, adapting beloved material comes with risks: Since its June 6 premiere, Mercy For None has faced backlash from loyal webtoon fans over major plot changes. So, a seasoned actor known for past hits such as I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004) and Master's Sun (2013), acknowledged the mixed reactions during a group interview held Thursday in Seoul's Samcheong-dong. 'When adapting a webtoon into a series, it's not like the intention is to harm it or make it worse,' said So. 'In some ways, there's an effort to create an even better piece, something that surpasses the original. Of course, once it's completed, there will inevitably be mixed opinions," he added. 'That's not something that can be controlled. But at the very least, I don't think the original (webtoon) is ever purchased with the intent to damage it.' In embodying his character, So reflected on the emotional depth he aimed to bring to Gi-jun, a cold-blooded former gangster on a path of vengeance following his brother's murder. "I naturally tried to capture the vibe that character gives off. Of course, I couldn't imitate every look or gesture, but I tried to hold that essence in my heart. I'm not sure if I fully succeeded, but that was my mindset." He added: "I hoped that Gi-jun's revenge for his brother, along with his desperate and pitiable sides, would come through." Mercy For None marks So's long-awaited return to the action genre, 13 years after his turn as a corporate assassin in A Company Man . With Korean audiences long accustomed to iconic action figures, from genre staples such as John Wick and local heroes like Detective Ma Seok-do from the hit The Outlaws franchise, he reflected on how he approached the physicality of his role in Mercy For None . 'There's more action in this series compared to others,' So said. 'To show Gi-jun's almost invincible nature, I thought it was essential to convey power and energy. If you look closely at my action style, I might get pushed back, but I never dodge by stepping away. I really tried to incorporate that.' He also pointed to the stripped-down dialogue as a key aspect of the performance. 'There's very little dialogue. I think we filled in those gaps with the help of the camera and the director's guidance. Personally, I actually prefer roles without much dialogue.' So's return to the noir-action space with Mercy For None marks a homecoming to a genre he holds close. 'I personally really enjoy the noir genre. It's something I want to keep doing, even as I get older. Above all, I heard that the script for Mercy For None came to me first, and I was especially grateful for that,' he said. 'When I reflect on myself, I think it's a genre I'm good at. My acting style doesn't involve dramatic emotional swings or a lot of expressive outbursts. I prefer roles that rely on physicality, subtle expressions or acting through the eyes. That's why I think noir suits me well.' – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Korea Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean noir 'Mercy For None' tops Netflix's non-English series chart
The action noir "Mercy For None" claimed the top spot on Netflix's global non-English series chart, the streaming giant said Wednesday. The series garnered 7.6 million views for the week ending on Sunday, far outperforming the runner-up, "Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft." which drew 4.2 million views. Adapted from the hit webtoon "Plaza Wars," "Mercy For None" centers on Ki-jun (So Ji-sub) as he reenters the criminal underworld to avenge the mysterious death of his younger brother Ki-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk). Both the series and the original webtoon share the Korean title "Gwangjang," meaning plaza. The series premiered on June 6. Two other Korean series also landed in the top 10: "Tastefully Yours" at No. 5 and "Our Unwritten Seoul" at No. 6. (Yonhap)
The Star
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Legendary webtoon 'Mercy For None' comes to life in new Netflix series
So's casting as Ki-joon has delighted fans who had long envisioned him as the right actor to play the role of the ruthless fighter. — Photos: Handout Two icons converge in Netflix's latest crime noir series as one of the South Korea's most widely beloved webtoons gets the live-action treatment with fan-favourite actor So Ji-sub stepping into the lead role. Titled Mercy For None, the series follows Ki-joon (So), 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 South 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 is known for his performances in hit K-dramas such as I'm Sorry, I Love You and Master's Sun. — So Ji-sub/Instagram '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 in Seoul recently. '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 For None also marks his debut in an original series for a streamer. The series is adapted from the wildly popular Naver Webtoon of the same name, which ran from 2020 to 2021. 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,' So, 47, 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," the actor explained. "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,' So added. Director Choi emphasised 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.' – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network Mercy For None is available on Netflix.
