Mercy for None

"Mercy for None" is a lean, stylish South Korean revenge thriller that wastes no time getting to the point. Across seven tense episodes, it delivers brutal, well-staged fight scenes, a dark neo-noir atmosphere, and a simple but gripping plot that keeps you hooked. So Ji-sub gives a strong, grounded performance as a man dragged back into the violent world he tried to leave behind. If you enjoy fast-paced, gritty action in the vein of John Wick, this one's worth the binge.

I binged this over two nights, and usually if the show doesn't catch me with the first episode or two, I won't finish it. This one grabbed me and pulled me in - you don't even have to understand Korean culture to like it. Nam Gi-Jun is a retired mob enforcer / killer, but when his kid brother is killed, he returns with a vengeance. Plenty of violence and bloodshed (they're not shy about the blood, either, the stabbings and the splatter), and Gi-Jun is an unstoppable force, just like Wick. He's not immune or immortal, and the whys of his brother's death come out slowly, but it's good. Probably not something I'd watch again, but it was worth it.

From brutal hand-to-hand combat to wielding his signature baseball bat and mastering blade fights, Bones crack, bodies fly, and blood stains the walls of many villains' hideaways. So Ji Sub delivers an electrifying performance that sets a new standard for action storytelling.

Mercy for None lands its blood-soaked action sequences and sufficiently surprising plotting to stay engaging.

-The series maintains the high-energy melee flair that the best South Korean thrillers have, with stellar fight choreography.

-The duration of the episodes was good, each of which is between 30-40 mins long, which I found super refreshing. It doesn't make you bored.

-In conclusion, this show is only for fans of action and bloody violence.

Episode 1 Impressions

I'm going to start this off by saying if you've liked any violent Korean revenge thrillers in the past two decades than Mercy for None will probably be your cup of tea.

The fight choreography is crisp and bloody with punchy SFX for each punch. Every hit connects with intensity and the camera moves around enough to keep fight scenes entertaining instead of disorienting.

The plot is not too bad either. It seems to be your typical run of the mill Korean revenge setup. Something happens that motivates an over powered character to want to exact revenge. It doesn't really bother me that much because I came for the action. The story is good enough to hold your attention, albeit a little confusing for the first 30 minutes.

The production design, cinematography are all top notch and I was surprised by the production values. Varied locations and slick cinematography help to make sure you eyes are never really board.

Mercy for None is great so far after one episode. The premiere did a good job hooking me and now I want to see what is going to happen next. If you're here for the action I don't think you will leave disappointed. As long as you can suspend your disbelief from time to time, but that is part of the fun!

Impossible to stop watching, so be prepared to binge this if you start it! The action was amazing, frequent, and well-choreographed. That being said, it was quite over the top also. The cast of characters was absolutely huge, and it was incredibly hard to keep track of them all - so I was confused several times about why this guy, or that guy, was trying to kill the main protagonist. I loved the ending, it seemed very fitting overall. If you are looking for a high-octane slugfest, this is a great one!

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