Mercy for None Review: So Ji Sub's sad eyes are the only redemption in Netflix's flawed adaptation
Mercy for None, on paper, might seem like another gritty Korean noir, Netflix's shot at recreating the success of The Glory, Beyond Evil, My Name, Abyss, and the likes. But this one's not just about blood and brawls. The story's carried by emotion and the weight of unfinished business. Casting So Ji Sub was a masterstroke; the actor practically breathes life into the live adaptation of the popular webtoon War of Plaza. The plot holds up, but it's the strong noir lineup that compensates for the weak execution.
Over time, South Korea's landscape of storytelling in the dark genre has grown sharper and more commendable than most industries out there—be it Bong Joon Ho's Parasite or Kim Jee Woon's I Saw the Devil, drawing in global audiences. And while plenty have tried gangster sagas with a Hollywood gloss, So Ji Sub just did it better.
Also read: Mercy For None: 3 reasons you can't skip this Netflix webtoon adaptation serving up Korean noir action with So Ji Sub and Lee Jun Hyuk
A former gangster limps his way back into the crime world, 11 years after his Achilles tendon was cut as punishment for tipping the balance between South Korea's two biggest gangster groups. Gi Jun, played by So Ji Sub, one of the deadliest fighters in the business, had struck a deal with the bosses: he'd walk away from their world, but in return, they'd keep his younger brother Gi Seok safe. But when Gi Seok falls prey to an inside betrayal, Gi Jun throws himself back into the chaos to settle the score.
The best part of So Ji Sub's acting is the calmness he carried throughout the seven-episode run. He came back to find his brother's lifeless body and didn't shed a single tear. Took down everyone involved, one by one, in a slow-paced but steadily burning storyline. Had minimal dialogues, but strong ones. Most of the time, I wasn't even watching the action—my eyes focused on his. Gloomy, heavy, grieving. His face held the same mix of disgust and heartbreak, watching the betrayal unfold around him. Since his leg's damaged, most of the action leans on his hands. He handles the choreography clean, sharp, like muscle memory, just brutal, efficient hits.
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Nam Gi Seok, played by Lee Jun Hyuk, barely had a few minutes on screen, but the Stranger actor made every second count without letting the audience down. Gong Myoung (Extreme Job) as Gu Jun Mo, honestly, the casting didn't fully hit for me—he's got too much of an innocent face to pull off true villainy. The Trauma Code's Choo Young Woo caught us off guard as the prosecutor with a hidden agenda. Huh Joon Ho and An Kil Kang, both playing veteran gangster bosses, brought the weight of their long, rich careers to the table.
This is the kind of show you start already knowing no one's squeaky clean, and you're half-expecting the protagonist's downfall. But, apart from action and revenge, Mercy for None also has some symbolic expressions, which tease the end in just the first episode. Like when Gi Jun wipes out his first targets, then limps off into a pitch-black underpass. That's the point of no return, no happy ending. But for So Ji Sub, this kind of role is second skin by now. Over his 30-year run, he's mastered the quiet storm act, a boxer in Always, a gangster in Rough Cut, a conflicted hitman in A Company Man.
But the show's not without hiccups. So Ji Sub spends most of the series looking quietly broken, always silent, always vaguely grieving. His vibe feels like someone carrying the ghosts of a past way darker than just what happened 11 years ago. But we never really get to peek behind that curtain. There's no personal backstory, no emotional unpacking. We're just expected to accept what's happening and move on. For a series that's supposed to be packed with action, the villains don't even stand a chance near the protagonist. Gi Jun feels untouchable from the start, which takes the tension out of every fight. And despite the whole thing circling around family and loyalty, there's no female arc. The plot's patchy, the action sometimes clunky, but if you're here for So Ji Sub, it still works as a decent one-time binge.
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