Mercy for None Review: Directed by Choi Sung-eun, Gwang-jang (광장) is a webtoon adaptation of Plaza Wars by Oh Se-hyung and Kim Kyun-tae. Starring So Ji-sub, who plays the icy and devastated anti-hero, Nam Gi-jun. In addition the drama also stars Huh Joon-ho, Ahn Kil-kang, Lee Bum-soo, Gong Myung, Doo Young-woo and Jo Han-chul. The cast collectively lends voice to the dark and bleak world of revenge, betrayal and chaos. The series consists of seven episodes, and each episode lasts for about 40 to 50 minutes.
I adore revenge dramas. I always appreciate a good payback storyline. If it’s revenge, justice or the classic “an eye for an eye,” I’m all in. And most recently, we’ve had the thriller K-dramas on a different level. We’ve had one fantastic series after another — Karma, Nine Puzzles (I’m still in emotional recovery from) and now this. Mercy for None does nothing but validate what I already suspected: Kdrama thrillers are in a league of their own, and this one did not disappoint.
Mercy for None Review
Set in Seoul’s underworld, Mercy for None introduces his hero Nam Gi-jun as an ex-gang enforcer who walked away from the violent lifestyle after being crippled by an injury. But when his younger brother is brutally murdered, Nam Gi-jun is dragged back into the dirty streets he tried to leave behind. What follows is a tearfully redemptive revenge drama that leaves nothing to the imagination. The series spirals into mob backroom politics, personal revenge and raw brutality — things Korean drama thrillers are slowly becoming known for.
Netflix’s Mercy for None does not waste time dancing around the topic—it’s graphic, gory, and as realistic as can be. The series doesn’t shy away from the violence or even try to sugarcoat. Rather, it is completely committed to the ugly, anarchic nature of street combat, by substituting guns with baseball bats, knives, and the fighters’ own fists — a style that most closely resembles South Korea’s actual gun laws.
One of the best things about Mercy for None Kdrama is how much it invests in tone. Yes, it’s violent, it’s gritty, but it’s not style-less. The direction, the colour palette and even the cinematography are all cinematic in style. There are fight scenes in cramped corridors that are reminiscent of old-school action films. The visuals, the close-ups during fights, make you feel every punch, every stab, everything. Some of the action scenes they had were reminiscent of Oldboy flashbacks (without all the long single-take sequences). It’s like they creators are paying respect to classic Korean noir, but with a twist.
But at the centre of K-drama Mercy for None, of course, is Nam Gi-jun played by So Ji-sub, who literally nailed the role. His performance is one of intensity and control — a man perpetually hovering at the precipice. You see the anger and the pain in his eyes, but he never becomes a caricature.
He is a fighter with a cause, and even when he’s limping, blood smeared across his face — some of his own, most of it someone else’s blood — he keeps going. Yes, it can feel sometimes like he might be a tad too powerful for your average human bag of meat — but hey, it’s all part of the fantasy, I suppose. Even when he shouldn’t have a chance, you want him to win.
Another successful element in this series is the cast. At first, I did feel that there were too many characters, but the way every single actor has performed, you won’t feel the heaviness of confusion. From the gang bosses to the oddball henchmen of the rival gang, everyone adds something. There’s this sense that everyone is absolutely committed to blood, and it makes everything more tense. I liked Huh Joon-ho, Gong Myung, Choo Young-woo and Jo Han-chul, in particular. What they added was a sense of depth that made the story more interesting, even when it strayed to overly familiar territory.
Also Read: Nine Puzzles Ending Explained: Did I-na Find the Killer? What happened in the End?
But if I’m being picky, I would grumble about the plot. And just as with Mercy for None on Netflix plot isn’t that deep, even though it’s visually beautiful and emotionally strong. It’s a simple revenge tale, with not much suspense. There are some twists and turns along the way, but nothing that will mind-blow you away. But I kind of didn’t mind this. And sometimes less is more — and particularly when it’s done this well.
The emotional subtext is one of the aspects that sets Netflix’s Mercy for None apart from other thrillers. When all the blood and guts are removed, there is a story of loyalty, loss and the pain of things left unsaid. Nam Gi-jun’s not just angry — he’s a widower, too, and the series isn’t afraid to show his emotional wounds. That made the series more serious, something more than an exercise in abject action.
And I must say something about the speed of the show. At a mere seven episodes, the Korean drama Mercy for None never really drags. It’s quick, but a deliberate one. Each episode cuts off on a”hook” that makes you want to click “next” over and over. It’s binge-watchable but never feels hurried. You get a whole arc in a fraction of the time, and I must truly commend that on today’s drama scene.
Kdrama Mercy for None Review: Summing Up
Overall, I will say that Mercy for None is flawed, but it’s one of those shows that catches your eye and won’t let you go. The violence is over-the-top for some, but if you like ultra stylish, ultraviolent, vengeful thrillers, then you’ll probably like this as much as I did. It’s a smartly acted, crisply directed and emotionally resonant series that stands out in the expanding world of Korean thrillers.
Mercy for None 2025 is now streaming on Netflix.
