So Ji-sub's 'Mercy for None' Hits #2 Globally on Netflix in Just Three Days
Korean crime thriller storms international charts with brutal action and star power
So Ji-sub's return to action has paid off big time. "Mercy for None," the Korean crime thriller that dropped on Netflix June 6, shot straight to #2 on the platform's global non-English TV chart within just three days of release.
The series racked up 4.9 million views between June 6-8 and landed in the Top 10 across 44 countries. In South Korea, it hit #1 on day one and has stayed there for five straight days.
"Mercy for None" follows Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), a former gang enforcer who cut his own Achilles tendon to escape the criminal underworld 11 years ago. When his younger brother Nam Gi-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk) is murdered, Gi-jun comes out of hiding for revenge.
The show marks So Ji-sub's first action role in 13 years, and he's clearly still got it. The 47-year-old actor delivers visceral fight scenes that rely on hand-to-hand combat rather than gunplay, making every punch feel personal and brutal.
Based on the webtoon "Plaza Wars" by Oh Se-hyung and Kim Geun-tae, the Netflix adaptation expands the original story for international audiences. Director Choi Sung-eun transformed the source material's desperate, limping protagonist into an almost unstoppable force of vengeance.
Western reviewers have been quick to praise the series, with Collider calling it "the blood-soaked revenge thriller" and "the unofficial John Wick spinoff we always wanted." The review noted that while many shows try to copy John Wick's style, "Mercy for None actually deserves the title."
What sets it apart is the brutal realism of close-quarters combat. As one critic put it, the fights "feel gritty, close, and personal, closer in spirit to Oldboy's signature hallway hammer fight than to Wick's polished gun-fu."
The series features an impressive supporting cast including Huh Joon-ho, Ahn Gil-kang, Lee Beom-soo, Gong Myung, and Cha Seung-won, all delivering powerhouse performances in Seoul's criminal underworld.
"Mercy for None's" success adds to Netflix's streak of Korean hits. The show joins other Korean series currently dominating global charts, proving that Korean content continues to resonate across cultural boundaries.
The series delivers exactly what its title promises-a relentless journey through Seoul's criminal underworld where nobody gets mercy and redemption comes at the highest price. For action fans looking for something that hits as hard as it looks, "Mercy for None" is streaming now on Netflix worldwide.
