Butterfly

Honestly I didn't have too high expectations going in. But it turned out better than expected.

A little slow at times but. Most of the actors did a good job. The reason I was hesitant, was because of Piper Perabo. Don't care much for her at all. So I kinda tried to ignore the scenes she was in 😅 Also glad that the guy playing her son was really weak character/actor. They could've done a better casting on him.

So to summarize all in all it was watchable and somewhat entertaining.

Butterfly is much like every other spy/assassin/espionage thriller out there. Although the acting was really good throughout, with great locations, the directing and writing let the storyline down dramatically. It could have been so much more entertaining and engrossing. With predictable plot-twists and the usual plot holes (perhaps great voids) the writers didn't really do a good job with what they had to offer and most of it was borrowed from other TV shows and movies. The opening dialogue of the pilot (ep 1) was copied straight from The Matrix, for example. 5/10 is more generous that what I should be awarding this show, mainly because of the poor job the directors did.

A two screen viewing experience, or a background viewing, while you're doing other stuff.

The biggest draws are strong actors (starting with Daniel Dae Kim and Piper Perabo) and immersive on location filming in Korea.

David (DDK) is a legendary spy and former founder of a global spy syndicate. Rebecca (Reina Hardesty) is his abandoned daughter now working for the syndicate and its amoral leader, Juno (Perabo).

There are so many Korean stars in this that you can lose count. That provides strong supporting performances.

The issues here are with plot lines and chemistry. The actors at the center of the emotional dysfunctional blended family story have no palpable chemistry, which sucks the life out of every scene, especially the ones that are supposed to be important. David and Rebecca display no true chemistry, so the plot points that are supposed to lead us to cheer for them don't work.

The plot is literally awash in tropes: cop buddies, road trip, soap opera blended family issues, partners hate at the outset then care for each other...and on, and on. Which can be overcome with intricate writing. Which doesn't happen here. The fact that a 2025 experienced audience knows what tropes are, how to recognize them, and where they lead, puts a big burden on a series like this that dips heavily into that bag.

Rebecca isn't as well defined as the director and actress might think. It seems that we're supposed to see her as a skilled assassin who's understandably broken; but with a dangerous psychotic joy in executing her prey. The performance doesn't nail this, making it a problem. We see her as a polished twenty-something assassin in the opening scenes, only to see her devolve into a petulant teenager who smirks and laughs at inappropriate moments. The scene where she shows a seven year old how to load and shoot a pistol should be horrifying. Instead it's just weird.

And, without intending to spoil anything, the last episode finale does what so many streaming series do these days: massive cliff hanger. Will there be a season two? Because if there isn't then the thin buy in isn't worth it.

Butterfly delivers a decent story and strong performances, particularly from Daniel Dae Kim, Reina Hardesty, and standout Korean actors like Kim Tae-hee, Park Hae-soo, and Kim Ji-hoon, who bring authenticity, emotional depth, and nuance to their roles. The production values are polished and cinematic, blending premium K-Drama aesthetics with an American-style spy thriller. However, the action sequences fall flat. Fight choreography is slow and overly cautious, gunfire sounds weak and toy-like, and knife and baton impacts lack any real weight. Environmental destruction is underwhelming, and stunts often feel telegraphed, breaking immersion in high-stakes moments. Additionally, some of the non-Korean actors deliver performances that feel stale or flat, which weakens the overall impact of certain scenes. Had the action been faster, more dynamic, and paired with heavier, impactful sound design - including Korean-style cinematic fight sequences Butterfly could easily have scored 8-10/10. As it stands, it's worth watching for the story and strong performances, but weak action, pacing, and inconsistent acting from non-Korean actors hold it back from reaching its full potential. So with that being said, I give Butterfly a generous 6.5/10 because, while the story and some performances were solid, the slow action, weak sound effects, and uneven performances from non-Korean actors kept it from being truly enjoyable.

The series was ok.

Pros: -story is really well thought of, I like some of the twists an in general it is a unique experience -good pacing throughout the series 6 episodes -the visuals are nice and prop usage is also likable

Cons: -the action is just so so. The feeling of good action just doesn't come. Could be because of the choreographies or because the actors aren't feeling it -it's wierd that sometimes you get gore, like blood spurting out of people and another time it seems like they don't want to show it -the ending is really wierd -the Charakter Features of the daughter are just cliche and I hate it

I enjoyed the first 3 episodes and some parts of the last 3.

It's still a can watch but not better then a 7.