Butterfly Complete S01 720p WEB-DL x265

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 - this limited series 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 hold it back from reaching its full potential. So with that being said, I give Butterfly a generous 6/10 because, while the story and some performances were solid, the slow action, weak sound effects, and uneven performances from the non-Korean actors kept it from being truly enjoyable.
- Daniel Dae Kim
- Reina Hardesty
- Louis Landau