Netflix’s 7-Part K-Drama’s Action Outshines Hollywood

The action sequences in Netflix‘s returning k-drama’s 7 new episodes are so spectacular that even some of Hollywood’s best movies struggle to match their sheer scale and intensity.

Netflix is the streaming home of a diverse set of South Korean shows, with many bringing distinct flavors to their respective genres. While gripping thrillers like Squid Game remain Netflix’s most valuable IPs, others, like Weak Hero, have redefined the action genre by grounding their fight scenes in hard-hitting coming-of-age drama.

Similar to Weak Hero, Bloodhounds is another gritty action thriller on Netflix that almost leaves no stone unturned when it comes to delivering slam-bang action sequences. In season 2, Bloodhounds manages to effectively raise the stakes even higher, making its fight scenes even more memorable than some of the best ones featured in big-budget feature films.

Bloodhounds Season 2’s Action Scenes Are Better Than Most Hollywood Movies

Bloodhounds season 1 did an incredible job of establishing the power scales and limitations of its main characters. Although its overarching story felt a little inconsistent at times, it managed to keep viewers hooked with its high-stakes crime drama and tight action choreography. In season 2, however, the show takes things up a notch with both stakes and action.

Every fight sequence in Bloodhounds season 2 is better than the last, while the stakes for Woo Do-hwan’s Gun-woo keep rising with each blow. There are quite a few unrealistic action scenes in the new installment where Gun-woo even manages to single-handedly take down more than 10 men at once.

However, even during these moments, the show somehow convinces you that you are watching a real fight. The fight choreography, the displayed weight of each punch, and Woo Do-hwan’s ability to convincingly capture his character’s boxing prowess add a layer of realism to the show’s anime-esque action logic.

Some of the greatest Hollywood action movies rely purely on spectacle in their action scenes to fascinate and intrigue audiences. By featuring physics-defying feats and portraying unrealistically overpowered heroes, many big-budget action flicks push the suspension of disbelief a little too far. Bloodhounds, in contrast, strikes the rare balance of featuring near-superhuman characters while still maintaining a semblance of realism.

Even its villain, portrayed by Rain of the Ninja Assassin fame, is depicted as the perfect nemesis to Woo Do-hwan’s Gun-woo. The show establishes how he ranks above everyone else in the overarching power scale from its early moments to make viewers anticipate his fight with Gun-woo.

Instead of making the villain look weak in the final battle against the hero, Bloodhounds season 2 shows how Gun-woo levels himself up to be able to go toe-to-toe with him. With this, the show maintains internal logic in its action scenes even though some of its fight sequences seem a little too over-the-top.

South Korea Has Been Delivering Some Of The Best Action TV Shows

Bloodhounds is not the only k-drama on Netflix that sets the high bar for action. Weak Hero, which is also a Webtoon adaptation, is no less brilliant when it comes to delivering one hard-hitting action scene after another. Unlike Bloodhounds, Weak Hero primarily unfolds most of its fight scenes outside the ring or the octagon. This allows it to get even more creative with choreography, turning everyday environments into improvised battlegrounds.

Like Bloodhounds, Weak Hero even finds creative ways to increase the overarching stakes for its main character in season 2. This ensures that every fight scene in the series feels consequential and more and more immersive for viewers.

Apart from Weak Hero and Bloodhounds, Mercy For None is another gritty k-drama thriller on Netflix that does not shy away from brutality and gore. It unfolds like a typical revenge thriller and often seems reminiscent of some of the best Hollywood action movies, like John Wick. Although some viewers might find it hard to digest Mercy For None‘s unflinching take on violence, it is the perfect series for fans of Bloodhounds.

With South Korea delivering some of the best small-screen action adaptations on Netflix, it is hard not to look forward to other new shows of the genre they have in store while waiting for the future potential installments of Bloodhounds, Weak Hero, and Mercy For None.