Actor Kim Ji-hoon announced his successful Hollywood debut through the Amazon Prime Video series "Butterfly."
The Amazon Prime Video series "Butterfly" is based on the graphic novel of the same name and tells the story of former U.S. intelligence officer David Chung (played by Daniel Dae Kim), whose life is shattered by a certain choice, and current agent Rebecca (played by ReiNa), who has received orders to kill him as he is entangled in his past. This work, featuring Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim in both lead and production roles, garnered attention even before its release.
Among them, Kim Ji-hoon left a strong impression by playing the ruthless assassin "Gun" in "Butterfly," which was first released worldwide through Amazon Prime Video on the 13th.
The character "Gun," played by Kim Ji-hoon, is a lethal and competent killer with cold professionalism and a unique personality. He prioritizes missions over personal feelings and carries out orders he dislikes without complaint. Kim Ji-hoon demonstrated unwavering confidence even under pressure and served as a key figure in shaping the overall atmosphere of the drama by revealing unexpected humor amidst a threatening atmosphere.
Having made his Hollywood breakthrough with "Butterfly," he is drawing acclaim from major foreign media outlets for his intense character transformation and immersive acting. Major international outlets noted, "Kim Ji-hoon, who portrayed an emperor in his previous work, has returned as the relentless assassin 'Gun,'" "The best breakout star of this series," "Kim Ji-hoon led the action in every scene, serving as the backbone of the series," "His ability to transition seamlessly from a brutal villain leaves no room to doubt his character's authenticity," "Kim Ji-hoon's performance stands out as the most notable throughout the series," and "The acting displayed by Kim Ji-hoon shines the brightest across the entire work. It is the best performance." He has thus captured the attention of global viewers with his high-quality acting skills.
As proof of this, according to FlixPatrol (an OTT service ranking site) on the 15th, "Butterfly" was ranked 2nd globally in the Prime Video "TV SHOW" category just three days after its release. As of the 16th, in country-specific rankings, it ranked 1st in Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, and Thailand and has entered the top 10 in several countries, gaining explosive popularity among global fans.
Previously, Kim Ji-hoon garnered significant love from domestic viewers for his performance as King Lee Jong in the SBS weekend drama "The Haunted Palace," his first historical drama in 15 years. While he portrayed a trendy king and completed a unique character at that time, in "Butterfly," he transformed into a fierce assassin "Gun" with an entirely opposite charm, perfectly proving his presence in his Hollywood debut.
Standing before global viewers, Kim Ji-hoon successfully showcased the potential for global expansion as a Korean actor through this work. Beyond a mere debut, the assessment that he is "an actor who firmly established the core of the series with perfect acting from his first Hollywood work" raises expectations for his next steps.
The limitless transformations of global actor Kim Ji-hoon, who is continually expanding his acting spectrum, can be seen in the Amazon Prime Video original series "Butterfly," which will also air every Friday and Saturday at 10:40 p.m. on tvN starting the 22nd.
[Photo] Big Picture Entertainment, tvN, Amazon MGM Studios
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