“BUTTERFLY ” – A STRONG SEARCH FOR HOPE IN UNLIKELY PLACES

When caterpillars turn into their next phase, it is a metamorphosis. The same can be claimed when comics transfer into another state. In 2014, a new series from BOOM! Studios hit comics shops. “Butterfly” by Arash Amel, Marguerite Bennett, Antonio Fuso, Stefano Simeone, Adam Guzowski, and Steve Wands.

It was the story of a covert agent who’s cover was blown. Her journey of survival shows fate has put her in the path of an unlikely man. This took readers on quite the adventure

Little did anyone realize at the time where this would lead.

Almost a decade later, the story took a new turn. It was announced in May 2023 that the series was being adapted for streaming. Prime Video was going to be the new home for the Boom! series. Producing the project was Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD production company.

Two years later, the series is poised to finally hit the stream air waves. This past July, there was a panel at San Diego Comic Con to lead into its’ release date. Online reaction was very promising leading into its release week.

“Butterfly” is slated to debut on August 13th, 2025. Amazon MGM Studios for Prime Video allowed Nerd Initiative an early access to the new series.

Let’s take a closer look at how this debut season fares. This will be a SPOILER FREE review.

This version of the story is centered around David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim). Jung is former US intelligence agent living in South Korea. From the offset, viewers watch as Jung goes work. One thing that will get mentioned often in this review is this series never is short on incredible action. The opening scenes with “Mr. Brightside” blaring ease viewers into place before everything goes sideways. As events progress, Jung’s true intentions come to light. The agent is searching for someone. This also draws the ire of some who doesn’t want Jung to succeed.

Juno (Piper Perabo) is the head of Caddis, a covert spy organization. Her actions have had major consequences globally. Caddis has a member on their team that has helped them achieve many of their goals. Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), a ruthless, young agent is their top operative. Viewers see how extreme she can be with her actions right from the start. It comes as no surprise that Juno puts Rebecca on the trail of Jung. From here, that’s where things get way more complicated.

Viewers find out Rebecca is Jung’s daughter!

Nine years have passed since they last saw each other. A past mission went off plan and Jung was presumed dead. In that time, Juno took Rebecca under her wing. Her transformation from innocent child to stone-cold killer is a metamorphosis Jung struggles with. It serves as his purpose to make amends for leaving as he did. How he is received is a whole other ballgame.

Where the show finds its’ strength is in Kim’s performance. Even when comes into conflicts, one message is very clear. David Jung is grasping for hope. The nature of his fatherly instincts overrides much of Rebecca’s flaws. He is unwilling to accept who she is now. Jung wants to try bringing her back to a world of normalcy. Kim leans heavy into the burden of guilt for these moments. It makes viewers get behind his cause, even if there are doubts on its’ worth.

The same can be said for Perabo’s Juno. When the notion of her “children” come into play, she shows cracks in her cold persona. This is where her performance stands out. There are moments when she treats Rebecca like her own daughter. This doesn’t go unnoticed by her own son, Oliver (Louis Landau). Viewers easily see his longing for approval from Juno. No matter what transpires, it is clear he is in Rebecca’s shadow as far as Juno is concerned. It makes for him to be a sympathetic, yet simple pawn in the game going on between Jung and Juno.

As for Hardesty’s Rebecca, she is easily the most polarizing character on the series. Being pulled between both sides, viewers see how she randomly switches demeanor. It is tough for the first few episodes to get behind her character and Jung’s quest. There are flashes of seeing a change in perception. They are very fleeting in length. It’s tough to get a true grasp of her long play. This hinders some moments as events shift gears. Once settled in a stance, Hardesty plays off Kim extremely well. These scenes assist in giving much needed balance to the series. Otherwise, it’s all about the action.

Speaking of action, the largest takeaway viewers should have is the fight choreography. In dealing with the world of espionage, there should be some action. This series delivers a generous helping of it. One character that takes over these scenes is Gun (Kim Ji-hoon). Whenever on screen, Ji-hoon’s devilish charisma encompasses viewers. This only amplifies when he’s involved in the combat. When he’s on screen with Kim, they bring out the best in these sequences. It becomes a saving grace when the drama gets slightly off-track with the Rebecca swaying.

Once at the finale, all bets are off. Viewers need to be buckled in for what goes down. Key players have great performances. It helps to set up what transpires in the final minutes. Brace for impact.

OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

In the end, “Butterfly” is all about the complexity of family through extreme circumstances. Kim brings the action in every scene. His mission proves to be one with levels of complication due to a superb performance. Perabo shines when she breaks into the deeper drama at hand. Factor in all the incredible action scenes and this one is a can’t miss experience.

“Butterfly” debuts on Prime Video – August 13th, 2025. Thanks again to Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios for the early screener access.

Let me know your thoughts on “Butterfly” Season one by Prime Video in the comments below. Thanks for reading. CLICK HERE FOR MORE CONTENT FROM KEN