First Impression: Daniel Dae Kim Sheds His Past Guilt and Fights For Family in the Spy Thriller Series “Butterfly (나비)”

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Prime Video’s Butterfly.

From breaking through stereotypes in Lost and Hawaii Five-O, to becoming the first Asian American actor to receive a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway production of Yellowface, Daniel Dae Kim has made significant strides in Hollywood — but he’s not done just yet. Since his earliest career days, Kim has been actively championing positive Asian American representation across different media formats and beyond. “I remember the kind of stereotypes that existed back [when I first began acting]. And it was a minefield to try and build a career at the time while avoiding roles that were obviously stereotypical,” Kim stated in an interview with Esquire. For his upcoming series, Kim made it a point to bring to life a narrative he needed when he was younger. 

Nearly ten years after its original print release, BOOM! Studio’s graphic novel Butterfly by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett will make its screen debut, coming to Prime Video on August 13. Leading the six-episode series is Kim, who also serves as an executive producer on the project alongside his 3AD partner, John Cheng. The development of Butterfly marks the second major endeavor for Kim’s self-founded production company, 3AD, following the production of the ABC medical drama, The Good Doctor, which first aired in 2017.  

Set against the backdrop of South Korea, the action-packed series centers on David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), an enigmatic and highly unpredictable former U.S. intelligence operative. After the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt his mind, further conflict arises when he finds himself being pursued by Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), a deadly and sociopathic young agent — who happens to be his daughter. 

Join EnVi as we break down the elaborate character dynamics, explore the clever cultural elements, and give our honest review!  

A Labyrinth of Complicated Relations

What is the first thing you would do after being missing for nine years? As the series opens, viewers see a supposed-to-be-dead, David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), enthusiastically singing “Mr. Brightside” in a 노래방 (noraebang, Korean karaoke room) during what appears to be an after work outing. As two office workers try to decipher who the mystery man is, it becomes clear that he was not invited to the party. Out of all the places to make his reappearance, why exactly did David choose a karaoke bar? Well, because it presents the perfect front for his secret one-man mission. 

Just a few blocks away, Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), a young intelligence agent disguised as a pregnant woman, enters into a hotel under the guise of scouting a venue for a baby shower. Her real mission, however, is to assassinate the Russian ambassador, to which she expertly achieves, with only a little bit of chaos left behind. After completing her assignment, Rebecca calmly heads to her assigned extraction point, hoping to disappear into the night. But unbeknownst to her, there is a seasoned force threatening to ruin her perfect track record. 

Back at the karaoke bar, after a series of physical altercations, David successfully intercepts the ride that Rebecca is expected to utilize as a getaway. As David awaits the young agent’s arrival, he believes he finally has Rebecca within his grasp, but her sharp observation skills help her realize something is majorly off and she flees the scene on foot — leaving David’s one man mission as a bust. 

Following the conclusion of an exhilarating night, the motivations behind David’s actions come to light when it is revealed that Rebecca is his biological daughter. After faking his death nine years prior, during an undercover mission, David made the tough decision to remain in hiding as a means to protect his daughter’s life. 

What is the reason for him being in hiding for so long? Enter the private intelligence agency Caddis, which was created by David and his ex-business partner Juno (Piper Perabo) — who also happens to be Rebecca’s current employer. Years ago when David presumably died, Juno was the one to let his family know. When she revealed the heartbreaking news to Rebecca and her terminally ill mother, Juno expected tears. But strangely enough, she was met with a laugh from Rebecca. Upon seeing this unusual reaction, Juno took the likely sociopathic young girl under her wings, training her up to become her number one asset. 

Opposite of Rebecca’s unstable personality is Juno’s biological son Oliver Barnes (Louis Landau), who exhibits high levels of empathy. This trait that would be valued elsewhere does not complement the responsibilities he must take on at Caddis. Unlike the rest of Caddis’ operatives, Oliver bypassed all of the specialized training and was thrust immediately into a high ranking position courtesy of his mother. 

In the background narrative of Butterfly, strong themes of parental sacrifice and childhood resentment are illustrated. As David tries his best to reconcile with Rebecca, he has trouble breaking through her rigid exterior, and her consistent deflection forces him to reflect on the past that he was trying so hard to avoid. From his perspective, he made the best possible decision he could to protect his precious daughter, but he now sees that it has caused more harm than good. In a distorted way, the only person that Rebecca sees as true family is Juno, who externally treats her with a great deal of respect, but behind closed doors it is evident that Juno sees her as a mere vessel that carries out her dirty dealings. 

Conversely, when it comes to her interactions with Oliver, things are quite the opposite. Through constant digs, it is implied that Juno is heavily disappointed in her son due to his soft nature. But in reality, she hides a deep tenderness for her son: “Everything I have done has been for [Oliver]…He’s soft, I know that — this world wasn’t built for people like him. But I thought, that doesn’t matter. I can give him the world.” Although well-intentioned, the act of shielding her love proves to be a major oversight on Juno’s end, as it leaves Oliver susceptible to manipulation from outside forces.   

Meddling Middlemen 

Breaking into the complex entanglement and heading the foreground narrative is Senator George Dawson (Charles Parnell), the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee. His infiltration point comes through Juno, who he previously mentored when she was training under the Central Intelligence Agency. During what appears to be a simple vacation in South Korea, Dawson makes it a point to reconnect with his former colleague — but there’s a catch. 

Senator Dawson believes Juno is using Caddis as a front to traffic intelligence to Russia, and he aims to pull back the curtains on her nefarious activities. Not because he believes in doing the right thing, but because it will effectively boost him into the next presidency. 

 With her prized operative out of commission, Juno has no choice but to outsource for execution services, and that’s where Gun (Kim Ji-hoon) comes in. Courtesy of Arirang Solutions, Gun, who strangely enough doesn’t use a gun as his weapon of choice, is recruited to take out everyone who has information pertaining to Juno’s illegal business practices. 

Both of these characters, who have vastly different agendas, not only foil the external plans of David and Juno, but also cause internal rifts that further push them to reflect on their tainted relations – with themselves and their children. 

Kickass Cultural Inclusions

With the story of Butterfly taking place in South Korea, there were plenty of opportunities taken to utilize a variety of cultural elements in the narrative. The leading method of cultural integration for the series was the usage of music. Outside of the production’s under score, which was primarily used to enhance the intensity of fight scenes, there is an accompanying list of Korean soundtracks weaved into the series. 

Starting with the trailer video, fans were quick to recognize the background song as J-hope’s “What if…” which appeared in his 2022 debut album Jack in the Box. The old-school hip-hop track complements the underlying theme of the series as it expresses deep introspection regarding how a person should present themselves to the outer world. “You’ve asked me dozens of times / Am I really like that? / Hope, positivity, always smiling / I just thought it was something I could do / But, doubts arise.” Although, there is concern over a drastically different lifestyle and career, “What if…” still encapsulates the inner turmoil that Rebecca faces in her journey. Other songs included across episodes include, “DDU-DU DDU-DU” from BLACKPINK, “God’s Menu” by Stray Kids and “Sagwa” by Jacqui. 

In tandem with sonic inclusions, there are plenty of visual elements to keep viewers engaged. In the fourth episode of Butterfly, there is a scene that takes place at a street market in Gyeonggi-do. As David and Rebecca walk through the market, wasting time before a secret meeting with Senator Dawson, they take in everything the buzzing atmosphere has to offer — especially the food. 

The first street food that is introduced is 뻥튀기 (pronounced ppeong-twigi), a crispy rice snack that is made in a puffing machine that lets out a loud bang. “It sounds like a bomb going off,” Rebecca says with slight shock. “Or a gun shot,” David replies. After a slight scare, the pair heads off to a nearby food stall to partake in 빈대떡 (pronounced bindae-tteok), a mung bean pancake cooked over a grill that lets off a massive flame. ”My mom used to make these on special occasions,” David nostalgically states. 

 The emphasis on these items seems like a passing cultural lesson — but the addition was more intentional than you think. With Senator Dawson being flanked by bodyguards, a meticulous distraction is needed. While discreetly chatting on the phone with David, Senator Dawson is advised to separate from his guards when the puffing machine goes off. “There’s a noodle stall down the aisle on your left…I’ll handle [your team],” David says with assurance. “Start moving in 5..4..3..2..1.” As the blast rings out and Dawson moves through the bustling atmosphere, the father-daughter duo strategically uses their environment to guide Dawson directly to the rendezvous point undetected. 

On the Outside Looking In… 

The overall story arc of Butterfly presents a distinctive illustration of intricate family dynamics and self-growth through a high-intensity lens. With each episode sitting at an average of 45 minutes, viewers can easily finish the whole season over the weekend, if they choose. 

The convenience of six episodes, however, presents a double-edged sword as some moments felt like they could have been fleshed out more. An important element within any narrative is the concept of showing and not telling, which offers audiences a chance to emotionally connect with the characters. 

Due to a six-episode constraint, storytelling elements like flashback sequences were seldom used, and instead the characters would straightforwardly talk about their past — which gave the sensation of eavesdropping as opposed to viscerally understanding. As cruel as it may be, it would’ve been insightful to see some of the training that Rebecca had to endure, or past sequences of the interactions she shared with Juno. Furthermore, a broader understanding of the early Caddis days and the divergence between Juno and David’s once aligned goals would have effectively supplemented the narrative. 

Nevertheless, in spite of the limitations, the writers and actors involved in the development of Butterfly manage to deliver an unfeigned series that aligns with Kim’s vision. “It’s an understatement to say that this was an unforgettable experience and it represents the very hard work of some fantastic people,” Kim stated via Instagram. Besides, with the series ending in suspense, we can only hope for the characters’ motivations to come to light in a prospective second season. 

All six episodes of Butterfly are available for streaming on Prime Video on August 13! 

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