A South Korean spy thriller debuted on Netflix on June 26 and landed at number three on the platform's worldwide charts within days. Agent Kim Reactivated, a ten-episode series adapted from a webtoon, is outperforming most new arrivals on the streamer this week.
According to Screen Rant, the show is currently sitting just behind Harlan Coben's I Will Find You and the new season of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender globally. In the United States specifically, it is ranked fifth.
The series centers on Mr. Kim, a mild-mannered office worker raising his rebellious teenage daughter, Kim Min-ji, following the death of his wife years earlier. The two approach the world very differently. Mr. Kim avoids confrontation at all costs. His daughter does not. When Min-ji disappears one morning, evidence points to an abduction, and Mr. Kim is pulled back into his former life as a trained agent in order to find her.
The show was written by Nam Dae-joong, who also wrote Love Reset. Yi Seung-young and Lee So-eun directed. So Ji-sub, known for Mercy for None, stars as Agent Kim. The supporting cast includes Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Joo Sang-uk, Son Na-eun, Seo Su-min, and Yu Ji-ahn.
The series is adapted from the webtoon Manager Kim, created by writer Toy and illustrator Jeong Jong-taek.
One detail setting the show apart is its release structure. Netflix built its reputation on dropping full seasons at once, allowing viewers to binge entire series in a single sitting. Agent Kim Reactivated is instead releasing two episodes every Friday and Saturday. That pacing is unusual for the platform, but the early numbers suggest subscribers are responding to it.
The spy genre has been a reliable performer for Netflix in recent years. The Night Agent and Black Doves both found large audiences, and the streamer recently announced a new spy thriller starring Stranger Things co-stars David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown.
