My Name

Less dialogue, more action, faster thriller

At first glance, it looks like another one of those typical vengeance dramas, but it strays away from that. It's gripping, highly violent, and an action-packed journey that shows more than it tells.

This is the show's strength—it gets straight to the action.

The storyline is actually nothing too special, you have your main character YJW who's out to seek revenge for her father. She's completely broken and rage-filled, weak and vulnerable at the beginning until she decides to take initiative. It becomes a game of deception, infiltration, and going under cover, along with your casual twists here and there. Up to this point, the plot sounds all too familiar, but what truly stole the show for me was the thriller and intensity.

Forget whatever preconceptions you had about "gangs" from all the previous kdramas you've watched. This is the real deal. As in, Choi Mujin is the real deal. The story is flipped this time. We get an in-depth exploration of the other-world—the world of gangs, drugs, and killers. I was constantly on edge for YJW and wondering if she'd ever get caught, but besides her extreme fighting skills, she's also pretty clever. But the one who stole the show for me was CMJ. As the ring leader, you'd expect a steadfast and merciless boss. He is pretty merciless, but we also see a glimpse of his emotions. A part of him has cracks and is vulnerable, and he takes risks that he'll never know when it'll come to bite him back.

The cast is STELLAR. No character was unnecessary, they're all connected in some way. CMJ taking in KJW to help avenge her father, her going undercover to the narcotics force that happens to be targeting CMJ, and her partner JPD who she finds shares the same broken soul as her (2 broken souls are a recipe for: yes, there is some romance at the end, but it's not the focus at all). Then you got the ringleader's silent-but-deadly subordinate and the former member who's there to ruin the fun. I do wish we got a better depth of Gangjae and Taeju's characters though.

Finally, the cinematography and the music...outstanding. The camera captured the action choreography in a seamless way, it almost seems like a dance. It's crazy to think that some parts were one-shot despite the intense action. And kudos to Han Sohee who even attended action school for this, she nailed her performance.

My Name captures a familiar storyline but twists it in a unique way. It's not often you get the other perspective in the mafia world. Interested in an action thriller full of deception? Definitely binge it.

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Meh

First couple of episodes dragged me in but then it slowly but surely spat me out. Just, well, what a waste! some ok music some pretty good acting chops but a pants plot.

Nothing you haven't seen before done much better. The villains are the most entertaining of the bunch and maybe slightly less cardboard cut out than the boys in blue. The best of the acting comes from PHS and HSH who manage to build relatively believable and human characters despite the writers' best efforts. The rest of the cast ranges from functional to who? The fights start off pretty well with some gut wrenching blows and fast action but again they just can't sustain interest.

Plus if you are going to make some skinny small woman beat up thrumpty much bigger heavier and more muscly men at once then give her special powers or something, it's just too much of an immersion breaker otherwise - because physics and biology.

Throw in plot holes, implausible coincidences, inconsistent characters, predictable twists and betrayals and it achieves meh!

Park Hee Soon and Han So Hee deserved better.

Got to episode 7, just, with a lot of effort and then gave up.

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Different from what I expect

When I first watched the trailer I thought that the drama was going to be pretty bad because when watching the trailer I thought that the female lead did not fit the role that well but after watching the drama I would say that the drama is pretty good. I don’t think she is the best actress because there were some parts where I’m like 🤨 she could improve a bit more but there are definitely parts that I’m like damn she’s pretty good. I would recommend this drama. If you watch the trailer you might think oh this looks kind of boring but if you watch it, it’s more of like an excitement than boredom.

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Must you get revenge? Regardless of the price?

That was one hell of a ride action and revenge story. I didn't expect that I'd love this series as much as I do after watching it. So here are the list of things I love about this series.

1. The complex yet simple and not-so complicated plot. Genres that falls under dark categories like revenge, crimes, killing etc. usually have this extra grand oh-so complicated plot that eventually lose me midway because the story became too complicated and there's a lot going on making it hard for me to focus on it until I lose my interest. However, My Name consistently got me from start to end. I have something to look forward every episode that kept me engage and emotionally invested.

2. The depth of the characters. I love the action scenes but more than that, one of the biggest factor for me to love something is to be able to understand it well. Do I understand both the protagonist and antagonist? Based on how they are presented, do their decisions made sense? Was it believable? My Name was able to answer all that for me with a Yes. It was all thanks to the good writing.

3. The casts. Good writing matched with excellent execution of the casts really made this an incredible work of art. Park HeeSun was a very convincing Choi MooJin that exudes that power as drug ring leader while also being a person that can be sentimental. Han SoHee as a daughter who lost her father and is willing to do anything even destroying herself in the name of revenge. I love how she portrayed JiWoo with that aura of a girl whose determination can surpass anything with an innocent face that hints being naive and just someone who's just hurt. There were lots of other notable characters and I believe that they made this series an outstanding one.

4. The breath-taking action scenes paired with excellent background music. There were tons of actions scenes in this drama, be it knives, guns or fist fighting. It was thrilling to watch it really. I am not an expert on action choreography however as an average person who seldom watches action genres, it was executed nicely. It doesn't feel exaggerated or out of sync. I notice that the BG music that was used was also mostly modern which gives off kind of EDM-like vibe. I almost hold my breath everytime an action scene comes on. I was even clapping like crazy while watching it.

Overall, I really recommend this drama. This really has blown my mind more than I expected and it made reflect a lot about life. It's a kind of series that leaves a big impact on you even after watching it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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An excellent revenge story with phenomenal action sequences.

I absolutely loved this show but it had a few minor issues. I want to talk about them first.


This drama has some plotholes and it is very unrealistic at times. This is to be expected when watching Action shows or films and the plotholes in this show didn't really annoy me at all.

Additionally, the plot isn't unique or groundbreaking in any way. It's actually very predictable. However, the revenge plot was executed very well and the quality of writing didn't really drop at any point.

While I thought the ending was satisfying and good enough, and definitely not bad or disappointing, it was the biggest issue I had with the show. The ending is very abrupt and it doesn't really wrap things up properly. I would have liked 20-40 minutes more after the final battle to see consequences of the events that happened in the final episode. Then again, I thought the ending was good enough but it could have been significantly better.



Now to the things that I loved:
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Acting, especially Han So-Hee's and Park Hee-Soon's was absolutely incredible. Han So-Hee plays a young woman who goes on a grueling and violent journey to avenge her father's death. She was perfect in this role, and I definitely fell in love with her when watching this show :D

Park Hee-Soon plays a charismatic and complex villain who I ended up really liking during the show.


The absolute best thing in the drama is the action. There isn't shaky-cam or hundreds of fast cuts to hide the action, no no no. The very brutal and violent action sequences are very clearly shown. The action choreography is incredible and I really like how the actors performed the action scenes themselves. You can clearly see how much they trained for the fight scenes and how much effort they put into them. This drama has by far my favorite action sequences in any K-drama.



I have to mention the Soundtrack too. I fell in love with it from the very beginning of the first episode. The soundtrack has many melancholic and slower tracks, but it also has intense and epic tracks to go with the action. The title "My Name" has to be my favorite from the OST.



9,5/10. Definitely watch this if you like revenge stories, strong female characters, action or thriller!

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Surprising!

I didn't have any background or idea what I am about to watch when I picked this. I was just trying to take a little break from studying and this drama appeared on my Netflix, the poster was kinda inviting so I clicked. The first 10 minutes got me hooked! From Nabi to this character!! Man, she's versatile. As the story progresses I understand where her rage is coming from... The unfolding of the mystery was done nicely IMO not rushed or anything. I was quite disappointed with the ending tho, it feels like a little cliffhanger, well I'm not sure.

Anyhow, the acting was good or a little more. I enjoyed it.

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Ultra-Violent Revenge Kdrama

MY NAME (2021) is a really great, dark and gritty Kdrama. I absolutely loved this series. It is a thrilling crime show about a young woman that has been drawn into the depths of the criminal underworld seeking revenge for her father's murder. The revenge plot is heavy and central. The show goes all out in terms of violence and action.

The show is top quality, with an excellent cast, compelling story, stunning background locations and believable scenarios. The writing is compelling, making the characters really memorable and relatable, and all deeply flawed. All of those facts are great in their own right, however, the show immediately hooked me in with its immersive fight scenes and action choreography, not to mention the cinematography and visuals. The fight scenes are exceptional, high energy and intense. The punchy soundtrack will get stuck in your head.

"The story about a woman who joins an organized crime ring and infiltrates the police as an undercover agent in order to find out the truth about her father's death."

As a sucker for revenge dramas, I really loved this one. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Highly engaging and highly recommended, especially if you are a fan of gritty, gory, revenge thrillers from South Korea. Must watch!

Be Warned. This drama is very violent and bloody. Not for the faint of heart, or squeamish.

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Superb fighting scenes marred by the lame ending

If you enjoy scene after scene of gratuitous violence and non-stop action, this is the show for you. My name is the korean equivalent of badass female fighter shows like atomic blonde, kill bill etc and it does not disappoint in this regard. The fight choreography is stunning; there isn't a dull moment in this show. The acting too is excellent with Han so hee and Park hee soon pulling off their roles perfectly. I must say I did not really notice han so hee in the world of the married, but she has definitely captured my attention now with her range (also because she's the main character here but ya lol).

Plot wise it is a fairly standard revenge film and nothing too groundbreaking happens. You can probably guess the ending after the first few episodes. There are some glaring plot holes that will make you go "huh?" but the action makes up for it. A very random romance scene occurs in the last ep which in my opinion was highly unnecessary and did not do anything but make me laugh when the guy literally died a few scenes later. Apart from that, the ending was also a letdown and felt flat. So Jiwoo has accomplished her one and only life goal which was to get revenge for her father but in the process ruined her whole life and actually killed quite a few people. I was honestly expecting her to commit suicide because what else does she have to live for? Well apparently not! She apparently faked her death?? And is just roaming around? At least show her become the new gang boss of Dongcheon or something. Her committing suicide would probably have ended the show in a more satisfying way (to me at least), as it will continue to follow along the lines of how revenge will consume you and you will only turn into a monster morality lesson that they were trying to preach at the end. To be fair I am not a fan of open-ended endings but if you do not mind (and are willing to overlook the fact that she got away with murdering several people) you may not have an issue with this ending.

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Impressive**

**I rewatched and say again that this is an impressive production start to finish with only one irksome detail. That tattoo she wears on her chest....that would not, could not have gone unnoticed during police training (e.g. group showers during training), medical exams, visits to the hospital, etc. Yes, it has great symbolic meaning, but any gang leader who wanted to put her covertly on the police force would not have done that and if he had he would have had it removed, or covered up. Other than that a very enjoyable watch.


I put off watching this when it first appeared in 2021 in part because it seemed like it might be another 'Girl Boss' story line. I was so wrong. I happened upon a video on YT and I gave it a go. I was so so wrong. Yes, there are some examples of a slightly built young girl beating up guy almost twice her weight, but it's clear that she's using better technique to beat their physical advantage, and then she often loses, too.

Some combination of a well above average script, skillful directing, and outstanding acting performances deliver a mesmerizing series.

The story calls for Han So Hee's lead character Yoon Ji Woo to often project an emotionless stone faced demeanor but then, when real emotions are called for as her personal revenge quest leads to uncovering unexpected twists and to developing unexpected emotional connections, she delivers. No doubt her talent is core, but give credit to a nuanced script and I suspect a director aware of the embedded tension and layers of meaning between the lines in the script. Her character undergoes a profound evolution as she grows from a beaten down young girl motivated and living for revenge to a young woman who finds love and is loved as she is forced at the end to confront the truth behind her father's murder, her real role, and her final choices.

Also a standout for me was Park Hee Soon's Choi Moo Jin, the lead 'villain', whose villainy has context and depth, and as the story unfolds we understand why he made the choices he does. Towards the end the script gives him and us the audience some lines revealing much about his own tragic motivations and his own feelings of betrayal at every attempt at trust.

As the story unfolds we see an almost father - daughter relationship develop between Ji Woo and Moo Jin as they come to rely and trust each other on her quest for revenge. For much of the story the gang boss is the closest thing to a father she has. Her own father had to keep his distance when she was young and while the gang boss is anything but close and fatherly he does provide crucial support when she had nothing and no one else. And we see on his face and his reactions the inner turmoil in the gang boss when at key moments of danger she will ask him how he's doing, is he OK, etc.

However, the story is a Greek Tragedy meaning the characters make reasonable logical choices at every step given their backgrounds but they relentlessly step by step are forced to meet tragic ends.

And like in the movie 'Unforgiven' small events trigger vengeful reactions which in turn escalate into ever bigger and more costly actions. No one can stop and everyone is trapped into the logic of revenge. Undercover the lead Ji Woo discovers that many of her police comrades have been wronged by gangs, by drugs, etc and are seeking to get payback even if a true righting of those wrongs might be out of reach.

Another source of tension is the undercover mission in which the lead must hide her role as a mole for a ruthless drug gang boss. This reminded me of Dexter in the books and TV series. Dexter is a forensic blood splatter specialist on the Miami police force and must hide the fact he's a serial killer who uses his inside information to find and kill other serial killers before his colleagues on the police force. Ji Woo again and again comes close to being discovered even as she feeds information to her gang boss.

All in all a very satisfying series.

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The brutal truth and reality of revenge

Honestly, I randomly clicked on this drama. I'm not really one who enjoys action, but I ended up loving this. It was a quick watch and didn't drag anything on. Perfect for an 8 episode series. The story itself was nothing incomprehensible. It all made sense so it didn't feel too outrageous. It was real and it was honest. You definitely get a look into the main character's mind, and before you know it, she's learned so much about herself and the people around her. I thought her relationship with Pildo was nice and didn't feel too out of place. Not to mentiom Choi Mujin's character. I'd give him a 10/10 alone. I loved it. I only wish that we saw a little more of Gangjae, but I guess the limited time would not permit it. Anyways, this drama was something I never saw coming. I hope lots of people watch it and enjoy it as much, if not more than I did.
(Also this was the second drama I've seen with Han So Hee as the lead, the first being Nevertheless, and I definitely think she killed this role. I enjoyed her in this way more.)

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Promising but fails to live up to its potential.

With an extremely interesting premise and a badass, strong female lead, and the director of Extracurricular (my all time favorite drama), My Name was very promising from the start. It has very well choreographed fight scenes and a Netflix budget to boot. It had all the ingredients necessary to be a very good drama.
It started off extremely strong. Although at first I wondered why Jiwoo would go this far to avenge a dad who hadn't been there for her, the story quickly filled in the gaps to my satisfaction. I also thought that the writers handled being a woman in male dominated fields very accurately. Jiwoo being a double agent for the gang was also really interesting to see, the whole time I was nervous for her identity to be revealed. I loved that this drama had a premise of "the good guys are actually the bad guys and the bad guys are the good guys".
When it was revealed that Jiwoo's dad was actually an undercover cop I was a bit disappointed but retrospectively it was a cool twist rather than a cliche "cop kills the gang member because he's a criminal" thing.
However, then it turned out that her dad's killer is actually Mujin and his motive was a simple and typical revenge for betrayal. I felt like this was such lazy writing and it would've been much cooler to have this drama explore topics of corruption within the police force and Donghoon being killed by a fellow cop. I also don't understand why Mujin took the time and effort to train Jiwoo if he knew that eventually she'd betray him once she found out the truth. I understand that he wanted to use her to kill Cha Giho but if Taejoo was able to kill him with ease then there was no reason for him to involve Jiwoo. Although I understand that tricking her could be seen as the ultimate revenge against Donghoon, he seemed genuinely disappointed when she "betrayed him" and I felt like that was stupid of him to do when he knew it would eventually be coming.
I also have a problem with the ending scenes, I felt like forcing a sort of happy ending to this drama was unnecessary and Jiwoo dying in the tunnel after finally getting revenge for her dad's death would've been much more fitting.
Finally I want to talk about the sex scene in episode 8. I feel like when it comes to k-dramas, fans are way too prude and have almost a fetishistic mentality about the lack of sex scenes in kdramas. I think the sex scene wasn't out of place considering he had been pining after Jiwoo since the first snowfall, and she finally had a person she could truly depend on without requiring anything in return, unlike with Mujin. Emotions were running high considering they were previously running away from the Dongcheon members. I think it's a physical manifestation of Jiwoo deciding to trust Pildo, considering she's a fighter and letting her guard down in such an intimate way is proof of that. She's also the one to initiate the kiss. We have to consider that prior to this episode, she lost everybody she could trust. She was a cop who was now a fugitive, and the man she'd trusted with her life turned out to be her father's killer. I also think this scene mirrors the scene where she first let her guard down around Pildo, on the day of the first snowfall when he sees her fathers urn and learns of what Gangjae almost did to her. In that scene he pulls her apartment's blinds up, a metaphor for her letting her guard down (she probably has the blinds down so people can't see in to her apartment). When he leaves, she pulls the blinds back down. I also think it was necessary to give her the conviction to go after Mujin once again after he murders Pildo.
Overall, this was an action packed drama with a cool premise but not much to hold it up. I finished it because it kept me hooked, but I doubt I will rewatch it. I feel like it could've done better if it had a longer run time or if it had kept its original premise.

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