My Name (2021)

Not really live up to its name!

I was so excited to watch this.I had really high expectations.It is not bad.It is a good one.What really saves it is the fact that it is only 8 episodes,so it worths 8 hours of your life.For me personally,if it was 16 episodes i would have dropped it for sure.

Music: Nice and catchy songs with a beat to suit especially the fighting scenes.But it is better to add them in your playlist and listen to them any other time because in the drama the music is more absent than present.I don't know why but during every episode i had the feeling they use it into minimum.Most scenes are lacking.

Production/Direction/Cinematography:All in a good level made with much professionalism but nothing really awed me.As this is mostly an action drama they could and should have used the camera in better ways than they did.Ofc iam not a director but iam an avid watcher and i have definetely watched better dramas than this, regarding the use/angles etc of the camera.Anyhow i was expecting something more than this.

Cast:Familiar with many of the male actors.Never saw the main actress before.Already thought 2 or 3 alternatives for her role!

Acting: I gave a 9 mostly for Park Hee Soon (Choi Moo Jin char)because he was just amazing!I liked all the others as well.
But..I know there is always a but...

About the FL.Her acting was just good until episode 5.Flawless and natural.But it lacked the fire this char suppose to have.It was like a good student gets an A but you expected he must get an A+++You cannot give a B but still A seems too little.
But in episode 6...BOOM!The shining star has risen.She had to deliver a variety of emotions and she did GREAT!
And i started to change my opinion about her acting BUT!...In episode 7 the star has fallen back to be just good!Like she had an ON/OFF switch and i was like WTF is going on here!And then another flip.Episode 8,last one,she was AGAIN amazing!
Everyone praises her acting mostly about the fighting scenes.That wasn't the case to me.Took me some time to realize why this switch happened.Is is because she is a bad actress?Because she is a good one??No, it was because when the script given to her was demanding and based on emotions and feelings,her acting was superb!When she had to perform physically she was just good!Yes i know she was trained too hard for all the fighting scenes but for me her strong point was the emotional part of her role.

Story/Plot:And here we enter the Twilight Zone! i gave story a 7,5.Pretty low for this "masterpiece".I can't folow the hype over this.Definetely NOT a masterpiece.A good drama but that's all.Don't shoot me but the 8,7 overall rate is too much.One of the most overrated dramas out there.There are many good Revenge dramas easily surpass this one.

Revenge trope is always a tricky one.Is a hit or miss.To create a story,a world and characters and tie them all smoothly is not easy.I get this.And the Revenge Dramas audience,is hard to please.Including myself.
The big miss of My Name is that was too predictable,too early.And i cant help but mention the many plot holes,the unanswered questions and a bad plot-line leaving us more confused than satisfied.I won't get into details because if i would i give many spoilers away.But you will find yourself while watching.It was better to be a 12 eps Drama with a more detailed story and a more satisfactory closure.

There are 2hrs(or less)movies with more substantial plot and character's development.My Name has NONE!Is an action packed series with a very plain revenge story.Neither plot nor characters have any depth!Within 8 hours they could do so many things to enrich this Drama...
Unfortunately the FL is not the heroine for me.I never saw her like this.She was drown into her own revenge.She lost herself in the process.Well she was a lost soul to begin with.She followed blindly Choi Moo Jin,she was manipulated.She should have know better.After all she had a cop's training.Never once sits back to think,search and analyze all the facts.

Side notes: The ending -unlike many-didn't affect me or my overall rating/feelings about this Drama.Made no difference to me,as i wasn't attached to any of the characters.Obviously this isn't good for a Drama.It simply means the viewer was not touched/related and/or sympathized the chars.

As for the romance.Totally unnecessary.Unrealistic.Out of the blue.With no ground at all.I guess the writer already knew herself so she added it only in the last episode!She thought she would add more drama to the Drama!Didn't work for me.

Revenge based on mind games intrigues me more than those based on beating!

Is not the worst.Is not the best.It is only 8 hours.Squeeze it in your schedule or watch it to take a break from your regular dramas/genres.Or don't!!Up to you!

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Han So-Hee can kick ass!

My Name is violent, revenge-themed kdrama.

What I liked:
1) Han So-Hee was believable in her role. She looked like she is a real trained martial artist.
2) Park Hee Soon was amazing as a ruthless tycoon & looked good with moustache.
3) I like Pil-do as supporting character who doubted Ji-woo at first.

What I disliked:
1) Yoon Ji-woo characterisation - While it's great that she can kick ass, I wish she showed emotions other than wrath. I'd love to see confusion, grief, identity doubt after the revelation of her father's killer. Her character is almost a Mary Sue to me. I think perhaps producer, director and/or writer wanted a tough female character that is devoid of vulnerability to attract certain segment of audience or keep up with supposedly "dark" theme"
2) While the fight scenes are cool, I dislike the final fight scene when Ji-woo went against multiple attackers solo. She is not a mutant with super strength. Having seen Daredevil's corridor fight scene in season 1, how could she be standing strong after fighting armed attackers?
3) While the romance angle was no surprise to me, I feel that the sex scene was sterile and meaningless. It's as though she needed to satisfy her sexual desire. When romantic interest was killed, it seemed like Ji-woo felt nothing.

Favourite scene
Ji-woo training scenes.

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wasted potential

As someone who almost always prefers shorter dramas/shows in general, I can't believe im saying how much I WISH this were longer.
The premise is pretty basic, your classic revenge story where the main characters vows to avenge a loved one's death, you can never go wrong with this! The begining of the drama was exceptionally good, introducing a set of intriguing characters and bad-ass action and fighting sequences( these stayed consistently great throughout the show) that only got me more excited for what was coming next. The middle and ending never quite outdid the begining, they didn't even do as much to reach it but my main problem lies elsewhere.
Even though this was an easy and enjoyable watch, I think both the story and the characters had so much potential to elevate this even more had they had a bit more time to develop. The relationship between the main leads was rushed and came out of nowhere, meanwhile we only got to see each character's one side and get a full grasp of who they really are ( except maybe for jiwoo). This problem to me is most obvious when looking at the character of gangjae: we were already familiar with and what he can do from the very begining, he had solid motivations for his actions and he was -to me- a great villain with a seemingly good plan to take revenge from mujin and jiwoo. But he was so underutilised and only was a threat for 3 episodes? The show had to get rid of him so fast because they didn't have more time.
Had this been 10 or 12 episodes long, I believe would have given all characters more depth and thus each big plotwist, a character's death and every other important event would have bigger impact.

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GIRL POWER

"My Name" is an intense, action-packed series that follows Yoon Ji-woo’s quest for vengeance after her father's murder. Han So Hee delivers an impressive performance, far from her previous role in Nevertheless, showing a fierce and determined character. Ahn Bo Hyun also stands out as Detective Jeon Pil-do, bringing depth to the story. The action is gripping, with well-choreographed fight scenes and fast pacing that keeps you hooked. The only flaw is the protagonist’s near-superhuman resilience, which can feel a bit exaggerated at times. Overall, "My Name" is a must-watch for fans of action and suspense, offering a thrilling ride from start to finish.

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Forgive, not to make other's life easier, but to make yours easier

My name was a brilliantly done dark thriller focusing on the theme of revenge. It proves that, if done well, it can be an entertaining focus of a show. It can also goes on to show how revenge is not something so desirable or glorific.

The story itself keeps making turns and adding plot twists, which certainly adds to the suspense. In this way, it feels like watching a crime drama trying to find the suspect.

Above everything else, I was the most pleased with the acting. Ahn Sohee portrayed Ji woo exquisitely. The pain, self hatred and ferociousness felt so real, it really had me emotionally attached. The same can be said for Ahn Bo Hyun (Pil Do). Neither of them were necessarily likeable characters, but I wished the best for them until the very end still. Choi Moo Jin was just perfect for this drama. He portrayed such a complex character with so much charisma.

The editing, production and cinematography were top notch. Action scenes can often get quite messy and surely are difficult to film, so I applaud the movie makers. Also take a notice in the darkness of this drama, and I mean that literally. The color scheme is, for the most part, on the darker side.

Alright, this might be biased, but I loved the OST's! I love swervy, so naturally, I listened to the soundtrack long before actually watching. It was perfect for the show and I really enjoyed that the music was somewhat.. distant? It wasn't overwhelming or repetitive, which is unfortunately the case with many shows.

After some consideration, I decided to leave this drama 10 stars. It left me feeling very bittersweet, but isn't that the perfect portrayal of revenge? From a psychological perspective this makes so much sense. I can not blame it for my own naivety of hoping for a noble ending.
I am happy to have watched My name; I can now understand why so many talk about it. I reccomend it to almost everyone, perhaps with the exception of those who don't like seeing blood or watching darker shows.

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Peak action

Oh that was PEAK CINEMA. It's actually not a new story — this kind of revenge drama and twist has definitely been done before, but the way it was executed, from the action/fight sequences to the soundtrack, to the emotional beats and tension...everything was just top notch.

Han So Hee is absolutely amazing in the role; the stunts (which I learned she did herself) are amazing and really make your heart pound, and she hits the perfect balance between being stoic but also being overcome with emotion. Ji-woo has to be one of my favorite female leads I've ever seen in a kdrama, EVER.

I absolutely loved Ahn Bo Hyun in the ML role as well; his role is not as heavy for sure, but he plays the part well and matches the emotional aspects perfectly.

With that being said, I cannot say enough about Park Hee Soon as Choi Mu Jin, who just absolutely blew me away. This is a drama that manages to keep its lines blurry and its antagonist characters morally gray, and I find that so impressive. The acting is amazing in both action scenes, and the quieter, tug-at-your-heartstrings ones.

While the ending was understandable and actually very fluid, I did think it was a tiny tiny bit rushed at the very end. I think I just wanted some of the other side characters to get the arc wrapped up, instead of just focusing on our female lead and nobody else. I get why the choice was made though, and in the grand scheme of how much I enjoyed this show it really is just small potatoes.

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SOOOOO GOOOOOOD

ahhh! I'm still screaming! I had been putting this show off because from the trailer and the synopsis the main character's dad dies and when this show came out I had lost my dad recently so I didn't know if I was ready for it. I finally started the show and was instantly so immersed in her story and finding the truth! Gahhhhhh! I was so addicted! I absolutely love this actress, Han So Hee, She did a phenomenal job with this character. She really grew and showed the lengths she was willing to go to, to find the truth. I don't want to give any spoilers but this is one of those shows that keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing and all I can say it I'm still screaming. this show made me feel a type of way so many mixed emotions. Also the ending threw out a curve ball that I never expected and I was absolutely devastated! This was such a great action packed drama. I'm so sad it was so short.

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Kinda mid but still worth watching because it's so short

My main reason for watching My Name was because of Han So Hee and she (and all the other actors) truly delivered with their skills. However, the story was just...mid? It started off as a very generic revenge story that kind of made me yawn. The fight scenes were great BIG KUDOS to the actors. In the middle, it become a little more exciting. I know many think otherwise and this is likely because they predicted everything. But lol I was gullible (and biased against the law/cops) so I definitely did not process some of the very predictable plot twists until later which made the experience more enjoyable for me. What was missing for me was the connection to and between the characters because of the lack of significant character interactions/dialogue that would make them important to each other and important to me. There was no bonding between the Narcotics department. I also honestly didn't see much of a romantic/sexual connection between Pildo and Jiwoo until literally the night they fucked lmao. I can suspend disbelief though because that connection can be reasonably justified by their near death experiences together and the empathy he showed her. But overall from the police group to Mujin, it just didn't feel like the formation of a deep connection to Jiwoo was depicted well enough for the feeling of grief and betrayal to truly sink in for either parties. Speaking of Mujin, my biggest issue was that everything he did accounted to nothing at the end. Like what was the reason for all that drama and ruining lives and wasting resources and money and time...it's just kind of absurd to see from a seemingly smart mastermind ugh he’s so fine but so annoying LMAOO. Finally, what pissed me off the most was that all of it would've never happened if Cha Giho had literally just showed up to address the case of Song Joonsu at the station where Jiwoo was when it first happened. Like how do you fuck up that bad. But I guess that was the whole point with Mujin setting everything up. The thing I liked was the ending and theme of no one being good or bad, justice never being served and her initial goal of becoming a monster for revenge being achieved because lol it’s so edgy. I just don’t like revenge stories and I don’t like open endings that aren’t satisfying.

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Bad blood

Holy shit this is what I call an amazing drama.
How should I begin? Well it’s always a pleasure to see Boo Hyun's acting, he’s absolutely gorgeous and an amazing actor.
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I never thought I would like this so much, I really wasn’t expecting to be this good but since the first episode when Jiwoo kicks that girl's ass I got obsessed… Jiwoo wasn’t good at all, she had a lot of anger in that heart but when she decides to do the right thing Pil Do dies and she ends up where she started, I really felt sorry for her in that moment, that shows us that sometimes when people try to get better something just comes and break them in pieces and makes them don’t want to change anymore because that doesn’t make things easier…..
While I was watching the drama I think my biggest emotion was anger, I was really angry with EVERYTHING, I was deeply in love with Moon Jin, yes he was one of the bad guys but he looked so hurted with everything that happened to Jiwoo's father that I kinda forgot that he was a murderer, trafficant, etc…
I really enjoyed the ending, I’m not happy with Pil Do's death at all but I think that was the trigger that Jiwoo was waiting for? I don’t know how to explain but he’s death was necessary in that point of the series. I like that they sort of gave us an open ending, we know she’s fine, she survived that big ass fight with Daddy Moon Jin but we don’t know nothing else, how she’s living, if she has problems with the cops (probably she has) so they give us the chance to choose an ending ourselves.

P.S. this is one of the dramas that makes me realise that I’m a f*cking red flag, I always ALWAYS fall for the tattooed and old sociopaths… I really don’t understand why they’re always so charming, hot and bad… they’re the whole package ahahaha

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Breathtaking fights, convincing acting and great music

I'll keep it short.

The fights were incredible, especially the "fight club style" one. This fight left a pretty heavy impression on me since it portrayed in a somewhat experimental way. It was most likely taken in one take since little to no cuts at all were present. I don’t even want to know how much time this took.

The story was interesting as well, at some point the focus on her revenge was somewhat lost but I was still satisfied with the end since a good and fitting solution was found.

The acting was pretty good as well, I especially liked Ji Woo's mix of expressionlessness and fury/hate. This made it pretty obvious that she was only set out on revenge and lost herself in it.

Overall, I think it is a great watch with a rewatch potential. I hope you consider watching it.

Enjoy.

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A Powerful Story of Revenge and Redemption

'My Name' is a dark and violent story of a daughter's vengeance. Starting at the bottom of a crime ring, one young woman who witnessed her father's death seeks to rise up from the very ashes of her own ruined life to seek revenge. With the help of the crime lord who knew her father, she erases her very name and past to enter the ranks of the police force to find her father's murderer.

I was absolutely enthralled by the first episode. The tragedy that becomes a 'phoenix from the ashes' story as the female lead transitions from someone weak and powerless into someone driven and capable really hits home as you witness her near one-track mind to hunt down the man who murdered her father, only for there to be growth, self-realization, and learning to live, all while fighting to actually stay alive in the turbulent world she's thrown herself headlong into.

The script and story, the filming and lighting, the soundtrack and the acting: it was all you could ask for and more. The entire series is short, only eight episodes, and is perfect for a binge session if that's what you're looking for. Covering the genres of crime, mystery, thriller, action, and even a passionate romance (enemies to lovers) -- this story has it all and is packed with power while still maintaining a great storyline. It's action-packed while being all about the plot and story with no filler or fluff.

The fight scenes are a force to be reckoned with, and beautifully executed. The lighting is masterfully done with the colors being vibrant and crisp with great contrast. The camera angles and lines are excellent and clear. The acting is flawless and each character plays their part perfectly. The soundtrack is so dynamic and complimentary to each scene and episode. It's been a while since I've seen something I enjoyed so thoroughly. 10/10. Would watch again!

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