My Name (2021)

Her Name is Fury

Fight Club meets Infernal Affairs with a dash of La Femme Nikita, Anna, Atomic Blonde, Kill Bill and Villainess, among others. That’s how I would describe this drama in a sentence.

My Name is an utterly visceral tale of one woman’s odyssey of vengeance through the deepest pits of Seoul’s dark underbelly and vicious criminal underworld that is seeped in brutality and cruelty. This drama is not for the faint-hearted for its many scenes of pure, unadulterated violence and bloodshed will most certainly induce much consternation indeed.

Based on an original screenplay, this production is helmed by Kim Jin Min, whose previous works include Extracurricular and Lawless Lawyer, and headlined by Han So Hee, of The World of the Married and Nevertheless fame. The Grand Bell Award-winning composer, Hwang Sang Jun, serves as music director.

The narrative is not groundbreaking, for those acquainted with the genre. However, when the re-telling of a similar concept is executed well, it can be an absolute joy to behold and may open doors to new fans of this dark thriller and suspense genre. My Name certainly accomplishes this, in my humble opinion, through a fascinating take on the classic revenge and betrayal plot with a focus on gritty storytelling infused with incredible cast performances and which does not shy away from highly graphic and explicit visual language. For the most part I’m quite pleased with the direction and tempo of the story development which manages to sustain the momentum of the intensity, tension and suspense. I have no major complaints over the design of certain plot devices and twists as well as the final outcome. The fact that there is absolutely zero comedic absurdity and contrived humour is a major boon for me as well.

Over the course of only 8 episodes at 50 minutes each, I did not lose interest or feel a smidgen of boredom. The action is breathlessly high-octane featuring countless fight scenes ranging from mass brawls to hand-to-hand combats involving the use of a variety of weapons. Despite composing a major proportion of the entire drama, some of the quieter and more poignant moments are interspersed throughout, including an extremely brief romantic interlude in the very last episode.

Likewise, as far as the production quality is concerned, there are no discernible major issues. The high production value is reflected in the art direction while technical execution is outstanding. I love the fact that the cinematography perfectly captures the action sequences because oftentimes these scenes are ruined by shoddy camerawork or poor post-production editing and visual effects, which is not the case here. Credit goes to the relentless efforts of the action choreographer and the cast themselves in performing the rather complicated and dangerous stunts. In particular the varied fight scenes involving mixed martial arts movements and knife fights in open spaces as well as cramped indoor settings.

The biggest praise is reserved for the cast themselves, and none more so than the lead actress, Han So Hee. My Name is a character-driven story where the failure or success is fully dependent on the depiction of the main character in question. Thankfully it is the latter because Han So Hee has unreservedly dispelled the doubts surrounding her ability to tackle this lead role which she does so magnificently with aplomb. Sometimes a role does not suit the performer, which seems to be the massive feedback from her previous performance in Nevertheless, but the characterization of Yoon Ji Woo, the FL here, is such a perfect fit for she truly embodies the persona in totality. The believability in her portrayal of sheer agony and torment, single-minded determination and strong will as well as the physical exertions inflicted from the challenges and ordeals that she faces in her pursuit of retribution. It is certainly not an exaggeration to declare unequivocally that Han So Hee thoroughly slayed this role.

Park Hee Soon deserves praise for his portrayal of Choi Moo Jin. This man oozes class, charisma and screen presence as the mafia leader of Dongcheon gang. Together with the hugely experienced and recognisable Kim Sang Ho as police detective Cha Gi Ho, both these men provide excellent support to Han So Hee’s main character that elevates this production to greater heights.

An aspect worth mentioning is the music. I love the retro beats of synthwave which complements the more contemporary rock element in a captivating combo that makes up the score by Hwang Sang Jun, who additionally composed two tracks out of the 3 OSTs in the drama.

My Name featuring Swervy and JEMINN
Mediocre Life featuring Pre-Holiday
A Thought is Haunting Me by Raphael Lake & Royal Baggs

All things considered, it’s been quite a while since I was last invested in a compellingly raw and savage journey of vengeance by a ferocious female character in an Asian drama. I’ve been dying for a bona fide strong FL in every sense of the word. Not a poser or a pretender but an actual badass who literally kicks ass. This has been an incredibly worthwhile viewing experience. Bravo!

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Do you want revenge regardless of the price?

Dark, suspenseful, violence and heartbreaking, “My Name” tells a story of a woman who lost her father and then she chose to lose herself in order to take revenge.

“My Name” is an action thriller with the revenge trope as a main theme so the story doesn’t have much depth and it’s somehow predictable but overall, the drama is entertaining. It has many good action scenes and the choreographed fights are very well executed. The gore is also very realistic so trigger-warning: “My Name” has extreme violence that may not be suitable for everyone.

The story is also well written and it doesn’t lose its interest. The pace is good, not too slow nor too fast and it can be binged-watched easily. The length of 8 episodes is good enough to tell the whole story without leaving anything untold and without making the viewers bored or tired of it.

What was really likable about the story was the building of the protagonist’s character. Yoon Ji Woo has a powerful spirit within an unpowerful body which she eventually manages to build up after living, or better surviving, in a very brutal environment. She is indeed a very dynamic woman who doesn’t let anything or anyone keep her away from her goal, revenge. Seeing her journey through Han so Hee’s surprisingly good portrayal was satisfying and thrilling.

The relationship dynamics in the drama are also impressive. Yoo Ji Woo’s and Choi Moo Jin’s relationship was very unique and special. Their chemistry was perfect and there was always a tension and a mystery between them. Yoo Ji Woo’s and Jeon Pil Do’s relationship was also good and well written. Their relationship played an important role in Yoon ji Woo’s character’s final set up.

The production is of course decent, as we expected from a Netflix original show. The shots, the sceneries, the camera’s transitions during the action/fight scenes were all very well made and everything was on point. The music was very suitable and gave the right mood to the audience in every scene but personally I think that it wasn’t so memorable. All in all, it’s obvious that the production team and the actors worked very hard for this drama.



“My Name” has a lot of good elements that make it a decent drama. However, as its plot is very common, I can’t say that it was an exceptional drama but it’s good enough if you want to see an action mini-series where the main lead is a strong woman who is willing to sacrifice everything in order to succeed.

Last but not least, the way she is realizing what’s the price she has to pay for her revenge which slowly became the purpose of her life and imprisoned her, was very heartbreaking and, personally speaking, the strongest moment of the drama. Is revenge really what we should be seeking for? Is it worth it?

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