Revenge and muuuuuuurder!!! Just trying to get Kmuse and Kdrama Jen’s attention. They are the bloodthirstiest of the Fangirls and this show did not disappoint. My Name is another Korean drama produced by Netflix and they let the blood run free and the female lead reign supreme. Han So Hee rocked this role and was flanked by the new hottie on the scene, Ahn Bo Hyun, and a very seasoned hottie, Park Hee Soon. Join us as we give mostly a first impression, but also our spoiler-free thoughts on the series, because we binged this puppy in 24 hours.
Action Scenes!
If you are faint at heart when it comes to knife fights, you will not last long in this drama. Yoon Ji Woo (Han So Hee) loses her father and sets out to find his killer, only to be taken under the wing of her dad’s best friend. Unfortunately, dad’s BFF is the head of a drug organization, and he throws her in with his mob recruits and lets her duke it out to prove herself. The fighting is close contact, it’s brutal, and Yoon Ji Woo is a total badass. The fight choreography was interesting and varied a lot, depending on who was fighting. Many were hand-to-hand combat, with a little help from some pretty gnarly blades, but it was always a surprise as to what the fighters would use to their advantage. There were never any rules, even the cops were a bit on the excessive force side.
Drama Geek: I’m the weakest one of the bunch, and I did have to cover my eyes during some of the knife fights. That said, I really appreciated how So Hee threw herself into this character and never looked delicate or unconvincing. I believed she could beat up 20 men and come out on top.
Kmuse: You don’t often see really well-choreographed knife fights. Especially ones that have long one-take fighting sequences. You could tell that they really wanted to show how brutal a knife fight can be. It also isn’t often you see one where the blood is squirting and actual damage to both sides is obvious. My only complaint is the director preferred darker filters, giving it a gritty vibe, but they took away from the talent of the choreography just a bit.
Kdrama Jen: Yes! I love a well-choreographed fight scene, and the knife work in this drama was especially impressive. I was thoroughly invested in every stab of the blade and every punch. It looked real and raw. I loved every minute of face-stomping, knife-wielding, arm-twisting fun!
Hot Gangster Oppa
One thing I’m loving about the shows Netflix produces is that they’re bringing out actors and actresses that typically do movies. Park Hee Soon struts onto the screen as Ji Woo’s “mentor” and murder never looked so good. He is saddened by his friend’s death and tries to steer Ji Woo away from looking for his killer, but when she puts herself in harm’s way, he steps in and offers her a different life. He’s ruthless, as a drug lord should be, but you can see him soften when it comes to Ji Woo or her dad. Something that will get anyone in his position killed if they’re not smart.
Drama Geek: There was A LOT of swooning between the three of us. I must finally accept that I’m part of the Hot Murder Club. Killing just does it for me. Okay, it doesn’t always, because there were plenty of guys in this drama that made me want to puke.
Kmuse: Bwahahaha! I’m slowly converting everyone to the appreciation of a hot killer. Park Hee Soon was so charismatic and almost sympathetic at times. The conflict between using and saving Ji Woo was one of the highlights of the drama.
Kdrama Jen: So… I know he is a big baddie and all that, but can we talk about how delicious he was in this drama? I really had a difficult time remembering that he was a ruthless drug lord and that I should not be swooning. No matter how hot one looks in their suits, this should not cause us to forget about all their bad deeds. I should write that 100 times on a blackboard.
Tight Story
At nine episodes, My Name is an easy binge-watch. Leaving out all the extra fluff allows you to feel like you’re watching an action movie with just a little bit of extra story depth. Ji Woo’s character goes from a petrified teenager to a strong and intimidating violent crimes detective. We’re also allowed to watch Choi Moo Jin (Park Hee Soon) grow fond of Ji Woo and care for her like he once did her father. The rest of the cast doesn’t get in the way of Ji Woo’s revenge and they all add to the plot. There were some that felt a bit lacking, though not enough for me to complain. Again, this is more an action movie than a deep drama. I will say the show was light on the women. Except for the spattering of women in the different clubs, we have mostly outlier characters.
Drama Geek: Hot Gangster Oppa had to have his Hot Sidekick (Lee Hak Joo). He did an excellent job and I do wish I saw a little more of his jealousy and struggle to be loyal to his boss. We haven’t even mentioned Ahn Bo Hyun. I was so happy when his storyline didn’t take over and he really was the typical action love interest. He was layered enough to be interesting, and their relationship only deep enough to be sad for him when he felt betrayed. A bonus was that I finished this drama, then hopped over to Yumi’s Cells and watched Bo Hyun played Yumi’s dopey boyfriend. Both of his characters have excellent chemistry with the FL.
Kmuse: I know that it annoys some people, but I am actually a big fan of Netflix focusing on tight stories over bloated episodes. If a writer wants to do something with a lot of episodes and needs them to tell the story, I am totally OK with that. But if they want to give a tight story that gives me great character development and narrative…I’m even happier. From start to finish, the writer told the story of Ji Woo’s revenge, and it was all about her. That made me really care about finding the truth and seeing her journey. I couldn’t have been more pleased with My Name.
Kdrama Jen: There was nothing extra thrown in or side plots that didn’t make sense. This was tightly written and every minute was packed with action or meaningful dialogue. I loved that I could binge it all and only have a small amount of sleep deprivation.
Satisfying Ending
I’m sure none of you start a revenge story centered around the mob thinking everyone is going to live. You’d be smart to think that way. My Name‘s ending wasn’t warm or even that surprising, but there was a satisfaction to watching Ji Woo’s journey.
Drama Geek: As I woke up Saturday morning, I had half of 6 to go and then the rest until the end. Kmuse and Kdrama Jen had finished the day before, so I felt like I was against the clock. I brewed up my coffee and hunkered down for the rest of the series. I was not disappointed with most of it. I will say there was one scene with Hot Gangster Oppa that had me scratching my head when it came to everyone’s decisions. Didn’t really paint anyone in the most intelligent way, but I guess when you’ve always ruled with your fist, then you aren’t always thinking with your head.
Kmuse: I liked how the show truly showed how emotions can cloud one’s common sense and how My Name was driven by emotions from start to finish. It kept the story fast and strong, and while you sometimes wished that people would think before stabbing, the opposite was kind of fun to watch for a change.
Kdrama Jen: Because they didn’t think before stabbing, we had lots of great fight scenes to enjoy! I loved the twists and turns of the plot and the way the characters were so interwoven. There were a few times I was surprised by what we found out about the various motives and actions.
Would We Recommend?
Drama Geek: If you’ve read the synopsis or watched the trailer and you are interested at all, then YES. Even if revenge isn’t exactly your thing. I was very pleased with the female lead’s performance and will keep her on my MUST WATCH list.
Kmuse: We so rarely get this strong of a heroine without her being watered down with forced romance and redemption plot arcs. I 100% recommend watching this. It was a fun binge.
Kdrama Jen: If you have been looking for a character-driven, fast-paced action drama with revenge, a fierce female lead, and a hot Oppa drug lord that will make you question your morality, then THIS is the drama for you! I binged it in one evening. Don’t wait. Join our hot murderer fan club!
Yours Truly,
The Hot Murder Club aka The Fangirls
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi