Overview of My Name

While romantic K-dramas definitely create more vocal online fandoms, thrilling Korean dramas are equally popular and will have audiences on the edge of their seats.

Following her father’s murder, a revenge-driven woman puts her trust in a powerful crime boss and enters the police force under his direction to seek revenge.

‘My Name’ is a story about Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee), who goes down a dark path of revenge after her father is shot dead in front of her eyes, and she decides to find the killer’s identity. Yoon Ji-woo is well aware that her father’s death is associated with South Korea’s biggest drug crime ring, Dongcheon. The thrilling narrative takes a turn when Ji-woo becomes a monster with terrifying, cold revenge in her heart.

The violent and suspenseful K-drama features a young, strong female anti-hero whose life as a whole is driven by revenge. The noir story presented in an action-packed mood adds to the quality of the drama.

Profile

• Drama: My Name
• Director: Kim Jin-min
• Writer: Kim Ba-da
• Network: Netflix
• Episodes: 8
• Release Date: October 15, 2021
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Cast

• Han So-hee as Yoon Ji-woo / Song Ji-woo / Oh Hye-jin
  A member of Dongcheon who infiltrates the police force as Oh Hye-jin, seeking revenge for her father’s murder.
• Park Hee-soon as Choi Mu-jin
  The boss of Dongcheon (Korea’s biggest drug ring).
• Ahn Bo-hyun as Jeon Pil-do
  A detective of Inchang Metropolitan Police Station’s Narcotics unit becomes Hye-jin’s partner after she joins the unit.

Supporting

• Kim Sang-ho as Cha Gi-ho
  The leader of Inchang Metropolitan Police Station’s Narcotics unit pledges to take down Dongcheon before he retires.
• Lee Hak-joo as Jung Tae-ju
  A member of Dongcheon, he is Mu-jin’s most trusted henchman.
• Chang Ryul as Do Gang-jae
  A former member of Dongcheon, he swears revenge against the organization after getting expelled for trying to rape Ji-woo.
• Yoon Kyung-ho as Yoon Dong-hoon / Song Joon-su
  Ji-woo’s father and Mu-jin’s close friend whose murder sets off Ji-woo’s revenge journey.
• Baek Joo-hee as Kang Soo-yeon
• Moon Sang-min as Ko Gun-pyung

Synopsis

Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee) is a teenager who lives with her father, Yoon Dong-hoon (Yoon Kyung-ho). The story begins by showing a local police officer, Sergeant Cho, inquiring about Ji-woo’s missing father. The police suspect her father to be an integral member of the drug organisation, Dongcheon. At her school, her fellow students call her a druggie and constantly bully her because they all know that her father is a gangster.

On Yoon Ji-woo’s 17th birthday, Dong-hoon sends her a cake, greetings, and an iPad. However, Ji-woo ignores all texts and calls from her father and blames him for making her life a living hell. In anger, Ji-woo even tells Dong-hoon that he is no longer her father and that he is dead in her eyes. Upon hearing all these, Dong-hoon feels guilty for being an estranged father and decides to visit Ji-woo.

As Dong-hoon tries to open the lock of the apartment, a hooded killer shoots Dong-hoon twice. Even during his last moments, the father tries to protect his daughter and requests the killer not to harm Ji-woo. Ji-woo witnessed the murder.

Later, at Dong-hoon’s funeral, the leader of Dongcheon, Choi Mu-jin (Park Hee-soon), pays a visit. Choi Mu-jin is Dong-hoon’s close friend. Ji-woo regularly visits the police station to inquire about the investigation into her father’s murderer. The local police officer, Sergeant Cho, reveals that the case has been closed as no murder weapon or witness has been found.

Two Names, Two Lives

Fueled by rage, Ji-woo trained day and night in the Dongcheon gym and proved her spirit in the ring. Another character is introduced, Do Gang-jae (Chang Ryul). He drugged and tried to kill Ji-woo, and upon knowing this, Mu-jin threw Gang-jae out of the organisation.

After her hard training at Dongcheon Gym, Mu-jin thinks Ji-woo is ready for the field and thus creates a new identity for her. She got a new life and a new name, Oh Hye-jin.

Mu-jin’s most trusted henchman, Jung Tae-ju (Lee Hak-joo), informed the gym members that Gang-jae killed Ji-woo and thus had been expelled for his wrongdoing. Mu-jin believed that his friend Dong-hoon’s killer was a policeman, so he ordered Ji-woo to join the police academy. Later, Ji-woo became a part of the Violent Crimes Unit as Corporal Oh Hye-jin. Ji-woo completely forgets her identity and lives a life as Oh Hye-jin, a revenge-seeking monster.

Song Joon-su’s Murder Sets Off Ji-woo’s Revenge Journey

Ji-woo shifted to the Narcotics Department from the Violent Crimes Unit to find information about the gun that killed her father. Ji-woo helped Mu-jin when the Narcotics Team raided Mu-jin’s drug factory.

Captain Cha Gi-ho (Kim Sang-ho) of the Narcotics Bureau sent the gun to the forensic service to find out the gun’s serial number. Cha Gi-ho is the one who recruited Ji-woo. When the firearms analysis result came out, Ji-woo came to know that the gun used to kill her father belonged to Song Joon-su.

Later on, Ji-woo comes face to face with Gang-jae. Mu-jin comes to her rescue before her real identity is revealed to Jeon Pil-do (Ahn Bo-hyun). Gang-jae waged war on Ji-woo, and after a furious battle, Ji-woo killed Gang-jae. After the events, Ji-woo finally re-meets Sergeant Cho to kill him. Sergeant Cho is the officer in charge of her father’s case years ago. At his house, Ji-woo discovered that the captain had already been stabbed. Even though the captain was bleeding badly, he gave Ji-woo evidence that became a central point in her investigation.

What Is That Evidence?

According to the evidence, Ji-woo’s father, Yoon Dong-hoon’s real name was Song Joon-su. He was an undercover agent who worked for the narcotics department. Song Joon-su invaded the Dongcheon organisation to take them down. Just like Ji-woo, even her father lived a dual life with two names.

Who Killed Yoon Dong-Hoon / Song Joon-su?

In the end, Mu-jin’s trusted minion, Jung Tae-ju, who stabbed Captain Cha Gi-ho, came to kill Ji-woo. Tae-ju revealed that he wanted to kill Dong-hoon, but it was Mu-jin who killed him. Dong-hoon went to his apartment to meet his daughter on her 17th birthday, and when Dong-hoon was on the doorstep, Mu-jin, dressed in a hoodie, shot Dong-hoon twice with his service pistol.

Ending Explained

Detective Jeon Pil-do convinces Ji-woo to stop this inhuman revenge and help her bring Mu-jin to justice. Pil-do is Hye-jin’s partner at the Inchang Metropolitan Police Station’s Narcotics Unit. Hugged by love, she finds comfort in Pil-do, and Ji-woo feels right at home. He released the monster within her, and Ji-woo began to live a peaceful life.

Theme

‘My Name’ is a truly immersive story that portrays a woman’s vengeful odyssey through the deepest pits of Seoul’s dark basement and the underworld of pitiless crimes simmering in brutality and cruelty. The layered portrait of a woman in her internal and external turmoil is worth a watch.

The drama is worth much attention, as the show delivers a handsome, engaging, bloodthirsty spectacle with a lot of style and verve. ‘My Name’ employs all the usual tropes of the revenge drama without feeling tedious. A straightforward narrative rooted in the perspective of a woman who is consistently on one side or another of brutality and sets out on a dangerous quest to exact revenge. The show sheds light on how badly a fire of revenge can affect one through the tale of a woman who turns into a revenge-seeking monster.