My Name Review: Revenge, Betrayal, and the K-Drama That Started It All

A near masterpiece that opened a new world for me, even if I had to rewrite the ending in my head.

Korean Drama Name: 마이 네임 (My Name)

Where To Watch: Netflix ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 8.7/10 (Mydramalist)

My Rating: 9.5/10

One Sentence Description: A drama that starts with fire and ends in heartbreak, with a lead who deserved more than pain and betrayal. 

Trailer:

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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CONTENT WARNING:I hope you’ve already seen this show and know what the deal is. But in case you don’t, I felt like I should add in a little warning. This show has slight mentions of Sexual Assault. And since this is a review, I do also talk about this (in relation to the show only). Please be aware of that before you continue and be mindful of it. Stay safe ❤️

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Simple Description

My Name follows a fierce young woman determined to hunt down her father’s killer.

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⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review

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The Review

The Good

I Love Fierce Main Leads

If you’ve read my other reviews, you already know that I love when female characters take control and get revenge for themselves. Ji Woo didn’t just survive, she dominated. She stood her ground, trained relentlessly, and became one of the strongest fighters in the entire show. That scene where the men tried to assault her and she said, “Not today”? Iconic. I’m always here for unapologetic female power, and My Name delivered.

Short And Sweet

One thing I’ll forever appreciate is how short this drama was. So many K-dramas drag in the middle just to fill 16 episodes, and it kills the momentum. My Name kept it tight with 8 episodes, and it was perfect. Barely any filler, and even when it slowed down, it was necessary for the story. They didn’t waste time, they didn’t overstuff it, they just delivered a killer plot with killer pacing. Honestly, other shows should take notes: short can absolutely hit just as hard (if not harder).

My First Drama Ever!

This one’s personal, but it matters. My Name was the very first K-drama I ever watched, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. For most of my life, I thought live-action shows were boring (I was all about Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, anime, etc.), but then I realised it was just Hollywood that wasn’t doing it for me. Same formulas, same clichés, same everything. My Name cracked the door wide open and pulled me into a whole new world of storytelling. Since then, I’ve never looked back. That’s why, no matter what flaws it has, I could never rate it below a 9.  It gave me a new hobby, a new obsession, and a new appreciation for storytelling. It helped me gain something real and I’ll always be grateful for that.

The Bad

I’m sorry My Name, but I must. We’re still besties though 🫶

This Could’ve All Lowkey Been Avoided

Honestly, this whole mess feels like it didn’t even need to happen. Her dad was out here dealing with dangerous thugs every day, and yet nobody thought to protect his daughter? Rival gangs could’ve easily grabbed her, used her as leverage, or worse. And still, no one—not even the police chief—kept her under watch. When her father died, Captain Cha should’ve told her the truth from the start and taken her under his wing instead of letting her run straight into Mu Jin’s arms. They didn’t have to expose the undercover mission, but at the very least, someone should’ve cared enough about his family to keep her safe. Instead, they basically left her wide open to the exact tragedy that unfolded. All that extra trauma? It could’ve been avoided if someone cared about her father’s family the way they cared about him.

Unrealistic Fighting

I love a girl boss moment as much as anyone, but some of these fight scenes had me side-eyeing. How exactly was she taking down dozens of fully trained, grown men by herself? I can suspend disbelief for two or three — maybe even five if she’s lucky — but entire mobs? Come on. I’ll give credit where it’s due: they didn’t pretend she walked away without a scratch. But still. This is a brutal, honest review, and we’re not skipping anything.

Pil Do’s Unnecessary Death

Can we talk about Pil Do’s death? Because wow—what a waste. It was so unnecessary. Why couldn’t he have just gotten into a car crash and lived, or literally anything that didn’t rip away her last shot at happiness? The timing made it even worse. She just started caring about him—basically the night before—and then he’s gone? It didn’t even feel natural, it felt like plot convenience at the expense of her healing. The writers clearly decided she wasn’t allowed one ounce of peace, and it just left me frustrated instead of emotional.

The Romance Came Out of Nowhere

I noticed this in a lot of other people’s comments and I 100% agree. The romance felt random, forced, and completely out of place. Ji Woo and Pil Do had little, if any, romantic chemistry the whole show. Then suddenly, they’re spending the night together? It felt like a Hollywood move — toss in a sex scene for the sake of it, not because it adds anything.

There was no tension, no buildup, no emotional groundwork. It didn’t feel like two people who’d been slowly falling for each other. It felt tacked on. They acted like co-workers at best and not even the kind who hang out after work. It felt like the writers wanted us to see Ji Woo care about someone so that when he died, we’d understand her pain. As if we didn’t already understand her pain. She’s been through hell. We didn’t need a rushed romance to validate her grief.

What Was Mu Jin’s Deal?

And don’t even get me started on Mu Jin. One minute, she’s like a daughter to him, the next he’s killing everyone she loves and practically begging her to come after him. But why though? She already had a mountain of reasons to hate him—he lied to her for years, used her in the police force, and, oh yeah, killed her dad. She didn’t need another push. She had trauma stacked on trauma. His obsession made no sense.

And the logic? Even worse. I also saw a comment asking why Mu Jin didn’t just fabricate evidence against the chief instead of sending Ji Woo into the police station and risking exposure. And honestly? Same. He had the power, resources, and smarts to pull it off. But no, let’s send her, the one person most likely to uncover the truth. Genius move. Then to top it off, he breaks her out of jail, kills her man, and practically dares her to kill him. Like—what even is this relationship? Twisted father figure? Obsessive frenemy? Toxic life coach? Whatever it was supposed to be, it ended up feeling messy and inconsistent, which is wild because the show had such strong potential everywhere else.

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What I Would Do

A Real Happy Ending, Please

Let’s be honest—Ji Woo didn’t get a happy ending at all. She’s a fugitive. Her potential love interest is dead. Her “father” figure played her for years. And now she’s alone, traumatized, and still carrying the weight of everyone she’s lost. There’s no healing, no closure, no peace. And that’s a problem. So in my version? She finally gets her peace.

Option one: she gets pardoned through her father’s history or Captain Cha’s pull, or even proves her own innocence. She kills Mu Jin, wakes up in the hospital with Pil Do by her side, and there’s a detective badge waiting for her on the nightstand. Her father gets honoured with a proper ceremony, and she continues his legacy in the police force. Healing, closure, and a future—boom.

Option two: she doesn’t kill Mu Jin but takes him down the right way. Picture this: she has the chance to kill him, but Pil Do stops her, reminding her she’s not just a girl seeking revenge, she’s an officer of the law— like her father. And no, Mu Jin doesn’t just “find a way out.”He’s sent to a prison run by his rival gang, and they’re told he ratted. If you’ve seen Vincenzo, you know exactly how that ends. He still dies, but this time it makes sense.

Either way, Ji Woo walks away with some kind of peace. Not as Hye Jin, the alias forced on her, but as Ji Woo—the woman who fought, survived, and gets to start over on her own terms.

Mu Jin’s Feelings Would Actually Make Sense

Now let’s talk Mu Jin, because his “I raised you like a daughter but also want to destroy you” switch-up was confusing at best. In my rewrite, his feelings would actually be clear. He genuinely comes to see Ji Woo as his daughter, and his lies about her father’s death aren’t to manipulate her for fun—they’re because he’s terrified she’ll turn on him (which she eventually does).

If we decide to keep Mu Jin cold and distant, it’s not because he doesn’t care — it’s because he’s scared. Scared of losing her. Scared of being killed by the only person he ever saw as family.

We’d also get subtle moments showing how much he cares. Maybe a flashback as he’s dying or being arrested — Tae Ju asks who he trusts to take over if he’s gone, and Mu Jin says, “Ji Woo.” It’s a shock. Especially since, early on, he said he’d burn everything before giving a cent to anyone. Or instead, during the flashback, when he almost died during the fight with Gang Jae and he’s laying in the mountains with the monk, he’s determined to live. And for the first time it’s not for him. It’s because he has to make sure Ji Woo is alright. He’d also joke (during the flashback) how he’d only want to be killed by someone worthy of killing him. Maybe he lets her kill him or arrest him to prove it. It’s not about pitying him. It’s about understanding him. Giving him just enough character development to make his downfall hit harder.

Ji Woo Would Get Breadcrumbs Along the Way

The gun was supposed to be a major clue but it barely led anywhere. Ji Woo didn’t fully understand the truth until she read the letter from Captain Cha, and by then, it felt like the story had skipped over all the buildup. In my version, she’d get breadcrumbs along the way.

Mu Jin could slip up and say something oddly specific that sticks in her mind, something that doesn’t add up. Captain Cha, instead of keeping her father’s honour locked in a vault, would casually defend him whenever someone called him a thug. Maybe Cha mentions how her father always carried a knife with a very distinct design. Ji Woo files it away, half-remembering, not quite sure. Then, a few episodes later, she spots Mu Jin with that exact knife. Suddenly the cogs start turning, the deja vu hits hard. She wants to deny it—but when she finally reads her father’s letter, the truth slams down and she can’t escape it anymore.

That would’ve been so much more satisfying than relying on a random gun clue that raises more questions than it answers. Like seriously—how did Mu Jin even get her father’s gun in the first place?

No Romance, No Whiplash

Look, I get it. It was only eight episodes, and romance was never supposed to be the main focus. But if you don’t have the time to make it work, the best option is obvious: don’t do it at all. DUHHH.

There was clearly no time for romance with all the action and emotional trauma going on. I’d take it out completely. Pil Do’s desire to help her wouldn’t come from love — it would come from respect. He’d understand what she’s been through and support her as a partner, not a lover.

Just because you have a male and female lead working together doesn’t mean they’re attracted to each other — and it definitely doesn’t mean they need to sleep together. Removing the romance would’ve made the show feel tighter, more focused, and less like it was trying to check boxes.

A Potential Plot Twist

Now this one’s more of a fun “what if” than a fix, but hear me out. Imagine if Ji Woo knew everything from the start. After her father’s death, she receives a flash drive, email, or letter explaining everything. She knows Mu Jin is the killer. She knows she has to start from the bottom and work her way up. And the whole time, she’s playing him.

Captain Cha may or may not be in on it — doesn’t matter. Ji Woo’s mission is clear. Everything she does for Mu Jin, everything he does to her — she records it, collects proof, builds her case. And at the very end, when she’s about to kill him (like he weirdly wants), she reveals everything. To him and to us. She recognized him at the funeral. She let herself get kidnapped. She climbed the ranks. All for this moment.

But instead of killing him, she honours her father’s legacy and gets justice. With all the evidence, she clears her name and puts Mu Jin behind bars. She still gets her happy ending — and finally finds peace.

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Final Thoughts

In the end, I could never not like this show. I won’t get sentimental (because I already did), but I’m so glad this was the first drama I watched. The issues I found only really showed up once I started nitpicking for a professional review, and even then they never erased how much I loved the ride.

Years later, it’s wild to spot so many actors from other shows and realise how well this cast was. The pacing, the fights, and Ji Woo’s sheer ferocity stayed with me, even if the romance and Pil Do’s death rubbed me the wrong way. All that said, this was a near masterpiece for me. Thank you, My Name, for opening the door to a whole new world. I think — no, I know — I love you. 🫶

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That’s a wrap on My Name! I don’t know why I feel so sentimental over this show! I mean it only changed my entire life, gave it interest, and opened a door to a whole new world…

Anyways, this is the first review that I’m actually kind of sad to finish. It was nice to take a trip down memory lane and see how far I’ve come but life must go on. What was your first ever drama that opened the doors to the Korean Drama world?

My next review is going to be on another drama that I watched quite early on in my journey. It’s quite popular and has one of my favourite male actors in it, so get ready for that next week!

I hope you enjoyed this review and I’ll see you next week! 💕

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