My Name

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Analysis

Synopsis

After her father’s brutal murder, Yoon Ji Woo decides to join and work under Choi Mu Jin, the boss of a powerful drug organization. Thanks to him, she manages to join the police force, working undercover for Mu Jin. But the more she investigates, the more Ji Woo realizes that what she knows may not be entirely the truth.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Awesome! I simply loved that drama! Not only because the female lead is really badass, but also because the plot is well-knitted, the events occur with a lot of fluidity and the action is breathtaking. No wonder the actors spent months in an action school in order to make their scenes so perfect!

Beware though, My Name is a really violent and brutal drama, a lot of fights, blood and deaths. So if you are a bit too sensitive, you should be informed beforehand. Apart from that, if action and revenge are your go-to, then My Name is a must-watch!

I only have one little regret: the twist is a bit predictable, though amazing in the end. I don’t know if you have seen this drama before, but the entire story of My Name reminded me of a mini-drama called Killer K, that is based on the same revenge scenario. If you haven’t seen it, go ahead!

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Right from the first episode, Yoon Ji Woo (Han So Hee) proves that she is no ordinary woman. Despite being harassed by police officers looking for her father, and being bullied at school, her resilience is incredible. She is already a strong person and sets the tone for the rest of the drama.

After witnessing the murder of her father (right behind her house door), she has only one idea in mind: finding the killer and getting her revenge. From then on, a long journey made up of pain, betrayal and suffering starts for Ji Woo. Indeed, the police refuses to investigate the murder pretending that there is no proof (when in reality they don’t want to look for the killer of a gangster). This leads to Ji Woo bearing a lot of resentment towards them, and forces her to endorse the role of the police herself. 4 years later, she physically joins the police and does the job others couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do.

On top of being very determined, resilient and strong-headed, Ji Woo is also very clever. She understands from the very beginning that she needs support in order to find the murderer, and what better support there is than that of a drug lord!? So, she turns to Choi Mu Jin (Park Hee Soon), who takes her under his wings and teaches her everything there is to know to survive. Meanwhile, he uses her to infiltrate the police force and give him information.

As Ji Woo, who later becomes Oh Hye Jin, can only rely on Mu Jin to protect her and help her, she blindly trusts him and becomes her most loyal soldier. I would say that Ji Woo’s weakness is her naivety for that matter. Yet, Mu Jin in the one who tricked her and created a situation in which Ji Woo had no other choice but to rely on him. Lonely, with no family, no help, it was only normal that she held on the hand that he reached out to her.

All in all, Ji Woo is a badass female lead, who fights like no other. She seems unbreakable, despite her numerous injuries, and doesn’t fear death. I guess that is also one of the reasons as to why she is able to get her revenge at the end. Interestingly though, the character is more complex than it seems. Ji Woo suspects, doubts, and shows a more humane side of her, especially to Jeon Pil Do (Ahn Bo Hyun). Therefore, we are able to understand her motivations and her actions. There was no turning back for her from the get-go, although she aspired to a “quieter” life.

At first, Jeon Pil Do appears to be quite antagonistic towards Ji Woo. First, she is a woman (so he thinks he would have to take care of her in case of trouble), second she is rather discreet and reserved (she doesn’t talk about her personal life), and third she is quite suspicious, always appearing and disappearing on crime scenes. No wonder Pil Do doubts her!

The twist here is that we could’ve thought that Pil Do was yet another police officer, who would try to arrest Mu Jin and Ji Woo. However, this is absolutely not what happens. Instead of fighting Ji Woo, Pil Do embraces her and her past. He manages to connect with her story, as he has gone through the same years before. He is also the only person with whom Ji Woo actually shows her true self, the one she had buried deep down. She becomes more humane with him and almost gives up on her revenge. Unfortunately for her, Pil Do is killed by Mu Jin. That was the trigger she needed to go through with her revenge.

I have to say that I appreciated Pil Do. Even though I had my doubts at first, he turned out to be very understanding and empathetic. He was also loyal, defending Ji Woo in front of his colleagues; and soft, poking her humane side to make her envision her life differently. A very positive character in the end!

Last but not least character of the main trio, there is Choi Mu Jin. First, is there a more charismatic drug lord than him? I don’t think so. Second, he is certainly the most complex character of the drama. Although he has done bad things, he has killed many and betrayed Ji Woo, we can’t help but feeling empathetic towards him.

Simply put, Choi Mu Jin met a gangster called Yoon Dong Hoon (Ji Woo’s father). He became like a brother to Mu Jin, accompanying him everywhere and helping him with the organization. Yet, Choi Mu Jin uncovered one day Dong Hoon’s real identity as police officer Song Joon Su. At that precise moment, Mu Jin realized he had been betrayed and thus killed Dong Hoon. At first, he had no intention of taking care of Ji Woo, but she begged him to help her find her father’s killer. So, he decided to train her, shelter her and protect her, until she was strong enough to avenge her father.

Honestly, I think that Mu Jin tortured himself after the death of Dong Hoon. He trusted him with his life and considered him a brother. Killing him must’ve been the most painful act he has ever done. He felt guilty and empty after that, but above all deeply wounded by the betrayal. That’s why he took care of Ji Woo. When she came to him looking for support, Mu Jin probably saw a way to punish himself for what he had done, since he couldn’t forgive himself. He needed Ji Woo, because she was the only one capable of killing him and “saving” him from his own Hell.

Somehow, Mu Jin’s behavior is understandable. He has always trusted people with his life, but no one ever trusted him completely. In the end, he always turned out to be the one betrayed. This emphasized his feeling of solitude, not having a single friend to rely on. Dong Hoon was probably the only person whom he ever considered his friend. That’s why killing him was so painful. Moreover, I truly believe that he considers Ji Woo as a daughter. After all, he constantly protects her, even when he knows that she is coming to get him. In the end, that ‘s exactly what he wanted. Plus, he wanted to show that he was not the only monster. By avenging herself, Ji Woo became one as well.

Ambiance: Although the atmosphere of the drama is dark, emotions are almost palpable. There is cruelty, tension, brutality (especially with Do Gang Jae (Chang Ryul)). I can’t tell how much I loved the fight scenes, always done with knives, which added to the bloody ambiance.

On top of that, I have to applaud actors’ performances as well: Park Hee Soon (Mu Jin) was really charismatic and elegant in all circumstances. As for Han So Hee (Ji Woo), she was the embodiment of a tired person, who was fighting for revenge. Her intense expressions and fighting abilities reinforced the inner turmoil of her character on screen, turning her into a real Lady Vengeance.

Finally, the OST “My Name”, written by Hwang Sang Jun perfectly fit that overall atmosphere, conveying strength and pain at the same time!

What are the themes tackled?

The mafia world: My Name did an excellent job at depicting two types of gangs, that eventually clash in the drama. The first one is Dongcheon Gang, led by Choi Mu Jin. It is the closest representation of what the mafia actually looks like. Dongcheon has a charismatic, strict and powerful leader, Mu Jin. Not only does he know how to fight, but he is also a real businessman (he is the most important drug lord in the country, always accompanied by his lawyer). Moreover, he is at the same time feared and respected by his men. He protects them when need be, but he is also capable of destroying and killing them if they betray him. Gang Jae’s situation shows perfectly that two-sided face of Dongcheon’s leader. When Mu Jin discovers he has tried to hurt and kill Ji Woo, he scars him and throws him out forever.

Dongcheon Gang is also very structured, as men follow the hierarchy. On top stand Mu Jin is seconded by Jung Tae Ju (Lee Hak Joo), a loyal right-hand. Then, a clear line of command follows. The success of the organization comes from that functioning, that echoes that of the military and that is typical in mafia.

Finally, Dongcheon Gang has principles and beliefs. They have values, such as honor (hence the reward for the survivor of the boxing fight), loyalty (hence the tattoo on the chest) and respect. If your behavior doesn’t match these, you can’t be part of the group. Once again, that’s the reason why Gang Jae is expelled: he didn’t respect, nor honored his winning opponent Ji Woo. Therefore, he tainted those values, forcing Mu Jin to get rid of him.

Opposite to Dongcheon Gang, there is Gang Jae and his group of thugs. Although he wishes to take over Mu Jin’s place on the market, he is clearly not equipped to do so. Indeed, his men are thugs, incapable of following proper orders. There is no respect, no loyalty among them, leading to some chaotic events, especially when Gang Jae is cornered and has to confront Mu Jin alone. Gang Jae is also a coward, who resorts to calling the police in order to stop Mu Jin.

There is a clear distinction between both leaders, showing why one is so successful, and why the other would never be able to raise up to his level (although that’s his wish). Indeed, Mu Jin is clean, controlled, cool-headed and rational. Contrary to him, Gang Jae is eaten by his own anger and rage, he is a drug addict, very impulsive and never thinks about the consequences of his actions. This could only lead to Gang Jae’s fall (like literally, as he falls from a bridge in a construction site, after having been shot by Ji Woo).

Renouncing one’s identity in the name of revenge: Blinded by revenge, Ji Woo had no other choice but to renounce herself entirely. She wiped out her personal desires, her future and her identity as a whole to become Oh Hye Jin, “Mu Jin’s dog”. Throughout the drama, Ji Woo has entirely denied herself and walked down the path of revenge. That is her one and only objective.

However, her encounter with Pil Do makes her reconsider her choice. Indeed, she confesses everything to him, from her real identity to the reason behind her actions. Pil Do accepts her without hesitation and chooses to support her and help her regaining her identity. At that precise moment, Ji Woo is able to think about herself, her needs, and envision a life for herself that is not flooded by blood. That vision is only possible because of Pil Do. So when Pil Do is killed by Mu Jin before her eyes, she has no other option but to go through with her revenge. Her life as Ji Woo is over, as much as that as Hye Jin.

She loses herself by killing Mu Jin at the end, cutting all previous strings and remaining nameless. The title of the drama perfectly echoes her two-sided personality: she comes and goes between her two identities as Ji Woo and Hye Jin, wondering what her name is and how she should put an end to that story. In the end, she leaves with no identity whatsoever. Ji Woo and Hye Jin are dead. The only way forward is to re-build herself and create a new identity. Still, we are allowed to wonder what her name is going to be.

Betrayal and its dire consequences: Despite the fact that one is a drug lord and the other a tortured woman, Mu Jin and Ji Woo are actually quite similar. Interestingly, they follow the same path, but at different stages of the drama. Let’s dive into it rapidly:
– Connection with Dong Hoon/Joon Su
==> Mu Jin and Dong Hoon were like brothers, who fought side by side in Dongcheon Gang / Joon Su is Ji Woo’s father

– Strong bond and established trust
==> Mu Jin and Dong Hoon were very close, to the point that Mu Jin didn’t notice Dong Hoon’s double life / Ji Woo and Mu Jin were very close, to the point that Ji Woo didn’t notice that Mu Jin was manipulating and tricking her

– Betrayal
==> Mu Jin discovered that Dong Hoon was actually a cop / Ji Woo discovered that Mu Jin was in fact her father’s killer

– Revenge
==> Mu Jin killed Dong Hoon despite his affection / Ji Woo killed Mu Jin despite her affection

– Freedom
==> Mu Jin dies free from his past, killed by the person he cared about the most and punished for what he did / Ji Woo frees herself from her past by killing Mu Jin, the last person she cared for

Quite the same life path, right? Apart from the fact that Ji Woo is still alive.

Echo and double projections: Ji Woo is at a crossroad in her life. She has two paths in front of her that lead to very different future. The first possibility is if she renounces her revenge, like her partner Pil Do did. She has a chance of salvation and peace. Pil Do here is a projection of what her future could look like if she stops now.

But as she is about to give up and accept the hand Pil Do reaches out, her past catches up with her and Mu Jin forces her on the other path. His. The path of revenge, on which only one can survive. Mu Jin’s death represents Ji Woo’s victory but also her demise, since she turned into a monster to destroy her opponent.

These two projections echo somehow Mu Jin’s idea that in life you are either a prey or a predator. Choosing Pil Do’s path would make a prey out of Ji Woo, when she is clearly a predator, an idea that Mu Jin demonstrated her by having Ji Woo kill him.

P.S.: Did you know that the director of My Name Kim Min Jin and the OST singer Hwang Sang Jun have also participated in the making of another Netflix hit: Extracurricular? If you haven’t watch it, I highly recommend you do!