At first glance, it looks like another one of those typical vengeance dramas, but it strays away from that. It's gripping, highly violent, and an action-packed journey that shows more than it tells.

This is the show's strength—it gets straight to the action.

The storyline is actually nothing too special, you have your main character YJW who's out to seek revenge for her father. She's completely broken and rage-filled, weak and vulnerable at the beginning until she decides to take initiative. It becomes a game of deception, infiltration, and going under cover, along with your casual twists here and there. Up to this point, the plot sounds all too familiar, but what truly stole the show for me was the thriller and intensity.

Forget whatever preconceptions you had about "gangs" from all the previous kdramas you've watched. This is the real deal. As in, Choi Mujin is the real deal. The story is flipped this time. We get an in-depth exploration of the other-world—the world of gangs, drugs, and killers. I was constantly on edge for YJW and wondering if she'd ever get caught, but besides her extreme fighting skills, she's also pretty clever. But the one who stole the show for me was CMJ. As the ring leader, you'd expect a steadfast and merciless boss. He is pretty merciless, but we also see a glimpse of his emotions. A part of him has cracks and is vulnerable, and he takes risks that he'll never know when it'll come to bite him back.

The cast is STELLAR. No character was unnecessary, they're all connected in some way. CMJ taking in KJW to help avenge her father, her going undercover to the narcotics force that happens to be targeting CMJ, and her partner JPD who she finds shares the same broken soul as her (2 broken souls are a recipe for: yes, there is some romance at the end, but it's not the focus at all). Then you got the ringleader's silent-but-deadly subordinate and the former member who's there to ruin the fun. I do wish we got a better depth of Gangjae and Taeju's characters though.

Finally, the cinematography and the music...outstanding. The camera captured the action choreography in a seamless way, it almost seems like a dance. It's crazy to think that some parts were one-shot despite the intense action. And kudos to Han Sohee who even attended action school for this, she nailed her performance.

My Name captures a familiar storyline but twists it in a unique way. It's not often you get the other perspective in the mafia world. Interested in an action thriller full of deception? Definitely binge it.