My Name: The K-Drama Action Thriller That Rivals John Wick

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If you love the intense action and revenge story of John Wick, then My Name on Netflix is a great choice. This 2021 K-drama follows Han So-hee as she goes undercover as a police officer to find her father’s killer, and it’s packed with the same kind of thrilling action.

My Name is considered one of the greatest K-drama action series ever made. It’s packed with thrilling martial arts and intense gunfights that even John Wick fans would enjoy. The show also lets viewers see a new side of a popular Korean actress, who is usually known for her roles in romantic comedies and dramas.

Yoon Ji-woo is arguably Han So-hee’s most compelling K-drama role to date. The character is complex and fascinating, balancing questionable actions with a strong moral compass. She skillfully deceives both the authorities and the dangerous people her father employs.

My Name is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that also includes crime, romance, and mystery. The eight-episode series maintains suspense until the very end, all while remaining focused on its characters. It’s a show that truly earns the widespread praise it receives.

What Is My Name About?

As much as I love watching John Wick pull off those incredible fight scenes, I have a feeling he’d be seriously challenged by Yoon Ji-woo. Han So-hee plays this amazing character who’s trained by the very man responsible for her father’s death – a powerful crime boss named Choi Mu-jin. He doesn’t just teach her a little self-defense, though; he turns her into a complete fighter, mastering boxing, general self-defense, and Tang Soo Do, which is basically the Korean take on karate. She’s a force to be reckoned with!

While training in martial arts, Ji-woo also joined the Busan police, becoming an officer in the drug investigation unit. Secretly, she was working as an undercover informant for Dongcheon, a criminal organization led by Choi Mu-jin that controls the city’s drug trade. This meant she was essentially playing both sides – a police officer and a mole for the gang.

Yoon Ji-woo is dealing with a lot – not just fighting crime and drug traffickers. She’s also trying to get revenge for her father, and she develops feelings for her colleague, Jeon Pil-do. This romantic connection adds extra danger and complexity to the story, especially for Ji-woo, who is already a complicated character.

At its core, My Name is a thrilling martial arts drama. It mixes the gritty feel of crime noir and police investigations with intense, realistic fight scenes. By the end of the series, Yoon Ji-woo isn’t just skilled in karate and boxing – she’s a natural fighter, seamlessly combining various hand-to-hand combat styles with knife fighting techniques.

She relies on quick thinking and adaptability to get by, whether she’s armed with a knife or not. And when necessary, she’s also a skilled shooter.

My Name Is One Of The Best Action K-Dramas

I truly believe My Name is something special – it’s one of the few Netflix thrillers that critics universally loved, giving it a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes! As a fan of action dramas, I can tell you it’s easily one of the best K-dramas out there. The action scenes aren’t just amazing to watch with their incredible visuals and fighting, but they actually add to the really gripping story about the main character and her journey.

It’s rare for a K-drama to combine strong character growth with exciting action, but this one pulls it off exceptionally well. The 2021 crime series Vincenzo, starring Song Joong-ki, is one of the few that comes close, delivering a raw and intense martial arts experience set in a gritty criminal underworld.

Many action-packed K-dramas borrow ideas from Western crime, police, war, and horror shows. What makes My Name different is its unique combination of Korean martial arts with those familiar themes, all set within a realistic and believable Korean criminal world.

This action thriller is among the best, even when compared to shows from North America and Europe. Few action series are as well-crafted as My Name, which expertly blends a gripping story of loss, revenge, divided allegiances, and difficult moral choices, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout.

It’s impressive how much My Name accomplishes in just eight episodes and under seven hours of screen time. This K-drama is a captivating, fast-paced watch that action fans everywhere will enjoy.

Han So-hee Showed A New Side Of Herself In My Name

Han So-hee was already known as a leading actress in Korean romantic dramas before the 2021 release of this miniseries, and she’s continued to build that reputation. She’s best known for her roles in tearjerker romance stories, including popular shows like 100 Days My Prince and Nevertheless, with My Name being a notable exception.

Beyond her typical romantic roles, she’s recently shown her range in the mystery horror series Gyeongseong Creature and the upcoming crime movie Project Y. Her powerful performance as Yoon Ji-woo in My Name likely paved the way for these opportunities to take on more diverse characters.

As a huge cinema fan, I was completely blown away by Ji-woo. She’s not just incredibly skilled in fighting – she’s the most resilient character I’ve seen in ages, facing constant obstacles while trying to find out who killed her father. What really impressed me was how cleverly she played everyone. She managed to fool both the Busan police and the ruthless criminals from Dongcheon, often simultaneously! It was a masterclass in deception, and a huge part of what made My Name so gripping.

Han So-hee’s character isn’t your typical action hero. Similar to John Wick, she’s driven by the loss of someone she loved – her father, instead of a pet. However, both characters operate in a gray area, making them flawed heroes whose sense of right and wrong is very personal.

Han So-hee isn’t the only actor who shines in My Name. Fans of Park Hee-soon, who played The Frontman in Squid Game, will be especially impressed with his role as Choi Mu-jin, a character who starts as Ji-woo’s mentor but later becomes her enemy.

The acting in My Name is truly exceptional, rivaling the best in K-dramas, and suggests it will become a lasting Netflix favorite. As the John Wick series grows, this Korean action thriller sets a high bar for revenge stories in the genre.

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2025-12-19 21:30