Squid Game and My Name are two very successful Netflix original Korean dramas known for startling surprises – but which conclusion surprised audiences the most? Squid Game and My Name were both launched in late 2021, and Squid Game immediately became the most popular series on Netflix, apparently out of nowhere. My Name later joined Squid Game as one of only two K-dramas on Netflix’s top 10 list. Squid Game is the first time a K-drama has tackled the horror sub-genre of death games, and it’s a strangely realistic take on an otherwise common trope. My Name, on the other hand, is a neo-noir vengeance crime thriller with a complex narrative and violent violence.
In their different endings, My Name and Squid Game both use the typical K-drama twist. K-drama is known for its clever twists. From the historical zombie series Kingdom to fantastical romance stories like Goblin and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, K-drama takes unexpected endings very seriously, and they’re nearly expected of each new K-drama published now.
This expectation is one of the reasons why it might be difficult for a new K-drama to pull off any form of twist ending, because a twist ending, by definition, should not be expected. According to this logic, the elderly guy twist in Squid Game is more unexpected than the twist ending in My Name. Squid Game stands out because of the way it was set up, its overall impact on previous events, and its sheer in-the-moment shock value. While both Squid Game and My Name have great twists that subvert the context behind key moments and events throughout the respective shows, Squid Game stands out because of the way it was set up, its overall impact on previous events, and its sheer in-the-moment shock value.
The plot of My Name is full of small twists and turns that constantly call into question the internal motives of the main characters, culminating in the final twist that Ji-father woo’s Dong-hoon was not a gangster but a narcotics police agent named Joon-su, and that his killer was actually Dongcheon gang leader Mu-jin. The finale of My Name, like that of Squid Game, was masterfully set up. The surprising conclusion of My Name, on the other hand, is less stunning because it isn’t a one-time revelation.
