Netflix’s upcoming series My Name has released its main trailer, offering a look at the story of Jiwoo who joins a crime organisation in order to find the person who killed her father. She ends up taking on a new name to work undercover as a police officer which leads her to discover harsh truths while seeking revenge.
The main trailer features Han So-hee’s striking acting transformation, some intense action, as well as the diverse characters you can see in the series. On her 17th birthday, Jiwoo (Han So-hee) witnesses her father’s death and takes it upon herself to find out who killed her father. She approaches her father’s long-time friend Mujin (Park Hee-soon) who is also the boss of Dongcheon, the largest domestic drug ring.

Jiwoo laments about how the police are not investigating and she cannot stand by without doing anything. Her earnest desire to get revenge for her father’s death is palpable. Mujin reveals that a police officer killed Jiwoo’s father and offers her an opportunity to take on a new identity as Oh Hyejin and work undercover as a police officer.

After uncovering some clues, Jiwoo transfers to the Narcotics Unit where ace detective Jeon Pildo (Ahn Bo-hyun) and team leader Cha Giho (Kim Sang-ho) work. Jiwoo ends up joining their sting operation to capture Mujin which leaves Jiwoo in a situation where she’s investigating her own crime boss. The more Jiwoo helps Mujin, the more her team becomes suspicious of her. She also faces mistrust from Mujin’s right-hand man Jung Taeju (Lee Hak-ju) and threats from Dongcheon gangster Do Gangjae (Jang Yull).

The characters surrounding Jiwoo add on to the intrigue as she falls deeper and deeper into danger. Through her relationships with the various characters, Jiwoo gets closer to finding her father’s killer and ends up discovering some unexpected twists. Jiwoo, who has abandoned her name and her future for the sake of revenge, will face the harsh truth of who is good and bad as she investigates until the end.

My Name is an action noir series led by Director Kim Jin-min of Extracurricular. The series stars Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon, Ahn Bo-hyun, Kim Sang-ho, Lee Hak-ju, Jang Yull et al. My Name will be released on 15 October, only on Netflix.

Information
Title: My Name
Directed by: Kim Jin-min
Written by: Kim Va-da
Starring: Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon, Ahn Bo-hyun, Kim Sang-ho, Lee Hak-ju, Jang Yull et al
Produced by: Studio Santa Claus
Distributed by: Netflix
Release Date: 15 October 2021

Supergroup PANTHEPACK, featuring Jackson Wang, Karencici, ICE and J.Sheon, have revealed the music video for “Pull Up”, following the immensely successful first video, “BUZZ”, which amassed over 8.6 million streams on YouTube in less than two weeks since its release.
Set in a lively amusement park, the “Pull Up” music video is filled with bold and colourful imagery, exuding fun, youthful energy. The four-member crew is at the heart of the carnival-like party in the video and is joined by surprise cameos, including artists like Amber Liu, Vinida Weng, among others.

In complete contrast with the futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic of the “BUZZ” music video, “Pull Up” is bright and free-spirited. It perfectly showcases the dynamic chemistry between the group, with each member bringing their own signature style to the table.

PANTHEPACK’s explosive debut album ‘The Pack’ was released on all streaming platforms on September 17, and immediately swept the #1 position across seven markets on iTunes including Hong Kong and Singapore. On September 19th, despite the hustle and bustle of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the frenzy of PANTHEPACK’s incredible fanbase caused their presale chart to soar to the #1 position within the first thirty minutes of their physical pre-order announcement.
Equally ambitious and dedicated to pushing new boundaries, the members of PANTHEPACK serve up a power-packed sensory-filled, musical experience on their debut album 'The Pack'. 'The Pack' Tracklist
1. BUZZ
2. DNA
3. Transmit
4. Gut Feeling
5. Too Many
6. Sold Out
7. Maybach
8. Pull Up
9. Wishlist
10. Shanghai Dream

Check out Pull Up music video below!

South Korean Rapper, Singer-Songwriter, and Record Producer, B.I, has announced a special guest lineup for his highly anticipated return to live performing. 131Live is proud to announce that Pink Sweats, Afgan, Epik High, and Destiny Rogers are joining the lineup with special performances and guest appearances. 

Netflix shows have been attracting a lot of buzz lately for its history breaking 44 wins at the recent 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for acclaimed titles The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit.

More Netflix titles continue to make a global impression and this time, it’s at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) with the invitation of seven Netflix titles to be screened at one of the largest international film festivals in Asia and the largest in Korea. Some notable titles include upcoming Korean drama series My Name and Hellbound that have been selected as the first to be invited to the new On Screen program this year.

Check out the full list of shows that will be screened at the 26th BIFF below!

1) My Name
My Name is directed by Kim Jin-min who previously shocked the world with the Netflix series Extracurricular.

My Name centers on Jiwoo who joins a crime ring and becomes an undercover police officer to find her father’s killer. As she assumes a new identity, she faces the cold, hard truth and exacts her revenge. You can look forward to a 180-degree transformation from actress Han So-hee as she portrays the vengeful Jiwoo. Actors Park Hee-soon, Ahn Bo-hyun, Kim Sang-ho, Lee Hak-ju, and Jang Yull add on to the series’ suspense-filled story.

My Name launches on Netflix on 15 October 2021.

2) Hellbound
After being screened at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Hellbound has received much praise for director Yeon Sang-ho’s skillful directing, the explosive storyline, and the actors’ impressive performances. Through BIFF, the series will be unveiled in Korea for the first time.

Hellbound tells the story of supernatural beings appearing and condemning people to hell, resulting in a new religious group gaining prominence while others investigate the truth behind this strange phenomenon.

Director Yeon Sang-ho and writer Choi Gyu-seok reunite to work on the series as creators of the original webtoon which the series is based on. The top-notch cast includes Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-a, Yang Ik-june, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Sin-rock, Ryu Kyung-soo, Lee Re, and more. Following TIFF and BIFF, Hellbound will also be screened at the BFI London Film Festival.

Hellbound is coming soon to Netflix.

3) Space Sweepers
Space Sweepers, which received much love from all over the world, will be featured in the Korean Cinema Today - Panorama section at BIFF. Directed by Jo Sung-hee and starring Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Sun-kyu, and Yoo Hai-jin, Space Sweepers made the Netflix Top 10 chart in about 80 countries.

Space Sweepers is set in 2092 where spaceship Victory is one of the many that live off of salvaging space debris. Crewed by genius space pilot Tae-ho (Song Joong-ki), mysterious ex-space pirate Captain Jang (Kim Tae-ri), spaceship engineer Tiger Park (Jin Sun-kyu), and reprogrammed military robot Bubs (Yoo Hai-jin), Spaceship Victory surpasses all other space sweepers. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Victory’s crew find a seven-year-old girl inside. They realise that she’s the humanlike robot wanted by UTS Space Guards, and decide to demand ransom in exchange.

Space Sweepers is now streaming on Netflix.

Image courtesy of Netflix

Squid Game is an exciting series about 456 cash-strapped individuals who participate in mysterious games in order to win a prize of 45.6 billion won. The players begin to play children’s games only to realize that the cost of losing is death. A thrilling adventure is played out as the players try to survive every game and win the large cash prize. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, and actors Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-jun, Jung Ho-yeon, and Heo Sung-tae gathered at today’s press conference to discuss the upcoming series. Find out some interesting facts below!

1. Where the Title Comes From
Creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk explained where the titles of the series comes from saying, “Squid Game is a game I used to play as a child in the schoolyard or the streets of the neighborhood. This is a story about people who used to play this game as children and return to play it as adults. It was one of the most physical and it was also one of my favorite games. I felt that this game could be the most symbolic children’s game that could represent the kind of society we live in today.”

2. It All Started in 2008
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk actually started writing the first draft of Squid Game in 2008, long before some of his hit films like Silenced and The Fortress. He said, “I was reading a lot of comic books, and I finished the script in 2009. At the time, it seemed very unfamiliar and violent. There were people who thought it was a little too complex and not commercial. I wasn’t able to get enough investment and casting was difficult. I dabbled in it for about a year, but I had to put it to sleep then.” The director also shared about how he was given creative freedom to work as he wanted to thanks to Netflix, about 10 years later.

3. Squid Game Is Not Like Other Survival Shows
Despite some perceived similarities with other survival genre shows, Squid Game has unique traits that sets it apart. Hwang Dong-hyuk shared, “The essence of survival games is the level of entertainment that is seen through and seeing how the participants struggle to win these games. Looking at differentiating factors, I would say the simplicity of the rules. There’s not a lot of time or energy spent understanding the rules; it’s very simple. Rather than the game itself, Squid Game focuses on how they act and how they respond. Usually, we look at the winners in survival games but in Squid Game, we look at the losers. Without losers, there are no winners.”

4. There Are a Lot of Memorable Characters
With 456 participants, it’s no surprise that there are people from different walks of life. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is a divorcee struggling with business failure and debt. His neighborhood friend Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) went to a prestigious university and works at an investment firm, but ends up in a difficult situation. There’s also Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) who is a North Korean defector striving to reunite her family. Other interesting characters include Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) who is a gangster and Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), a police officer who discovers the games while searching for his missing brother. You’ll find yourself invested and interested in each of the characters.

5. Great Symbolism, Great Sets, and Great Music
In addition to the entertainment factor, there’s a lot of symbolism to appreciate. The whole series is an allegory meant to symbolize the competitive contemporary society we live in. How humans change as adults through society is reflected in how innocent children’s games transform into something terrifying and deadly. The actors also complimented the detailed sets and how the director didn’t rely heavily on computer graphics, opting for realistic and large-scale sets. Lastly, the music reflects what children listened to in the 70s and 80s resulting in a nostalgic and relatable feel. All of these attributes come together for an immersive and captivating experience.

These are just some interesting facts about Squid Game. To discover more about the fascinating series, watch Squid Game now, only on Netflix!

Image courtesy of Netflix