Jirisan

A documentary like thriller.

This drama is kinda like a documentary because it shows a large part of the wilderness and history of the area but then it’s also like a thriller as it takes us right into the minds of the people and actors in this drama. It just hooks you in. It is so outstanding. I have loved it from the very beginning . It’s a mystery, thriller. There are so many well known actors who are awesome in this.

What is happening in this area is that many people go missing. It is popular for a variety of reasons. Hikers, Trampers, sight seer, plant collectors, snake collectors, suiciders and even murderers who cover their murders by making it look some kind of accident. This is whom the lead actors are looking but it is very difficult for them,

We are only in episode 5 and my goodness what a shake up there has been in this short time.

This is so very stressful but so incredibly superb. Cinematoloy is stunning. Scenery takes your breath away.

So many tragedies one after another, Reminds me of our cultural saying"I am the river and the river is me. I am the mountain and the mountain is me”. She tried to leave but the mountain keeps calling her back.. Come home!! Come Home!! I feel like that.

Every time an episode end I can’t help but think. So good.

This drama is not for the faint hearted. Lucky none of of my fave actors are in it or I’d be distraught. I can watch like an ordinary viewer thinking that this is a documentary and I’m seeing it as if it has already happened and this is a reenactment. That is my way of thinking about it. I love it so much. One of the more written scripts. Congratulations writers I don’t often say it so treasure my words.

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For national park enthusiasts, with a dash of spiritual fantasy

Loved this drama for portraying the daily work of rangers at national parks, and the charms of Jirisan, but having mixed feelings on the spiritual fantasy part of the ML’s soul remaining on Jirisan.

I enjoyed hiking and have done some hiking at national parks before, and of course visited the parks’ visitor centres at the start of the hike for hiking permits (if needed), and to meet our hiking guides. But I have never thought what the daily work of park rangers comprised of, nor have I seen any show on the daily work of park rangers.

Thus, this drama is an eye opener for me. The park rangers don’t just man the information counters at the park’s visitor centre, but are also involved in the education of visitors on park safety and conservation, check that the amenities in the park are weather-worthy, warning signs of impending heavy rain, snow are put up clearly, patrolling, and the arduous work of evacuation and rescue operations.

I enjoyed those parts of the drama on the natural disasters and rescue operations of trapped or injured hikers - those are done meticulously, portraying the perilous rescue operations in the midst of extreme weather conditions, not falling behind western movies on disaster rescue operations.

The mystery part involving the murder cases on the mountain adds to the mystery of nature and Jirisan. But, gotta deduct 0.5 point for the spiritual fantasy part of the ML’s soul remaining on Jirisan. For me, the spiritual fantasy part dented the credibility of the dangers of Mother Nature at Jirisan and the arduous rescue operations. I strongly feel that using a more credible way to crack the murder case would serve better for an otherwise enjoyable disaster docu drama of movie film-quality.

p/s:
1) I hope I will have the opportunity to hike Jirisan and witness its majestic sunrise one day.
2) Love the two leads, especially the FL Seo Yi Kang, and only realised recently they were both casted in Kingdom - another fave drama of mine.

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Confusing watching

Many other reviewers have written fantastic in-depth reviews so I'll keep this short. I wish this show would make up their mind. It comprises action, mystery, supernatural, and crime. What exactly does it want to be? There is so much flitting back and forth between two timelines that it's confusing.

This could have been a great action show that highlights and gives insight into the important work of mountain rangers - episodes around finding missing people, stopping mountain-related crime (eg trespassing, illegal logging, etc), and saving people in danger. That is, make the series semi-educational in the vein of what Forecasting Love & Weather did for the Korean Meteological Administration or what Where Stars Land did for airport operations. (I do have a beef with Where Stars Land and the ridiculous turn it took but that's another story). But it had to attempt to be different. There is no need to because the subject matter itself, Jirisan and its dedicated rangers, is already unique and different to so many other dramas, so focusing on that is enough.

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Mysterious & Beautiful Mt. Jiri

JIRISAN was a wholly original drama and was as mysterious as it was mesmerizing. Honestly, the cast is really great, BUT I must say, it is Mount Jiri that is by far the true star of this series. Jirisan, the place, is truly breath-taking and incredible. I found it difficult not to be distracted by the rolling landscapes in the background of any scene taking place out doors.

That aside, this series was incredible for many reasons, such as cast and acting performances, such as Ju Ji-Hoon (of Kingdom/ Hyena fame) as Kang Hyun Jo the newbie Park Ranger and Jun Ji-hyun (of Kingdom/ Snow Flower and Secret Fan/ Il Mare fame) as Seo Yi Kang, or "Demon Seo" the veteran Park Ranger. They are partners that grow into a unique relationship while working with one another through many mysteries that take place on Mount Jiri. Many of the side cast is memorable as well, and you gradually begin to care for them. All very believable characters.

My few complaints is at times it felt a little lacking in terms of the main paranormal plotline and the ending felt a bit abrupt to me. Maybe there will be another season coming?

For a thriller, it is a bit slower paced, but I appreciated the pacing, allowing the mystery to slowly unravel and reveal itself, all the while exploring both mountain and human psyche alike. I have never seen a K-Drama quite like this one. Perfect setting, wonderful concept, great writing, excellent cast, superb cinematography, realistic costumes and settings, interesting mysteries, great bunch of characters, awesome music. Everything was really on-point. Overall, Jirisan was a great drama.

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Familiar faces ,engrossing story unexpected villains, out of body experience

I'm not a fan of the format of this drama as it jumps around from the present to the past & back again throughout the whole drama. (2018,2019,2020). It made the flow of the story a choppy ride, [even if it cleverly keeps you from solving the mystery prematurely], still, it was disorienting . There were too many familiar faces that just didn't mesh well with the genre. [Jo Han Chul, Kim Young Ok, Um Hyo Sup, Sung Dong Il]
However , Oh Jung Se's acting swung from being basically wallpaper to full on oscar nomination. Emotions run really high in most episodes, with rangers in emergency mode launching themselves onto the mountain in thier obsession to save people. The Town at the base of the mountain is full of rebellious, secretive people with a disdain for rules. It was hard to care about them as they blatantly thought they are a law unto themselves & even in tragedy rail loudly against the rangers while refusing to take responsibility for thier own actions.
Female lead is prickly & lacks charm. Male lead has a special relationship with the mountain. They both have emotional scars. They form a bond, but keep your expectations in check because though there is a slight romance in this drama, it's not with the leads [& it's heart rending.]
I was both relieved & annoyed at the ending. I felt it was contrived & forced. But really, since the drama puts the viewer through so much action, suspense & alot of death- I'd say they did right to pander to our need for a happy conclusion so we could end with a sigh of relief [& a spectacular view].

The cinematography was stunning, the scenery captivating ,the weather whimsical & often deadly.

I had this drama in DVD form sitting on my shelf for 2 years as I was pretty sure it was going to be too dark, too depressing & too unsatisfying . I'm glad I finally gave it a try as it exceeded my expectations & was good entertainment.
Final note: I rarely mention the music, unless it's noteworthy & it is worth giving credit here as the OST had a good variety & Kim Seok Jin's song "Yours" was well placed, giving it a charm it doesn't have without a context.
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I deducted points for:
1)Actors who are over used-& didn't feel right for the drama. gave wrong vibes
2)Towns people were loudly annoying & dimwitted deviants
3)Time waffling-the back & forth made it hard to track the story properly
4) Unpleasant female lead
5) Mountain is a deathtrap !

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Good, but that ending..

I wanted to completely love this, but it just didn't quite make it there for me. I did really enjoy the rangers and learning about their job and the mountain, and the natural disasters were all very exciting to watch. It's the supernatural part that just didn't hit me the right way.
I couldn't really get attached to Hyun Jo after they threw him into a coma at the end of episode 1. The flashbacks to his time as a ranger were all interesting to watch but knowing that he was currently stuck in a coma as some kind of forest spirit made me unable to care about his character development like I would have if it hadn't all been a flashback.
The killer using yogurt was strange to me when he could've performed all his murders using his knowledge of the mountain without leaving the yogurt bottle evidence. The forest spirit stuff itself just seemed unnecessary, especially because Hyun Jo had no real connection to the mountain aside from having been there for the time of the first murder. I feel it would've made more sense if it had been Yi Gang, who actually lived on the mountain all her life... Or even if their backstories had been reversed. (Cause nobody was going to carry HJ up the mountain if he'd been the one in the wheelchair)
The relationship between the rangers, especially the couple, was great and continued well between the flashback and present, and the acting was of course superb. Oh Jung Se was, of course, excellent. The soundtrack kinda dragged for some music-video-style bouts where it would just be mountain scenes and music for 3+ minutes straight.
My biggest problem was with the ending though. It was definitely put in just to make the viewers happy, but it was just so illogical that the two mains would make such an amazingly fast recovery in a matter of months! I could have even accepted it if it was a time skip to many years in the future, but no.

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It relieved my curiosity at least..

I already know some (maybe very little) details about this drama before I started watching it. Like about the character Sewook (which is played by Yun Jion, which is also the exact reason I really started this drama... phenomenal acting by the way, really wished he would've gotten a little bit more screentime, and wished that things were different for his character) Back when this was still airing, I didn't watch it but only just see people in the kdrama community talk about this. I have heard about the "bad" cgi, and honestly, safe to say my curiosity about the very cgi in question is anwered, and i totally understand the complaints. The animators might've been rushed to do it, or not? Who knows, really... But I think that flaw was a little saved by the plot. I personally really think the plot is good. Of course, throughout I was thinking how it would be if they had written some scenes differently, how it would be if the plot was slightly different to my own personal preference, and I think it could do better, but it was already pretty good. It got me pretty invested for the past three days, and it's worth it. The fact that I'm curious enough to finish the whole thing is enough to be considered good in my book (i guess, there may be some exceptions) but yeah. The ost was pretty good too, I think they fit the drama pretty well.

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The real mountain guardians are going up to take care of mountains

"Murders disguised as an accidents in the mountain"

Mountains, natures, disasters, rescue operations, thriller, and teamwork, all in one series. Thank you for the roller coaster of emotions and mind games. It has low ratings here in MDL but if you give this a try, you might like it especially if you like landscapes, natures, and excellent cinematography. The fact that it is a mystery, fantasy drama, I think the series didn't justify the "fantasy" one. I think, the series is good without attaching fantasy element to it. Nevertheless, it's a slowburn series, and I literally don't have any clue who is the killer until ep15 came, and I think some characters here deserves praises also.

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Mountain is just a mountain

I watched half of the drama when it came out but I got spoiled and I never finished it, until today.

Things I liked:
- Relationship between rangers, I needed to see more of that.
- Hyun Jo and Yi Kang being cuties together (I know there's no romance but their partnership was cute).
- Story about things on the mountain, anything to do with the mountain. Separate cases where they saved people. Flood, fire, rain and how they got through it together.
- Lottery ticket girl.
- Mystery and cinematography, it's a big vibe.
- The complicated and yet not so complicated backstory for all the murders. It just makes sense and it's nicely connected to the mountain.
- Mountain is just mountain. It's your delusional head telling you nonsense. You're just crazy! - She said what all of us were thinking.
- Scene where Yi Kang goes to confront the murderer, I though what's stopping him from killing her but there was something and it was perfectly used.
- Scene where all of the rangers are singing and having fun. I needed more of that. More of them.

Things I didn't like:
- Rushed ending.
- First few episodes were so strong, the story, the characters but then it started to go downhill.
- Why were they on a snowy mountain that day? That question was asked so many times and I thought the answer would be something shocking, poetic but it was kinda basic and they didn't even find out who was the murderer.
- They also showed the same scene in a few separate episodes and after the third time, I was over the question. They were on the mountain because they are stupid and unprepared.
- Yi Kang knew murderer used the stick in snow on a victim and she fell into the trap, literally.
- Hyun Jo turned into a detective, only to be deceived and smacked in the head.
- The whole supernatural element is fine but there's so many other interesting things that it was unnecessary.
- One year skip where Hyun Jo is fine and Yi Kang walks??? I needed them to talk and not stare at each other. TALK PEOPLE!!! PLEASE!
- They all forgot about the policeman.
- I feel like the murderer didn't get what he deserved. I need the murderer to go to prison at least once in a drama.

Overall, good drama but it becomes makjang halfway through.

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YES!

This show is, simply put, captivating.

The directing was fantastic, the film and sound editing flawless (weird green screen moments non-withstanding) and the natural beauty of the mountain was utterly breathtaking. Such a visually stunning place! This show was definitely a treat for the eyes and ears.

The story wasn't what I first thought it would be, but nonetheless, I found myself deeply invested. Deaths disguised as accidents, preternatural abilities, multiple red herrings... Not to mention the insanity that were the episodes with the forest fires and floods. Watching this show was most certainly not a relaxing experience!

My one gripe with it was the lack of romance. Such a waste considering the magnetic chemistry between the leads! When they were together nothing else mattered. Also, emotionally, the whole show have hit so much deeper if they'd been romantically involved. A romance plotline doesn't always make a story better, but it definitely would have in this case, so I still can't believe the didn't fully take advantage of what a wonderful duo they'd casted for the main roles.

But besides that, I've got no complaints. This is a great show and a must watch.

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A drama that make you fall in and out of love with Mountain Jirisan

First of all I would like to scream how perfect and talented my baby Jihoon is ✨ (along with the other actors ), I honestly started watching the drama because of him, Oh Jungse and Mr. Sung dongil - as I don't really like TVN's thriller productions, but lately it leveled up the game and I started liking the works it does - but to my surprise ever since the first episode the story has got my attention and I finished the drama in two days no joke ✨✨
The story line isn't our typical thriller storyline, instead it shows the real life of the Rangers up there, their work life, love life, family life etc etc
Every single actor delivered their character perfectly that it made me believe they were what they are ✨✨
As a light romance drama fan I liked the cute romance stories that happened here and there in the drama, and every duo is unique 💜
Let's talk about Oh Jungse because he is one of my favorite support lead actors of all the time, he really really really deserves all the success because he is a very good actor ! The way he portraited the feelings and emotions of his character is unbelievably skillful!!! I cried, smiled laughed even before he did ! His story was one of the sweetest yet realistic stories I have ever seen in dramas.
Coming back to the main story, The way this drama made me fall in love with Mountain Jirisan is wow, all thanks to the direction and editing team! They made sure Jirisan looks as beautiful as it is! But they also showed that mama nature is as scary as it is beautiful! Caps down for all the real rangers that are facing this dangerous job to save people and make their journey on Jirisan or any other mountain safe and enjoyable for them.
The actions of the drama are never boring, it will keep you wanting for more - I wished it was more than 16eps- the last two episodes made me an emotional wrecked ball but it deserves all the tears and smiles and laughters❤️
Thanks for the actors, directors and everyone who made Jirisan ✨❤️❤️

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Amazing cinematography!

I find some of the reviews here really really harsh! I agree that the plot is unnecessarily convoluted and confusing and I did not much care for the mystery element of the story. However, this is a solid, entertaining show with amazing production values and a highly unusual setting. I'm surprised no one mentioned the beautiful cinematography, so far! The images of the mountain, the forests, and those sweeping (drone?) shots zooming up those moutain ravines or following a convoy of fire trucks in the night.... Those shots were amazing! The shots of the forest fire were also brilliantly done, everything looked so real, it was really suspenseful watching the rangers working in such a dangerous environment.
It all looked very real and it must have been a difficult, exhausting shoot for the actors - all of whom I really admired!

As other reviewers have mentioned, the real star of this show is nature and the beautiful scenery where the show is set. If you like this sort of thing, you'll enjoy the show. If you're main interst is following a riveting who-dunnit thriller/murder storyline this show might leave you a bit disappointed...

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