Surprisingly, this felt a bit… dry (pun unintended). The premise is interesting enough, but the big reveal failed to impress me, in fact I enjoyed the earlier episodes more. The acting is solid but the character writing was lacking. Sorry but Gong Yoo’s character feels a bit like a rehash of his char in train to busan. The only one I could kinda connect with was Dr Song, because they showed her backstory the most and… she’s Bae Doona. So overall it failed to evoke much emotion in me.
Still have to give props, the suspense and unfolding of the mystery was well done. Actors could convince me whenever they were struggling and low on oxygen. The water duplicating is pretty interesting and I appreciate the attempt to show the contrast between the desire for water and literally drowning in pursuit of water. But tbh, still not a very good attempt at sci-fi.
Looking past the absurdities in the finale, I think this show is still worth watching. I really don't know how I should rate this. I had certain expectations going into this due to the writer, but I soon realised this was going to be something different so I just continued to see where it would go. My opinion of this show constantly alternated between "what the hell did I just watch" and "wow, I have never seen this before" and different episodes sometimes felt like they belonged to different genres.
I feel like the mystery of making various characters a suspect is an insertion so that viewers won't find it too out of the ordinary. What I hoped this show had done, was just to go all the way in what they were really trying to say. I wouldn't mind the whole drama being completely abstract and making zero scientific sense, as long as it was consistent. I guess they couldn't since they need to keep it public friendly due to the huge investments.
It feels slightly jarring when the supernatural and realistic elements coexist. It does feel like they make one overpower the other whenever they feel is convenient. But I appreciate the attempt of showing the limitations of human ability, in the face of the unpredictability and ruthlessness of nature. How even in that circumstance, some people are willing to go all the way to save others. Even in real life, when such tragedy happens, there is no explanation and there's no one to blame. The only thing we could do is to remember.
I'm convinced that everyone's gonna die and be happy mountain ghosts together in the last episode. They're such dedicated rangers that they spend their whole life on Jirisan, even in death they shall roam (haunt) Jirisan lmfao
When this first aired it was rated pretty high, now its fallen to an 8.2 (still really good tbh but on MDL it…
Main criticisms are 1) the CGI in the first few episodes, 2) the back-and-forth storytelling, 3) the plot just doesn't click with them, 4) the slow pace. For (1) the reaction was overblown and the CGI was hardly used after the first ~3 eps. (2) is the biggest problem which made some confused but as long as you don't fast-forward many scenes you should be able to keep up. (3) is just up to your personal taste. Some scenes are dedicated to showing how rangers rescue people and confront natural disasters etc. which are what some people find boring. However those were well-executed and are connected to the main plot. (4) also up to your taste. The mystery is a slow burn.
Reasons to watch: Imo it gets better as it goes on. Also it doesn't follow a particular formula and can be pretty unpredictable. Despite the flaws, it also has some genuinely good/moving moments. Mostly, the setting and premise is unique, it deals with political ecology and the power of nature. Tl;dr, just watch it and see if you like it lol.
I'm a bit tired of La ta ta ta La ta ta ta that sounds at the intence moments.... Praying there are no mad fans…
Yeah it did not fit in with today's scenes. Or the show in general tbh. Not that it's a bad song, but it sounds like a modern romance song that belongs in a romance drama. It's actually the sigur ros soundtrack that triggers emotions and fits the mountain theme the best.
I also think it's Kim Sol. He appears innocent but always implicitly directs suspicion to others. He once directed…
Oh, I don't remember him directing suspicion to GY. But yes he always appears gentle and innocent which makes him appear even more suspicious, as if he's calculating his every move. His demeanor reminds me of Steven Yeun in Burning, who also had the same uneasy effect (sorry if you haven't watched that movie).
Done with 5 episodes now and I think I love it. I didn't want to rely on my presumption that this had to be good…
It's true that the CGI was poorly done in some instances but there was a huge overreaction and just people jumping on the bandwagon to hate on it. Due to the high expectations.
I also think the series is better for binge-watching, so what you're doing is right. Something they did several times was to tell an entire episode of past events, then fast forward to the present and end on a huge cliffhanger. Either that or they would jump to another timeline just as things were about to get intense. As you can see from the comments here, the waiting drove viewers to extreme frustration lmao.
I'm now 99% sure it is Kim Sol. Police guy is probably doing his own investigation to test him.
I'm also betting Yigang is gonna die at the end. Way too much foreshadowing; that she can't leave the mountain, that she wants to stay with her family, and that she can see Hyunjo's spirit. KEH loves to give her characters the ending that is most suitable for them. Since she has already lost almost everything that's important to her, it will be more poetic for her to join her family on the mountain. I'm inclined to think one of the leads will survive, so HJ will probably wake up when the criminal is caught or when YG dies. That preview scene of him waking up won't be there for nothing.
Imagine dying for a clown who prioritizes her lottery ticket over her life. So we know now what YG wanted to say to HJ was an apology. Her blaming HJ for her grandma's death felt sudden, but that was pretty in line with her character. She's pretty rash and always does something that she regrets only after something bad happens. I like that her character is realistic though.
You're right. I like it because of the subject matter and it ticks the right boxes for me. But what are the chances…
There is character development, but the constant jumping between the different versions of the characters feels erratic. This show skipped many steps from the first episode, but they fell short of making it work.
I was never a fan of this director. The only work of his I watched is Sweet Home, and the directing and music was also pretty disappointing. For Jirisan, episode 6 was a filler, but you can see romance is his strength. I think directors should stick to what they're good at. You don't see Park Chanwook doing melodramas.
But that doesn't mean the writer doesn't have her faults. The subject matter is great, but it feels like she's reusing some of the ideas and storytelling methods from Signal. I like Signal, but its structure isn't the best fit for this show. It's almost like she wanted to try something new, but got nervous and decided to include elements that she's comfortable at writing. I like the thriller elements but they feel oddly thrown in sometimes.
Yeah I'm still enjoying this, but it fell short of my expectations. I waited over a year for this show.
You're right. I like it because of the subject matter and it ticks the right boxes for me. But what are the chances…
Yes I agree, I think the switching between timelines should be done less often. Sometimes it's effective, but a few times it interfered with the storytelling. They're definitely using this past-present method to hide the killer's identity very well, but they also failed to highlight the emotional impacts of some scenes. Which is ultimately because they're trying to tell so many things at the same time.
I feel that the earlier episodes are the ones that are filler-like. The later episodes especially from the second half, are all telling past events or disasters that seemed unrelated but are actually connected to the mystery. In comparison, the first couple episodes are actually pretty stale and drawn out for too long. So there's a pacing issue as well. Well at least the show's getting better by the episode imo.
Jirisan is one of those dramas where you either hate it because it's doing too many things or you love it because…
You're right. I like it because of the subject matter and it ticks the right boxes for me. But what are the chances that it will suit the viewer's taste if there are so many genres?
Definitely there are also flaws in the editing especially in earlier episodes and some questionable stylistic choices that drove people away. Personally I found many recent big shows to be style over substance, while Jirisan has the substance but kinda lacks the style, which is mainly what attracts younger audiences I guess. I have a feeling this show appeals to older folks more (I'm not that old but... yeah lol)
Still have to give props, the suspense and unfolding of the mystery was well done. Actors could convince me whenever they were struggling and low on oxygen. The water duplicating is pretty interesting and I appreciate the attempt to show the contrast between the desire for water and literally drowning in pursuit of water. But tbh, still not a very good attempt at sci-fi.
I feel like the mystery of making various characters a suspect is an insertion so that viewers won't find it too out of the ordinary. What I hoped this show had done, was just to go all the way in what they were really trying to say. I wouldn't mind the whole drama being completely abstract and making zero scientific sense, as long as it was consistent. I guess they couldn't since they need to keep it public friendly due to the huge investments.
It feels slightly jarring when the supernatural and realistic elements coexist. It does feel like they make one overpower the other whenever they feel is convenient. But I appreciate the attempt of showing the limitations of human ability, in the face of the unpredictability and ruthlessness of nature. How even in that circumstance, some people are willing to go all the way to save others. Even in real life, when such tragedy happens, there is no explanation and there's no one to blame. The only thing we could do is to remember.
For (1) the reaction was overblown and the CGI was hardly used after the first ~3 eps.
(2) is the biggest problem which made some confused but as long as you don't fast-forward many scenes you should be able to keep up.
(3) is just up to your personal taste. Some scenes are dedicated to showing how rangers rescue people and confront natural disasters etc. which are what some people find boring. However those were well-executed and are connected to the main plot.
(4) also up to your taste. The mystery is a slow burn.
Reasons to watch: Imo it gets better as it goes on. Also it doesn't follow a particular formula and can be pretty unpredictable. Despite the flaws, it also has some genuinely good/moving moments. Mostly, the setting and premise is unique, it deals with political ecology and the power of nature.
Tl;dr, just watch it and see if you like it lol.
I also think the series is better for binge-watching, so what you're doing is right. Something they did several times was to tell an entire episode of past events, then fast forward to the present and end on a huge cliffhanger. Either that or they would jump to another timeline just as things were about to get intense. As you can see from the comments here, the waiting drove viewers to extreme frustration lmao.
I'm also betting Yigang is gonna die at the end. Way too much foreshadowing; that she can't leave the mountain, that she wants to stay with her family, and that she can see Hyunjo's spirit. KEH loves to give her characters the ending that is most suitable for them. Since she has already lost almost everything that's important to her, it will be more poetic for her to join her family on the mountain.
I'm inclined to think one of the leads will survive, so HJ will probably wake up when the criminal is caught or when YG dies. That preview scene of him waking up won't be there for nothing.
One week to go to see if my prediction is true!
So we know now what YG wanted to say to HJ was an apology. Her blaming HJ for her grandma's death felt sudden, but that was pretty in line with her character. She's pretty rash and always does something that she regrets only after something bad happens. I like that her character is realistic though.
I was never a fan of this director. The only work of his I watched is Sweet Home, and the directing and music was also pretty disappointing. For Jirisan, episode 6 was a filler, but you can see romance is his strength. I think directors should stick to what they're good at. You don't see Park Chanwook doing melodramas.
But that doesn't mean the writer doesn't have her faults. The subject matter is great, but it feels like she's reusing some of the ideas and storytelling methods from Signal. I like Signal, but its structure isn't the best fit for this show. It's almost like she wanted to try something new, but got nervous and decided to include elements that she's comfortable at writing. I like the thriller elements but they feel oddly thrown in sometimes.
Yeah I'm still enjoying this, but it fell short of my expectations. I waited over a year for this show.
I feel that the earlier episodes are the ones that are filler-like. The later episodes especially from the second half, are all telling past events or disasters that seemed unrelated but are actually connected to the mystery. In comparison, the first couple episodes are actually pretty stale and drawn out for too long. So there's a pacing issue as well. Well at least the show's getting better by the episode imo.
Definitely there are also flaws in the editing especially in earlier episodes and some questionable stylistic choices that drove people away. Personally I found many recent big shows to be style over substance, while Jirisan has the substance but kinda lacks the style, which is mainly what attracts younger audiences I guess. I have a feeling this show appeals to older folks more (I'm not that old but... yeah lol)