dragynfaerie
USA
Overall? Just not good
Simply put, Jirisan is a murder mystery with a supernatural twist that takes place on a mountain. However, when Kim Eun Hee is your scriptwriter, nothing is simple. I am a huge, I mean HUGE Kim Eun Hee fan. When I see her name as a screenwriter, I'm watching it no matter what. She has 12 screenwriting credits on MDL and I've seen 11. I love her weird twisty mind. This is why I tried my best to like Jirisan. I went out on several limbs. When I fell off one, I grabbed hold of another, but in the end, I just hit the ground.
For about 10 episodes it was one of the worst mystery and/or supernatural dramas I've ever seen (and trust me I've seen way more than my fair share from around the globe). The mains were boring and flat. The cast seemed bored. Their countenances were flat and disinterested. Honestly, it felt like Jirisan was written by someone else or as if Kim turned in a script she wrote as a project in college. Suddenly, it pivoted and became interesting. It was as if another crew took over production including the script. The cast came to life. The twists and turns seemed to have reason as opposed to a writer who says 'let me just do this to throw them off.' It was actually fun to watch right up until the end of episode 16.
Our leads, Jun Ji Hyun and Joo Ji Hoon, were awful. Simply awful. Their characters were idiotic. I love strong intelligent female leads, but Ji Hyun's Yi Kang was not one. She was needlessly stubborn and wreckless. She angered me in almost every episode. Ji Hoon looked like he was sleepy. Like he was thinking of napping in almost every episode. I don't know if he was filming something else at the same time, but he definitely didn't seem to be getting enough rest. The stellar supporting cast held Jirisan together. Veterans like Song Dong Il and Kim Yong Ok (both of whom I adore) can turn sh*t into sunshine and that is exactly what they did in every scene they were in. Right behind them was Oh Jung Se, one of my favorite scene stealers. If it hadn't been for the 3 of them and a few of the other rangers, I would not have made it to episode 5 let alone 16!
The music was actually pretty good. It went especially well with the cinematography. My rewatch value is less than 0. I'm talking a large negative here. I can guarantee you that I will never voluntarily watch Jirisan (any piece of it) again.
Overall, I can't recommend it. The story isn't told well for more than half the drama. The production is haphazard and lacking. With that being said episodes 10/11-15 are excellent. I won't say they save it, but the saved me from giving a Kim Eun Hee drama 3 stars or less.
For about 10 episodes it was one of the worst mystery and/or supernatural dramas I've ever seen (and trust me I've seen way more than my fair share from around the globe). The mains were boring and flat. The cast seemed bored. Their countenances were flat and disinterested. Honestly, it felt like Jirisan was written by someone else or as if Kim turned in a script she wrote as a project in college. Suddenly, it pivoted and became interesting. It was as if another crew took over production including the script. The cast came to life. The twists and turns seemed to have reason as opposed to a writer who says 'let me just do this to throw them off.' It was actually fun to watch right up until the end of episode 16.
Our leads, Jun Ji Hyun and Joo Ji Hoon, were awful. Simply awful. Their characters were idiotic. I love strong intelligent female leads, but Ji Hyun's Yi Kang was not one. She was needlessly stubborn and wreckless. She angered me in almost every episode. Ji Hoon looked like he was sleepy. Like he was thinking of napping in almost every episode. I don't know if he was filming something else at the same time, but he definitely didn't seem to be getting enough rest. The stellar supporting cast held Jirisan together. Veterans like Song Dong Il and Kim Yong Ok (both of whom I adore) can turn sh*t into sunshine and that is exactly what they did in every scene they were in. Right behind them was Oh Jung Se, one of my favorite scene stealers. If it hadn't been for the 3 of them and a few of the other rangers, I would not have made it to episode 5 let alone 16!
The music was actually pretty good. It went especially well with the cinematography. My rewatch value is less than 0. I'm talking a large negative here. I can guarantee you that I will never voluntarily watch Jirisan (any piece of it) again.
Overall, I can't recommend it. The story isn't told well for more than half the drama. The production is haphazard and lacking. With that being said episodes 10/11-15 are excellent. I won't say they save it, but the saved me from giving a Kim Eun Hee drama 3 stars or less.
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