Jirisan (2021) 지리산
Directed by Lee Eung-bok, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon.
Watched 15 - 19 February 2024 — 16 episodes (VIKI PASS)
*What a show! I love it! Totally capitalised on that initial promise.
*Love the lead actors Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon and their characters. They are very natural together and have great chemistry.
Directed by Lee Eung-bok, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon.
Watched 15 - 19 February 2024 — 16 episodes (VIKI PASS)
*What a show! I love it! Totally capitalised on that initial promise.
*Love the lead actors Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon and their characters. They are very natural together and have great chemistry.
*Also love the side characters. The 2nd couple is really cute. I felt so sorry for Oh Jung-se when his love died and he conveyed his feelings of hurt and grief really well. It was nice to see veteran actor Sung Dong-il as the Chief and Jo Han-chul as the Team Leader.
*At first I found the supernatural scenes with the ghost eerie and hardly could watch these scenes late at night. But after knowing it was Ju Ji-hoon and seeing his handsome face under the hood, these scenes didn't scare me anymore. Though the series could easily have worked without the ghost element, I liked it and it added an extra mysterious dimension to the mountain setting and the male lead's visions.
*I liked to be part of the rangers/rescue team and experience how they dealt with emergency situations. The fire sequence was so thrilling! Also the flood sequence.
*Mount Jiri itself is the main character. I love the mystical vibe. The photography of the scenery is stunning, with breathtaking views.
*Didn't find the different timelines confusing at all, unlike many reviewers online. Past and present blended perfectly.
*The murder case was much more interesting than I thought it would be. I like the fact that the murders (disguised as accidents) were part of a bigger picture and were linked to the past. The yakult bottles made me chuckle a bit. I was thinking product placement but then it would have been negative advertisement and they didn't show a brand name. There was other product placement, though, and it was soooo obvious. (That scene with Ju Ji-hoon's sister and Oh Jung-se! Would be nice if they would hit it off romantically, but it just seems like another overt display of product placement!!!)
*Mount Jiri itself is the main character. I love the mystical vibe. The photography of the scenery is stunning, with breathtaking views.
*Didn't find the different timelines confusing at all, unlike many reviewers online. Past and present blended perfectly.
*The murder case was much more interesting than I thought it would be. I like the fact that the murders (disguised as accidents) were part of a bigger picture and were linked to the past. The yakult bottles made me chuckle a bit. I was thinking product placement but then it would have been negative advertisement and they didn't show a brand name. There was other product placement, though, and it was soooo obvious. (That scene with Ju Ji-hoon's sister and Oh Jung-se! Would be nice if they would hit it off romantically, but it just seems like another overt display of product placement!!!)
*Didn't understand the signal with the twigs and Ju Ji-hoon marking the place and how Jun Ji-hyun could read the location.
*Show doesn't have any problems with killing off key characters. I felt sad that Go Min-si became a victim as well. I really liked her as the rookie ranger and her blossoming friendship with the female lead.
*Son Suk-ku! I love that actor and it was nice to see him in a guest role as Jun Ji-hyun's first love.
*Show doesn't have any problems with killing off key characters. I felt sad that Go Min-si became a victim as well. I really liked her as the rookie ranger and her blossoming friendship with the female lead.
*Son Suk-ku! I love that actor and it was nice to see him in a guest role as Jun Ji-hyun's first love.
*The last episode was slightly disappointing and unevenly paced, dedicating too much time to Oh Jung-se and his grief. It also felt a little rushed with the one-year time lapse. To my surprise Jun Ji-hyun could walk again.
*But! I was soooo happy with the happy ending. When Jun Ji-hyun spotted a man from behind and seemed to recognise him as Ju Ji-hoon, I thought that can never be. I was almost positive that if he would turn around, it would be some other guy. Because didn't they take him off life support? How could his health situation have improved after that???? But still, a flicker of hope lingered. And yes! His situation had improved miraculously and he was breathing again and alive and kicking.
*But! I was soooo happy with the happy ending. When Jun Ji-hyun spotted a man from behind and seemed to recognise him as Ju Ji-hoon, I thought that can never be. I was almost positive that if he would turn around, it would be some other guy. Because didn't they take him off life support? How could his health situation have improved after that???? But still, a flicker of hope lingered. And yes! His situation had improved miraculously and he was breathing again and alive and kicking.
*Reviewers online are disappointed there is no kiss, no hug, the main leads are not even reaching out and holding hands. But I was so happy that Ju Ji-hoon was alive that I didn't really care. And their happy faces and smiles tell us how deeply they care for each other, and I think it's more leaning towards a romantic relationship than a deep friendship between colleagues. Seriously, sometimes you can have a lead couple with zero chemistry and an unconvincing romance while they do end up together. Here it's the other way around. They may not actually end up as a romantic couple but for me everything hints at them being in love with each other.
*Love the last sequence at the top of the mountain with the rest of the surviving characters and with a prominent role for the mountain!!!!
*Nice and fitting OST.
*I wouldn't have minded if there had been more episodes or even a second season. I will miss the characters and this show!
*Nice and fitting OST.
*I wouldn't have minded if there had been more episodes or even a second season. I will miss the characters and this show!