Jirisan: A Strange Mix Of The Supernatural And Disaster Drama

GMA-7 is getting ready to bad dub this show, right? Fortunately, I was able to watch this on Netflix. I wasn't really a fan of Jeon Ji Hyun nor did I really want to marry her back then. If there was any Korean actress I wanted to marry back when I was in college - it was Kim Tae Hee. I decided to watch this since I wanted to explore a disaster drama. What I didn't expect was to get a supernatural drama since a murder victim's ghost drops the ball. In a sense, I didn't expect a ghost to show up in the show. 

From WYNNESWORLD's blog, this is an insight that makes this mixture of supernatural and disaster drama worth the watch:

Jirisan was the great because it was based on the real life experiences of the rangers. We catch a glimpse of their daily activities and their response when it comes to disasters such as landslides, storms, floods and even wildfire. We also see them dealing with the violators and the consequence that these violations have on the mountain. We see the protocols and the trainings they have to undertake to perform their jobs effectively. Mad respect to the real life rangers who risk their lives day in and day out to protect the mountains and the people. They are often taken for granted but the show gives them the respect that they so rightfully deserve.

It also delivers in somthing else — a layered storytelling that sets the stage for a mystery and a murder as Yi Gang and Hyun Jo try to unmask a serial killer preying on their mountain before he can kill anyone else.

I liked the methodical way that the story laid out teeny tiny crumbs of clues for the viewers to savor and form their own theories. By the third episode, you would have suspected everyone on the base, and even half of the townsfolk.

Each episode revealed another layer to the plot, leaving questions which were addressed as the story progressed. As another suspect is eliminated from the list, another chapter of the plot is revealed, along with another layer of betrayal as another piece of history is uncovered. Each death serves as a puzzle piece to form a complete picture and it takes a lot of them to unmask the killer and his motives.

This, I think was the brilliance of the writing. There are so many murder mysteries that try to misdirect audiences with false clues to lead them away from the real culprit and create a bigger impact for the reveal but Jirisan commits no such nonsense. It does not rely on gimmickry. Instead, it takes note of all the clues it left behind and makes sure that it all makes sense when the entire story is told completely.

What makes me like a fictional show is if there are elements to connect to reality. A lot of fictional shows tend ot mix real-life situations into the shows. I was even thinking that what may have set a few superhero shows apart from the others is IF they could become more relatable. Writer Kim Eun Hee based the story of Jirisan on national park workers.

The show is really hard to talk about without spoiling anything. The victim's ghost slowly points out the clues of the real killer. I wasn't expecting this but it was beautifully weaved in. Still, part of me wished that it was focused purely on forensics to find the clues. But like the K-Drama Tunnel - it does manage to balance realism and fantasy without otherwise ruining the educational part.