Sisyphus: El mito (2021)

Warning : This pile of garbage will destroy your brain cells.

What in the world is this ? How can you bring two of the best actors of this generation and turn it into this mess of a drama ? Lazy writing at best, completely taking the audience for morons at worst. I rolled my eyes so many times my head started hurting and had to drop the drama. I strongly recommend a hard pass, you won’t regret it. unless you like being taken on a roller coaster of utter bullshit, that is. The amount of times I stared at my screen in disbelief at what I was seeing set a record. It’s like one bad scene into another, every time you think it can’t be worse BAM they relentlessly shower you with even more bs. Like when 20 ultra trained agents somehow sneak in a neighborhood in broad daylight, fire more than 1000 rounds and couldn’t get even one stray bullet to hit while the two leads were a mere 2 meters away. Or when she gets hit by a 7.62 cal sniper bullet and not only somehow gets away in the most far fetched fashion, but she also recovers instantly ?! Hahah Man that’s not just bad, it’s criminal and i’d press charges if I could.

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Action Drama with Potential to be Addictive from the start. Sadly, Became very boring in the middle.

Let me start by saying that it's my initial review and ratings on the show. I will update the review in the middle and after the show ends, provided that I have internet and the world isn't in complete ruins by then. So many shows have had good start, but didn't do well in the end. Let's hope that's not the case for this one. (Sadly, exactly the case for this one, became so boring, had to drop it, it was becoming tedious)

1. Cast - GREAT. The two leads, are wonderful. But I just want to point out how great of an actor Jo Seung Woo (Lead of the Great show "Stranger") is. He is an amazing actor. Now as for as Park Shin Hye goes, her recent dramas have anything but disappointments. I like her, her acting is obviously very good. However, unless I am a serious Fanboy/Fangirl of her with an absolutely unrealistic sense of fandom, no way can I ever support her choice of the recent dramas she have a part of, UNTIL, Sisyphus. I really love her character, I think this kind of character suits her a lot more than a damsel in distress. More importantly, this show has the capacity to captivate the audience, and have way more potential for her to really ACT the hell out. The support characters are also very good, they have chosen a very good cast in my opinion.

2. INTRIGUING story-line. They writers did a good job of keeping the Suspense. Although, I have some idea as to where the show is heading, the writers can easily divert the storyline as the show progresses, because, it has kept different paths open. The storyline has the potential to surprise everyone, if the writers keep doing their job right. The story progression is sometimes Fast paced, sometimes Slower. Which is good in my opinion. It's not one dimensional. There are some "Over the top' elements in the show, but, you can't really tell me many decent sci-fi Hollywood shows where those elements are not present. Overall, the show can be very addictive, you would want to watch all of it in one day, if you start watching it after the show had already ended.

3. Action Scenes- Pretty Decent. Now, Even though I liked it, some may find action scenes like these unpleasant, where the camera is constantly moving to give a rather intense feel of the scenes and intensify the impact of the moves, like Kicks, Punches, Jumps etc. I have seen people feel some sort of motion sickness while watching camera moving constantly, where the audiences have to strain their eyes in order to keep track of the Hero/Heroine's movements. Personally, I liked it, However, I hope they don't make every action scenes like that.

4. Music- Decent. However, I don't think for this type of shows, music should anyway affect the ratings. I gave it an 8 cause I think the music quality is more than enough. But, don't expect the music to be like that of "Goblin" or "Descendants of the Sun". It's not that type of a drama.

That's as much I had to say about the start of this drama. Let's see how it goes.

Final Edit: It became very boring and predictable in the middle, I had to drop it, and I changed the initial ratings that I gave to this show. Honestly, such a potential killers, the writers of the show, I mean, come on. At the end of the day, other than bringing some cringing K-dramaly aspects to a sci-fi show, you could have make it something special, and memorable. And the dialogues, wow, became so forced and really, no amount of great acting could really make this show palatable, to me at least. This is really a sad sad job done by the writers. That's all I can really say.

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Not even the great actors can save this show.

In a nutshell, it's like the director and the writer (mostly the writer) conspired to make sure there's a bad apple in CSW's basket of delicious acting fruits. Come on! Bad guys shooting around them in a blanket of thick smoke and NOT hitting each other in the process? Tens of bad guys seemingly waiting for their turn to be kicked by a girl? All those powerful guns but couldn't hit their targets? And let's not forget that refrigerator door. The first 2 episodes are ok at best but the will to carry on dropped as fast as irritation grew.

Lesson missed: if any attempt at time travel is done again, at least show some basic logic. If the viewer ends up making their own interpretation or justification for each and every crucial event just to appease their confused brain cells, then they should get paid as co-writers. I don't mind scientific thinking: i do that for a living. It's just that this show failed sorely in being logical.

If only CSW can travel back in time and refuse this show.

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Promising 1st episode!

Promising 1st episode giving me Tony Stark-In-Heroes-TV-Series-kinda vibe with that time travel I hope the viewers who left bad comments of The King can understand this drama. This ahjussi does not really do much dramas so probably he's new face for some, but then there's warrior-from-the-future Park Shin Hye who'll do all the saving (saw the stunts in teasers, I'm just wow)

Love the plot, it's evident they really invested millions in this drama. Happy 10th year JTBC! Hahahaha
I'll probably update this post after watching a few more episodes since this started to air last night.

P.S. Wished they casted a more genius-cocky-oppa-vibe actor like Ju JiHoon, Park Seo Joon or Lee Min Ho but they prolly wanted a late-30s oppa they could go for Ha Jung Woo or Hyun Bin jk. Anyway, this ahjussi looks okay but I don't see the chemistry yet.

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I wish I hadn't started watching it

This is a drama that I wanted to give up in the first five minutes and every minute thereafter. Due to the actor, whom I have positive memories of from Secret Forest, I managed to get through to the second episode, but here I probably survived for ten minutes. I love s-f, love it, but I'm begging the Korean industry to abandon this genre. This drama is a nightmare that I will dream about at night as one of the greatest stupid things ever produced. The whole scene in the plane is the negation of any sense or reason.
There may be something good about this drama, but a plot nonsense where, of course, there has to be a great tragic romance regardless of whether they come from other timelines ... (not a spoiler, that's my guess based on the second episode) Okay , I just didn't see anything good about this drama, I gave it up in the first minutes of the second episode and I regret that I started watching it at all, because I have a bad taste in my mouth because of it.

As people criticize me for daring to speak badly about this drama, I will add:
The thread "you must not meet him, you must avoid him at all costs", spoken by the girl's father, who turns out to be her husband's brother ... Why confuse the situation so much? Are these telnovela heroes who fall in love with each other, discover that they are close family so they cannot make love, but at some point it turns out that she is adopted after all, so they are not really relatives ...
Because she is killed on their wedding day, is he going to develop time travel technology? To avoid her death? This 1888 thread has been used so many times since then that I yawn.

I started watching because I love sci-fi, but that doesn't mean I'm uncritical to the genre and watch everything. I like K-dramas and have been watching them for years so I was curious about the combination and it totally missed my taste. I really don't understand why I have to keep explaining to people that everyone has the right to have an opinion and express it.
I respect those who like this drama, but I also dream about them respecting those who don't like it. If nobody blames the people who give 10/10 after watching the first episode because they are delighted and nobody tells them "wait until the last episode because you may not like you" why should I watch more episodes, "because you might like like the next episode "?

Please respect the rights of others to opinions other than yours, because not everyone has the same taste and one day you may come across a drama where you will want to tell the world how much you don't like it.

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Really wonderful stories

Han Tae-Sul is a genius engineer and the co-founder of Quantum and Time Company. He is handsome and he produces innovative results. Thanks to his efforts, Quantum and Time has become a world-class enterprise. He is known as a miracle worker and a hero in Korea, but reality is a little different. After his older brother's death 10 years ago, he has exhibited eccentric behavior. The company's stock price has fluctuated accordingly. One day, Han Tae-Sul learns of an unreliable truth behind his brother's death. His dangerous journey begins.

Kang Seo-Hae is an elite warrior. She can take down the biggest men with just her bare hands. She is also a sharpshooter and able to make bombs. She learned these skills to survive in a world that is dominated by gangsters and military cliques. One day, after a long and dangerous journey, she comes to Han Tae-Sul to save him.

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An old tale of sci-fi world!

Based on 2 episodes and what folds next, it is safe to say that the plot is extremely simple. It is like Hollywood style script, that fell behind the hit the mark.

Story:
In a future dystopian world where people or their holograms / shape that requires some pills in their suitcases, are secretly sent back in time through illegal means to carry out missions to stop what causes the destruction. Some are sent back to have a normal life, mostly parents sending their children back. It is obvious that ML and his brother is a huge part of a pandora that sets the events for future. ML will join FL to stop what cause the destruction in future, fighting powerful secret organization, who is most probably seeking funding and technology from ML's company in secret. While fighting truth behind his brother disappearance he will encounter enemies residing in his company, most probably his best friend, who will turn on him, when ML will refuse to do illegal stuff. Outcasted and framed ML, together with FL, brother and restaurant guy form a team to stop all the "bad people". ML brother will eventually die in the end saving his brother.

Acting:
JSW is an amazing actor, there is no doubt. But he is not one for comedy roles. In the first episode he is shown guilt ridden, rich jerk who has a kind heart, but does not acknowledge it. A typical arc for a such characters. But it didn't suit him. May be in Stranger and other series he has played too may serious characters, that his image is imprinted on our minds. I do not understand why there is so much critique when it comes to PSH. She is always a victim of serious public scrutiny, just like Bae Suzy. I have not watcher her, except in Doctors, and she was quite good, plus she is insanely famous. Her acting no joke. I know Chae Jong Hyeop from a award-winning web-drama Rumor, he was a jerk in it, but he did extremely well. He is handsome hunk, and he is doing good, hope this show gives him boast.

Production Values:
Rumored to be most expensive series, it is sad to say it didn't live up-to its expectations. Set designs, vfx, editing, mixing, cinematography is just like an average series. Not like someone with budget they claim more than DOS. Fighting scenes, tech scenes, is not even high tech. Putting robots, big screens, advance computers does not make a series sci-fi. Hello, I mean, has someone seen Arrival, it was decade's best "sci-fi" film, and it did not included high tech.

I am not writing this review in a haste. But I did wanted to write after watching just 2 episodes that is it a very basic plot, with predictable things happening around. There wasn't much left to guess the story after watching first two episodes, I mean, yes, its not like I know the story, but the outline is pretty guessable. Having said this I do not hate the series, I scored it at 7.5. It may change if they really managed to surprised us with some serious and top-notch stuff for rest of the 14 episodes.

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Strong Plot Armor

It was really tough for me to get through the first couple of episodes due to the unrealistic nature of it all. I'm not referring to the time travel plot, but rather the fight/chase scenes. There are scenes where the main characters are being chased by dozens of agents, all armed with guns. You would think that these trained individuals in a secret organization would at least be able to aim, but the main characters have strong plot armor and dodge all the bullets. Even if all the agents are bad shots, the sheer quantity of bullets should at least make the main characters a little more careful. But these chase scenes in the first couple of episodes are full of the main characters running without cover, magically dodging bullets. Especially the car chase scene with the drones, these drones were firing dozens of bullets in mere seconds at the car, and minimal damage was done. The car wasn't really doing any evasive driving, it was an easy target. Yet, the bullets don't hit any person, don't hit a tire, they do nothing. We have to wait until the very end of episode 4 for a single bullet to hit the FL's arm.

It was hard for me to enjoy this drama due to the lack of realism and lack of immersion into the drama, ironically not from the time travel plot, but from the poorly executed fight/chase scenes.

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