Not just BTS: Reasons to watch new K-drama 'Sisyphus'

MANILA, Philippines — Sisyphus is a famous character in Greek mythology. Like Atlas, he has a burden to carry for eternity. Sisyphus is a former king who was punished by the heavens by constantly pushing a boulder upward a hill only for it to roll down once it reaches the top.

JTBC and Netflix's newly premiered drama is uncannily titled "Sisyphus: The Myth." It is a fantasy, sci-fi mystery thriller that stars Park Shin-hye and Cho Seung-woo and airs every Wednesday and Thursday on JTBC and streaming on Netflix.

Its trailers give that Sarah Connor vibe from the popular "Terminator" series, sans the cyborgs and Arnold Schwarzenneger though. Viewers see how Shin-hye, as Gang Seo-hae, a gun-toting girl from the future, goes back to present Korea to save a genius engineer, Han Tae-sul (Seung-woo). 

Here are interesting trivia that might make you watch the recently premiered show.

1. The past and present "co-exist."

Sisyphus shows a world where the present and the future coexist. The future Korea is in ruins in 2035. Viewers can see the difference between the present that Han Tae-sul lives in and the devastating future that Gang Seo-hae comes from. In their midst, there are individuals who hide their identities and have ulterior motives. The director and writing duo Lee Jane and Jeon Chan-ho actually began planning for Sisyphus 4 years ago. With much research and imagination blended into a tight plot, Sisyphus will be unlike any drama you have watched thus far.

Netflix

Gang Seo-hae is from 2035 and her world is basically a wasteland. Would it not be interesting enough to see how two characters from different timelines interact, more so, with a thrilling storyline? The show is raring to be told. Show writers Lee Jane and Jeon Chan-ho began writing it four years ago.

2. Legendary director Jin Hyuk is at the helm.

Director Jin Hyuk is known for having worked on many popular titles including The Legend of the Blue Sea, Doctor Stranger, and The Master's Sun. Just as the director was excited about working with Cho Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye, the feeling was very mutual. Park Shin-hye said, “I’ve always been curious about and wanted to work with director Jin Hyuk. I actually met him when I was younger and I’m so happy to have been able to work with him this time.” Cho Seung-woo further complimented Jin Hyuk and divulged, “The director is very considerate of actors. He will consider any ideas that actors propose.”

Photo by JTBC, Courtesy of Netflix

Jin Hyuk is among the hit TV directors of Korea. He is fairly comfortable in fantasy, action and thriller.

"The Legend of the Blue Sea," "City Hunter," "Brilliant Legacy," "Doctor Stranger" and "The Master's Sun" are among his directorial credits. So, K-drama viewers will get an idea of how "Sisyphus" will be told and look like.

“I’ve always been curious about and wanted to work with director Jin Hyuk. I actually met him when I was younger and I’m so happy to have been able to work with him this time,” said Shin-hye.

Her co-star, Seung-woo, also complimented Jin Hyuk. “The director is very considerate of actors. He will consider any ideas that actors propose,” he shared.

3. Top-notch casting

Main leads Cho Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye are famous for having many successful shows and movies under their belts. Being highly sought after, their casting was much talked about and eagerly awaited. Director Jin Hyuk shared, “While discussing the casting with the writers, we decided that if we couldn’t get either Cho Seung-woo or Park Shin-hye, we would just work on a different drama.” Thankfully, casting worked out perfectly and there are many other actors to look forward to including Sung Dong-il, Tae In-ho, Chae Jong-hyeop, and more.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

K-drama fans should know by now the kind of acting the two leads will deliver. From being a child star to one of Korea's leading ladies, Shin-hye is flexing more than just her acting but as well as her kicking stunts in this show.

Seung-woo is an actor who has dabbled in all acting fields -- TV, film and theater. K-drama fans would know him as the socially lacking yet gifted with hypersensitivity to sound, Prosecutor Hwang Si-mok in two seasons of the hit crime thriller, "Stranger."

It also stars renowned character actor, Sung Dong-il, whose filmography include popular TV and film hits such as the movies "Iris 2," "Metamorphosis," "Midnight Runners" and "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days."

On TV, his credits include "Iris 2," "Moonlovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo," "Prison Playbook," "Legend of the Blue Sea" and "Hospital Playlist."

This casting isn't surprising as Jin-hyuk has worked with Hallyu stars like So Ji-sub, Gong Hyo-jin, Lee Seung-gi, Lee Jong-suk, Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun.

4. Exciting stunts and action scenes

Park Shin-hye’s character Gang Seo-hae is a bold survivor who is able to adapt quickly and think on her feet. She risks her life to save Han Tae-sul from danger as they try to save the world. You’ll be able to see a lot of satisfying action scenes featuring Park Shin-hye as she fights off their opponents. The actress started working with the action team about a month and a half before filming started and actually filmed for two more months than Cho Seung-woo. Furthermore, Cho Seung-woo complimented Park Shin-hye’s powerful kicks and punches describing her as “incredible.”

Netflix

As a female protagonist who is out to save a man from the past and, hopefully, redo her future, it's a given that Shin-hye should be kicking ass in the show. The actress started working with the action team about a month and a half before filming started and actually filmed for two more months than Seung-woo.

5. Believable production and set

Having to simultaneously portray a present Korea and a future Korea that resembles a wasteland, a lot of fine details can be found in the sets featuring the future Korea. Director Jin Hyuk explained, “We show the future, but the future isn’t glamorous. We put in a lot of effort to make the future look realistic and consulted many different experts and researched a lot of different things.” Park Shin-hye further shared, “A set that resembles Myeongdong was created, and it felt so realistic and like I was walking through the real Myeongdong. Viewers will be able to recognize some familiar shops in Myeongdong.”

Netflix

A lot of fine details can be found in the sets featuring the future Korea.

Director Jin-hyuk explained, “We show the future, but the future isn’t glamorous. We put in a lot of effort to make the future look realistic and consulted many different experts and researched a lot of different things.”

Shin-hye further shared, “A set that resembles Myeongdong was created, and it felt so realistic and like I was walking through the real Myeongdong. Viewers will be able to recognize some familiar shops in Myeongdong.”

6. BTS reference

Previously, a teaser featuring Park Shin-hye’s character coming across a BTS poster and listening to BTS’s “Spring Day” gained a lot of buzz. The director explained, “Seo-hae lives in a future that is in ruins with people killing each other and struggling to survive. So I thought about what would be a source of comfort for her, and I thought that music would be a good fit.” He also shared that “Spring Day” is his personal favorite and there will be more instances where you can see BTS items since Seo-hae is a fan. In addition to BTS related Easter eggs, there is the mystery behind the villain named Sigma. The actor’s identity has been kept under wraps, so you’ll have to tune in to find out who the actor is.

Netflix

Even though she's tough as any survivor of a post-apocalyptic future, Gang Seo-hae is still a fangirl. In fact, her favorite is one of Korea's most popular boy groups, BTS. In a teaser, Seo-hae is seen listening to BTS' "Spring Day."

“Seo-hae lives in a future that is in ruins with people killing each other and struggling to survive. So I thought about what would be a source of comfort for her, and I thought that music would be a good fit,” director Jin-hyuk explained, adding that the BTS single is a personal favorite.

He also teased that there will be "more instances where you can see BTS items since Seo-hae is a fan."

7. Mystery actor

In addition to BTS-related Easter eggs, there is the mystery behind the villain named Sigma. The actor’s identity has been kept under wraps, so viewers will have to tune in to find out who the actor is.

"Sisyphus" airs at 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday on JTBC. It streams an hour and 30 minutes after its Korean broadcast on Netflix.