Sisyphus: The Myth
Promotional poster
Also known asSisyphus[1]
Hangul
시지프스: the myth
Revised RomanizationSijipeuseu: the myth
McCune–ReischauerShijip'ŭsŭ: the myth
Genre
Created byJTBC
Written by
  • Lee Je-in
  • Jeon Chan-ho
Directed byJin Hyuk
Starring
Composers
  • Oh Jun-sung (Ep.1~ Ep.8
  • Chung Ye-kyung (Ep.9~ Ep.16)
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producerJung Seung-son
Producer
    • Park Joon-seo
    • Park Sang-eok
Running time70 minutes[2]
Production companies
Budget
  • ₩20–25 billion[3][4]
  • (~US$18–22 million)
Original release
NetworkJTBC
ReleaseFebruary 17 (2021-02-17) –
April 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)

Sisyphus: The Myth[5][6] (Korean: 시지프스: the myth) is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Cho Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye.[7] Labeled as "JTBC's 10th Anniversary Special Drama", it aired on JTBC from February 17 to April 8, 2021;[8][9] each episode was released on Netflix in South Korea and internationally after its television broadcast every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:00 (KST).[10][11]

Synopsis

A series of unexplainable events introduces a famous engineer and physicist (Cho Seung-woo) to dangerous secrets, and a beautiful woman (Park Shin-hye) from the future has come looking for him. Together they must break the time loop to prevent a nuclear war from happening.

Cast

Main

A genius engineer, physicist, CEO and co-founder of the company Quantum and Time. Rude and arrogant at first, Tae-sul later becomes more understanding after meeting Kang Seo-hae. After saving the flight he was on from crashing, he learns of a conspiracy to start a war and realises his brother's apparent death might not have been true.
A mysterious and beautiful woman from the future intent on saving the war ravaged world from destruction. Seo-hae is the daughter of Kang Dong-ki. She has lived in a bunker for eight years before coming out to explore and scavenge the war-torn Korea. A battle-hardened elite warrior, she travels to the past to save Tae-sul from death and prevent him from inventing the Uploader, a time machine capable of sending people and things to the past.

Supporting

  • Heo Joon-seok as Han Tae-san
    • Cha Sung-je as young Han Tae-san
Tae-sul's protective older brother who has supposedly died. Tae-san faked his own death to track down Sigma, an enigmatic figure whom he has found out to be Tae-sul's former classmate, an investor who contributed to the rise of Quantum and Time, and the mastermind behind the future war.
A former restaurant worker who becomes wealthy with Seo-hae's help. He hopes for romance with Seo-hae but, after being rejected, accepts friendship and treats her like a sister.

Quantum and Time

Co-CEO of Quantum and Time and Tae-sul's best friend, their friendship drifts apart due to Tae-sul's erratic behavior and Eddie's connection with the financiers taking over Quantum and Time.
A psychiatrist and daughter of the chairman of Quantum and Time, Kim Han-yong. Seo-jin dated Han Tae-sul before becoming the fiancée of Eddie Kim. She and Eddie would later break up. Like her father, Seo-jin is in league with Sigma. A future version of her, named "Agnes", has crossed over to the present and operates an orphanage for children who came from the future. Agnes is part of the Advance Team.
  • Jeon Gook-hwan as Kim Han-yong
The chairman of Quantum and Time and Seo-jin's father, he aids Sigma in exchange for treatment for his wife, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • Tae Won-seok as Yeo Bong-sun
Tae-sul's loyal assistant and bodyguard. Bong-sun was left in a vegetative state after the shooting at the Busan Expo. He awakes during the war and learns of Tae-sul's death. He tries to change the future when Seo-hae encounters him on her way to the Uploader.

The Control Bureau Team 7

The head of the 7th division of Immigration and Foreign Affairs, also known as the Control Bureau. He is a former National Intelligence Service agent.
  • Yang Joon-mo as Choi Yeon-sik
A high-ranking agent in the 7th division of the Control Bureau.
A new recruit to the Control Bureau agent and a former cop. Hyun-gi is intent on killing Seo-hae after being told that she killed his mother. He is also a former colleague of Kang Dong-ki.
  • Park Young-bin as Kwon Hyuk-bum
An agent in the 7th division of the Control Bureau.
  • Lim Ji-sub as Ma Yong-suk
An agent in the 7th division of the Control Bureau.

Asia Mart

A man from the future who runs Asia Mart, a convenience store that secretly works with time-travelers from the future. He is a member of the Advance Team.
  • Jung Ha-joon as Uhm Seon-ho
  • Lee Myeong-ro as Uhm Seon-jae
Seon-ho and Seon-jae are two young men working for Hyeong-do.
Park Hyeong-do's long lost biological daughter from the future. She came to the past ahead of her mother and has been waiting ever since. Her true identity would be revealed to Hyeong-do by Tae-sul.

Sigma

A mysterious character from the future who has been manipulating current events in his favor. Using his knowledge about certain outcomes, Sigma has amassed a fortune by betting on horse races and trading stocks and options. In the past, he was abused by his father and ended up killing the man using a chemical formula he learned from Tae-sul, who went to the same elementary school as him. Sigma is also known as an amateur painter under the name "Seo Gil-Bok". He tries to hang himself because of his miserable life, thinking that no one loves him. Due to his rough childhood and adulthood, he has developed a sense of loneliness and believes that his purpose is to destroy the world. In the future, he becomes the leader of the Advance Team and the instigator of the nuclear war.
  • Lee Jae-won as Kim Dong-hyeon
A fund manager who has helped Sigma develop his investments in the stock market. After witnessing Sigma's predictive ability, Dong-hyeon mimics his client's trades and becomes rich alongside Sigma. He tries to warn Tae-sul about the coming war but is killed before he could do so.

Others

  • Kim Jong-tae as Kang Dong-ki
Seo-hae's father, who teaches her how to survive during the war. He is a veteran Senior Inspector of the National Police Agency and a former colleague of Hyun-gi.
  • Lee Yeon-soo as Lee Eun-hee
Seo-hae's mother, who sacrifices herself to save her husband and daughter at the beginning of the war.
  • Kim Hee-ryeong as Kim Han-yong's wife
A woman afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, her husband and daughter are desperate to cure her by any means necessary, including betraying their friends
  • Ha Yu-ri as Choi Go-eun[13]
Choi Jae-sun's sister.

Special appearances

  • Kim Byung-chun as a restaurateur
He is the owner of the Chinese restaurant where Jae-sun works and vows that he would not die of suicide. He is later killed by the Control Bureau, who makes it look like a suicide and causes Jae-sun to doubt the official report.
  • Hwang Dong-joo as the co-pilot (Ep. 1–2)
He is the co-pilot of the aircraft that Tae-sul saves, later tortured and killed by the Control Bureau for witnessing things that he is not supposed to know about.
  • Sung Byoung-sook as Jung Hyun-gi's mother (Ep. 4)
Jung Hyun-gi's mother who originally passes away from illness while Hyun-gi was imprisoned in the Control Bureau jail. Her death has been blamed on Seo-hae, giving the present Hyun-gi a reason to join the Control Bureau. Hyun-gi would later return from the future to be with her during her final hours.

Production

Development

In May 2016, Lee Je-in and Jeon Chan-ho signed a contract with Seoul Broadcasting System's Studio S to write a 20-episode television series which could not be broadcast on any other channel. Studio S provided them with a workplace, but the production was eventually cancelled due to the difficulties with finding directors and actors. In December 2018, the duo were put in charge of writing the remaining 16 episodes of Fates & Furies when the previous screenwriter left after 4 episodes. However, Studio S did not pay the ₩60 million writing fees due within 15 days after the conclusion of the series. The duo terminated their contract with Studio S afterward and turned to JTBC for the broadcast of Sisyphus: The Myth. Studio S filed a lawsuit which they lost in November 2020.[14]

Casting

In late September 2019, JTBC confirmed that Cho Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye would star in Sisyphus: The Myth with Jin Hyuk directing.[15]

Filming

Principal photography began in May 2020, with Cho Seung-woo joining after completing his role in the second season of Stranger.[16] Filming was completed in early December.[17] Production was temporarily halted in late November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

Original soundtrack

Sisyphus: The Myth OST
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
Released
  • 2021
GenreSoundtrack
Language
Label

Part 1

Released on February 17, 2021 (2021-02-17)[19]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Stay (tempus) (Prod. GroovyRoom)"GSoul
  • GroovyRoom
  • GSoul
GSoul3:21
2."Stay (tempus) (Prod. GroovyRoom)" (inst.) 
  • GroovyRoom
  • GSoul
 3:21
Total length:6:42

Part 2

Released on February 24, 2021 (2021-02-24)[20]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Fight For Love (Aria for Myth)"
  • Jin Hyuk
  • Safira.K
Oh Joon-sungSumi Jo4:21
2."Fight For Love (Aria for Myth)" (inst.) Oh Joon-sung 4:22
Total length:8:43

Part 3

Released on March 10, 2021 (2021-03-10)[21]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."My Last Love (In Paradisum)"
  • Jin Hyuk
  • Kim Yoo-kyung
Oh Joon-sungAilee4:18
2."My Last Love (In Paradisum)" (inst.) Oh Joon-sung 4:18
Total length:8:36

Part 4

Released on March 17, 2021 (2021-03-17)[22]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."You're My Light (Lacrimosa)"
  • Jin Hyuk
  • Kim Yoo-kyung
Oh Joon-sungPark Won4:29
2."You're My Light (Lacrimosa)" (inst.) Oh Joon-sung 4:29
Total length:8:58

Part 5

Released on March 24, 2021 (2021-03-24)
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."True (Vertitas)"DOKODOKODOKO2:40
2."True (Vertitas)" (inst.)   2:40
Total length:5:20

Viewership

Sisyphus: The Myth : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
SeasonEpisode numberAverage
12345678910111213141516
11.3741.5771.4191.4451.1841.1901.1011.0391.1141.1891.0531.0851.0181.0620.8071.0291.168
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea[23]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
(Nielsen Korea)[23]
NationwideSeoul
1 February 17, 2021 5.608% (4th) 6.766% (3rd)
2 February 18, 2021 6.677% (4th) 8.063% (3rd)
3 February 24, 2021 6.167% (4th) 6.200% (3rd)
4 February 25, 2021 6.178% (4th) 6.771% (4th)
5 March 3, 2021 5.240% (4th) 6.036% (4th)
6 March 4, 2021 4.972% (5th) 5.620% (4th)
7 March 10, 2021 4.633% (5th) 5.040% (4th)
8 March 11, 2021 4.848% (4th) 5.574% (4th)
9 March 17, 2021 4.905% (4th) 5.372% (4th)
10 March 18, 2021 4.804% (5th) 5.038% (4th)
11 March 24, 2021 4.435% (4th) 4.834% (4th)
12 March 25, 2021 4.637% (4th) 5.160% (4th)
13 March 31, 2021 4.302% (6th) 5.106% (4th)
14 April 1, 2021 4.246% (6th) 4.971% (4th)
15 April 7, 2021 3.394% (9th) 3.925% (5th)
16 April 8, 2021 4.363% (9th) 4.878% (6th)
Average 4.963% 5.585%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).

Reaction

The show scored 7.2 on IMDB.[24] Pierce Conran, writing in the South China Morning Post, criticized the plot for being internally inconsistent, with different rules about time travel added only to be broken later, undermining other elements of the show.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Netflix, tvN come up with star-studded K-drama series for 2021". The Korea Times. January 7, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sisyphus". JTBC Worldwide. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ Kim, Hee-kyung (January 31, 2021). "호화 캐스팅에 수백억 제작비…'텐트폴' 드라마 전쟁". Hankyung (in Korean). Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  4. ↑ Ji, Yeon-jin (February 13, 2021). "'시청률은 주가 바로미터'…새 드라마 방영 앞둔 컨텐츠주 '주춤'". Asia Kyungje (in Korean). Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  5. ↑ Moon, Kat (January 29, 2021). "The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021". Time. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Lee, Gyu-lee (February 18, 2021). "Blockbuster TV series 'Sisyphus: The Myth' off to a good start". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  7. ↑ Yim, Seung-hye (January 20, 2021). "Cho Seung-woo, Park Shin-hye take lead roles in JTBC's new sci-fi fantasy series". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ Kwak, Hyun-soo (December 14, 2020). "조승우·박신혜 '시지프스' 촬영 완료…후반작업 박차". Sports Donga (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  9. ↑ MacDonald, Joan (January 6, 2021). "10 Dramas To Watch Out For In 2021". Forbes. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ Robinson, Jacob (February 4, 2021). "Netflix K-Drama 'Sisyphus: The Myth' Season 1: Plot, Cast, Trailer & Episode Release Schedule". WON. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ Composer. "정예경". m2.melon.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  12. ↑ Jin Hyang-hee (March 5, 2021). "시지프스' 김병철=시그마, 본격 등장". mk.co (in Korean). Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  13. ↑ Ha Soo-jung (March 1, 2021). "신예 하율리 '시지프스' 투입..박신혜x채종협과 호흡 [공식]". Osen (in Korean). Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ Jung, Tae-geon (November 3, 2020). "[단독]SBS 드라마 제작사, '시지프스' 작가진 발목 잡았다가 패소". Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Cho Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye in "Sisyphus: The Myth"". HanCinema. September 30, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  16. ↑ Park, Jin-young (April 20, 2020). "[단독]성동일, '시지프스 : the myth' 합류…조승우X박신혜와 호흡". iNews 24 (in Korean). Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  17. ↑ Kwak, Yeon-soo (November 26, 2020). "Film events, TV productions halted by COVID-19 resurgence". The Korea Times. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  18. ↑ Schwartz, William (November 25, 2020). "Lead Actors of COVID-19 Adjacent Dramas Test Negative". HanCinema. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  19. ↑ "시지프스 OST Part.1" [Sisyphus OST Part.1]. Melon. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "시지프스 OST Part.2" [Sisyphus OST Part.2]. Melon. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "시지프스 OST Part.3" [Sisyphus OST Part.3]. Melon. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "시지프스 OST Part.4" [Sisyphus OST Part.4]. Melon. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  23. 1 2 "Nielsen Korea Cable Daily -TOP 10 LIST FOR TV PROGRAMS". Nielsen Korea. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  24. ↑ Llewellyn, Tom (2021-04-08). "Sisyphus: The myth season 2 – Will the Korean series return to Netflix?". HITC. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  25. ↑ "Sisyphus: The Myth – Netflix K-drama comes to an illogical end". South China Morning Post. 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
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