Sisyphus The Myth (2021)

December 3, 2023

Our Take: A convoluted sci-fi drama that lacks substance and logic.

Set in three different timelines, Sisyphus The Myth follows the story of Han Tae Sul (Cho Seung Woo) and Kang Seo Hae (Park Shin Hye). In 2020, Tae Sul is a genius engineer, physicist, and the co-founder of Quantum and Time. As a result of his innovative achievements, his company gains ground quickly and becomes known as "The Miracle of South Korea's Engineering Industry." One of his key inventions is the ability to transport particles from one location to another, setting the stage for the "Uploader." 

This breakthrough technology allows people and things to travel back in time, eventually setting the stage for a nuclear war between North and South Korea. As a result, South Korea turns into a complete nuclear wasteland. Fast forward to the year 2037, Seo Hae gets tasked with tracking down Tae Sul and stopping the nuclear apocalypse from happening. A survivor of the dystopian world, Seo Hae possesses exceptional survival skills she's picked up from living amongst gangsters and warlords. When their paths cross, Seo Hae convinces Tae Sul to work together to break the time loop and prevent a nuclear war.  

Han Tae Sul is South Korea's version of Tony Stark. He's highly intelligent, capable, and cocky, spending his time maintaining his bachelor status while running a major conglomerate with tens of thousands of employees. While he can be socially awkward and aloof, Tae Sul is adept at getting himself out of tricky situations (and does so with plenty of flamboyance). 

Kang Seo Hae is a fierce and independent warrior who knows how to put up a fight. From a young age, she spent years living in a bunker before venturing out to explore and scavenge what was left of Korea after the nuclear war. Like Tae Sul, she is deeply flawed and carries pain and trauma.

Though it's clear from the start that Tae Sul and Seo Hae are meant to be together, the buildup to their romantic relationship is unconvincing. Their lives are intertwined by fate. Yet, when they are together, their relationship feels more like companionship than lovers. Compared to the intensity of the world around them, Tae Sul and Seo Hae's bond lacked passion and chemistry.

The concept of time travel is a difficult genre to get right. It offers plenty of narrative possibilities, but the stakes are high for keeping the audience actively engaged. Despite a star-studded cast and strong premise, Sisyphus The Myth struggles to create a coherent story and fails to live up to the hype. The show starts with a simple Grandfather Paradox. However, as the series progresses, the story grows increasingly complex, leading to a series of illogical and messy events. 

Given the heavy focus on time traveling, the rules should have been straightforward and strict. Unfortunately, the writers frequently add and break rules at a whim, while incorporating various new technologies or magical drugs to up the ante. The poor writing, combined with the complicated love story, over-the-top villains, and the introduction of the Central Bureau, create a convoluted storyline that relies on the viewers to make assumptions without all the necessary information. The plot requires too much deductive reasoning to find the answers, leading to an anti-climactic ending with little fanfare. 

Additionally, many of the main characters are driven by emotion rather than logic. This pattern allows the villains to repeatedly coerce the protagonists into their traps, creating a tedious game of cat and mouse. Namely, Tae Sul must choose between Seo Hae or the world. Yet, when forced to pick, he keeps delaying the inevitable without coming up with any viable solutions.  

Our Verdict

Sisyphus The Myth has top-notch actors, a high budget, and an interesting premise. Yet, the show squanders its talent and resources, completely throwing logic out the window in favor of extravagant action sequences and CGI. The relationships between the characters are unconvincing, and there are too many drawn-out segments, some of which amount to nothing at the end. Ultimately, the sci-fi concepts are poorly executed, and there isn't enough writing pizzazz to hold the story together.