Starring Jun Ji Hyun, The Korean Drama Jirisan Is Criticized For Too Much Advertising,

Jun Ji Hyun and Joo Ji Hoon (Twitter @CJnDrama)

JAKARTA - Jirisan is one of the most anticipated Korean drama titles by the audience. From the writers to the actors, this drama has some potential to become a public favorite.

Unfortunately, only a few episodes have passed, netizens expressed their frustration with Jirisan. Although this drama is claimed to have a production cost of trillions, netizens criticized the placement of advertisements in this drama.

On the one hand, the public praised Jirisan's story, which was complex and well-played, but there were two brands that interfered with this drama, namely the outdoor clothing brand Nepa and the Eggdrop restaurant.

The drama Jirisan tells the story of national park rangers who are looking for the truth behind a mysterious incident on the mountain several years ago.

In one episode, the guards wear different mountain jackets. This has become a public spotlight because it is impossible for them to always change their jackets easily.

“Even if Nepa is the sponsor, how can the rangers wear new mountain jackets every time they show up?” said one netizen quoted from the Korea Times on Wednesday, November 3.

“Do they throw away clothes when they get dirty and buy new ones?” asked a netizen.

In addition, netizens were also confused by the scene of Seo Yi Kang (Jun Ji Hyun) being offered a sandwich by a fellow guard at the office. The Eggdrop logo also appears along with those who enjoy sandwiches together.

Netizens find this unrealistic as the Eggdrop sandwich shop doesn't exist in a mountainous area. They even searched for the closest Eggdrop branch to the mountain in the Jinju City area which is 72 kilometers from Mount Jiri.

It doesn't stop there, one scene shows the guards offering collagen supplements and calling these supplements good for the skin.

Reportedly, the producers are aware of netizens' criticism but they receive 30 percent of the production cost from product placement in the drama.

This criticism is not the first time Jirisan has received before, director Baek Jong Yeol uploaded his disappointment at Jirisan's unrefined CGI. On the other hand, the drama's rating continued to climb to double digits in the second episode.

Jirisan airs every Saturday and Sunday on tvN and iQiYi.