Oct 20, 2023
Uh oh, livestreamers found Jurassic Park. Survival Log is a welcome addition to the thriller genre despite being rather generic.
The plot is one of a typical thriller/horror story. Six Wetube streamers go to a deserted island to film content. Most subscribed and organizer of the trip Ssamsson/Deokgu wants to maximize content on the island so he pulls people from different parts of the internet. You have HealC/Hyeongmin who knew Deokgu in high school and failed his firefighter exam, Dahye who was banned for doing a strip show, Minshik your typical leech who's in it for the clout, Sohyeon another clout chaser who wants to
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use this to expand her own platform, and finally Jinsu the youngest and newest to streaming. When the streamers inevitably lose internet connection they begin exploring the island only to stumble upon dinosaurs and a massive science facility. From the beginning of the first chapter it's evident there's more to the island than meets the eye, so as the characters go deeper into the island they realize they're in grave danger adapting the mission to escape. If this sounds rather generic, it's because it is. The dinosaurs are barely used in the plot and exist almost solely to build tension chapter to chapter. The overarching plot is basic with most of the interesting content coming from the interpersonal drama. The rivalries between characters would shift group dyanamics constantly building some genuine tension in the process. The most enjoyable part of the plot is figuring out how backstories influenced people's actions. Every backstory we see adds a new layer to the character at hand which was often needed. When the plot was happening I found myself uninterested and bored of the chase scenes. The motivation behind the facility's creation is lackluster; we meet the head scientist but his motivations are never explained. We know what he's doing and the origin of the dinosaurs but they "why" is completely missing. The story is also rather predictable seeing as I was able to figure out the main plot twist about 15-20 chapters before it was revealed. The story is essentially if six streamers explored Jurassic Park a few years after the events of the first movie. It was still entertaining but I can't justify anything higher than a seven.
I only liked the writing of four characters. Ssamsson was a complete douche with an inferiority complex which I think was explored quite well. His rivalry with HealC carried the first half of the story until everyone else was finally given some time. HealC's inner turmoil for wanting to do anything to get back to his sick mom but morally failing at times put him perfectly in the grey zone. He's reacting to things, trying to make the right choice while putting up with Ssamsson's abuse the whole time. Jinsu's development was rather surprising. He's a sweet kid being taken advantage of because of how nice he is. Facing verbal abuse from both Minshik and Ssamsson did a number on him, plus his major event at the end of the first act set him on a trajectory I wasn't expecting. Dahye was the biggest shock of all. A bit of a Mary Sue with obvious final girl vibes, the execution of her character could have easily fallen flat. She's the most morally upstanding person in the series being a beacon to those around her. She brought an extra element to the group dynamic not being afraid to challenge the leader no matter who was in charge. Her growth into a legitimate badass is fun to read. Every other character I did not care for or were one dimensional.
The art is satisfactory but leaves me wanting more. The style of the series isn't unique despite seeming like it in the beginning chapters. Unfortunately, when the artist hit their groove it looked the same to other series I've read like Mr. Baek, Land of the Crimson Moon, Surviving as a Fish, and others. The designs of the dinosaurs and certain facial expressions should have been chilling but were instead generic. The use of color and lack of line art are what I belive to be the biggest problems. Lines and shading are extremely important in horror works. Darker outlines combined with darker shading and a lower saturation in the color would have really taken the art to the next level. Dinosaurs' skin looked blended together or was all just one color, blood was just the splatter tool or red on the ground, unexpressive faces plagued most characters, etc. Ultimately, fine details were missing from this series to make it stand out from everything else. Every time I was supposed to feel anything from terror to dread I was completely indifferent.
Despite all of the negative things I had to say, I did enjoy my time with this series. It doesn't break any barriers or transform the genre, but it's a good story for someone who enjoys thrillers. Go in with low expectations so you can be pleasantly surprised when the good stuff happens.
Plot: 6.5/10
Characters: 7/10
Art: 6/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Overall: 6.7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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