S Line review: A bold and riveting K-drama premise that trips over its own threads
But then, it all comes undone with the mysterious high school teacher played by Lee Da-hee unravelling her secrets in the last episode.Instead of diving deeper into the implications of the S-line phenomenon or pursuing its own hinted serial killer thread, the show veers off into fragmented portrayals. Characters come and go. The narrative devolves into an anthology of loosely connected shock stories, few of which feel meaningful. By episode five, the pacing buckles, and the finale leans so hard into its fantastical elements, converting this dark social commentary into a cult-like setting, that it feels both rushed and tonally inconsistent. The cult-like, dystopian ending, in particular, feels like a bizarre genre leap that wasn't needed. There's also a lack of a strong emotional anchor. Neither the socially-inept teen nor the sexually active detective feels like a protagonist we want to follow for multiple seasons. And while the show toys with big ideas like privacy, sexual politics, trauma, it often reduces them to shallow plot devices instead of examining them with depth.The music of the show elevates the watching experience. No wonder it won the Best Music Awards at 8th Cannes International Series Festival in 2025.'S Line' was brimming with potential. With more narrative focus, a clear genre direction, and grounded character work, it could have joined the ranks of Korea's most daring dramas. Instead, it ends up as a well-shot, occasionally disturbing cautionary tale, not about society, but about what happens when high-concept storytelling isn't matched by high-calibre writing.'S Line' is a compelling idea tied down by poor execution. It has a total of 6 episodes.- Ends2.5 out of 5 stars to S Line. Must Watch
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India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
S Line review: A bold and riveting K-drama premise that trips over its own threads
In 'S Line', South Korea delivers yet another genre-bending series that starts off with a bold, provocative concept but ultimately crumbles under its own show opens with a fascinating premise: A mysterious red line connecting people to their sexual partners becomes visible to a select few. In the show, we first get introduced to it from the prism of a high school student, Sin Hyeon Heup (Arin), who has seen these lines since birth. However, what seemed like a superpower held by one individual, is no longer JUST hers. A pair of glasses threatens to democratise the ability, unleashing chaos as secrets unravel and social order teeters. It's the kind of high-concept setup that begs for layered world-building and smart moral a brief moment, 'S Line' offers exactly that. The introduction is intriguing. Director Jooyoung Ahn leans into eerie, saturated hues that match the story's surreal tone. Han Ji Uk, the detective played by Lee Soo Hyuk, seems primed to lead the viewer through a taut mystery. Arin's portrayal of the shut-in high schooler is watchable, if a bit too restrained. There's even a flicker of dark social commentary, a rape case that's almost dismissed due to a misunderstanding of the red lines, and a chilling family revelation that jolts the plot into serious territory. But then, it all comes undone with the mysterious high school teacher played by Lee Da-hee unravelling her secrets in the last of diving deeper into the implications of the S-line phenomenon or pursuing its own hinted serial killer thread, the show veers off into fragmented portrayals. Characters come and go. The narrative devolves into an anthology of loosely connected shock stories, few of which feel meaningful. By episode five, the pacing buckles, and the finale leans so hard into its fantastical elements, converting this dark social commentary into a cult-like setting, that it feels both rushed and tonally inconsistent. The cult-like, dystopian ending, in particular, feels like a bizarre genre leap that wasn't needed. There's also a lack of a strong emotional anchor. Neither the socially-inept teen nor the sexually active detective feels like a protagonist we want to follow for multiple seasons. And while the show toys with big ideas like privacy, sexual politics, trauma, it often reduces them to shallow plot devices instead of examining them with music of the show elevates the watching experience. No wonder it won the Best Music Awards at 8th Cannes International Series Festival in 2025.'S Line' was brimming with potential. With more narrative focus, a clear genre direction, and grounded character work, it could have joined the ranks of Korea's most daring dramas. Instead, it ends up as a well-shot, occasionally disturbing cautionary tale, not about society, but about what happens when high-concept storytelling isn't matched by high-calibre writing.'S Line' is a compelling idea tied down by poor execution. It has a total of 6 episodes.- Ends2.5 out of 5 stars to S Line. Must Watch
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
I rewatched Train to Busan a decade later, and it broke me in new ways
It's been almost 10 years since the action-horror film, Train to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang Ho, changed how the world saw Korean entertainment industry. Back then, zombies were still a foreign concept for most. But with this film that hit like a freight train, Gong Yoo, Choi Woo Shik, and the rest were building legacies. The film used the undead as the catalyst to tear off the layers of fake civility and showed people for who they really are. It took me a decade and an adult lens to see it wasn't about the zombies at all. It was a bold, fearless take on class, privilege, broken families, and capitalism, the real monsters we live with. This was probably the core theme of Train to Busan. Seok Woo, the protagonist, is a workaholic caught deep in a world of extreme individualism. All that matters to him is climbing the ladder, securing his financial success, and making sure his daughter is safe, even if that means ignoring everyone else. His character is a product of South Korea's cutthroat work culture that puts profit way above human connection. The way he's emotionally shut off from his daughter in the beginning shows exactly how people today are too tied up in their own grind to even spare a moment for family, and by the time they wake up, it's already too late. The outbreak feels like both a consequence (hinted through his company's link to the virus) and a metaphor for a system that's been eating itself from the inside out. Also read: S Line review: K-Drama that's freaking viewers out with its dark take on shame and surveillance Train to Busan subtly, and at times, not so subtly, throws brutal punches at social hierarchies. Yong Suk, played by Choi Woo Shik, stands in for everything rotten in the system: the power, the entitlement, the blind belief that status alone will save him, no matter what. What he doesn't get is that the end doesn't care who you are. He's ready to sacrifice anyone he sees as beneath him. The way he turns the 'safe' passengers against others, gets them to throw people out, shows exactly how fear breeds prejudice, and how fast class lines get drawn when survival's on the line. The early news coverage downplays the outbreak even as chaos breaks loose, and the overwhelmed, eventually zombified military shows how the public blindly puts its faith in the government and media, only to be misled at every turn. The lack of real leadership outside the train shows a complete breakdown of trust in authority. The government keeps assuring people, but it means nothing. In the end, everyone's left to fend for themselves. Ten years later, after watching it all play out in real life, whether it was during a pandemic, social unrest, or political polarisation, we get it. Also read: Trigger Ending Explained: Does Kim Nam Gil's Netflix thriller have a happy ending and who survives the rampage of gunplay? After all, Train to Busan's core was always about the love and sacrifice our parents make. I was a teenager when I first watched it, and back then, I didn't really get that part. But rewatching it now, I couldn't hold back the tears. The bond between Seok Woo and Su An is the emotional anchor. Train to Busan shows how deep a parent's love runs, and how far they'll go, even if it means sacrificing themselves so their child can live. Now that I've grown older and had real conversations with my parents, I get it. I understand why Seok Woo did what he did in the end, why he let go, knowing he'd never see his daughter again, just to make sure she survives. I was sobbing. It felt like, for the first time, I could see things through my parents' perspective. And when Su An sang that song, the same one she once couldn't finish because her dad was never around, now she sings it because there's no one left. No one else is going to help her. She sings it to survive. To not get shot by the soldiers.
Time of India
26-07-2025
- Time of India
Will there be S Line Season 2? Lee Soo Hyuk's K-drama leaves fans disappointed with its 'comical' ending: 'Why make it dystopian?'
The hit Korean drama S Line has officially wrapped up its six-episode run, leaving behind a plethora of reactions, theories, and questions. Starring Lee Soo Hyuk, Lee Da Hee, and Arin, the series drew attention for its provocative concept and dark fantasy tone. With elements of satire, mystery, and psychological horror, S Line dove deep into how people hide, fear, or succumb to their desires. What is S Line really about? The story revolves around Sin Hyeon Hop (Arin), a young girl born with the ability to see 'S-lines,' glowing red threads that connect individuals who have been sexually involved. After a traumatic past and the murder of her father, she lives in isolation until others gain the same ability through mysterious glasses. As more people begin to see the lines, hidden secrets surface, leading to chaos across her high school, with her teacher Lee Gyu Jin (Lee Da Hee) hiding a mysterious past. As greed consumes the wearers, she teams up with Detective Han Ji Uk (Lee Soo Hyuk) to halt this crisis and find the person behind it. S Line ending decode: A cycle that never truly ends The finale of S Line takes a turn many didn't see coming. In the final episode, Sin Hyeon Hop confronts Lee Gyu Jin, the woman who masterminded the distribution of the glasses and manipulated people's desires. Gyu Jin represents the embodiment of 'bad desires'—not just temptation, but the kind that pulls people into irreversible choices. Dressed like an angel in the real world, she lured individuals into surrendering their self-control under the guise of truth and transparency. The climax unfolds on a rooftop where Sin Hyeon Hop fatally stabs Gyu Jin. But Gyu Jin's death isn't a clean ending—it becomes a trigger. Her blood rises into the air, transforms into red light, and bursts into glowing S-lines visible to the entire world. What was once a private curse becomes a universal revelation. This shift reveals the show's core message: people often fear their past, but true collapse begins when they cannot accept it. The red lines, once symbolic of shame, now become a mirror forcing society to confront the hidden. Characters who couldn't come to terms with their own histories—like the teachers and the idol trainee—spiralled into violence, guilt, or denial. Meanwhile, those who did, like the detective, managed to remain in control. Sin Hyeon Hop's arc also reflects this transformation. For most of the show, she believed she was responsible for her father's death, but her mother's confession changed everything. Her journey ends with her appearing emotionally stable, yet in the final moments, she hears Gyu Jin's voice again, implying that desire, guilt, and temptation never fully die. The return of a new red thread in her vision suggests that even if one source is gone, another always lurks within. Desires can't be erased. They can only be recognised, resisted, or accepted. Fans' reactions: 'Wasted potential' The bold concept of the drama, paired with its unique fantasy element, had fans raving early on. The ability to see red lines revealing past sexual encounters was unlike anything K-drama viewers had seen before. However, by the finale, many felt the story lost its grip. While the emotional depth and moral dilemmas were compelling, several viewers believed the plot would have been stronger had it focused more on the "killer line" narrative rather than expanding into a full-blown S Line universe. Some users expressed that the final scenes felt unexpectedly comical, undercutting the tension that had built up over the episodes. There was also a shared sentiment that the show introduced too many subplots that were never fully resolved. Over on the K-drama community on Reddit, one fan wrote, "What was the cult/dystopian ahh ending? Extremely disappointing. The concept of the S line had such great potential. The drama was such a wasted potential. They could have just gone with the serial killer storyline." Another fan highlighted, "I could accept that they leaned a bit too much into the fantasy element in the last episode, but it felt too rushed and too open-ended for my taste. Especially after that 5th episode. I would consider this as a wasted opportunity." "The concept is so cool they could've made many interesting seasons. But no, they wasted it," a third fan complained. "I really liked the drama in the beginning, but what was that ending? Like seriously, after finishing the drama, I thought it was such a bummer. It could've been much better. Hated the ending and didn't expect it to end this way," one mentioned. Check out more comments in the Reddit thread below: Will there be S Line season 2? Though the ending provided emotional closure for several characters, it also introduced enough ambiguity to leave the door open for another season. The reappearance of the S-line, paired with Gyu Jin's lingering voice, hints that the curse—or perhaps the consciousness behind it—is far from over. Fans are already speculating on potential new storylines, including deeper dives into the origin of the glasses or a broader exploration of how the S-line affects society on a mass scale. As of now, there's been no official confirmation about a second season. But with the series gaining popularity both domestically and internationally, the chances for S Line Season 2 remain strong. For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
