New K-Drama with dark, provocative premise becomes global sensation without big OTT backing; Lee Soo Hyuk starrer scores big at Cannes

Indian Express

5 days ago

K-drama S Line is already making global noise ahead of its release, and one major reason is its boundary-pushing storyline, which is almost unheard of when it comes to exploring sexual themes in K-dramas. With the industry landscape slowly shifting, thanks to OTT giants like Netflix and Prime, more filmmakers are taking risks and breaking out of the usual mould. One such show is the upcoming Lee Soo Hyuk, Arin, and Lee Da Hee starrer. The series has already made history at Cannes, and despite not having any big OTT platform behind it, demand for its streaming has shot up on social media.
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The show dropped its first two episodes at Canneseries Season 8. Created by Handae Rhee and co-created and directed by Jooyoung Ahn, the six-part series kicks off with one big question: 'What if sexual connections between people became visible as red threads?' In this world, strange red lines start appearing above people's heads, linking them to anyone they've had a sexual relationship with. These lines expose hidden truths in a society already drowning in dating mess and secrets people would rather take to the grave. The series is adapted from a webtoon by Kkomabi, known for psychological storytelling, and S Line is part of their 'Trilogy of Death.' The show is about trauma, shame, privacy, and the cost of desire in today's hyper-watched world.
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So, how does it all play out?
A mysterious pair of glasses starts circulating, letting anyone who wears them see the S Lines. Once those private connections go public, everything begins to falter. A string of mysterious deaths follows, and detective Han Ji Wook (played by Lee Soo Hyuk) steps in to untangle it all. Arin (of Oh My Girl) plays Hyun Heup, a high schooler who's been seeing these lines since birth. Lee Da-hee plays Gyu Jin, a teacher with the same ability. The trailer, which dropped on July 2, opens with Arin's character whispering, 'I've seen these lines since I was born.' Detective Wook's character then wonders, 'I don't understand why they killed them.' A voiceover is heard, 'Can you really be sure of what you saw?' 'We started developing 'S Line' 10 years ago. The original webcomic hit us like a shock of electricity,' the executive producer told Variety. 'Once the invisible S lines become visible, a single revelation spirals into turmoil for an individual, a family, ultimately for society itself.'
S Line hasn't even premiered yet, and the K-drama has already made history. It's only the third Korean series ever to be invited to the festival's main competition, after Mother (2018) and Bargain (2023). It also became the first Korean drama to win Best Music at the prestigious Cannes International Series Festival. Critics loved the show's eerie soundtrack.
S Line will start streaming on Wavve (Korea-only OTT, no free trial)
Release date: July 11, 2025
Episodes: 6 in total
Drop schedule:
Episodes 1 & 2: July 11
Episodes 3 & 4: July 18
Episodes 5 & 6: July 25