Wow. I never thought I’d live to see a K‑drama pivot from cheesy innocence to something this explicit. S‑Line threw all our classic romance expectations out the window and, honestly, I wasn’t ready for it.
The Storyline
Shin Hyun‑Heup (Arin) can see S‑Lines, glowing red threads above people’s heads indicating past sexual partners. She’s seen them since birth. Lee Soo‑Hyuk plays Detective Han Ji‑Wook, pulled into a series of mysterious deaths tied to these lines. Lee Da‑Hee is Gyu‑Jin, a homeroom teacher who unexpectedly sees S‑Lines too, and gets entangled deeper than she planned. Lee Eun‑Saem portrays Kang Seon‑Ah, a student who exploits the glasses to ascend socially, her hidden line story disrupting everything.
What Actually Happened (My Experience)
I watched it in a blur and not in a good way. The premise felt tight at first, but after episode one, it unraveled into chaos. Important plotlines never materialized: Why could Hyun‑Heup see S‑Lines from birth? What is Gyu‑Jin’s motivation beyond shock value? And why was the detective drowning in so many lines when we barely got context or backstory?
There were zero explanations for most of this. Just one gimmick, S‑Line, and a tangle of scenes that added no emotional weight.
Standout Performances
Even though the story grated on me, the acting was solid. Lee Soo‑Hyuk’s detective carried a calm intensity, and Arin (formerly Oh My Girl’s Arin) showed real depth as Hyun‑Heup, quiet, haunted, resilient.
Scenes were stylized and cinematic, and yes, the music (Cannes award–winning) was hauntingly good.
What Fell Flat
Zero moral arc. Zero resolution. Just S‑Lines on repeat. No build-up, no payoff, just shock value without substance.
But imagine seeing that red line above your husband, your teacher, and your sister without context. That’s how bizarre it felt, no real character depth, just endless exposure without meaning.
Maybe if it stayed in fantasy territory, but it tried crime twist near the end with no bridge. They introduced the homeroom teacher’s obsession, then dropped it. Bullying plotlines vanished. The season ended before we even understood half the characters.
It felt like someone had a one‑hit concept and just stretched it thin. The show felt designed to shock, not to connect. Not since shows like Squid Game or All of Us Are Dead has an OTT drama felt this testosterone-heavy and plot‑light. And that song of silence? My little brother definitely didn’t join me when I watched.
My personal rating: One star out of five, because if you can’t rate zero, that’s all I’ve got.
Final Thought
I’m here for juicy, complex drama, and S‑Line had potential. But it ended up feeling like an exercise in boundary-pushing without emotional stakes.
So yes, I’m frustrated. The one time I tried crime-mystery thriller, it ended bad. What a waste of time!
What did you think of the homeroom teacher or the drama in general? I’m dying to know.
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