note: low rewatch value because watching it more than once might raise your blood pressure too much.
Save Me isn’t your average kdrama. I haven’t seen anything like it before. According to some sources, this is the first kdrama that explores the issues of religious cults. I actually started watching this drama the week before it ended, and finished all available 14 episodes in less than two days. Yes, it was that good. For many viewers, myself included, it was kinda slow in the beginning. I was hooked right from the start since each episode was gripping, but the drama didn’t warm up for me until ep 9 (yes, a bit late into the drama, but it’s totally worth it).
*claps* The cast is AMAZING. I can’t believe the actor of Dong Cheol, Woo Do Hwan, is a rookie. He’s so good. His facial expressions (his eyes!), his body language, and everything else shows exactly what he’s thinking. Definitely will be following his upcoming works. I wasn’t a fan of Seo Ye Ji, but that completely changed when I watched this drama (her voice is so rich). Taecyeon was lovely as usual, but Do Hwan completely stole the show for me. I loved the bromance between the four guys. The supporting cast also did a great job; each character had a story and helped keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the drama. btw there isn’t really a romance storyline, but definitely lots of shipping ;-)
There were a few scenes that made me a bit uncomfortable, but other than that, I absolutely loved this show. On the same note, this drama isn’t for everybody, since it tackles darker issues. I’ve been disappointed numerous times by the kdramas this year, but Save Me definitely saved the year (no pun intended). Save Me is one of my favs this year, along with Defendant, Duel, and Avengers Social Club. I don’t think I’ve been this emotionally invested in a kdrama before, and I’m sad that it has ended… will definitely miss the cast of Save Me.
The final verdict: not for everyone, but it’s an amazing drama that dives into darker topics
This is the first religious cult kdrama, so there’s nothing similar to it, but here are a few psychological dramas:
- Liar Game (kdrama)
- I Remember You
- Defendant (“Apostle Jo” is also in this one, but he’s a good guy :D)
- Mad Dog (not psychological, but stars Woo Do Hwan (!!); airs later this year)
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Despite a few flaws here and there, Save Me is undoubtedly that one Korean Drama that comes to the closest degree of perfection.
The beauty of the show is in its fearlessness. It yanks out all the controversial social issues that people keep hidden behind opaque curtains and exposes them for what they are.
Religeous extremism, bullying, corruption and abuse of power are laid bare infront of you in their ugliest form.
There's a perverse darkness to the show. This constant undercurrent of foreboding and this feeling that you're watching something that you shouldn't watch. Despite the fact that it has no explicit scenes, the drama still manages to come off as an undeniable Taboo.
Save Me excels at every factor that makes a good show. Excellent direction, a tight narrative and a well-thought out, intelligent script make it impossible for the viewer to not get invested.
Every character and role, no matter how minor, is extremely fleshed out; consequentially making all the more impact.
It is only right that a brilliant script would be backed up by brilliant acting and sure enough, our actors don't disappoint.
At first I thought that I wasn't getting enough from Seo Yeo Ji but as the episodes progress you're entranced by her. Sang Mi is a strong woman caught in a vulnerable position. From determination and rebellion to helplessness, frustration and finally utter desperation; it's an awful never-ending cycle for her.
The deadly world of religeous fanaticism is wonderfully portrayed and Sang Mi's battle with sanity amongst masses of deranged manics shakes you to the core. Her love for her mother, her strong will to save herself, her despair and her agony are all emotions that you feel alongside with her.
However, the star of the show is undoubtedly Woo Do Hwan. I felt so deeply for Dong Cheol that I often found myself tearing up at the unfairness of his situation. He's a warrior with a heart of platinum and a soul that shines. He's sexy, sweet and broken. And I was in love with every version of him. I cherished every moment he was on-screen and missed him every moment he wasn't. It's truly remarkable how excellently Woo Do Hwan acted despite having very little experience under his belt, and that too, in a way that he stole the show from much experienced actors.
Okay, so you know those flaws I mentioned in the beginning? Well, Han Sang Hwan is the biggest one. Considering I'm an egalitarian, I hate noble idiots and goody two saints equally regardless of their gender; and Sang Hwan, to put it frankly, is a little bitch.
Despite the fact that he is the show's hero and this 'leader' that the drama writers want to force you to like- he isn't much at all. He's the classic privileged rich kid with daddy issues that you can find in every other wealthy neighborhood. His character is like an after-thought to the story and Taecyon for me, was very unmemorable.
I hated the fact that the drama, time and time again took away the spotlight from the life of the show (Dong Cheol) and gave it to him. At one point I was bad-wishing him almost as much as I was cursing the evil guys but hilariously enough, he failed in almost of all his hero missions (rescue plans and outsmarting people) all by himself. Until the last few episodes, his character retains the heroic but dumb vibe and I just couldn't take him seriously. Especially when all the real work was done by Dong Cheol.
However, the saving grace about Save Me is that even though it makes it clear who the main leads are, it doesn't discriminate in screen-time. Every single character is given their moment to shine and that is the sole reason why Taecyon did not make me snatch one star back from the rating.
The villains are cleverly written. They are all complex characters driven by different motivations and are as compelling as they are hateful. There are some very lovable side characters- Mr GateKeeper being my personal favorite- and some good ol' bromance to keep things balanced.
Save Me is a show that makes you feel. I found silent tears trekking my cheeks in miserable moments and then there were times I wanted to scream and yank my hair out from frustration. The drama kept me hooked to the screen from start to finish and brought out a whole lotta physical reactions from me.
The OST, mostly instrumental, is pure genius. Played at all the right moments; it incites dread, anticipation and panic in the on-lookers.
There are no plot inconsistencies and the show ends beautifully, providing deep satisfaction and closure, while simultaneously teasing that maybe all that evil isn't gone for good? Who knows.
Personally, this show was right up my alley. It kept me guessing throughout and from the moment I pressed the play button to the time the ending credits rolled; my heart felt like it was in a chokehold of fear for the characters.
While this show may not be for everyone, if you want to test your boundaries and tread into dark waters; Save me is, without a doubt, a must watch.
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I don't really know anything about cults, but after watching this drama, I want to stay as far away from them as frickin possible. They're horrifying. And the amount of nonsense people are willing to believe and devote themselves to is absolutely baffling and terrifying. *shivers* I personally would have had serious issue with ever forgiving my father after everything his devotion and brainwashing put his daughter, the female MC, through.
The only qualms I really had with this drama was the rushed ending. I would have really liked to have seen more than 15 minutes dedicated to bringing down the cult. I really needed that satisfaction of seeing the cult brought down in detail. A court hearing, and the leaders in prison - something more to feel a true sense of justice for all those people murdered and kept hostage. As well as a more detailed resolution for the female MC and her friends/saviors. I would have really loved to see something more substantial in regards to their friendship in the epilogue. The drama was building up for so long and the characters were working so hard to bring down the bad guys that only 15 minutes (seriously, 15 minutes compared to 16 hours) was not satisfying. I also felt that toward the last 3 episodes or so, things started to drag out a bit because they weren't wrapping things up and defeating the cult fast enough. *That* definitely dragged. I think a minimum of an entire episode (1 hour) dedicated to the resolution/aftermath of bringing down the cult would have improved the ending significantly.
Also, not really important, but a side question - when did they ever sleep??? Services were at dawn every day in addition to an evening service. Then everyone went around on adventures at night AND during the day, soooooo when did anyone sleep?
Anyways, I'm not sure if I'd ever recommend this drama to the average viewer. I watched it mostly to see Woo Do Hwan (who sadly didn't have nearly as much screen time I was hoping for, even though he was technically a main character). It was worth it seeing Woo Do Hwan for sure in his action scenes though! I think this drama would be good if it were to be watched and analyzed for a sociological and psychological perspectives.
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The pacing and plot are well-thought out, albeit it starts off slow, it really drives forward after a few episodes. There are certain scenes that just really hit the mark (and even ones that made my jaw visibly drop). Both the spoken and unspoken parts of this script really shine. The cinematography is also astounding. Aside from the technical stuff, the themes and characters of this drama are just incredibly well thought out.
As for the acting, I truly must give a hand to the entire cast for bringing such a chilling narrative to life, because this fictional cult's story is unfortunately very similar to many real life events. Some may disagree, but for me, Seo Ye Ji made this drama. I've heard that some viewers may find her expressions to be bland or dull, but I strongly disagree. She displays a wide variety of emotions, and has great control over even micro-expressions; the only reason why it may have seemed dull at first is because her character is written in such a very conservative manner. The next outstanding performance came from Woo Doo Hwan. Not only is his character written to be so generous and wonderful, but Doo Hwan's ability to capture heartwarming, blood-chilling, raw emotion blew me away. Definitely rooting for this guy.
The music is suitable to this drama, but it's not really that good standalone.
Overall, this drama has been one of my favorites in terms of cast, character, and impact so far. I'm looking forward to the cast and crew's future endeavors, and I certainly hope this drama gets more love!
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I'm basically just gonna post what I had written about it on my blog when I was only ten episodes in...
This drama was an unexpected surprise for me. I’m a fan of Seo Ye Ji ever since I watched her in Moorim School and I wanted to see more of her, but I’m gonna be honest Hwarang wasn’t going to get my view (it looked boring and there were better things I could and did watch) and I wasn’t interested in any drama where she wasn’t the lead especially if I was gonna have to see ant face. I had made a note that I wanted to see this drama without virtually any clue what it was about. I eventually found out that Ok Taecyeon was also going to be in this drama and he’s pretty easy on the eyes so yeah… I didn’t read the synopsis on the drama until I was midway through episode one because I immediately thought to myself, what the actual !$!@ have I gotten myself into? I was equally repulsed and obsessed by the time I finished the second episode and waited anxiously for every new episode.
The drama absolutely captivates from the acting to the symbolism to the scenery to the background music. The funny and relaxed moments, although far and few in between, are as believable as the thrilling and spooky moments.
As someone who was a fan of Seo Ye Ji, I must say that Im Sang Mi has easily become one of my favorite kdrama heroines of all time and that was because of her. There was strength and courage inside this character that had felt so much pain and to come out of it with everything still in tact? I AM FLOORED AND PROUD.
Of course we know that the rest of the cast did amazing as well and truthfully there is such a satisfaction that i am feeling right now that I can't explain.
Give the drama a chance. It may surprise you.
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Intense show
I didn't watch this when it originally aired because I didn't think I would enjoy it. It's not my usual genre, and the plot didn't interest me that much. I've branched out quite a bit since it's release and then I enjoyed Seo Ye Ji so much in It's Okay to Not Be Okay that I decided to try this on a whim. And then I accidentally got my husband sucked into it as well.This show is intense. We were both riding an anxiety rollercoaster while watching this show and practically biting our nails wanting to rescue Sang Mi ourselves. LOL!
The acting from most of the main cast was really good. Seo Ye Ji is a master at acting. Her micro-expressions are on point, and she carries this fierceness about her that is just intoxicating. Ok Taecyeon was decent, but as the main lead (Han Sang Hwan), I though he could have done better. Woo Do Hwan is another star on the rise. He's been amazing in everything I've watched him in so far, including this. Jo Jae Yoon was terrifying as Jo Wan Tae and Jo Sung Ha as the 'pastor' was not only terrifying but did crazed zealot very well also.
I think the most terrifying thing about this show was that this sort of thing can and does happen to people. To watch the cult leaders twist the Bible and use it to control, abuse, and extort from their congregants twisted my insides. To see that Sang Mi had no escape and no voice - that even her own parents who loved her were brainwashed and useless to her worked me up.
I'm glad I watched it in the end. It was very well-done and a much better drama than I was expecting. The ending was mostly satisfying, but will still give you a chill. I don't think I'd watch it again, but just because that sort of genre doesn't watch the same way after knowing the outcome. If you have trauma triggers, I'd probably avoid it, but if you enjoy dark and intense shows, this should be on your list!
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While this drama did not meet my expectations, I am happy I watched it because I found some new amazing actors (Seo Ye Ji and Woo Do Hwan) that I am excited to watch in other films. Also, guys don't expect a romance trope in this drama, it doesn't need one and it's better without one. The bromance was cool and while everyone fav may be Dong Chol, I just really had a soft spot for Man Hee, even though he wasn't the leader of the group, he was so kind and mature in a hidden way. My other fav, was Joon Go, the gangster or the "dog" even though he doesn't have that many lines, every time he spoke, he left you wanting to know more about him.
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For many of us, we never get to see what goes on in a religious cult, only hearing about it on the news when something bad occurs or referring to it as a thing of the past. This show is so phenomenal because not only does it remind you that religious cults are still out there, it also makes you want to learn more about their existence. Half-way through the show, I found myself researching about the growth of religious cults within a country like South Korea that is infamous for group mentality and group thought. Religious cults are huge and this show has the guts to bring to light some of its indecencies.
Admittedly, the first few episodes were very hard for me to watch because they touched upon sensitive topics like death, molestation, bullying, and the like. (And it doesn't get any easier as they explore the inner workings of the religious organization.) However, over time I slowly began to realize that those feelings of discomfort were 100% necessary in order to paint a picture and tell the story of what really happens in modern-day Korea and the world as a whole. If a piece makes you feel something, then it is doing its job correctly. My greatest hope for this show is that the situations depicted will spark a widespread transformation of Korean society.
Also Side Note: I've said it before but I will say it again, OCN dramas are GOLD! Anything that is an OCN original is gonna be deep and maybe a little dark-but it's gonna be good! The 3.0 Rewatch value is because it's just one of those shows that you need only to watch once. Once is enough because, as I have said previously, it's a lot to take in.
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The pacing in this drama really threw me for a loop. I felt as though nothing really happened for a very long time. I understand that there are things like character development and setting the plot, but I felt that the drama was being a little more dramatic and dragging things out more than it really needed to be. I am one for a slow-paced drama, but for me, this one just seemed way too long, and I felt that I would find myself skipping through the drama or just putting it on, on the background and doing other things while it played. Now I usually stop watching dramas that do not catch my interest after about the fourth episode but I kept seeing people who liked it and I wanted to know what eh fuss was all about, and I have to say I don’t think I truly ever figured it out. Some people were right though, after the ninth episode of this sixteen episode long drama, I felt like the pacing and the plot truly started to move along. (Yes it took nine whole episodes for it to actually start running at a decent speed in my opinion.) Once the ball gets rolling things do get rather interesting, and I wish the drama pulled me in like that from episode one, but nine hours had to pass for this to happen and that isn’t a good thing in my book. Now I know some people really liked it, but that pacing just wasn’t for me.
Apparently, there is an Original Soundtrack for this drama, which is news to me since there really wasn’t any music playing through the drama but perhaps the songs played when the credits rolled, so I really don’t know about it. Which to me is a rather disappointing thing, since I am one to truly love an original soundtrack. I love the music in Asian dramas and the lack of it really bummed me out, however, I cant knock it down too much for not having one since I don’t think it most likely would have fit in with the drama in the first place. So once again I am on the fence about aspects of this drama.
I know I am going on and on about how I don’t like this drama or how I was disappointed, but I do want to point out some good things about the drama as well. The cinematography and the color correction on this drama were fantastic. The eery feeling the camera angles and pans gave the drama worked like a charm. The cold blue effect on the drama that you can see throughout most of it is really beautiful and does give it a more mysterious and chilling look to the whole drama. The acting was also done rather well in this drama.
The actors and actresses that starred in this drama where mostly the saving grace for this drama for me personally. I found them to be charming and portraying their characters well, so I wanted to see how they developed through the show. Ok Taecyeon of the K-pop group 2PM did a rather good job with his role. I have not seen him in a drama since he starred in “Who Are You” in 2013. He is a pretty decent actor and I think he did well for his role, I don’t know if I was really into his accent but I will let it slide since I’m not an accent expert or anything, I just thought his faded in and out more than the rest of the actors. Seo Ye Ji as our female lead really did a wonderful job. I have not seen her in any other dramas but I am wanting to go back through her filmography and check her out. She has a unique look and voice with skill so, I am actually interested in her as an actress. Jo Sung Ha did a wonderful job as our cult leader, he had a way with words and way of presenting himself in the drama that made me believe that what his character believed was true, if that makes sense. I thought he did a great job and he truly had my side eyeing him the entire drama.
Overall the drama was pretty good I suppose. I liked the last half of the drama more than the first half. I felt it was too slow but I am happy they picked up the pace later on. The acting was good and that really kept my interest. I think that perhaps the drama could have been a bit shorter, but that is just my opinion on the matter. I wouldn’t say that its an amazing drama that you must see this year but it truly does have a unique plot which I hope I can see another drama with similar themes in the future. So I guess, overall it was an okay drama to me, not great but not bad either. Just so-so.
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This review may contain spoilers
Finally, after having this drama on-hold for 2 years, I finished it. I do not regret waiting so long, before picking it up again. I might have rated it lower if I was watching it as it was airing, being swayed by other people's opinions. Now, with a clear heart and head, I can be as true to myself as possible.STORY
Cults are not exactly the most commonly used theme for dramas, since it's hard to present them in a realistic way, staying true to the complexity of how these organizations work and the mentality of people being involved. This drama did a fairly good job at it. Till the end I wasn't 100% sure if the cult leader is a true believer, or if it’s just an act. There were hints fitting both of the cases throughout the show. That being said, it was unnecessary to introduce the "corrupt politician" into the mix. Next to such a fresh idea of the victims of a cult, giving us an overused story of a power hungry older guy doing anything he can to win, was a mistake. Especially since the drama would be just as interesting without it.
CHARACTERS
The drama tries to sell us a story of 3 young heroes: Sang Mi, Dong Cheol and Sang Hwan. Sadly, they failed. They told us Sang Mi is the heart, Dong Cheol - the muscles and Sang Hwan the brain of the group, but it was Dong Cheol that came up with the majority of the plans, he was smart enough to know not to involve the cops and not to believe in Sang Hwan's dad.
Sang Mi was smart enough to fool everyone involved in the cult and survived there for years. There was no brain in Sang Hwan up until ep 14/15th. A bit too late if you ask me. There was truly nothing going on for him as a character and I was never invested in him and his journey. He was there to show up at times and solve plot problems that might be hard to explain otherwise.
As I was finishing the drama, I finally knew why I disliked Sang Hwan so much: the writer and director tried to TELL us he is the hero of the story next to Sang Mi, but they did not SHOW it at all.
He kept making the same mistakes, never learning from any of them. All the consequences never hit him directly, but hurt the people around him. Don't know if it was the director's/writer’s idea or Taecyeon's misdelivery, but I never felt that he is truly sorry for all the things that he did. The production team tried to put him in the same "I am a victim here" group as Dong Cheol and Sang Mi, which was ridiculous. His mistake put his best friend in jail and an innocent girl in a cult for years, and everyone forgave him like it was not a big deal. I don't believe that there can be a nonredeemable character and they could have made Sang Hwan work, but they did not even try. All the mistakes were just forgotten.
One of the more interesting characters to watch was Apostle Kang. There were moments when we could slowly see her breaking out of that "salvation" mindset and seeing how things truly are in Goosuwon. It made me question and wonder how her character will develop and which side she will be standing on at the end. I appreciate that she stayed true to her beliefs, no matter how twisted they were. It just shows the true power of manipulation and brainwashing that had happened in the cult.
ACTING
Except for Taecyeon, all the cast did an amazing job. I must say, I might be biased though. I never liked Taecyeon acting, not once have I thought he did a good job with the role given. I just don't feel any deep emotions and those nuances in his facial expressions that distinguish amazing actors from just an actor. Being placed between such a strong cast, I could see that he still lacks in some areas of the delivery.
On the bright side though, Jung Hae Kyun and Yoon Yoo Sun did a fantastic job, easily overshadowing the rest of the cast with their acting. Everyone truly hated Joo Ho and felt pity towards Bo Eun. Many people think acting "crazy" is an easy thing to do since you just have to do random stuff, but it's hard... really hard to make it believable. The random stuff are not really random, there is a reasons they do them, do stuff that no one else seems to understand. You need to understand the reasoning behind the unreasonable actions to be able to portray them in your character.
Overall, really good drama. The frustration that keeps rising during the watch makes the ending even better. Even the comical death of Jung Ki was a good choice, and if all the actions leading to it were not as serious and heavy, I might say they overkill him. OCN knows how to deliver, and we should be thankful.
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This review may contain spoilers
Nothing good will ever come out of Greed.
Note: I'll have to say that this drama is one of the most frustrating dramas I have ever seen. And it's not because of bad writing, but because of great acting. And another thing, I wish they had explored more about the dirty secrets of religious cults and corruption in politics.I admit that I didn't expect a lot from this drama since this is not the type of drama that I usually watch. I came across this drama while I was looking for something new and something different that doesn't have romance in it and I saw Seo Ye Ji as one of the casts so I decided to give it a try.
This drama is about 4 boys attempting to save a girl and her family from a religious cult and along the way they find themselves unlocking the secrets behind the mysterious place called Guseonwon. After I read the synopsis, I thought to myself that this is exactly what I've been looking for and I am happy to say that Save Me did not disappoint me. I love how consistent the writers are in their script and how they kept the suspense going. Although It wasn't very thrilling as I thought it would be, I still think they did a pretty good job in connecting the pieces together and keeping the setting as eerie as possible. I also love how the writers made such interesting and complex characters that will make you engaged in the story even if you don't specifically like the genre.
But what I love most about the story is how they effectively showed what blind faith can do to people who can't think for themselves and what greedy people can do to others just to get what they desire. Besides being brainwashed by the villains, I think the people at Guseonwon are also at fault and can also be called greedy. It's because they gave everything they possess to that pseudo church just to get what they need which they call salvation and other things they wish for. They blindly follow what they are being told just because they think they would get something in return by doing that and that's what makes them greedy. And of course, the villains. They are just pure evil. This drama has the most disgusting and infuriating villains I've ever seen! I get irritated by other villains but the villains in this drama just infuriates me. That Jo Wan Tae guy with curly hair and that white-haired git deserves the most painful deaths. I also hate Sang Mi's father for being imbecile and incompetent. I expected something more from Kang Eun Sil. I was hoping she'd turn her back completely from the cult after realizing their so-called spiritual father is fake but I forgot that she had already went crazy years ago. So if you're gonna watch it now, don't expect her to change completely. I am also interested with the other dirty stuff Sang Hwan's dad did. They already showed us the dirty side of politics and religion so I guess it wouldn't hurt to show a bit more. Now, the main characters. Just like always, Seo Ye Ji is a force to be reckoned with. You can't just ignore how powerful she is in every scene and everytime she leaves the screen, you'd be left wanting for more. Contrary to Ok Taecyeon's character which wasn't really impressive to me. His character in Save Me is different from his character in Let's Fight Ghost but it reminds me a lot of his character in that drama. Maybe it's because of the acting? But I think even if his acting skills may not be as great as the other actors', he still wasn't left out so I guess it's fine. And finally, Woo Do Hwan. I've heard about him from fans who watched The King and they continually express how great he is at acting. Now I understand why they are in awe. This man can totally act two different characters effectively! I'm really happy he's getting more attention now because of his latest drama. After watching him in this drama, I also feel like I would only be invested in his character if I ever attempt to watch another episode of The King again which I think is never gonna happen. Aside from the main characters and villains, the side characters also shined in this drama. I could never forget the gatekeeper guy and the ahjumma who feels like a noona. This drama made me feel different kinds of emotions, and it's also written well so I think it's a drama worth watching the second time. Although I am not planning to watch this again anytime soon because this drama boils my blood.
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