The plot was well done. It started out slow at first but the pace added to the mysteriousness of the whole plot. Everything was all written in a way to let the readers join in the ride of how everything will unfold. Every episode you will be asking yourself what they would do next, how are they going to salvage the situation and or is someone going to die? This keeps the viewers enough curiosity to see the whole story through.
The characters are all commendable. Every single one did an outstanding job, although in my opinion Taec Yeon did less good in acting in this drama. He was outshone by Do Hwan and his character Dong Cheol. In all honesty at some point in the drama I did not care what Sang Hwan was going to do because I was so focused on Dong Cheol. The way he portrayed his character was spot on. It was satisfying to watch. Aside from that I can feel Sang Mi and Dong Cheol's chemistry way more than Do Hwan (but then again this is no romance drama). I also like Seo Ye Ji and her character. The way she portrayed a beautiful, cold, brave and fragile character deserves and applause. The characters who deserved a standing ovation in my opinion was Sang Mi's mother and the Spiritual Father. Their characters were two crazies in this drama you can't help but cringe and commend at the same time. The character who changed the most in this drama was Sang Mi's father. You would hardly recognize him before and after he entered Goosunwon. He was still like a father with the added sinister aura that was not there before he was converted. Every viewer probably felt that too and that made him a good actor.
The songs on this drama were really good. It complimented the theme of the story so well and might I say some of them are quite addictive to listen to. I just know some of you will be asking what song playing.
The re-watch value of this drama for me is 7. Like I said it's not something that many people can stomach, especially if religion is a very sensitive topic for you. I know the practice of Christians very well because I am one too and I would just say that they hit close to home. Although the drama had already made a precaution that everything was just written and made for the drama, you should also know that they are basing it with at least one religion and their practices. What I am saying is that you should not judge it for being too close and watch it with an open mind, or if you really can't help it, just don't compare it to something you know and watch the drama for its amazing plot line and roaster of characters.
Overall I enjoyed this drama and thankful that I stumbled on it one day. You won't regret this one for sure.
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This really happened in the United States I remember this very well. "The members of the group in 1997, identified by the authorities as Heaven's Gate, referred to themselves as angels, dressed alike in androgynous black clothes and buzz haircuts, and ran a business, Higher Source, that designed commercial home pages for the Internet. The co-founder of the cult, Marshall Herff Applewhite, 65, was among the dead, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office said".
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A lot more hype than what it really was...
Perhaps I am a little biased with my review... I went into watching this with a lot of expectations. And could you reeeally blame me though? Casting looked great, interesting premise, interesting genres, and a pretty good trailer as well. It seemed like a foolproof recipe for success. But... It kind of wasn't. For me, at least.STORY: It definitely started off being interesting. And don't get me wrong, overall, it was. However, what missed the mark for me was that they could've gone further with the backstory of the apostles and spiritual father. In my opinion, that really lost me. I could forget that the pacing was so bad, it took til like episode 9 to finally start picking up, I could forget that they stretched 8 episodes out senselessly (when it really could've been like 4 episodes), aaanD that it took til like episode 14-15 to get the FULL picture of the backstory of the apostles and the spiritual father...
I could forget ALL of that.
But to not at least give us what we really wanted, the backstory of how these characters came to be.... Well, that was absolutely unforgivable in my books.
CASTING: Cannot complain, casting was good.
MUSIC: Did the job right, made me feel anxious, in suspense of what's to come. It wasn't particularly memorable tbh.
REWATCH: Verry unlikely to rewatch.
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So why the low rewatch value? Well, the answer to that is simple, it's just too intense. This was possibly the most intense drama I've ever watched. It was a rollercoaster of emotions but the suspense was MAD. Every episode I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I shared the anxiety of the characters. It really does get terrifying at some points, though it's not a horror, the events are just so suffocating and horrific but realistic at the same time. Cults like this do actually exist. It such a unique drama. I'm usually someone who loves some romance in my dramas, and although I would've liked something to happen between her and Dong Cheol, I don't even mind that it didn't. The powerful storyline overcomes that.
I definitely would recommend this to anyone who can handle it's brutal and spine chilling storyline.
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This review may contain spoilers
Prior to this, I had the misfortune of watching a couple of average dramas which were disappointing overall. So this one was a breath of fresh air and very welcome. THINGS I LOVED:
>Story: The idea of a girl and her family getting trapped in a creepy cult is not something often seen in kdrama land. It was very interesting. The pacing was good and the cliffhangers were well-placed. I also loved that there was a strong female lead. I'm also glad that there was little to no romance since that would've been completely out of place. I also like how the drama shows the gritty gruesome reality of bullying among males in particular and what it leads to. The story is also very realistic in the sense that the cult followers don't just snap out of a spell when their cult is exposed, but they hold on to their beliefs much more strongly when confronted with the reality.
>Acting: Seo Ye Ji's acting is amazing. Her fear, her outrage, her doubts, her mental breakdowns were all too real and very believable. She made the character come alive and turned into Sang Mi. Another actor who wowed me was Woo Do Hwan, who completely fits the bad boy-but-soft-inside vibe with his looks as well as his expressions. And his expressions were so on point! When he cried, he cried with his face and his whole body. He completely stole every scene he was in. I also loved the supporting characters, and the main villain was very good at making me hate him.
>Characters: I loved the strength of the main female lead. She fights for her brother, and then fights to keep her family hold on after his death, and then she fights against the cult till the very end. She's sharp-eyed and quick in reacting. She can keep a poker face and her wits when faced with life-threatening moments. She has her tender moments when she cares for Jeong Goo and mourns his death. Even when asking others to save her, she does more than half the saving by herself. The friendship of the male characters was nicely portrayed, and the few scenes containing humor were well-done though I'm glad there wasn't too much of that.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
>Loose/Incomplete Plot Elements and Details:
(1) I wish the drama had shown a little more backstory to the main villain, Baek Jung Ki, and his relationship with Jo Wan Tae. There should've been a few flashbacks to show that they'd done this cult thing in other towns as well, and how they'd wrapped up and gotten away before being convicted. Baek Jung Ki's mental state is not pursued fully, and there was potential in that. They could've shown him as a person suffering from DID or a plain psychopath.
(2) The mystery behind the holy water blessed by the cult leader wasn't taken to it's end. Was it drugged as well? Was it just a placebo? I mean it worked instantly on Sang Mi's father so I'm assuming at least some kind of hallucinogen was involved?
(3) The dead female reporter's body was never found, nor was Sang Mi very grieved to hear of her disappearance. I mean, she was a super strong ally, even though she was not very close to Sang Mi as a friend. Her boss's reaction to her death wasn't shown either. It made the whole reporter plotline seem very irrelevant. She didn't get any concrete evidence and Deong Cheol was way better at spying and ferreting out evidence than she was. She was careless enough to get caught as well. So I guess I didn't get the point of her being included.
(4) I didn't really get the point of the plotline with the ex-convicts/thugs and what their motives were. Also, the scenes involving one thug taking on dozens of armed men was just too cliche.
(5) The last episode was a bit of a let down. Sang Mi's mother meeting Sang Hwan's mother by chance when the latter was brought to Guseonwon, and the sudden immolation of Baek Jung Ki (although ironic and apt) was a bit hard to swallow.
(6) I'm surprised Sang Mi's dad didn't go along with Apostle Kang in her new cult. Rather than a loner, he seemed like an eager-to-serve slave who likes to remain in the shadows of the leader and become his arms. It would've made so much sense for him to latch onto Apostle Kang and do her dirty work in the new cult.
(7) Sang Hwan's mom regains control of her body in the nick of time. Now you're stretching my suspension of disbelief.
>Acting:
I don't know if I'm the only one, but Taecyeon's acting in this drama sucked. He had the exact same face when shocked, grieved, disappointed, thoughtful, heartbroken, or angry. It was the same face. It was disappointing.
>Character:
Again, Taecyeon's character, Sang Hwan was dull and naive, especially when compared to Sang Mi's. He was too trusting of his father, he kept making mistake after mistake, and he seemed to rely too much on his friends. If Sang Mi was sharp and quick-witted, Sang Hwan was the opposite. I guess you can say it was like a gender role reversal, with the male being naive and slow to act and the female being a bold character. But Sang Hwan often seemed a little childish.
So yeah, I enjoyed it but there was definitely room for improvement.
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very dark drama
I'm afraid if I finish this I'll have a mental breakdown cuz it's so sad and tragic I can't imagine how the characters feel when they filmed this ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Was this review helpful to you?
This Drama is Intense, it’s edge of your seat heart pounding!
Whew! okay this was insane! I’m so proud of myself for finishing it because it’s very dark drama with some heavy content. it’s not for the faint of heart, if you have triggers, best avoid this drama. now it’s was absolutely amazing! the actors did an incredible job with this, they really showed how talented they are. let’s be real i watched this drama for WooDoHwan, seoyeaji and taecyeon. And they really did a fantastic job with their performances. but i was sooooo not prepared for how scary this drama was. it’s about a family that’s bad luck land them in middle of a a religious cult, and the terrifying things going on behind the scene are unthinkable. I was riddled with anxiety! The boys have such a wonderful relationship, I loved their friendship and my heart bled so much for dong-chug and everything he endured. this show really gave me an upset stomach but whew, I made it and loved the ending!Was this review helpful to you?
-Drama: 9/10: I was so excited to see this, because of the plot, cast and positive popularity, but on the other hand ... I had no interest because it is related to religious things and I don't like that stuff. I saw the first episodes and really nothing was catching my attention, around episode 4/5 things warmed me up and in episode 8/9 is when the "save me" misson starts and that means things got much better!! Overall...it can be slow...
-Story:9/10: It's fantastically creepy. I'm pretty sure what calls you here, is the cult side, since this is the only drama about issues of cults and yes, that is definitely what makes this drama so unique and good. But in every episode, all people do is: fake conversations of affection that seriously and easily changes the psychological/mind of people. And that freaks me out, I just wanted to slap everyone!! Another thing! This is an Action, Mystery, Psychological and Suspense drama, so don't wait for romance. Even with the second lead syndrome feels, I'm glad the drama had no romance, that would change the atmosphere of everything.
-Cast: 9/10: Really, really love this cast! Excellent acting! I'm not a fan of Seo Ye Ji, but damn, she is a fantastic actress, I will give her more atention! I think Woo Do Hwan stole the main role, I completely loved him and I gave him so much atention <3 and I think most of the viwers did the same ;). Whatever he is, it's a drama worth watching. The only problem was the main male lead, who could have been better, Like I said, Woo Do Hwan could have been the lead actor easily. I fell that Taecyeon character was..not in the point of being the main. Jo Jae-Yun can do anything and I was shocked when I saw his role, since I watched "Mad Dog" and "Wok of Love" and he did comedy roles.
-Music/OST: 7/10: I think this is what failed a bit. The music is suitable to this drama, but there are parts where it is badly placed. Anyway, one of the musics REALLY reminded me of the one from "The Conjuring"!
- Rewatch Value: low, just because this is one drama that you just need to watch one time.
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ACTING: OKAY. APPLAUSE FOR THE CAST. I hated and loved all of them with a passion. "Spiritual Father" and "Apostle Jo" are officially my most hated K-drama characters, which just means their acting was a 10/10. I especially loved that Sang Mi wasn't too brave but not too weak either...she was just a perfect female lead, her acting was so good, that I was dying to slap all the people for her, and damn, she is so beautiful. I didn't notice her queen like visuals in Moorim School, but she definitely caught my eye (and my heart) here. Moving on to Taecyeon, I feel like somehow his "main role" wasn't justified as there just wasn't much depth or importance for his character. As always, his acting was great, but I feel like the writer could have done much more for his role. Aaaaand, WOO DO HWAN. I might just have a major crush on this guy, and his acting just makes me love him even more. Just my opinion, but Woo Do Hwan actually felt like the male lead in the drama, cause really speaking, it's all because of his character that they were able to save her as he did most of the work, and practically sacrificed his family in order to save her. I really feel he deserved a little recognition for his efforts in the end.
Overall, I recommend this drama to everyone. If you're hesitant like I was, JUST JUMP IN. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
NOTE: I'm a christian too, and I agree that such false people are using religion to benefit themselves and are leading people into an actual hell-hole. I'm thankful I've never had to meet such people, and that all of the churches we attend are amazing, but the drama brought up the issue of false pastors and churches really well.
Also, that church looked so damn satanic. It gave me the creeps.
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This review may contain spoilers
**This review was cross-posted on r/KDRAMA subreddit with a few changesFrankly, Save Me was psychologically draining. But I guess if I felt that way, the writers did a pretty good job?? Although I won't deny that the cast was stellar in inciting psychological dread among the viewers.
It was pretty disgusting that the curly haired guy and cult leader were preying on Sang Mi. The school bullies were assholes and I wanted to throttle them so bad. Seo Ye Ji was spectacular in portraying Sang Mi, especially her resilience (will be definitely looking forward to her future works!!). But feeling helpless for her character was so tiring, especially when everyone dismisses her. And feeling frustrated for the antagonists and adults in this show was entirely frustrating. For "mature" adults, Sang Hwan and his friends + Sang Mi seem to have more common sense than they do.
I also thought that Sang Hwan's "Stand tall" advice to Dong Chul felt hollow and doesn't provide any comfort. I think its something that's easy to say, but hard to live by. More so if you grew up on the other side of the fence, experienced many hardships, and have limited to no opportunities to give yourself a better life.
There were lots of conflicted loyalties/moral principles in this show. But I'm glad that Sang Hwan got a chance to redeem himself in the succeeding episodes, even if he failed at times. On the contrary, I think that Taecyeon's portrayal of the character was a bit stiff -- I'm not sure if its his delivery, or the way he was written. But its still decent nonetheless. It's just that WDH really stood out for me on this show.
Dong Chul has a good heart and a strong sense of justice, despite growing up in a poor neighborhood. I admire his selfless spirit, and it was very heartbreaking to see him being wronged by influential people, and to some extent, by Sang Hwan. Dong Chul eating jajangmyeon without his grandma (and even ordering a serving for her) after getting released from prison made me cry. Knowing that he doesn't have anyone to lean on at a young age was particularly heartbreaking.
They say that parents know best but this drama had a way of showing how such saying is flawed, which was pretty evident in Sang Hwan's and Sang Mi's parents. What the governor/Sang Hwan's dad did to his wife to save his seat in power was disgusting. But hey, I guess money and power talks. As for Sang Mi's dad, he was too incompetent and naive, and way beyond saving. It's very disappointing to see him brainwashed at a vulnerable point in their lives.
That said, I'm glad that the writers touched on a very sensitive topic, and gave us a glimpse on how dangerous and far-reaching a cult's influence can be. And more importantly, how they work and lure people by taking advantage of their weaknesses -- which just so happens in real life.
There was no romance in this drama, which I'm grateful for. It wouldn't have fit the bill given that Sang Mi's been through a lot and has a lot of healing to do. But the second lead syndrome was very strong.
The finale was one of the satisfying endings I've watched. I'm glad Sang Mi was able to save her mother from the cult. And I love how they referenced the cult leader's death with the fiery pit. It was particularly interesting to see Apostle Kang throughout the show. Sometimes, I'd think she'll be able to break free from the cult. But I guess her faith brought about by brainwashing overshadows such. I'm also wondering why she isn't in jail, but I did foresee her fate in the finale.
I felt that the stories of the other characters needed closure, although I wasn't really keeping my hopes up. I would've loved to see Dong Chul try out for the police force as they've alluded to Taecyeon's enlistment, and the journalist get acknowleged for uncovering the cult. A part of me will always wonder how compelling the scene would have been if it were Dong Chul to have stopped Sang Mi from setting the cult leader on fire instead of Sang Hwan. He was the one who was wrongfully imprisoned and experienced loss and grief. Yet his moral compass and principles remained unwavering.
The OST was pretty good and reminded me of Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Though the writing was great, you wouldn't see me rewatching this because it was really disturbing.
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At no point did I get bored or feel like it should have been something else. The mystery will keep you guessing till the end and what a perfect ending!
I don't think I can rant about Woo Do Hwan or Taecyeon enough but they're both gorgeous and acted so well they and Seo Ye Ji made me go through all kinds of emotion.
Seriously credit goes to all the cast who made this fantasy come alive, especially Jo Sung Ha who always delivers a memorable performance. As the influential cult leader he made his character come to life.
Another great thing about the show was the Bromance! Taecyeon and Do Hwan were so good! Perfect mix of angst and love. But pretty much everyone else in the group of four school friends, and even Woo Do Hwans prison Hyung, they all showed that they could rely on each other.
I love how their friends never questioned Taecyeon or Woo Do Hwans ideas and actually were so courageous always! It was so heartbreaking to see them get hurt. I also really got invested in Dae Shiks story, I'm glad for the way it turned out.
*Minor spoiler ahead* I know it's more of a bittersweet ending in some ways, but I think it was the perfect fit for the show *end of spoiler*
So I'm happy I watched this definitely one of the best dramas out there.
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