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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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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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But it's true. I was in a really bad drama slum when Save me came as a beacon of light and took me in this dark, twisted path. And I loved every second of it. This type of drama are very rare in the world of K-drama. So when I found this unique drama, with good story and amazing actors I can't stop but praise the about it.
The story is definitely different. Religious cult are real and they are active not only in Asian countries but all over the world. And they are scary. This drama tells this tale of a person who is trying to get out of there. And it's dark and twisted and it has you questioning about sanity of people but it also makes you connect with the characters and their pain. Head's of to the writers.
It's very well written and something up my ally.
The actors were amazing. Got nothing but good things to say about them. Seo Ye Ji was amazing. Her posture, her voice (I really like her voice, deep and rich), the way she shows her emotions. She is so good. And then there is Woo Do Hwan, rookie of the year, playing Dong Cheol. For me he stole the spot light. I absolutely adored his character and him. He just makes you cheer for him. Can't wait to see him in 'Mad dog'.
Others were great too but I couldn't see them because I was only watching Do Hwan.
Its doesn't has the typical love song in it. But the songs it does has are only, only this drama alone. They are spooky and dark and when you hear them its like you are listening to a horror track. And It scares me. Jung Cha sik's song....creepy! But I loved 'The Vane - hallucination'
I am going to re-watch it. I can't get over Woo Do Hwan. It's not for everyone. But if you like good but dark stories with talented actors and a horror soundtrack then this is definitely for you. But please do try it. Watch it!
Bismika! Teljioda!!
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Hai zoombies
This drama touched untouchable subject in k dramaworld...Yesss, drama contain dark subject and triller...
The whole drama is centred with FL.. how she walked herself inside cult and and how she walked out from cult... You can see her desperateness, fear, anger, cry, helplessness, hopelessness etc you will feel with her..
FL really did her job very best to show her feeling in her eyes..
Plot was new , as a fan of rom-com i found this plot different genre and go for it, at first i didn't believe myself that i will finish this drama..i think i will hold r withdrawn in middle. But i did it.. i watched 16 eps ... Hooraaayyyyy
Weid cult practise is somewhat new.. some scene make me laugh.. who r this baffons who r this clowns.. does this kind of stuff Exists in world... Yesss.. they exists... This drama clearly draw a line between religion and cult..
Some scenes make me feel angry and scream loud and punch them... I found some eps are so long for me to watch...
I clearly in stress wheather our FL will get out from cult safely.. with the help of her friends will she able to walk out??
Usage of ML was poor but SML did his job well.. i can follow him to rescue her rather than ML..
As a matter of fact : THIS DRAMA IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.
I gave less star for re-watch.. because u resuced the FL lead already, so u don't want to go again in that weird cult which cause too much pressure and stress..lol...
Tips for ROM-COM Fans: if u had more time to kill , u can watch it. But don't expect romance r comdey in this drama...
Bye zoombies......
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The female lead Sang Mi is an amazing character. Her mother is weak and sick, her dad is out of his mind with his blind faith, and she is constantly targeted to be a sacrifice to the creepy pedo white guy. Despite those things, she is strong to keep her sanity and never give up to fight back.
The draw of this drama is that I feel that Dong Cheol need more screen time. I find he is more fitted to be the real male lead than Sang Hwan. I mean. He loses everything even though he is not wrong and he has taken more risks to help Sang Mi and nearly die after all.
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Story; The dark and eerie atmosphere that this drama gives off, made me follow this drama almost as blindly as the followers of the Goosunwon cult. It has the right amount of cliffhangers and suspense to make you tune in and watch what happens in "Muji; the town where everyone seems to have a dark side" every week. The storyline feels new, with lots of twists and turns you never know what will happen to the main characters
Acting/Cast; I was pleasantly surprised by the level of acting in this drama. Seo Ye Ji, who plays this composed and badass heroine was the perfect actress for the part. Her fierce delivery of lines and good chemistry with Woo Do Hwan was one of the main reasons I love the show. I also loved Jo Jae Yun as the scary apostle Jo Wan Tae and Lee Davids Jung Hoon who gave the show some comic relief.
Music; The soundtrack was perfect for the show, i especially loved Inkii's Out Of The World and Mv The Vane's Hallucination who fitted the shows theme and general feel.
Rewatch Value; I don't think that I will be rewatching "Save Me" because I already know what is going to happen. Because I won't feel the feeling of my heartbeat raising which made me continue watching every week, I feel that I would just take away the magic of it.
So "Save Me"; It's a good one time watch for people who wish to see a good thriller. It has good acting, a great soundtrack that will heighten the eerie atmosphere and some cute actors that you can watch dreamingly.
But I will say this, if you are looking for a k-drama with a lot of romance, this is not the one for you. Yes, there is some romance going on between the main characters but you won't get those sweet moments that you´re looking for.
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I'll start with the PRO:
- The plot is really good and also something new. Rarely I see religion themes on KDramas, and even more rarely a full drama based on these things.
- The cast was really good, the ''Spiritual Father'' was portrayed perfectly and also really creepy in many scenes!
And I'll also start with the CONS:
- Many religious scenes were really, really boring, I've skipped 90% of them since they were pretty much repeating...
- The real part of the story starts to develop after the 7th episode before this is just a long moment of how they get into the cult, where the place is, what the do, and also a lot of praying scenes.
- The last three episodes were rushed and confusing, everything starts to come out in less than three hours (secrets, dark pasts of the people), things that actually needed a little of the background to make everything be easier!
- Really few action scenes, even though is more on the psychological side, I was hoping for more actions scenes, I don't know something like the police ones or something about an investigation, but nothing or let me say it, just a very small part of this has been made.
At the end i can say that isn't that bad, but if you're searching for something like 'Signal' with a really good tension, personally, this isn't the one in charges neither if you hope for a little bit of romance in it...
Not bad, but i wouldn't rewatch it again.
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For those of you who want to feel angry, emotional and nervous.
This was definitely a ride... some parts may have been a little bit unnecessary and felt more like fillers to keep the drama going or it could have added depth to how heard it is to break loose from a cult. The way the cult was portrayed reminded me allot of prayer-meetings I was forced to attend as a child and where therefor very entertaining for me. The series really takes prayer-meetings to an extreme... which is it's genius!This series does not sugarcoat anything, the adults are plain evil and while other dramas would have you get your hopes up by finding all sorts of clever unrealistic solutions this one keeps you hoping...
I have loved Seo Ye Ji from it's okay not to be okay so it was no surprised that she would be brilliant but had only seen Woo Do Hwan in Tempted which I dropped so wasn't really impressed by him earlier but am now fully crushing on his smile.
The drama definitely kept me on my toes from the first episode all the way to the end.
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Lookin for a unique drama w/realistic dark and depressing themes. You arrived at your destination.
A unique tale discussing the dark reality of cult groups and the tragedy of people being lured there. It goes straight to the point, 16 episodes of stress, thriller, melancholy, FRIENDSHIP and HOPE.Even though I'm disappointed with so many characters endings, I loved the ending as a whole since it had a realistic element for each character as if they were really telling someone's tale.
On one hand, I'm glad this didn't get dragged out to ruin the show. But on the other, they could have made it 20 episodes long to better showcase the aftermath.
Music:
I loved the starting theme piece, while the ending OST songs were quite average and because they were only played at the ending I didn't feel any attachment to them or love.
Rewatch value:
Honestly, I wouldn't want to put myself under this much stress and depression again, UNLESS it was for another similar great show 😆
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the writer displays & exposed to us many things that happened in real life from fanatic groups in each religion under the protection of politicians & Government men
but something goes wrong as if the events get off his hand
every thing goes wrong and was mess for me
& he tried also to put touch of romance in the story but i saw it very poor & provoking
cause if im sang should love she should love seok dong not han sang that left her from the beginning
it's good not brilliant but i didn't like for many reasons
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