Amazing korean indie film vibes, but it tried a little too hard at the end

This movie definitely has a lot of shortcomings, but it does one thing really right. Which is to capture the feeling of nostalgia and innocence. And this was definitely what made me give this movie a rather high rating still. It did not fail to convey the genuine feelings of youth... and personally, that was enough to make me fall in love with this movie. The wonderful emotional impact was largely due to the actors’ chemistry, the awesome soundtrack, the 35mm-Film colours and the 90’s -00’s fashion/set design... but it definitely wasn’t the plot.

The plot was a whole mess. It’s almost as if they spent the whole year paying attention to the details of the set design and the fashion and the cinematography and everything else *EXCEPT* for the plot. There was not enough depth in Mi-Soo’s character for us to sympathise with her...
And I totally get what they were trying to do with Hyun Woo’s character - mysterious, brooding, hesitant, and how like Mi-Soo wants to like him but she’s actually secretly scared of him and is sceptical about his criminal record... and how no one has ever trusted him bcs of his criminal record... I get that, but I could only get that in the second time watching and it wasn’t fleshed out very well either. It just felt kinda premature instead of real character growth. It’s a good point to explore though, just not executed well I guess- Since the audience did not have any trust issues with Hyun Woo and was expecting an “innocent cute love story” instead.

All in all, the feeling of nostalgia was so well developed that it will probably last you for the whole two hours. You won’t feel accomplished after watching it, nor would you feel like you’ve been enlightened about some higher level knowledge about life... instead it’s kinda like revisiting an old friend, or finding a dusty photo book with photos of your past... it’s that warm feeling that will be in a little corner of your heart for awhile 💛

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The first 5/6 episodes were really good and had a good pace to it- i was immediately binge watching it. But slowly to the middle they didn't simmer out the story in a well-balanced way and it was always a fluctuating spike of interesting scenes and boring scenes (mostly boring xp). Additionally, they also over-dramatised a lot of minute and insignificant scenes in an attempt to keep the story’s pace going- but it only further distanced the audience from the story as it seemed so unrealistic and reminds them that this is just a drama.

A lot of the characters lacked development and were just played it out in small stories here and there- not having a good dynamic as a whole cast together. Only Saeroyi’s character development was complete and consistent, Yi-Seo’s was almost there- though a tad bit forced. The main problem I have with the show is how archetypal all the characters were. Archetypal characters can be played out nicely when the layerings are done carefully- but because ALL of the characters were pretty archetypal and only Saeroyi’s story was the main focus, all other characters did not have a chance to shine and seemed rather flat and unnatural.

Another thing i would criticise is how the director lacked awareness of what each scene may bring to the table. The first few episodes established the love story between Saeroyi and Soo-ah SO WELL that it may mislead a lot of audiences to root for them. They had a much more natural chemistry as compared to the latter love story, albeit their efforts to make the audiences hate Soo-ah and favour Yi-Seo.

This was a good story and held its central values tight, it definitely had a core message that each audience can have takeaway points from- unlike most K-dramas. But it had too many elements they tried to implement and the romance was almost unnecessary, though it made the show a tad bit cuter. I would still recommend the show though my comment seems rather negative HAHA. But that’s because i really loved the show at the beginning, and the thrust of the story- i just felt like they didn’t play it out well in the middle and did not do the story justice. I would also like to compliment how unique the setting of the show was! It was such a treat for us oversea-audience!

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this is not a kdrama it's an Indie movie

This show is so EFFING WEIRD!!!! I love it so so so much. I love how it reminds me of Wes Anderson/Jordan Peele/Zombieland/The End of the F***king World. It's so weird and so whack you're just gonna be so engrossed into the weird world of fantasy and satire. If you love both indie films and kdramas, this is the PERFECT blend.

Plot-wise, there definitely was some lacking. I saw a comment like this and I really agreed with it:
"there are 2 things; one, the director had a vision of weirdness they wanted to express so this felt like an independent film rather than a drama, and I feel like the plot lost substance trying to achieve that vision.
and two, I don't know what they teach to all korean writers but they cannot explain their plot in less than 16 eps and they need 100 side plots to distract people from the main plot, so in this it felt like they had a 16ep plan that got reduced and they just picked random events fit the drama"
It felt like the impact could be more had they extended the length of the drama since we only had 6eps. They have a really interesting setup and premise, the characters are also immensely complex and unique, it would've been such a great opportunity to elaborate it as a social commentary or to use it to discuss political issues. I think some were actually covered throughout the 6 eps, but the impact could've hit harder had they explored these underlying themes a little bit more. It being only 6 ep, the viewer ends up spending most of the time wondering what's going on. A little bit of a waste, but... still enjoyable.

The cast is stellar...This has got to be NJH's most mature role that suits him the most. I actually thought he would act as a student and when I found out his character would be a teacher i was like whaaaat... but he unexpectedly pulls it off so well. NJH has an aura of maturity in him that was never really seen in his other teenage roles, and I'm so glad he chose to act in such an unconventional show despite being a Hallyu Star, it really suits him. He complements Jang Yu Mi so well!
Have always been a fan of JYM so this was just a treat. Her character was freaking hilarious and NJH offsets her craziness really well. The side cast of the students and the teachers were also so amazing, it really gives you the creeps.

the cinematography --- UGH so amazing. The music --> a blessing to my ears.

Overall, a really memorable show that you can't help but love and constantly think about. love it~

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A really well-written show... though there might be some hiccups :o

I really hate how most people are treating this to be a war of ships because it’s so much more than that. It has really beautiful character-writing! And the most under-appreciated character is Nam Do San!!, I love how he is not Like the typical kdrama leads- they are only “worthy” of love because of some traumatic sad past, because he’s some millionaire chaebol, because he had no one who understand him and only the FL can....(you know how Kdramas always make the male lead super emo and like pitiful in order to make the romance shine???) I really really like how they wrote NDS’ character and SO many people is saying that they hate him?.? I don’t get it...
he is so pure and dorky but stilll introspective and intelligent! I like how he is just an ordinary man, with ordinary daily life struggles. Why can’t people treat him like that? Why is everyone saying he shouldn’t be the male lead JUST because he didn’t have that much of a sad past as Ji Pyeong?! And yes, I get why people hate him for riding in JiPyeong’s identity to get the girl... but think about it. He was only following orders bruh, and he was the first one who wanted to tell her the truth.

I love all the other characters too. Haelmoni, Dal Mi, Ji Pyeong, In Jae, Samson Tech... all amazing. It’s a character-centric show and It should be savoured that way! Don’t make it about the romance!,!,!

But I would still minus some points bcs the writing wasn’t exactly neat. There are still some logical fallacies, and some inconsistencies. And just scenes that were obviously just trying to please fans instead of having a point to progress the plot. (Like the plant thing lol, the drunk scenes, a few other scenes la. It just didn’t make sense and you just know that it will NEVER happen in real life)

Also the OST IS BOMBBBB *CHEF’S KISS*

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A masterpiece. A k-drama that has k-movie standards.

DUDE. THIS KDRAMA WAS PERFECT.
I've been WAITING to say this for awhile cos the last few dramas that I watched was...ugheeeh subpar and forgettable (HomeCha, Nevertheless, My Mister, Vincenzo-- sorry if they're your favs >< )

I didn't have many expectations for this drama as I wasn't particularly a fan of any of the actors here, I also find kdramas that try to cover 'taboo' topics to be really half-assed and over-simplistic. The only thing that piqued my interest was that it's about ...cults haha.

First episode in and I wasn't immediately a fan of it. I found it to be "too much" and I could not really take it seriously.
But when the story of Sang Im's family kickstarted, there was like no turning back. Every single sub-plot just had a domino effect to the next plot and to the next, you just have to keep going...and it was just SO SO SO interestingg..
*side note: the opening plot of Sang Jin being bullied was honestly so...well-done. I've watched a few kdramas with bullying backstories but it always feels so cringy and stupid. Or...extremely over-exagerated. This was one somehow managed to communicate itself in an honest and real way.

I frankly did NOT expect it to cover such a ... controversial topic in such depth. To be honest, I found it to be more interesting and nuanced than a typical cults documentary.
I myself have bad experiences with similar cultish practices, and I was genuinely surprised to see such nuanced fleshing out on TV. They don't really really go too deep to explain everything, so for someone who's completely new to these practices, they might find it confusing. But for me, it was genuinely so interesting to learn that cultish practices do not look too strange at first.
I also like how they never used the "cultishness" as a mere plot device to make the whole drama feel abit darker-- it is in fact a very integral part of the drama that the audience is forced to confront themselves with.

In general, Save Me is one of the rare kdramas out there that stays consistent to what it sets out to cover, without compromising themselves for fan service or product placements or anything that netflix-produced dramas does not seem to get these days ==
It is genuine, heartfelt, but also very very daring and bold in covering such a sensitive subject. but the best of it all-- it is careful to not be self-indulgent in making itself a 'makjang' drama...which I think many kdramas seem to do nowadays...

I must mention that there are still some flaws in the drama that makes it very skippable. Some scenes DO feel like it's just trying to make it more nerving without any real substance to the plot. Some characters literally do not make sense. and some scenes just feels abit naive... like if they were THAT scary (from ep1-7) how can they be so dumb in certain scenes??

Nevertheless, a perfect drama for me and I am sad that it will be awhile before I say this again. Had loads of fun binging this within 3 days. Thanks for the mmrs :')

**extra-side note on acting: I didn't like Taecyeon in Vincenzo (not just cause he was the bad guy, like i genuinely found him annoying in earlier eps) but he came off as rather charming to me here. Woo Do Hwan always knew how to charm me <3 but this might be my fav role of his. Didn't know Seo Yea Ji before but I really enjoyed her acting here! Was also pleasantly surprised to see Jeon Yeo Been here! (She is SUCH a shapeshifter, she looked SO different here I almost couldn't recognise her. Really liked her in Vincenzo and esp Be Melodramatic.) Park Ji Young (Apostle Kang) also gave a commendable performance, I honestly think she was the best out of everyone. Sang Mi's father was also not bad, I was so scared of him. I was more scared of the father than the cult leader tbh.
the -1.5 in acting was because I did not like the rest of the cast's acting...they felt really tacky.

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Makjang vibes without the makjang lol

really mature themes explored, seriously flawed characters, and perfectly executed through 16 episodes.
i love how it has the 'makjang vibes' but it is still rather realistic and mature- it's not just some sadistic kid writing his nightmares - instead it was layered really well, it felt so real it was kinda scary.
Overall a really great psychological breakdown of the patriarchal society in Korea and how marriages look like behind closed doors.
I especially love how they explore the taboo of divorce. Most people think that divorce as an easy way out of the troubles of a broken marriage, but actually divorce itself is such a hassle and has its own troubles too.

this show is not my usual cup of tea and this is definitely not a feel-good drama, but this is nevertheless a well-written drama that explores the worst of humanity- which always serves as a good time of reflection :)

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Pls don’t waste time on this

You should watch DKDKTV’s review on this.
https://youtu.be/FUV_xWDDMvo

This show really sucks. Mainly bcs it is so tone-deaf. It appears as really sophisticated and smart but when you watch it.... it’s really not that deep lol. It’s pretentious and shallow.

Irks the heck out of me when dramas try so hard to be something they are not.

The saving grace is Woo Do Hwan, like for real. Don’t bother watching scenes he isn’t in. The whole parallel world thing might also keep you intrigued for the first few episodes? After that they keep overusing it in an attempt to make it fancier that you wont be amused to it anymore haha.

Frustrating watch, leaves you hanging. Only reason I watched the whole thing bcs I kept trying to figure out why is it so bad and I kept hoping something will turn round to make it better

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a really cool premise with refreshing characters, but extremely poor writing.

Let's not play pretend and acknowledge that this drama is one of the mid-tier range ones that does not shy away from cheesy dialogues and kdrama stereotypes. (eg: What's Wrong w secretary Kim, Weightlifting fairy) It is not one with cool and sophisticated storylines- it does not try to appear like that. So once you treat it as just a Mid-Tier Drama, it really becomes much more enjoyable as it lifts off the pressure of expecting anything life-changing from it.
This drama is definitely not everyone's cup of tea and a disclaimer of it being a really ordinary and typical drama should be made. With that being said, I still found myself getting hooked in it really fast and thoroughly enjoying it! Esp the leads' rship.
But firstly, here are some major blind spots and weak points that caused this drama to be less enjoyable.

1. The relationship dynamic between Hye-Jun and Jeong-Ha was not developed enough to start a dating relationship so early on in the series. It is definitely a tendency for kdramas to drag on the “should-we-date” phase, forcing you to watch more eps of their flirtations- so it is definitely something to applaud that they did not waste time on this and simply cut to the chase that they were dating. But sadly their relationship dynamic was not stable enough as a couple, it felt so sudden and forced. I really really enjoyed their friendship dynamic in the first few eps (that’s what got me binge-watching). It’s such a waste to quickly jump into a dating rship, they had such a strong friendship going on. With that being said, it was not about starting the relationship per se that ruined the show - it’s how they completely changed So Dam’s character after they started dating!

2. Bad character writing for Jeong-Ha (Park So Dam)
I think this is the weakest point of the drama. As mentioned, what really drew me into the series was their friendship dynamic, and this is largely due to the character of Jeong-Ha. She’s ordinary, hardworking, and witty. When she was in scenes with Bo Gum, her character shined even brighter. But right when they started dating, she instantly became this flat character- nonchalant, apathetic, and just overall stupid??? It made their relationship looked super weak and one-dimensional. The lines they said also felt super scripted. I saw a lot of comments saying this as well, but I think the root problem is actually the bad character development for So Dam. Which I’m so mad, bcs she is the freaking actress from Parasite. Like, Parasite. Like the one that just won an Oscar??? She was so amazing in Parasite, so it’s impossible to say that the problem is her acting skills. It’s definitely the character writing- why didn’t they milk her acting chops more??

3. Really, really, really unnecessary sub-plots. (as with many kdramas....) Even if they were necessary, they always just left it hanging with so many loose ends left untied.

Most reviews commented on this as well, specifically directing it to the scenes with the leads' family. But I actually enjoyed Hye Jun and his family’s sub-plot especially when they showed how Hye Jun is faced with opposition within his home. That was a really interesting topic to cover in a k-drama, but as they went on...it felt kinda confusing...and unnecessary. Like the scenes about the father’s work, or the scenes about the brother’s work, or the scenes about the grandad’s modelling job (necessary, but they gave TOO MUCH screen time for that small plot). They should’ve just streamlined and stuck to the dynamic between Hye Jun’s acting dream and the rest of the family.

Then there are the extremely unnecessary characters just to fill screen time and to create more “noise”. Like the ms.Kim reporter? Like who tf? The ex-manager Tae-Su and bitchy actor Park Do Ha? lol.
Like Charlie Jung? I think first few episodes context was already enough, idk why they brought him back later lol and included a very weird sub-plot about gay rumours...yeah it’s not gonna age well. And Hye-Jun’s ex LOL, like we literally do not care. As well as the sub-plot of Jin-U and Hae Na's rship... I might even dare say that the scenes w Hae-Hyo and Jin-u became more and more unnecessary, couldn't feel their bromance at all. Just really bad momentum overall in these sub-plots.
——————--------------------------
Overall, it’s still 8/10 for me, even with all these weak points.
Here's why you SHOULD still watch it:
1. You should definitely watch if you like Park Bo Gum, his character is the one that was maintained well throughout. A few were saying how this is somewhat biographical to his story, so you would definitely love him more after watching this. This is also his last show before he got enlisted into military!! (tbh i suspect that's one of the reasons why the plots felt ao rushed haha, cos they have to rush for his enlistment maybe??? who knows)

2. I also really appreciate the relationship between the leads, despite point no.2 above^. It’s really mature and easy to relate to. Esp the part where they portrayed consent in their kissing haha. It's also somewhat unique and a fun arena to explore, with the whole fan-and-bias rship.

3. Make sure to not rush this show. It's a slow watch and that's the way it should be. The first time I watched it I binged 4eps in a row and I would feel so queasy after that. But when my brother was watching (in a much slower pace), I found myself re-watching really enjoyably and finding a deeper appreciation for some scenes I deemed unnecessary at first.

4. A really cool premise to explore! With the whole modelling and acting and part-time gigs that PBG had to do, it was so fun to have a glimpse on how the K-entertainment industry looks like (even though it might not be that realistic). I actually wished that spent more time to flesh out this aspect of the drama- instead of so many unnecessary sub-plots- this is after all that made this show stood out.

5. Also,,, ad-placements were not too bad. So that’s a good thing. Unlike The King 🤮🤮

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