A Bold Setting Visualizing Sexual Relationships, Wavve Original 〈S Line〉

Wavve's original drama 〈S Line〉 has gained attention for its unique setting where a red line appears between people who have sexual relationships, visible only to certain individuals.

The story starts with the premise that a red line exists, invisible to the general public. This line primarily connects couples or lovers, but can also appear in friendships or mentor-student relationships.

The protagonist Hyunheup (played by Arin) possesses a special ability to see this red line since birth. However, this ability has become a curse rather than a blessing for him. After experiencing a family breakdown when he drew a red line connecting his aunt and father in a childhood drawing, Hyunheup became a hikikomori (reclusive individual) and lived only at home.

The turning point comes when a series of murders occur in the neighborhood. Hyunheup realizes that his ability to see the 'S Line' could help someone, and he decides to end his long reclusive life and step outside.

The drama introduces characters who can see the 'S Line' through acquired means, increasing the complexity of the story. The math teacher Jungmin (played by Lee Ga-seob), who lives above Hyunheup, gains the ability to see the 'S Line' through a pair of glasses he accidentally acquires, and he goes on to kill his ex-lovers one by one to erase the line on his head. High school student Seonah (played by Lee Eun-saem) also uses the same glasses to rise from being bullied at school to becoming popular.

As detective Ji-wook (played by Lee Soo-hyuk) and the secretive teacher Gyu-jin (played by Lee Da-hee) get involved in these bizarre events, the story unfolds with increasing tension.

〈S Line〉 is one of the so-called 'Death Trilogy' by the writer Kkobabi, which includes last year's 〈A KILLER PARADOX〉 starring Choi Woo-shik and Son Seok-koo, along with another webtoon 'Unresolved'.

The core setting of the drama is based on the same fantastical elements as the original webtoon. A red line is visible between people who have sexual relationships, and this line persists until one of them dies.

However, the drama introduces a significant difference from the original. While the webtoon depicted a society where everyone could see the 'S Line', leading to chaos, prejudice, and crime, the drama changes this to a setting where only a few characters can see the line.

The reactions of those who perceive the 'S Line' are starkly contrasting. Hyunheup feels pain in seeing others' hidden sides and chooses to isolate himself from the world. In contrast, Seonah actively uses this ability to blackmail classmates and attempts to extort money from teachers.

Director Ahn Joo-young explained at a recent press conference, "I thought the original also dealt with how humans change when they see the 'S Line'. In the drama, the emergence of new desires and changes due to the 'S Line' is the main theme."

While prominently featuring fantastical elements, the true interest of this drama lies in the reactions of humans when they learn about others' hidden flaws and the resulting internal changes.

The drama 〈S Line〉 is gaining attention for its unique visual expression using computer graphics (CG) technology. The work captures the viewers' attention with a fantastic world filled with swirling red lines.

In particular, the scene where the protagonist Seonah first wears the glasses and looks around the night streets is impressive. The complex intertwining of red lines over the heads of two seemingly close men, members of a hiking club, and natural male-female friends visually expresses the setting that hidden intimate secrets exist among people who outwardly seem to have no special relationship.

While the original webtoon dealt with stories set in various backgrounds such as couples, religious circles, entertainment, and the military in an omnibus format, the drama adds new characters like police officers and students. It is also analyzed that the use of glasses enhances the thriller elements.

The protagonist Hyunheup is depicted as seeing the ghost of his mother with blood on her hands whenever he feels psychological pressure. Themes such as the confrontation between the serial killer and the police, school violence, self-harm, and underage relationships repeatedly appear, heightening the tension of the work.

As detective Ji-wook gradually narrows the investigation net and approaches the truth of the 'S Line', the process also showcases the characteristics of a detective story. Despite being based on a webtoon, the significant adaptation of most of the story, excluding the basic setting, makes it difficult to predict the next developments, which is considered one of the work's charms.

〈S Line〉 achieved the feat of winning the music award at the Cannes International Series Festival in May, becoming the first Korean work to do so. The background music, which sometimes seems to stimulate the nerves and sometimes flows lyrically in line with the emotional changes of the protagonist Hyunheup, has been praised for enhancing the work's completeness.

Composed of a total of 6 episodes, 〈S Line〉 is currently available up to episode 2. New episodes will be released sequentially every Friday, two episodes at a time.