A girl looked out through the window.
On the street, a female student seemed to be having an argument with her family.
How strange—why were there "red lines" above their heads?
She raised her eyes to look again.
Above the head of the female neighbor living alone across the street, eight or nine red lines were floating.
She turned her head to the TV, and the male and female protagonists on the dating show also had red lines above their heads.
What was even more absurd was that in the entertainment news footage, a celebrity and their agent stood side by side, with a red thread tightly linking the tops of their heads.
Yet in the interview, they were both denying any "special relationship."
Could it be that these red lines represent a special bond between people?
Or are they some kind of hidden connection?
S-line
S라인
The fantasy thriller Korean drama S-line is adapted from the comic of the same name.
The story setting of this drama can be described as "bold"—
"S-line" is an abbreviation of "Sex line."
That is, every time a person gets a new sexual partner, an additional red thread connecting them to that partner will appear above their head.
The police officer Han Ji-wook, played by Lee Soo-hyuk, has a head full of red lines—
Isn't that a bit hard to handle?
People used to talk about "a green pasture" (a metaphor for infidelity), but in this new drama, "a head full of red lines" is even more shocking.
However, not everyone can see these red lines.
Shin Hyeon-xi, played by Choi Ye-won, is one of those with this "special ability."
Is this a "superpower" obtained by luck, or a cruel "curse" that has to be borne?
01
The Girl with Sunglasses
Hyeon-xi awakened this "ability" when she was young.
She once saw a thread connecting her father's head to her aunt's. At that time, she didn't understand what it meant, but just thought it was novel，so she drew it.
When her mother saw the drawing, she "suddenly realized," had a mental breakdown, killed her father, and then ran away, and has been missing ever since.
From that moment on, Hyeon-xi realized that what she saw could kill people.
So she chose to close her eyes to avoid seeing and keep her mouth shut to avoid speaking, but the childhood trauma could never be eliminated.
She tried to end her own life, but couldn't die no matter what, as if she had an immortal body.
Now, she should be in high school, but she has chosen to live in seclusion and never go out—all the windows in her home are covered with cardboard, and she wears sunglasses most of the time.
Even though she can still catch a glimpse through the sunglasses, at least they are filtered into grayish black. She doesn't want to see those lines at all; that dazzling red always brings back sad thoughts.
The female neighbor living across the street took the initiative to visit, but Hyeon-xi never dared to open the door, as she was afraid that she would bring bad luck to others.
Sometimes, knowing too many "secrets" can instead become a "curse."
The female neighbor put fruits outside the door, which turned out to be Hyeon-xi's favorite yellow peaches.
She was a little moved and more eager for a normal life.
However, the darkness inside the door is her only protective color, isolating her from the warmth of the outside world and imprisoning her own heart.
On the other side, Ji-wook had a "passionate moment" with a female colleague in the evidence room during work.
It's no wonder he has so many dense red lines above his head.
Although his private life is a bit improper, Ji-wook's professional ability is unquestionable.
At the crime scene, based on clues, he quickly judged that the female victim might have a connection with a delivery man.
Subsequently, his conjecture was confirmed—a witness said that he did see someone resembling a delivery man near the deceased's home the night before.
This is the third murder case that has occurred in the surrounding area recently, but the case is still puzzling. The motive for the crime is unknown; the murderer neither took money nor raped, and there are no obvious signs of a revenge killing.
Could it be a crime of passion? Ji-wook decided to investigate the victim's emotional relationships.
At the same time, the case was widely reported by the media.
In the camera, a person wearing a motorcycle helmet appeared at the crime scene—which is highly consistent with the suspect's appearance described by the witness.
The camera shifts. The man with the helmet came to the downstairs of Hyeon-xi's house, then turned into the opposite apartment, and finally appeared in the home of the female neighbor who brought fruits to Hyeon-xi.
What to do?
02
Bizarre Killing Intent
Hyeon-xi took out her mobile phone and called the police.
It turned out to be a false alarm; the couple across the way started to be affectionate.
During their intimacy, the red lines above their heads connected.
The police investigation made important progress: the ex-boyfriend of the last female victim was named Oh Jeong-min.
In addition, he worked out at the same gym as another victim.
Behind coincidences, there is often something suspicious.
Colleague Dong-shik went to investigate. No one answered when he knocked, and he found the door was unlocked.
After entering the house, he found a strange room, surrounded by bright red, which could not be distinguished from blood or paint.
While checking, Oh Jeong-min suddenly attacked from behind.
After controlling Dong-shik, Oh Jeong-min was ready to "act"; he was the serial killer.
He put on his helmet and walked downstairs, looking at the opposite apartment thoughtfully.
All this was seen by Hyeon-xi. It turned out that Oh Jeong-min lived upstairs from Hyeon-xi.
His red thread was connected to the female neighbor, and what's more strange is that he could also see other people's red lines.
In order to prevent innocent people from dying a tragic death, Hyeon-xi decided to risk it.
She picked up a kitchen knife, stepped out of her home with trembling legs, and stumbled towards the opposite side.
But in Oh Jeong-min's eyes, Hyeon-xi's arrival was just coming to "deliver herself to death."
Fortunately, Ji-wook appeared in time and shot Oh Jeong-min.
When he was dying, the red thread between Oh Jeong-min and the female neighbor slowly disappeared.
Hyeon-xi felt that maybe being able to see the red lines is not entirely a bad thing—
This ability can save people.
Then, can she find redemption from it? Or can she choose to return to the crowd and explore the truth behind this "superpower"?
03
Human Nature and Suspense
The suspense set at the end of the first episode revolves around "those with the same ability":
First, Hyeon-xi received a mysterious message, implying that there are other ability holders;
Second, whether Oh Jeong-min belongs to the same type as her.
Regarding the second suspense, the drama gives a clear answer through a key prop—Oh Jeong-min couldn't see the red lines with the naked eye and had to use "special glasses" to observe them.
This setting may lay the groundwork for subsequent puzzles such as "the source of the glasses" and "the composition of the ability holder group."
It can be said that the core setting of "visualization of sexual connections" in this drama is quite novel, and the suspenseful atmosphere is also well created.
Beneath the fantasy shell, there is no lack of examination of human nature.
If from Hyeon-xi's perspective, the "red thread" is the "truth seen passively," then the mysterious glasses have become the "power that is actively abused."
Ji-wook's niece, Seon-ah, accidentally found the glasses that Oh Jeong-min wore before his death in the locker.
This girl, who has long been bullied at school, quickly turned them into a tool for revenge: she mastered the evidence that the class bully had an improper relationship with the teacher and tried to blackmail and extort the other party.
Once desire swells, the alienation of human nature by power will inevitably intensify, and the victim becomes a new abuser.
The "glasses" here have become a dangerous metaphor—putting them on is equivalent to using "technology" to break the boundary of privacy.
Ordinary people will inevitably lose their minds in the "omniscient perspective" and get out of control.
Oh Jeong-min's madness comes from this. Although those female victims had intimate relationships with him, in his eyes, they were "unfaithful," which made him have the idea of revenge.
But this "Pandora's box" is too tempting, and people still rush to it.
At present, the drama has a score of 6.9 on Douban. The main problem is that the plot is slightly slow, the key information is vaguely explained, and the story completion is poor.
Although there is a strong plot of "one person dies per episode," the narrative thread is still loose, and the main line has not formed an effective closed loop.
Especially in the second episode, the female lead appears very little, and her sense of existence drops sharply. The plot about the mysteries on her has not been effectively advanced.
Considering the limited length of only 6 episodes, if the subsequent plot cannot be strengthened, the score may drop further, which would be a waste of the high-energy setting.
The "S" in the drama also refers to both "Social" and "Secret."
This is another thrilling setting of the drama, that is, "death" can "cut the red thread."
Therefore, the "red thread" is both a proof of an intimate or secret relationship and a potential fatal threat.
If someone sees the red thread, they will "die socially"; killing one's sexual partner can keep the "secret" forever.
How will they choose in the play?
Will those "who grasp the truth" become guardians of justice or fall into the endless abyss?
Perhaps, many times, what is harder to recognize is the hidden "red thread of desire" in people's hearts, isn't it?
