Weak Hero (2022)

I'm a bit shocked that this series has such a high rating. I thought at first it's because the actors are popular, but I don't really think this is the case. Is the manhwa it's based on so popular?
So to make it short: the bullying plot is a bit tiring. Asia is known for that. I have seen my fair share of bullying series and movies. The last was the Chinese movie "Better Days" which I thought was one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen in my life. So it's not the bullying per se I have a problem with. It's just that the plot was paperthin and we got nothing than violence and violence and violence. I started watching this, because of the friendship between the guys. But the characters weren't that developed. For eight episodes we didn't get much scenes that showed us their friendship. We just got fights and fights and fights to the point where I wonderd WHY people enjoy this. They enjoy seeing high schoolers beating each other up for no good reason? They just didn't stop! I know that was the message of the series, that something small can become massive, that violence leads to more violence, but it was just tiresome to watch how they just didn't stop for god's sake! The end is more or less open, it seems one of the character had a much more gruesome fate in the manhwa. At least they didn't go that far in the series and decided to not be so precise about what happend to him.
Sigh. Gruesome. Violent. Pointless. Unrealstic.
Still I get it why people like it. Because it's entertaining, you want to know what happens next, and the only thing I really liked was how the weak hero was fighting. He was smart and he had balls, and well, he was a batshit crazy. But that was enough to fight those bullies. That gave him a big advantage despite not being physically strong. That core idea was pretty good. But please give those characters a bit more personality and make me feel something for them. I was just annyoed the whole time. The friend and what he did, at the end he said he doesn't know it either WHY he did it - people may say, yeah, that's the whole point, everything got out of control. I think this is lazy writing. They just didn't stop so the plot could move forward. I got a bit teary eyed at the end, because of the great performance of the main hero, but I didn't cry since I couldn't feel much for those characters. They were just so unrealstic with all that pointless violence. I thought it was funny how they just went back to teaching after all those fighting in the classroom. I mean after the first episode all the other students who witnessed this would need some therapy in real life. It was stupid. Over the top. Maybe this works as a manhwa, it sure does, but seeing real people behaving like this? I don't know. Not impressed.

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I am absolutely surprised and satisfied

To start it off i have read the webtoon and am currently reading it as its still ongoing. At first i was trying to figure out what part of the story this season is and i already knew what sadness i'd have to experience towards the end once i figured out what part of the timeline it was. They really did this webtoon justice. This season being the backstory of mc surprised me because i was left wondering how a whole season was dedicated to the backstory that we only caught glimpses of in the webtoon. This drama really made me feel so much empathy and sympathy for mc as the writers, directors, actors, everyone involved did a great job at portraying the story, personalities and emotions involved. Manhwas being put into drama formats have always been scary because some have flopped and others were done amazingly. This is one of those dramas that will satisfy the audience that already read the webtoon. I am pleasantly surprised how well done this is. I recommend this drama so so much to both new audience and webtoon readers. Im sure there will be more seasons after this after seeing the end of the drama where they gave us a glimpse of.. a character, to not spoil it for non-webtoon readers. Have a great time watching this as im sure you'll enjoy :)

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A Complete Knockout

This drama is amazing. I’ve been waiting for it because I really like Park Ji Hoon and was excited to see this project in the works for him. The aura of the premise and the snow overall sold it to me, but with most things I highly anticipate.. they either don’t come out, or they fall flat.

Weak Hero Class One soars beyond my expectations and delivers a gritty, thrilling, and clean drama that is full of everything I love to watch but haven’t seen enough of. It isn’t over saturated in any way, neither on the end of being too dark that it takes itself too seriously, or not taking itself seriously enough.

This drama doesn’t have things it doesn’t need, like unnecessary adding romance, it focuses on its characters and keeps its tone throughout. This drama is binge-able (which I did do) and leaves more to be wanted, but not in a way that it didn’t wrap up what it needed to for the first part.

It’s short with 8 episodes long, but it doesn’t lack budget or care. The script is as clean as the visuals, and the fighting is beyond what I’ve seen in a k-drama for a while. It has a lot of fight scenes that are pretty brutal and not for the feint-hearted, and a lot of them. It’s not redundant or sprinkling in fights; they all serve their purpose

I love Yeon Shi Eun uses his smarts to beat people senseless in unorthodox ways. How he goes over what he’s about do do/doing, with theories and proven facts is engaging. The actors on this drama are all young and they look like high school students.. which is a plus plus. The main cast are amazing in this and very impressive.. especially Park Ji Hoon. He takes his character and brings him to life believably, bringing heartbreaking moments, and pure intimidation with his attitude towards other characters. He’s not out there with his intimidation, he’s just way smarter .. and that’s scary. In a good way. It’s so satisfying to watch his overpower those physically stronger with his knowledge. I like how he orchestrates the fights for himself rather than completely letting others do it for him.

The dynamics between the main three is also very good. I love seeing Choi Hyun Wook play this character of a jock again like in 25-21, but this time it’s still completely different of a character. He’s morally a good guy, and he fights for others but keeps an aloof attitude. The flight choreo for him is insane and engaging the whole time as well as the fun and charismatic lines he delivers. The character of Oh Beom Ho is also very interesting and adds a mellow balance to the main three, his story is also heartbreaking and full of deception.

This drama just falls right in line with my interests in what I like to watch. I love dramas like this to the core. It’s got action and it’s got the grit to back it up. It’s not scared to keep its tone but still has its funny moments. Park Ji Hoon is so impressive with the acting. He portrays the looks of pain and anger so well. It’s all believable and there isn’t a sore spot with any of the cast. Everything checks the right boxes with this one and I can’t wait for part two.

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How perfect is this drama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have seen hundreds of dramas but nothing come close to the ML's acting skills in this one. I wasn't a huge fan of the ML before but after this wow......... respect.

All casts are exceptional but Park Ji hoon sets the bar little more higher. In k-dramas, generally they all have a bad habit of having a 'liberal democratic ' way of punishment. Basically just humiliation for the accused. But for the victims those are just ways to say even if you were at the wrong end of the barrel, you cannot and will not have the same power/choice as them. But this drama rewrites everything and that's exactly what sets this one apart from others.

I really wanted to add some recommendation but then nothing came to my mind. Nothing of the same genre came close to this series as a comparison.

So excited looking forward to season 2.

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An intense prologue that does what the webtoon did not do.

The series revolves around high school stories of bullying. This is an untold story from the webtoon "Weak Hero" which delves into the backstory of Gray aka Shi Eun in this series.

In the webtoon, we move on quite quickly from what pushes Gray to become such an antisocial and harsher character. The series took the time to create an atmosphere around the characters and connections which will prove to be their downfall.

The perspective is centered around Shi Eun and his friends or enemies. Shi Eun is a very antisocial character who does not bond with young people his age, nor does he seek companionship or recognition from others. There is an emptiness in his eyes which is so well embodied by the actor Jihoon that the other characters find themselves destabilized or even frightened.

The series is remarkably violent (psychological violence, group violence and bullying, abuse, mistreatment and domestic violence), and striking as in the first introductory scene of the series. This kind of production works, we find ourselves flabbergasted by certain actions that it becomes addictive.

I find myself touched by the friendship shared between Shi Eun and Soo Ho, which will be the basis of everything, especially in season 2. It revolves around appreciation, respecting each other's boundaries, support and protection. A real bromance, and this is another aspect of the series that delights.

Park Jihoon did such a great job portraying Shi Eun, especially in the later episodes, where he opens up more facially. His character is going through a lot and his expressions show that. And Choi Hyun Wook too, playing Soo Ho did such a good job, this is the first time I've met this actor as a main cast, and I'm now a fan.

Between these two and Beom Seok, a friendship was born, and it was heartwarming to witness at the beginning. The series shows the extent of Beom Seok's trauma and how he responds to it. In the webtoon, he is presented as a vain character without much depth who just does bad things out of jealousy, here they offered more depth to his character, to the point where our hearts ache for him.

The series is very human and offers a kind of striking realism. This is just a prequel to the main story, which will explain the whys and wherefores concerning Shi Eun in the next season.

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Literally one of the BEST shows I've ever watched.

I finished watching this in one go 2 hours ago, and let me tell you, the tears haven't stopped. It's like I'm a broken faucet, constantly pouring out water.

I loved EVERYTHING about it, the writing, the cinematography, the actors, the OSTs. Everything. Park Jihoon, Choi Hyunwook, and Hong Kyung did an amazing job portraying the characters perfectly, I can't even explain in words how amazing it is, because it legit left me speechless.

The last drama I cried this much over was Kim Woobin's 'Uncontrollably Fond', ever since that drama nothing really touched up on my emotions, but this was another level of artistry. I honestly think everyone should give it a try, it's just brilliant, nothing seems out of place, the storyline, and it's progression was seamlessly executed, and nothing feels out of place.

The actors, writers, directors, and staff deserve all kinds of praise for producing this kind of art. I sincerely hope that there's another season, because I don't think I can handle this ending, I need another season.

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The Weak Hero who packs a nasty punch

Would like to give a big thank you to all the previous reviewers and reviews; because of those reviews, this went up in my watch list. After watching a few dramas and movies such as Better Days that deftly if not heartbreakingly tell the story of bullying, this one is up there in its unique quality albeit with a different angle focused on shifting alliances and developing friendships of several teens. There is less emphasis on the male/female romantic relationship dynamic. This drama doesn't just focus on the bullying at school, its gives a glimpse of how its weaved into the fabric of society at all levels whether its parents bullying their kids or in low level criminal gangs.

It was an interesting casting choice with the ML, he has a pretty boy face and even though he's supposed to be 5'8, the other male actors seem to tower over him which adds to the concept of a weak hero. I've seen the ML in Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency which is a real light hearted rom-com and he plays an entirely different role in this. Its dark and at times it gets intense. His acting in this role is good, he captures the nuances of someone who has been suffering from parental neglect and being an outsider in his school. He seems depressed or numb to it all but is still motivated to do well academically which makes him a target with the bullies. His personality of not wavering when the bullies challenge him keeps him in the crosshairs. The situation ends up spiraling out of control. All the actors and actresses did a really job breathing life in their roles. There are some areas I felt was pretty good in adding realism to the motivation in the character's actions. When Oh Beom Seok asks Ahn Soo Ho to help Yeon Shi Eun when he's dragged off by thugs for a beating, Ahn Soo Ho declines since he's not that close with Yeon Shi Eun. Ahn Soo Ho isn't going to go out of his way to help someone unless there's some benefit that he gets out of it. Oh Beom Seok is meek and conflicted with the bullying he has endured at school and at the hands of his father. He comes from privilege but even with it, it doesn't allow him to escape from bullying in the school.

There's a fair amount of bare knuckle and knife fights, they look realistic and were choregraphed pretty well. The ML isn't a skilled fighter but he does have quick wit and a fair amount of courageous insanity that he brings to a fight. Since he is underestimated, he catches his opponents with an element of surprise and he has a lack of hesitation in making the first move once he's cornered. The ML does get beaten up a fair amount so it's not like he's some superhero dude who with a flick of his finger knocks all the thugs out. Kudos to the story tellers for adding that realism but you do question the ML's sanity in some situations where the odds were really stacked against him.

The drama was pretty well written, good acting, and the pacing was good - I didn't feel bored at any point, it is a rollercoaster of emotions. Appreciate the quality storytelling angle on bullying and the social effects from it.

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A weak boy can be powerful if he's with his friends who are perfect match for him

I really appreciate the dramas like this,the story, acting, action everything is looks so realistic.
About story, there's no doubt about it that the story is so different from other school dramas I watched so far until now. The story simplifies how friendship can change a person and turns him into a totally different person.
About acting, Sometimes I thought that it's not a drama, that's a real life. Everytime in every scene it really looks so realistic. Jihoon really did a great job and worked so hard in his every action and emotions. Hyun-Wook is also so good in acting,this is my first time watching him. He learned biking even when he felt scary, whatever he's too good. I would like to see him more active from now on.
About music,it was quite good. The intro song is really good. But more than the intro song, I would like to listen the song which was played on the end of the episode 7.
About Binge watch, actually you will understand the story in one go,so don't need to watch again. For me this is actually hard to watch again because it's full of emotion. Everytime I saw Shi-Eun's face in the drama that made me sad always.
Overall it's too good. Jihoon deserves a award for his acting skills. I hope more people discover this amazing drama and watch it.

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IMPRESSED WHEN UNEXPECTED

I had zero expectation and I think that is why I was so impressed with the acting and story. It is feeling I cannot describe. I watched this right after a boring Chinese youth drama with happy ending so this was a complete 180 degree change of mood and feeling. I would recommend this to people who are finding drama to watch after finishing or dropping a boring drama.
Youths who are tired of life should watch this drama. Choi Hyun Wook's acting is superb in my opinion. Shin Seung Ho showed me something different after AOS character that I liked more than the hero. This is my first time noticing Hong Kyung so I think he did a great job portraying his character. Overall I liked it.

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