INTENSE AND DAMN GOOD
I generally watch k-dramas because they have a way of easing the viewer into topics, even though the topics dealt with in the shows might be intense and serious. This one does nothing of that sort, and it just continues to hit you in the face (in a very good way). And it's kudos to the actors, the director, and the writer for that. This has been an intense watch right from episode 1. The topics dealt with in this series are intense (bullying, drug abuse, parental abuse etc), but that does not mean that the show gets boring. It is the writer's credit for keeping the audience glued to the story despite having a pretty dark and gloomy setup, right from the get go. We have the protagonist, Yeom Si-eun, who is the topper of his class, but a loner; there's Ahn Soo-ho, who's always asleep in class, but the chirpiest (of the 3); and there's the newcomer Oh In-beom, who changed schools because he was bullied in his old school. The three become fast friends, and the rest of the drama is the story of their friendship. The first few episodes kinda ease you into watching the drama for the characters. The acting of all the characters are just top notch, each one packs a punch in their own ways. Anything more might appear as a spoiler, so this is all there is to it.All that I can say about this drama is, the drama blurb is quite misleading. The story takes its own turns and gut punches you in its own ways. Was it a satisfying watch? Nope. Was it a quality watch? Fuck yes, absolutely. I am extremely glad that the director did not succumb to the demands of the formulaic high school drama, and stayed true to the characters till the very end. Kudos for having the courage to do that.
Overall, a 10/10.
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Okay, maybe season 2 might top it off?
I recently watched weak hero class 1 and I have to say, it had so much potential. The acting and emotions portrayed in this drama were exceptional, and every character was well-developed and easy to love. The show had a great concept, and it was executed brilliantly. However, I was left disappointed with the ending. Despite this, I'm hoping for a season 2 as I can't wait to see what happens next. The show's ability to capture the raw emotions of each character is truly remarkable..The drama was a rollercoaster of emotions, with moments of laughter and tears. Overall, this show is a promising drama that leaves you wanting more. If you're looking for a drama that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between, this drama might be for you.Was this review helpful to you?
So Glad I Finally Watched This!!
i usually don’t watch anything that’s really popular, but I took a chance with this drama. as someone who strongly believes that bullies deserve Hell, this was right up my alley. I was so invested from the first episode, it’s such a great show!! personally, I don’t think the three main leads should’ve ever been friends because of all the dissonance in their friendship, but somehow they did their best to make it work. my heart goes out to Si-eun, because of all the chaos that happens in his life. beautiful drama…rewatching:
bullies are disgusting, pathetic degenerates that deserve a fate worse then death.
Not for nothing, but in the beginning, Ahn
Su-Ho got on my fucking nerve.
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This is a gem!
I stumbled across this show. Its so good that I'm forcing myself to pace myself and watch only 2 episodes a day because once it's done, it's done.The story line is well thought out and paced, the acting is so on point that you feel and understand eveyones motives. Even the protaganists.
My absolute favourite thing is the music. It is so well placed. I need the sound track.
Overall i'd say this show is underrated, I can barely find any info on it on the internet. I will be telling everyone about this show.
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Led astray by good reviews
I wish there was a more official/critical Korean review website, as MDL has led me to another bad show with their strangely high ratings. I’m dropping the show at 4 episodes, because of many reasons:1. Lack of plot - a lot (seriously a lot) of time is dedicated to action sequences, which aren’t bad but it leaves very little time in the episode for character/plot development
2. Inconsistency of plot - I understand that it is fictional, but a little too unrelatable for them to be having fights out on the street, gangs running around, knives everywhere, and no police presence at all. Even when the police does show up they simply hang back until the very last moment. It seems very inspired by some 70s action flick and I’m not sure how that is still being popularized in 2023, set in a country that is actually full of cameras and police on patrol. Also, the lack of the perpetrators wealth makes little sense in a very hierarchical society where the poor rarely act so openly.
3. Plot holes - One example is the fentanyl issue which was shown to be a big deal, but then simply disappeared from the story without any legal recourse over the next episode
4. Pacing - The show gives the illusion of being fast paced due to all the fights, but the actual story has a painfully slow pace and I’m failing to see any background/ character info (for none of the main guys) even going into the 5th episode.
*The only positive are all the ML’s and their acting skills.
I came here after Season 1 of The Glory which is based off of true events, in search for a similar high school bullying/revenge drama but this has been a strange experience reminiscent of the old action movies I’ve never been interested in. Overall, watch this show for entertainment but not for a deep or profound social commentary because Weak Hero Class 1 doesn’t have any substance to
it.
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Steers away from the comics enough to keep its readers entertained, but pales in comparison
I'm going to again start out by mentioning how ridiculously high scores are on MDL - it's like, if something was good, it has to be a 9 or 10, and if something is 5, that means it's God-awful!NO! 1 is terrible, 5 is middling a 10 is the best sh*t you've ever seen in your life!
That said, my rating reflects my honest opinion of this, based on a RELIABLE rating system, and I by no means hated it.
After the first episode of this, I was worried that it would be a direct live-action copy and paste, although the beating at the end of the episode was nowhere near as satisfying as it was in the comic.
Luckily, the creative team behind this chose to alter things, so that those who have read the comic wouldn't feel like this was a waste of time; paradoxically, that also ended up costing this quite a bit. You see, there's this really stupid sub-plot for a few episodes about how the gang takes down some loan-shark... yeah, kind of like Scooby Doo but with some violence tossed in! It was a really, really weak and unbelievable arc that, thankfully, was quickly brushed aside to focus on the main story.
I'll point out now that the acting in this was damn good!
I don't usually comment on the acting so much, but this would've failed utterly had the cast not pulled off their roles so well.
I won't go too much into things and risk ruining it all, but I ended this being, extremely disappointed that a certain recording wasn't spread online and the abusive scum-politician exposed because of it, which really left a sour taste in my mouth of how the absolute root cause of everything got away completely! It also meant that the main villain escaped too, and also the vigilante-style justice that only one of the antagonists actually properly received. So that was incredibly disappointing too, wanting to see certain people being unable to ever hold a pen again(!), or at least ending up in juvie, thanks to the aforementioned clip not being circulated.
In the end, it was a pretty good drama I'd recommend to younger adults, but a bit too immature and unrewarding for anyone older, or those who have already read the comics.
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It's OK.
(Edited - rating from 7,5 to 8,5 after season 2)Not the most awesome drama in history but it's entertaining and very well acted. It contains one of my favourite scenes to watch in the history of anything I've ever watched and I think those who have watched this drama probably know which scene I'm talking about.
I have already read the webtoon it's based on but I am not comparing them. I see it as its own story. It's not a bad drama and saying I don't enjoy watching it would be a lie. I have rewatched it multiple time and I do like it. But the whole truth is that while it could have been the absolute masterpiece many people make it to be, it's simply not. Limiting itself to 8 short episodes was in my opinion a big mistake.
So my main issues with this drama are :
- I could barely stand Si Eun and found him very dislikable in the beginning. Personal preference. No hate. He honestly acts like an arrogant psycho without any real reason. Gets better afterwards and becomes more likeable as he gets closer to Su Ho and Beom Seok but his personality still doesn't make much sense to me. Backstory is understandable but lacking in realization.
- The trio, relationship and characters, should have been WAY more developed. If it had, it truly could have been an exceptional drama. But in fact, we barely see them actually interacting with each other before it got dismantled. What do they actually love in each others ? What do they each bring to each others ? What do they see in each other ? This is all very superficial and fleeting... I wished we could have actually learned more about them through one another and see them change positively thanks to their bond - way before it started to break down and regress because of the inherent character flaws they had (well, especially Beom Seok's character flaws). Here it was brushed way too quickly, so it didn't impact me that much. I didn't have enough material to actually feel involved and really care about their relationship. The characters in general needed so much more development. They had so much potential. That's a shame. The reason their relationships broke wasn't developed enough either. Because of Young I ? Beom Seok was insecure and got jealous + the return of those bullies that traumatised him (as if he wasn't enough with his dumbass father), I got that, but because it happened too quickly, it didn't really matter to me honestly. It being the core element of the story, it should have been deepened.
- I didn't really like the OST at first but after multiple rewatches it kind of grew on me. Some of the lyrics are too cheesy though. Just isn't fitting imo.
Other than that, acting is definitely good and natural, Hong Kyung and Park Ji Hoon in particular have talent - Choi Hyun Wook is great as well but his character here was emotionally more repressed/balanced in what was shown to us so he doesn't bless us with a wide range of expressions compared to Kyung and Ji Hoon -, characters are interesting (yes even though Si Eun gets on my nerves in the beginning, I think he's still interesting). Beom Seok in particular is a very good, very flawed and very tragic character and I can't really hate him. Fights are awesome. I loved watching them. Ending is good, heart wrenching but appropriately done, I think.
So yeah. I liked it but I didn't love it the way I could have if it had a bit more development and it's too bad.
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O.M.G.
O.M.G. is what this show had me saying.I had no idea how to feel about this show,that's why I held back from watching it for months. Do you know how glad I am that I gave it a try? This show had me so locked in and I didnt even wanted to come out.
This was the 1st kdrama I ever watched that I actually felt really sorry for the antagonist. While is choices and actions were very upsetting, I also do understand why he turned out how he did.
Overall I genuinely enjoyed this show and I will be watching this over and over again. I can actually say that this is probably my top 2 choice. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!
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This show captures the essence of true friendship!
Weak Hero Class 1 (2022) – 10/10This drama hit like a punch to the gut—in the best way possible. Weak Hero Class 1 is short but brutally impactful. It doesn’t waste a single moment. Every scene is filled with raw tension, emotion, and purpose.
What makes this stand out isn’t just the action (which is intense and well-choreographed), but the emotional weight behind it. It’s a story about bullying, loyalty, and what happens when a quiet, brilliant kid is pushed past his breaking point. Park Ji-hoon gave an unforgettable performance—cold, controlled, and heartbreaking. His character, Yeon Si-eun, is one of the most compelling underdogs I’ve seen in K-drama.
The friendship between the three main characters was beautiful and painful. It showed the longing for connection and the cost of trusting in a cruel world. The writing is sharp, the cinematography is stylish yet gritty, and the soundtrack fits perfectly with the mood.
It’s not just a school drama—it’s a survival story. One that forces you to confront the realities of violence, trauma, and isolation, while still holding onto something human.
An absolute must-watch. Gritty, emotional, unforgettable.
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10/10
actually worth the wait, I just want season 3 now bc I’m more hooked than I already was .😭 The acting was amazing (like always bc you can’t go wrong with jihoon) and I liked the storyline even though it was different from the webtoon , but to be fair they did have to adapt it a bit to be more realistic. Overall I loved this show since before season one came out , and now watching season 2 I only like the show more. I would definitely recommend this kdrama to people (I already have). And I’ll probably be rewatching it a few times bc this show just genuinely makes me happy.Was this review helpful to you?
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Another day another Ktruama
I really enjoyed it! The acting was great, and the casting was amazing. I loved most of the characters, and Su Ho and Si Eun's friendship was fantastic. Beom Seok really pissed me off; I hated how he betrayed them for basically no reason. Seriously, just because he was jealous that his little boyfriend made a new friend? I don’t care if his dad beats him—that’s no excuse to turn on your friends and literally “kill” them. I honestly wished Si Eun would have taken him down instead of the others because he was the main problem. But overall, I really liked this show and the friendships in it and can’t wait for season 2!Was this review helpful to you?
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? “One Boy vs. an Entire School of Bullies.”
Here’s the story of Weak Hero Class 1
At a high school full of violence and bullying, there’s a quiet student named Yeon Si-eun. He looks weak and fragile, but in reality, he’s extremely smart and strategic.
He’s not physically strong, but he uses his intelligence, observation, and clever tactics to defeat bullies who terrorize other students.
Si-eun fights using anything he can find — pens, books, chairs, walls — whatever’s around him becomes a weapon.
As time goes on, he goes from being seen as a weak kid to becoming one of the strongest and most respected students in school.
He also starts forming real friendships and faces the trauma and violence in his environment.
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