One: High School Heroes

Had potentials but lacked something along the way!!!

Episodes 1 to 4 were hands-down the best! The fight scenes had real intensity, and the male lead’s emotions were everywhere. In these episodes, EuiGyeom’s desperate struggle for survival was clear, his ability to learn his opponent’s moves added flair to the drama, making every fight feel meaningful and purposeful.

The masked era felt like it came and went in the blink of an eye, I expected more battles and hidden identities, but it ended too fast, leaving a sense of loss.

The worst father of the year? Absolutely. He treated EuiGyeom just like his own father treated him, despite losing a child. You’d think he’d be more lenient, but nope! His mother wasn’t much better, she stood by and watched her eldest son suffer, but at least she came through for the younger one. Maybe that’s a step toward redemption?

EuiGyeom endured torment from his brother, father, and grandfather, which took a serious toll on his mental health. Fighting was his only release, and he did it brilliantly.

The SML, he seemed like he’d be the stronger one, but in the end, he lacked the will and ability that his early portrayal promised.

Some fights were just unnecessary, like the one with the guy in the cap. His presence felt pointless, like they were stretching out the story for no real reason.

There were some golden moments too. One scene in 8 was so wholesome, the way he looked at his father before stomping on the bad guy’s leg was perfect. And during the fight, the transition showing everyone who had ever angered him? Masterful.

But wasn’t the trip supposed to be a rehab? Instead, it was more like a survival ground for a high school student battling mental health issues. Are they hinting at a Season 2 with this?

Overall, Episodes 1–4 were peak storytelling. I might just pretend 5 and 6 never happened, but the backstory in 7 was solid, and 8 was passable. If they had kept the intensity of those first four episodes, this could’ve been a truly great drama!

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Heavy on The Fighting, Light on the Substance

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I'll watch anything with school bullying. Recently, Study Group was a miss for me, but Weak Hero Class 2 was a hit. However, this drama is more comparable to Study Group - It has an anime vibe (although not as much as Study Group) and it has a similar plot point (ranking in school via fighting).

Acting/Cast: The casting really hurt this drama for me. They look so old in this one. It's like they only had one qualification for casting actors, and that was whether or not they were good in fight scenes. I've seen the male lead (Lee Jung Ha/이정하) in Moving and I really liked him in that, but his acting in this drama was off. I think he may have been over-acting at times. The acting wasn't necessarily bad in this drama...it was just cheesy? Like everyone was just trying way too hard to seem cool. It could have been the comic book style of the drama, but either way, I didn't like it. It did get a bit better towards the end though. 2.5/10

Writing: Psychological is my favorite K-drama genre, but this was just messy and weird. It takes way too long for the male lead's psychology to be uncovered after having to watch him choke himself out a million times. Can we do something else to show that he's going crazy? The psychology aspect of the drama is actually not too bad toward the end, but the ultimate ending is odd. All I can say is don't expect realism from this drama. It's more like a darker comic-book style story. It doesn't go in a fun direction, even though it made me think that in the beginning. It, instead, leans more into the dark, crazy side. It could have worked if the writing was much tighter. For instance, fleshing out characters instead of throwing in a bunch of fight scenes. The flow of the drama feels very disjointed; some things happen too quickly, other things almost feel like filler. This drama feels like it's a big set-up for the actual story...and if that's the case, then this first half of the first season is too dragged out. If that's not the case, then this drama feels unfinished. There's a whole character that is introduced late and I'm not even sure why he's in the drama except to participate in more random fight scenes. There's so many fight scenes that feel unnecessary. Why do we have to watch this barefoot clown fight so often when he's not even good? This is why I say this drama is more comparable to Study Group; it feels like they just want to have as many fight scenes as possible with little story. Along with the acting, the dialogue is also very cheesy. A lot of one-liners for the purpose of being "cool", but it's not. 2/10

Direction/SFX/Music: The style of the drama (the anime or comic-book feel) is not my style at all. The drama doesn't flow well. The sound effects really bothered me - cracking sounds as if bones are breaking when they're not, moaning sounds added in...not a natural feel at all. It may be intentional, but like I said, cheesy is not my style. However, the fighting scenes did look good. There's one fight where I was like 'hell yeah, this looks sick" and that was a sequence that would go into slo-mo during impacts. This only happens during that one fight scene though... The special effects look good. The intro is cool, but it's not a scene from the drama, unfortunately. 4/10

Entertainment Value: Although this drama was weird as hell and just as cheesy, it was decently entertaining. The cliff hangers weren't great though. The story got better as it went. I liked the psychological stuff with the male lead and the dad. The ending...I can't really make a judgment on it because the ending actually seems like it's supposed to be the beginning. 6.5/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 4/10. The cheesiness of the directing style and dialogue writing coupled with the casting of obviously grown ass men as high schoolers is what mostly ruined this drama for me. But, I also had an issue with the messy writing. I would say to go into this drama without expectations. This drama is very different from anything I've seen before...it's like a mix between Study Group and Extracurricular. Although, both of those dramas are better (especially Extracurricular).

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Becoming A Monster, To Kill One (The monster is not that far)

I started One: High School Heroes not expecting much. Just another high school action K-drama, I thought, with fists flying, bullies rising, and some righteous justice thrown in. But what I got was something else. Something deeper. Something sadder. And surprisingly, something I ended up caring about more than I expected.

Kim Eui-gyeom is a top student, quiet storm. He doesn’t want to fight, not really. But life pushes him. Bullies push him. His father pushes him. So he fights back, with fists, but also with the kind of raw ache that doesn’t bleed on the outside.

I didn’t come for the fight scenes. What gripped me was how the family was written. That’s where the real violence was.

Eui-gyeom’s father is terrifying not because he hits, but because he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t raise his hand, he raises expectations, so sharp they cut without leaving marks. He sees his son as a trophy, a name on a score sheet. A student, not a person. And that kind of abuse, the kind that hides behind perfect parenting, is more chilling than any schoolyard fight.

The mother, she’s more complicated. She loves her son. She tries. But she’s buried under guilt and grief, still mourning a lost older son to suicide. She attends therapy. She means well. And yet, she’s blind. Blind in the same way she was before. It hurts to watch. Because the show makes it clear, love isn’t enough if you’re not present. Caring isn’t the same as seeing.

I found myself thinking: she’s not the villain. But she’s not innocent either.

Eui-gyeom suffocating himself on the bed isn’t just a cry for help. It’s what it feels like when there’s no air left in your own house. When even living feels like a punishment. He doesn’t want to die. He just wants to stop hurting.

And then he finds another outlet. not a healthy one, but something. Fighting. Being a “hero.” Not because it’s noble, but because it hurts less.

I liked that he wasn’t unbeatable. He loses. He bleeds. He learns.

Then came Gwi-jae, a transfer student who fights like a ghost, deadly but reluctant. His presence brought up one of the show’s best questions: What’s the difference between fighting for justice and just fighting? Who gets to decide who the bad guys are? And what if you become one?

Through him, and through Seung-jun (a bully with guilt in his fists) the show reminded us: sometimes the line between villain and victim is just a matter of who hit first.

Yun-gi was a calm kind of flame. He lit something in Eui-gyeom, the idea of becoming heroes, of fighting back. But his reasons weren’t pure, either. Revenge, guilt, pain, the usual shadows that wear the mask of justice. His younger brother lies in a coma, and their crusade has a target. Of course it does.

But the real heart of the show (for me) was in the Walkman. A small, quiet symbol. It belonged to Eui-gyeom’s brother, who wore it to escape their father’s voice. “When I wear this, I’m in a world without him.” But even that escape turned into danger. He hurt Eui-gyeom by accident once, a small moment, but it stuck with me. Because it’s not just about leaving the world, it’s who you leave behind when you do.

Eui-gyeom wears it now too, but the music doesn’t play anymore. Just silence. He wears a broken escape, like trying to dream with your eyes open.

In one of the final scenes, he fights Choi Gi-su, and he starts seeing faces, his father’s, his own. The two people he’s trying to escape. He kicks, hard, and wins, not just the fight, but a small piece of freedom. He looks up at the blue sky. His first airplane. Not literal, symbolic. A dream, a breath. A life that isn’t a cage.

His mother, too, takes a step. She stands up. She questions the father. She sees the injuries. She says:

> "Don’t you think your education way would make him worse?"



That might be the first real act of parenting we see from her. And maybe, just maybe, it’s the start of something better.

The ending isn’t clean. Both boys are sent to a school known for violence, where survival means fighting. It's not a happy ending. But it's honest. Sometimes healing doesn’t start with peace. Sometimes it starts in the most broken places.

I didn’t expect to care this much.

But I did.

And I think it’s because this wasn’t really a story about high school fights. It was about how homes can become battlegrounds. About how escape can look like violence. And about how even the smallest acts, standing up, speaking out, looking at the sky, can be revolutions.

This is mostly going for a second season and I think I'll be watching that.

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“When you fight monsters, be careful not to become one.”

I started One: High School Heroes because I recognized a few familiar faces, and I’m always in the mood for school-action dramas. But this one turned out to be a lot darker and more psychological than I expected.

The fights aren’t just action—they’re survival. It’s gritty and grounded, not stylized. You feel the desperation behind every punch.

What really sticks, though, is the emotional side. Eui-gyeom’s home life is probably one of the most painful parts of the show. His father pushes him beyond the edge—after already losing one son to the same pressure—and his mother says nothing. That household is where the real violence begins, and it explains so much about the way Eui-gyeom sees the world.

The friendships are one of the highlights. The bond between Eui-gyeom and Kang Yun-gi develops naturally, without drama or clichés. Seung-jun’s growth was another good surprise—he started out cold and arrogant, but actually changed in a believable way. I just wish some of the side characters got a bit more development.

There’s a line that stayed with me: “How’s what you do any different from thuggery? And who decides who’s bad?” It’s not the exact quote, but it captures the message Geol-jae gave them—a warning, not from a villain, but from someone who’s seen what violence turns people into. I actually really liked his character. Calm, almost unreadable, but clearly dangerous. His quiet presence said more than a dozen angry outbursts ever could. He came from a brutal juvenile facility where students had to fight to survive.

In the final episode, the two leads are transferred to what seems like a strict juvenile facility. There’s a scene on the bus where their new teacher suddenly snaps and screams at the students. It’s so unsettling, especially because everything had been quiet. It reminded me that the cycle of violence and control isn’t over—it’s just shifting forms.

Some things could’ve been explored more. The masked arc ended too fast, and there were a few scenes I wanted more of—not because they weren’t good, but because they were. But for only 8 episodes, it delivers way more than most longer dramas. It tackles abuse, trauma, control, and what it really means to fight back. It doesn’t pretend there are easy answers.

One: High School Heroes doesn’t glamorize school violence—it questions it. It shows how cycles of abuse and pressure can destroy people, and how fighting back doesn’t always make you free. If you’re looking for something intense, short, and emotionally raw, this is definitely worth watching.

I really hope we get a second season—this world and these characters still have more story to tell.

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Trash Parents, Broken Boys and a Fight for Justice - What a Ride!!

This drama is yet another entry in south korea’s growing list of school bullying revenge stories but what a wild, gripping and emotionally charged ride it was. Even though the theme is familiar, it pulled me in completely. South korea keeps churning out these revenge dramas and i keep devouring them with so much love.

I liked this one just as much as Weak Hero Class 1 and Study Group and in some ways, i think it was even better.

Kim Ui Gyeom’s father was one of the worst parents i have ever seen in a kdrama. He lost one son because of the extreme pressure he put on him yet he went on to repeat the same toxic cycle with his other son. His character remained consistently despicable until the end and it pushed my frustration to its limit.

The backstories of both male leads, Kim Ui Gyeom and Kang Yoongi were done really well. Their pain, rage and emotional scars were portrayed with raw intensity. I especially loved how Ui Gyeom’s psychological trauma, shaped by his family was visually represented in such a haunting, artistic way. His inner turmoil and bottled up frustration were executed brilliantly.

The action scenes were also amazing. I found myself clenching my teeth without even realizing it as if i were fighting too. Thats how much i was into it. Watching it was truly exciting.

The final scene clearly hinted at a S2 and im absolutely here for it.

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Now this is what I'm looking for in a drama. I know this might cause a stir up but this is overall better then weak hero class 1 and 2. That being said I never had my hope up and thought this was another Korean bullying system and it soared past my expectations.
To be honest Euiygeom needs therapy, the mental and physical abuse he have had to endure by his father who only cared about his reputation to others and brother who was just releasing tension and stress he had but doesn't excuse his behaviour in taking it out on his younger brother. From not wanting to fight anyone to taking it the next step and being told to stop.
Yang gi I felt sorry for. He came off as bland but he has gone through a lot of pain himself and took it too far.
I love their true bond with each other finding comfort and support as they can relate to each other.

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BEST PSYCHOLOGIC SCHOOL DRAMA !!

As a big fan of this type of K-drama, I obviously didn't hesitate for a second before jumping in. And when, on top of that, I was cast with Jung Ha, whom I loved in Moving, as well as Do Wan, who excels in bad boy roles... I jumped in without a second thought!

The unique feature of ONE HIGH SCHOOL HEROES is that it clearly stands out from other dramas of the genre with a much more pronounced psychological dimension. Here, there are no drug dealers, grand conspiracies, or even a good-natured atmosphere between classmates. No, here, the fight is the heart of the story: raw, dry, and unfiltered.

The hierarchy system is reminiscent of the levels in a video game, where each boss is tougher than the last. And that famous ending always seems out of reach. Our heroes, far from being weak this time, must take down the bullies one by one, each for their own reasons:

The first seeks revenge, in a roundabout way, on his father. His only learned form of expression is violence. The second is driven by a more intimate, personal vengeance.

Jung Ha, for his part, was captivating. We may not yet be at the level of Park Ji Hoon in Weak Hero Class 1 with his intense dark gaze, but he does very well in a role that's bolder than usual. Cold and determined, he completely immersed himself in his character.

What really struck me were the scenes where his character buries his trauma in heavy silence, enhanced by a black and white aesthetic. It was both strikingly beautiful and chillingly realistic.

Music-wise, aside from the opening theme, no OST really stood out to me. Nothing that transported me like the soundtrack to Weak Hero Class 1 did, which, it must be said, has become a true benchmark for dark school K-dramas.

As for Do Wan, he was excellent. I loved his unabashedly brawling attitude and his well-timed comebacks. But something about his underlying intentions bothered me: deep down, he fanned a flame that was already raging. He dragged an exemplary student into a spiral of violence, turning him into a reflection of his own trauma.

Overall, it's a real success for me! I really enjoyed watching this drama, which tackles a subject that is unfortunately still relevant in South Korea: school violence. It's a weighty but necessary theme, as it both denounces this violence and gives a little strength to those who feel weak or isolated.

ONE HIGH SCHOOL HEROES has fewer positive vibes than Study Group, which emphasized education and conveyed a more encouraging message. In this respect, Study Group will undoubtedly remain a more emblematic reference in the Korean landscape. But when it comes to psychological depth, darkness, and dramatic intensity, ONE HIGH SCHOOL HEROES wins hands down.

The positive note I take away, as a moral, is the crucial importance of education. This drama highlights the extent to which the family environment shapes children's behavior. Providing a supportive environment and setting a positive example can truly change a trajectory. And that's exactly what parents like the protagonist's father should understand. Domestic violence never stays confined within four walls: it spreads and eventually explodes outside.
In short, an excellent drama that I highly recommend!

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Best kinda mix of weal hero and study group but loved it ❤️

Okay i really did sign up just to write this review. Just finished this in one day and loved it.

I am fan of weak hero and study group so how can i leave this one. Loved this one too. Both male leads were amazing. Their friendship or bromance was different not cheesy and all but it was like different at the beginning but as time goes u will get hooked to them. Specially at some last eps u will get to know their friendship better .

When yooni went and fight with that strong guy just to get back his friends headphone. And then gaemil , (pardon for name spellings) he also get back to him after repaying to him what he did with his friend. But the psychological part ya that was so deep yr.

Like his brother father specially father literally annoyed me how cruel and selfish he was. Gaemil played by the actor did amazing job his expression, skills, fighting, friendship all scenes were too good.

And all the actors supporting characters nailed their roles. Fighting scenes were good, and realistic.

That seongjun guy was also good, and both male leads ❤️😎. But kinda superhero theme was funny. They should avoid this one and do all the things in a normal way. But its ok.

Rest thank god there was no female drama, no single female friends, i am also a girl but really in this kinds of drama i really need no females as weaklings.
Just fight, action, story, plot, theme, cast, and relatable ness.

Excited for s2, and thank god yoon went with him to that new school so happy at that scene😁.

Excited for new school, new fightings, new story yeah.
Hopefully til then we got weak hero 3, study group 2 , and now this one too one high school super heroes 2🔥🔥🔥

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“One: High School Heroes” surprised me. At first, it felt like your usual underdog high school sports drama—bullies, misfits, and all that—but the emotional core is strong. The main characters have real struggles, and the way they come together to fight injustice feels raw and inspiring. There’s a nice balance of humor and heartfelt moments, and the way each kid gets their moment to shine makes you root for them. The themes of unity, standing up, and never backing down hit hard. Also, the lead gives a grounded, powerful performance—like, you feel the frustration and hope.

But yeah, not everything was perfect. A few episodes dragged in the middle with some side stories that felt unnecessary. Also, the villains are a bit too over-the-top sometimes, like cartoonish bad. But overall, the message it delivers and the payoff in the final episodes make it worth the watch. It’s not just about “heroes”—it’s about finding strength when no one believes in you. Leaves you pumped and a little emotional.

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