One: High School Heroes

[spoilers??] one: high school heroes – eugyeom. just. eugyeom.

okay listen.
the way they portrayed eugyeom??? INSANE. i’m sorry but i’ve never seen anyone show those tiny shifts in expression so clearly—like full-on fighting mode one second, then blank, tight, emotionally locked down the moment his father shows up. it’s not just acting. it’s feeling. and i felt that.

that whole part where he’s filling out the “what’s your dream?” form and just hides it under the books when he hears the door??? yeah. that broke me a little. it’s so subtle but so loud. the panic. the instinct. the habit. the silence. the way he just... shuts off.
like yeah, he has dreams. but he’s been trained to either ignore them or feel ashamed for having any at all.

and idk if this is too personal but... the dad dynamic? way too real. like people from the outside might praise his father for being "so involved" or "working so hard for him" but all i see is a man trying to achieve the things he couldn’t when he was young. he’s not helping eugyeom live. he’s trying to shape him into something he wanted to be. and you can feel that weight on eugyeom’s chest in every. single. scene.

and that bit where he tries to choke himself at night?? people might say it's “too much” or “out of place” but honestly, if you’ve ever lived under that kind of pressure, if you've felt that silence and fear, you know. it’s real.
i used to watch dramas to escape reality. but this?? this drama dragged reality right back in. the way i literally flinch when his dad shows up, or when he pokes eugyeom's forehead with his index finger??? i wanna break that damn finger.

but that scene where he finally fought back… maybe it wasn’t the moment, but something cracked open. it felt like the start of him choosing himself. even if it wasn’t directly about his dad, it was a shift. he didn’t freeze. he fought.
and i hope—no, i PRAY—we get to see him rise from here. i want him to get mad. to speak. to breathe. to finally live.

also me: relates to eugyeom on a spiritual level
also also me: never fought anyone lmao (missed that part of the arc but spiritually i was throwing hands ok)

AND KANG YOONGI???
this guy is chaotic GOOD. pure punk energy. funky little gremlin with a heart, and i love him for it. definitely emotional support punk of the squad. 10/10, would adopt.

i’ll probably yell more when i finish the series but for now??
i’m invested.
i’m ready.
let’s go be heroes.

Read More

Fighting to Feel: Bruises, Bonds, and Buried Trauma

This series is a pretty typical high school action drama built around the theme of bullying, a topic that seems to be popping up more and more in Korean dramas these days. It follows Kim Eui-gyeom, a quiet and respectable student who’s dealing with a lot of pressure to be the “perfect son”, especially after his brother’s apparent suicide. He carries the weight of trauma and mental health struggles mostly on his own, and it shows, he’s always on edge.

After transferring to a new school, Eui-gyeom immediately catches the attention of the class bully. The tension escalates when the bully targets Eui-gyeom’s most treasured possession, a walkman that belonged to his brother. That moment pushes Eui-gyeom over the edge, and the fight that follows pulls him into even more trouble, drawing the attention of senior bullies.

Meanwhile, Kang Yun-gi, a chill and seemingly bored classmate, starts showing interest in Eui-gyeom and becomes an unexpected source of support. As their friendship grows, the two of them begin fighting not just in school, but outside of it too, all while Eui-gyeom’s home life slowly unravels.

The show tries to tackle some heavy themes, trauma, suicide, bullying, and abuse, but with only eight episodes, it doesn’t always dig as deep as it could. There’s also some confusion around Eui-gyeom’s fighting ability. At first, he seems inexperienced, but later he’s holding his own like a pro. The show doesn’t really explain if he had past training or if he’s just picking things up along the way.

That said, it’s still an engaging watch. The acting isn’t particularly standout, especially when compared to something like Weak Hero Class 1, where the lead gave a phenomenal performance. Here, things feel a little safer, and the bullies can come off as trying too hard. But the story itself is entertaining, and the bond between Eui-gyeom and Yun-gi is one of the best parts.

One character who really stood out to me was Kim Seung-jun. He doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but he’s definitely one of the most interesting. He starts off as a bully with a sense of honor and eventually decides to step away from all the nonsense. There are hints at a deeper story with him, especially involving his mother, and it’s a shame the show didn’t explore that more.

In all, it’s a small but promising series. If you’re into character-driven stories and watching unexpected friendships form under tough circumstances, it’s worth checking out.

Read More

I'm The Superhero I needed.

They say family is your foundation. The first step on a long journey. But what happens when that foundation turns to water--scalding and suffocating? Your gaze shifts from kinship to escape.

The airplane you stare at, day after day, isn't just a plane. It's the last thread of your sanity, clutched in trembling hands. Its crash isn't a spectacle in the sky; it's a cataclysm in your mind. And that is where you fall.

But some crashes don't break you. They break the cage. They shatter the mirror of who you were supposed to be, so you can finally step through, free.

"Who decides who's good or bad? And what about you?"

Right. Who does?
It forces a confrontation with the self. Do you know the person staring back from the glass? Or just the reflection the world demanded you create?

The only person you can truly afford to know is yourself. The only fight you are guaranteed is your own. Because to champion anyone else, you must first be the warrior of your own soul.

And while solitude is strength, there is a different power in finding a comrade. A shadow who moves as you do. A partner who shares a wink, a laugh over fan service, and a loyalty that feels like a second soul--just as our protagonist discovers.

The conclusion is: Everyone has the capacity to be a superhero the moment they accept that no one else is coming to save them. You are the only one who can save your world. You’re the only one who can shatter the chains that refuse to let you rise and break free.

So, you must:

Fight until the world cracks and kneels.
Fight until your pulse thrums with defiant zeal.
Fight because the silence of surrender is not an option.
Fight because the ember in your chest was born to become a blaze.

Be the hero. Even if, for a while, you have to fight with the villain's grit.

Read More

Don't need a second season but medication.

Honestly I think I would have enjoyed it more if I did not expect a mix between Weak Hero and Study Group, but something rather....in the middle. And then I would have been less disappointed.
The thing is, the fighting was FORCED as heck and yes the actors did a really great job but there is only much they can do. Let's be real, even Tenjou Tenge made more sense at this point. So yes, the fighting should NOT have been the focus of the drama because the plot around it was poor and lacking.
Also if there is something I absolutely despise in a show ? When they force some revenge plot that barely makes any sense. They had the means and yet they completely ruined it in favor of more fighting.

You know what I loved which explains that rate ? The angst. The messed up family. The young brother feeling love and guilt and anger toward his older brother. The constant pain. The mother finally realizing she needs to step up. The bully who tries to help because he realizes he is being stupid. The friend trying to redeem himself. The father who keeps blaming everyone instead of being better. Not everyone grows and it makes the show real.
However since they lost more time on the fighting part I am not curious to know what will happen to the characters.
So no thank you for that second season, just give me some medication.

Read More

This first season is like the backstory for the next season

I wanted to watch this kdrama because of weak hero and didn‘t regret it. You can tell that its inspired by weak hero class but it also has its own story to it. I really love the acting in this one, like Lee Jung-ha is a really good actor. Some parts were really disturbing to me regarding his brother, don‘t want to spoil anything. What is most shocking to me is that the dad didn‘t learn from his past mistake. He is like the most ignorant and merciless person. The fact that the MC had to endure that. But I also couldn‘t ignore how cute the MC was. I swear I was having some kind of cuteness aggression whenever he was like „hyung 🥺“. Overall the cast is really goodlooking. There are a lot of fights and I guess I’m the type who doesn’t like if its constantly fighting and bullying. I do think the music was lacking since I don’t really remember any of the music. I‘m happy that they are giving it a second season because if not it would‘ve felt uncompleted. This is basically the backstory of the next season. It‘s just starting since they were like saying that in the next season it will get tougher. I‘m so excited, so worth to watch.

Read More

Storyline the weakest link

For starters, I haven't read the webtoon so this is purely based off the drama.

Action scenes were good. Delving into psychological trauma was good. Manifesting suppressed anger was good.

Here's what wasn't good.

There was no true "bond" between the characters. There was no friendship, no bonding, no connection. You can't build a friendship on shared rage alone. There was nothing to look forward to between characters because everything felt forced.

There was no lovable character. No, I don't mean cute, or fluff. I mean truly likeable characters. They tried but character development was non-existent. In fact, there were more hateful characters (aka Dad, and bullies) than anything else.

Essentially, with no attachment to characters, a weak storyline, all that was left for this drama was good casting and slugging action. I compare it to Weak Hero cause it's come out around the same time and it just doesn't have the same... depth. No umami. Convenience store instant noodles compared to restaurant level ramen... so to speak.

Watch it if you want but also, don't expect too much.

Read More

This series was a story full of potential, only half realised.

I don’t know how to feel about this one but I’ll try to put together my thoughts.

On the one hand the main character is like a blend of Si-eun and Beom-Seok from Weak Hero Class. This is what intrigued me at first. It’s an interesting portrayal of young male rage (or in this case - young male Asian rage) and the cycle of violence.

However, on the other hand, I’m unsure of what story they were actually trying to tell. Even up to episode 7 I had no idea where the story was headed, and not in an exciting or intriguing way either, but rather in a perplexing and scattered narrative kind of way. When this happens it usually puts a lot of pressure on the last episode to tie everything together. I was worried when we got to the half way mark of episode 8 and I was still none the wiser. There were so many different narratives and characters’ stories that didn’t seem to tie-in much below the surface level violence.

I’m not trying to be obtuse. I understand that they are tackling the topic of violence and showing how violence begets violence, but why? And how is this informing the audience about the purpose of Ui-gyeom’s story. Past this surface level plot, how does this violence impact on Ui-gyeom behaviours now/going forward and why does it manifest in this way? What are his motivations, his outcome, and lessons learned or take-aways from this, or even his thoughts for the future or about what he has done or himself? That’s all left unexplored, unfortunately. We don’t even know how Ui-gyeom feels now the dust is settled. Has he become a monster? Is he a school hero? Is he an anti-hero? Is he neither? Is he all of the above? What does he think? What does his peers think? What do the adults and his parents think? I get that life doesn’t wrap up neatly or typically have a ‘message’ or a point to it, but this is a crafted story and stories should have a purpose to them (narratively speaking).

E.g. Is this a story drawing parallels between Ui-gyeom and the two bully characters that realised fighting wasn’t worth it to exorcise their demons? No. That’s not it. Perhaps it’s showing how friendship, or having someone care enough about Ui-gyeom’s wellbeing can help him on the path to slowly healing the feeling of brokenness and the pent up rage he has inside him? Nope, I don’t think that’s it either. Then, is it about Ui-gyeom taking responsibility for his actions, recognising this and breaking the cycle of violence? Uh-uh. Alright then, it must be a character exploration of Ui-gyeom’s descent into violent madness and how you can’t get out of the violent cycle once you are deep in it. Nope, wrong again. Maybe it’s all four? Could be, but the story never really explores these fully or commits to any of them narratively. It touches on them and then swiftly moves on.

It’s frustrating that it took the last 10 minutes for the series to finally ‘say something’ about what story they were trying to tell, because by then there wasn’t a lot of time left to explore and unpack now that it was getting interesting.

I can’t say this series was satisfying. It left me more befuddled than anything else. It wasn’t half bad but it wasn’t that solid either. What was the take-away supposed to be? That this was primarily a series about bully violence with just enough background plot and character development to break up the fight scenes?! What was this all supposed to be building to? What was the point of, or the take-away from Ui-gyeom’s story? Is he going to get the help he needs? Is he going to unpack his trauma? Is it exploring the effects of the cycle of violence through Ui-gyeom and the consequences/impact on the character? Is he going to say f-it and lean into the violence from now on? Heck, will he be scouted for the 2028 Olympics combat sports? Or was this series merely setting up for a new fight-club style school series? What’s the conclusion of where Ui-gyeom is at in his story/journey and his psychological state of mind, feelings about himself and his future? Who will he be from this point on? No one knows. This isn’t a clever open ending. It’s the conclusion of an underdeveloped story. And it’s just so frustrating.

As the tile says; this was a series with a story full of potential, only half realised.

Read More

strong action.. but somethin felt missing

i liked it but it didnt fully hit the way i expected.
story is powerful and the action parts really well done.. lead actor especially was insane(in a nice way) .. his emotional scenes and intensity carried a lot of the drama
but the main issue is the flow.. just when a character starts developing properly.. the focus suddenly shifts to someone else so it felt that the emotional buildup keeps gettin interrupted
the protagonist main pain point especially related to his brother’s suicide and everything tied to that felt like it could’ve been explored deeper... its there but not as clearly or strongly as it could have been
Even the friendship n chemistry between the main characters (esp with Kim namyoong) felt a bit underdeveloped.. it was oky but not fully impactful
and Kim seungjin character… honestly felt incomplete.. like they gave him importance at the start but didnt fully finish his arc properly which was kinda unsatisfying
one thing I also couldnt fully connect with was the blue sky planes thing tied to the protagonist.. looked meaningful but I personally didnt fully get its emotional purpose
still the acting was top tier... main lead's emotional performance and action delivery was really strong
like a good watch for pure action loverss .. but slightly uneven emotional depth

Read More

I just watched another show.

One High School Heroes – My 7/10 “Okay I just watched another show” Review

Alright, so first things first I’d give this drama an 7.2 out of 10. It’s entertaining, but not in the “this was a tight, perfectly written story” way. More like, don’t think too hard, just enjoy the ride. If you go in expecting flawless logic, you’ll be yelling “What is going on?!” every other scene.

I came into this expecting something kind of like Study Group or Weak Hero. High school crime-thriller vibes, emotionally charged fights, and characters whose backstories punch you in the gut. And in some ways, I got that. In others… it felt like there was a whole list of missed opportunities.

There were moments where random stuff just got tossed in, Filler fight scenes here, mysterious characters there, no explanation anywhere.

I get it the main character was fighting to deal with his frustration toward his dad- his family situation, and all that built-up trauma. That part actually made sense. That’s why he agreed to do the “hero” thing in the first place, and why he kept taking it too far. But the actual becoming a high school hero part? It just… happened. Not much buildup, not really any satisfying “this is the start of something” moment. I thought we’d get more vigilante-style scenes like actual clever justice work, but instead it felt like, “Okay, they’re heroes now.” It was rushed, underbaked. Like they had the perfect recipe but pulled it out of the oven 30 minutes too early.

Then there’s the characters who… I don’t even remember the names of. That guy with the bucket hat? He was just there to fight other pointless characters. Not much story, no growth, no real purpose. I kept thinking he’d join them and form a high school hero group or have some revolution later, but nope — Same with Shoeless Fighter Guy, Fun to watch? Sure. Did he matter? Not REALLYYYY..

And don’t even get me started on the hospital guy Yoongi kept visiting. The show dangled that relationship in front of us like it was important, like it was the thing driving him, and then sorta forgot to explore it, I mean sure we did get a couple of scenes but it just felt sorta empty, didn't even get his revenge right. Wasted potential, again. Same with the family dynamic, on paper we saw a lot of it… but it still felt like we didn’t really get into it. Like they were handing us information with one hand and taking it away with the other... sorta?

That said — the ending? Chef’s kiss. The fight where he’s seeing everyone he’s ever hated flash as he’s beating the guy down? Absolutely brilliant psychological touch. I love that style of editing, and those flashes of internal chaos worked so well. Same with the recurring choking scenes, they hinted at a deeper, suicidal struggle in the beginning so I thought we’d dive into more.

So yeah, it’s entertaining. I had fun.

But I still can’t really tell you EXACTLY why I had fun, which… probably says a lot about the writing. They built a gorgeous roller coaster but forgot half the track in the middle, so you’re just screaming and holding on until you hit the end! Also my bad for not really mentioning characters names, I couldn't care enough to remember all these pointless randoms!

7.2/10. I’d watch a season two, but mostly I want answers. The ending seems like it should be the beginning.

(Yes the .2 is necessary, also 30 year olds acting like freshmens in high school?)

Read More