'Weak Hero' creators on who the real villains are in this heart-wrenching story of teens
Ryeo Un shares his thoughts on Weak Hero Class 2.
On May 2, Ryeo Un had an interview for the Netflix series Weak Hero Class 2, during which he revealed his efforts to transform into Park Hu Min.
Weak Hero Class 2 is a tale of growth and survival of model student Yeon Si Eun (Park Ji Hoon), who transfers to a new school carrying the trauma of failing to protect a friend while standing against violence. Determined never to lose another friend again, he confronts greater violence, unfolding a desperate struggle for survival.
Ryeo Un, who said he was a fan of both the original webtoon and Weak Hero Class 1, shared, "I really enjoyed the original and Class 1, so I accepted the role as soon as I got the offer. Wanting to play a character like Park Ku is kind of every guy's dream. I also really wanted to try doing a lot of action. At the time, I was quite slim, so I thought I'd have to work out hard. It wouldn't make sense for a skinny guy to break a helmet with that kind of body, so I bulked up. I had happy days eating lots of mala xiang guo, grilled meat, and fried chicken. Previously, I used to work out but didn't eat enough, so being able to eat whatever I wanted made me really happy. I gained the weight in about a month or two... Now, I've lost a little over 10kg. It's easy for me to gain weight, but losing it was tough."
He said he put a lot of thought into the tone in order to portray a cartoonish and fantastical character. "Since it's a fantastical character, I thought Park Hu Min had to be that way. Rather than going with a static and plain approach, I thought that to show Park Hu Min's individuality, he had to be portrayed that way. In the beginning, it was hard to express Park Hu Min as a very extroverted character. I think I adjusted the level [of his extrovertedness] a lot."
Talking about how he prepared for action, Ryeo Un said, "I went to action school to practice choreography, and I think I kept practicing on set as well with the martial arts director and my co-actors. I attended action school for about two months before filming began... I played a warrior previously, so I had learned swordsmanship, but this was my first time doing hand-to-hand combat. I thought it might be difficult since it's different from using a sword, but it was fun once I got used to it. I had fun filming. Fortunately, there were always people around to look after me, and we made sure to shoot as safely as possible to avoid injuries." As for his favorite action scene, he picked the bowling alley scene, saying, "It was a full-fledged action sequence, and I felt that Park Hu Min's character came through strongly when he strikes with a bowling ball and takes the other character down with a single punch." When asked, "Are you actually strong in real life?" he replied, laughing, "I don't think I'm weak. Back in high school, I was pretty good at arm wrestling. Unless there was a huge [body] size difference, I usually won."
He also shared that he contributed some of his own ideas to create a strong first impression for the character. "I wanted the first look to be striking. It was winter at the time, but I said I wanted to wear shorts and flip-flops. I wanted to make Park Ku's personality come through strongly in that first look."
He added, "I took a bit of inspiration from Kang Baek Ho [from Slam Dunk]. He may seem like a fool, but he's steadfast, cheerful, solid, and righteous. I felt those traits were similar to those of Park Hu Min. The way he comes off as foolish gives more of an innocent and pure kind of impression [of him]."
Regarding his efforts to portray the emotional arc of the character, Ryeo Un said, "What I kept in mind from the start was that Park Hu Min doesn't come from a good family. Even so, the fact that he can stay cheerful probably comes from having a mature mindset. He's a few years more mature than his peers, and I focused on the kind of cheerfulness that comes when a person tries to overcome [hardship]. He's the type who tries to take responsibility for all his friends, and he saw a bit of pain in Si Eun [Park Ji Hoon]. Jun Tae [Choi Min Yeong] is also a fragile character, but seeing him trying to push through probably looked admirable from Park Hu Min's perspective. I think they bonded naturally as they spent time together, like doing volunteer work and spending a lot of time together."
Talking about Na Baek Jin (played by Bae Na Ra), he said, "At first, he was a friend I [Park Hu Min] wanted to support and protect. But after Park taught him to fight, he started to change. Even so, because they were friends, Park Hu Min believed, 'He'll come around.' But it felt like Baek Jin crossed a line he shouldn't have. After Baek Jin hurt one of [Park's] friends, he started to resent him a lot, but it was also when he began to truly feel the weight of guilt. I think that's when he started to see Baek Jin in a different light. It's a complicated relationship full of dilemmas. It hurts. [To Park], he [Baek] feels like the 'hurting finger' [a Korean idiom meaning someone you care about because they’re wounded or struggling]. It's this feeling of, 'If I hadn't taught him how to fight, things wouldn't have turned out this way.'"
Was there any pressure about joining Class 2? "It wasn't like I felt no pressure at all. There was definitely some, but I tried hard to prepare well," adding, "Among us, Park Ji Hoon was the only one with experience from Class 1, and his character was already fully established. As for the rest of us, it felt like we gradually grew into our characters over time."
For Ryeo Un, who is more of an introverted person in real life, playing the extroverted Park Hu Min was a challenge in itself. Reflecting on his own school days, he said, "[My on-screen school life] was quite different from my actual student life. I went to an all-boys high school, so it wasn't completely different. Things like playing basketball during lunch and going to the snack bar were similar experiences. But I don't think I was the type to lead others like a boss. I wasn't someone who took charge of the group. I was more the kind of student who hung out with just a few close friends." "I used to be more introverted, but I feel like playing Park Hu Min has helped me loosen up a bit. I feel like I've become a little more cheerful," he shared.
Talking about the vibe on set, he said, "The vibe on set was really great. It actually felt like a real boys' high school. We all really liked each other and had a strong bond, so even when we weren't filming [had no scenes together], we'd drop by to hang out and cheer each other on. Choi Min Yeong, for instance, wasn't even in the group fight scene, but he still came all the way from Daejeon to Seoul to encourage us. That's how close we'd gotten. We joked around a lot, too.
"The real leader on set was Yoo Soo Bin hyung. He really felt like the boss. I think the whole vibe on set was thanks to him. Regardless of age, he gave off a true leader vibe. Since the director, Yoo Su Min, is his real brother, he said he didn't want to cause any trouble and took the lead in setting the tone. Off set, he really played the role of Park Hu — the boss — for us."
When asked about which other character from Class 2 he would like to try playing, Ryeo Un pointed to Geum Seong Je, played by Lee Jun Young, and said, "He was amazing. I think he's the kind of character many guys take as ideal, and Jun Young hyung did a great job of portraying him. Geum Seong Je is a character only Lee Jun Young could do. His free-spirited vibe was both alluring and captivating. In real life, when Jun Young hyung moves, you can almost hear the sound of the wind. He's been training in MMA for years, so his punches are incredibly fast. I was relieved that we never had to face off."
Will there be a Weak Hero Class 3? "I'd love to see it too. It would be great if it happens. Despite the difficult moments, I'm sure the viewers will still enjoy it. Personally, I hope season 3 to be a little more peaceful, but I think it will still be quite intense. As for Park Ku, while he'll seem cheerful on the outside, deep down, I think he'll be feeling worse. Since the ending left him with a lot of guilt, I imagine there will be moments where he tries to resolve that guilt."
Ryeo Un, who has had numerous youth dramas where his characters wear school uniforms. "I think this is it for me. I don't think I can continue doing this anymore. When I joined, it was not long after Twinkling Watermelon concluded. I thought 'It's okay', but when I was on set, with Min Young and the younger cast members around, and even the supporting actors being younger, the age difference became really obvious. It felt like I had become a teacher, and I realized it would be difficult to continue in this type of role." However, "If there's a season 3, I would be really grateful to take part again."
