This review may contain spoilers
Heesu in Class 2: Lost in (Un)Translation
To start with the review, let me just warn you: I’m equal parts betrayed and begrudgingly entertained. This is less a review and more a rant-turned-reflection from a heartbroken manhwa fan because I’ve got feelings, a lot of them. 😤
First of all, as someone who read the manhwa before watching the series, let me just say that readers are in for a disappointment. The series heads in a completely different direction from the manhwa, so much so that I’d like to ask the production team why they even called this a manhwa adaptation in the first place. The plot is different, the couples are different, and seriously, even the essence of the characters is totally changed. Why mislead people into thinking this is a faithful adaptation? I would have accepted this better if it had been introduced as an independent drama.
Honestly, baiting manhwa readers and BL fans just for viewership was a cheap move.
To be honest, I started reading the manhwa after the series was announced. I’d seen the lead, Ahn Ji-ho, who plays Lee Heesu, from the BTS-inspired series Begins ≠ Youth, and I was genuinely anticipating the show. Seeing someone already kind of known taking up a BL role is, well, something we don’t often see. Then I found out that the actor playing Kim Seungwon, Lee Sang Jun, was also in Squid Game, and Jo Joon Young (who plays Joo Chanyoung) was gaining fame too. Then I started reading the manhwa.
Now, involuntarily or purposefully (guess which one?), I might end up reviewing the manhwa, too. The comic series Class 2, Lee Heesu, is a total fluff ride. I’ve read many BL comics, yaoi, and shounen ai titles across languages - Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Class 2, Lee Heesu, isn’t something with a very strong plot. Personally, I wouldn’t say the plot is what got me hooked. It’s definitely readable, not debating on that. But the selling point was Lee Heesu, an ordinary high schooler who’s head over heels in love with his best friend. How he listens to people, empathises with them, and is still just a shy guy who’s just Chanyoung's best friend, was so endearing. The plot was leaning towards slice of life and romance, and I loved the reading experience, like every second of it. (For the sake of records: I binge read it in one sitting hehe. )😊
However, Lee Heesu of Heesu in Class 2 is a totally different person. Yes, he has some of the same traits, but the Heesu in the manhwa embodied innocence. I just wanted to carry him in my pocket all the time (I get you, Seungwon). But the Heesu in the series is more like a cheery teenager who happens to like his best friend. I never got the feeling that his entire world revolved around Chanyoung. Maybe it’s because of the addition of this new “third best friend” character. He was cute, sure, but he took away from the essence of Heesu’s world, which in the manhwa was just Chanyoung. Honestly, at times, this Heesu even reminded me of J-Hope (Hobi) from BTS( maybe because of Begins ≠ Youth).
Now, coming to Chanyoung, I want to talk about him before Seungwon because his character setup was just... so bad. Why? Chanyoung in the manhwa was someone I genuinely liked. His arc: from me thinking that he was taking Heesu for granted, to realising that he knew Heesu liked him, and so he was helping him move on, and becoming the wingman of the century, was something I loved. But in Heesu in Class 2? 😒Yes, he’s always been straight, but his straightness in the drama just didn’t sit right with me. Nothing against hetero romances, but pairing him with Choi Jiyu (played by Kim Do Yeon from Weki Meki) felt ridiculous. I didn’t want a romantic couple out of that. Their friendship alone had so much potential. The drama could’ve embraced the manhwa’s direction, even expanded on it, by showing their platonic bond with more screen time. Instead, they chose to “straightify” the story by making them a side couple.
Plot-wise, their arc wasn’t terrible - it was a healthy boy-girl friendship turned romance. But when you're queerbaiting and then give so much screen time to a couple that never existed in the manhwa? That’s just too much. If this weren’t an adaptation, I might have been all for that couple.
Coming to Seungwon, he may be the only character that somewhat resembles his manhwa counterpart. He was still obsessed with Heesu, still the quiet smartypants who gets jealous when someone gets close to his Heesu. A cutie to his core. But the problem? The chemistry. I don’t want to upset any shippers or fans of this couple, but I didn’t feel it. There was a bromance element, and yes, I watched the behind-the-scenes footage. Yes, they get along well. But a heart-fluttering vibe, like I felt watching Semantic Error? Nope. 😐Sorry, not sorry. Maybe it’s because we only got like 10 minutes of them being a couple. Or maybe because the straight couple took up half the screen time. Even the new third-best friend had a love story. In 10 episodes, Heesu’s romance subplot got less than half the airtime.
Choi Jiyu - I liked her in the manhwa, and Heesu in Class 2 gave her more character and presence. She had her own story, a full-fledged backstory. I liked her in the series, too. I might be biased here because I love it when girls in BLs aren’t just plot devices but queens and supporters. I hate when they’re thrown into love triangle dynamics. So I probably liked her more for that reason. She was a great friend to Seungwon, both in the manhwa and in the series.
It’s not like Heesu in Class 2 was all bad. If I look at it as a standalone attempted BL (emphasis on attempted, cough cough), the plot was decent. It wouldn’t bore you. There was the mysterious carrot person who had a crush on Heesu (I have complaints about how that ended, but I’ll save that for another day), Chanyoung’s ex who bullied Heesu, the arc where Chanyoung finally pursued his non-academic dream (fighting Asian parents and winning a bit is a big deal), the Lee sisters and their individual developments: the eldest sister finally living for herself (as the eldest daughter in an Asian household, I gave a standing ovation), the middle sister’s long-term relationship ending (sad but realistic), and the youngest sister accepting Heesu; the coming out scene was beautiful.
Though I missed the iconic coming-out scenes of both Seungwon and Heesu from the manhwa, that was epic. And not showing Seungwon’s other mom? A big miss. But Heesu’s confession to Chanyoung was a nice addition - it gave some closure.
The actors did a good job, though. Especially Lee Sang Jun as Seungwon- he was Seungwon. I love Ahn Ji-ho, but he wasn’t Heesu. He felt more like an alternate universe Hobi( as an ARMY girl, I couldn't help but mention this). As for Chanyoung - I couldn’t love him, but that wasn’t the actor’s fault. The whole setup made it hard.
Overall, I’d say; watch Heesu in Class 2 as if it were a different series. Maybe imagine a new title - something inspired by the space element they added, like In My Space or Star of My Space. Then, maybe it’ll feel right. It’s a watchable series as I didn’t drop it midway(big win for me YAY)- but a big disappointment for OG Class 2, Lee Heesu fans. As a BL, it didn’t do much justice. Not because they added a straight side couple, but because that couple got more airtime. And in the end, I was left with just a few moments of Heesu and Seungwon.
First of all, as someone who read the manhwa before watching the series, let me just say that readers are in for a disappointment. The series heads in a completely different direction from the manhwa, so much so that I’d like to ask the production team why they even called this a manhwa adaptation in the first place. The plot is different, the couples are different, and seriously, even the essence of the characters is totally changed. Why mislead people into thinking this is a faithful adaptation? I would have accepted this better if it had been introduced as an independent drama.
Honestly, baiting manhwa readers and BL fans just for viewership was a cheap move.
To be honest, I started reading the manhwa after the series was announced. I’d seen the lead, Ahn Ji-ho, who plays Lee Heesu, from the BTS-inspired series Begins ≠ Youth, and I was genuinely anticipating the show. Seeing someone already kind of known taking up a BL role is, well, something we don’t often see. Then I found out that the actor playing Kim Seungwon, Lee Sang Jun, was also in Squid Game, and Jo Joon Young (who plays Joo Chanyoung) was gaining fame too. Then I started reading the manhwa.
Now, involuntarily or purposefully (guess which one?), I might end up reviewing the manhwa, too. The comic series Class 2, Lee Heesu, is a total fluff ride. I’ve read many BL comics, yaoi, and shounen ai titles across languages - Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Class 2, Lee Heesu, isn’t something with a very strong plot. Personally, I wouldn’t say the plot is what got me hooked. It’s definitely readable, not debating on that. But the selling point was Lee Heesu, an ordinary high schooler who’s head over heels in love with his best friend. How he listens to people, empathises with them, and is still just a shy guy who’s just Chanyoung's best friend, was so endearing. The plot was leaning towards slice of life and romance, and I loved the reading experience, like every second of it. (For the sake of records: I binge read it in one sitting hehe. )😊
However, Lee Heesu of Heesu in Class 2 is a totally different person. Yes, he has some of the same traits, but the Heesu in the manhwa embodied innocence. I just wanted to carry him in my pocket all the time (I get you, Seungwon). But the Heesu in the series is more like a cheery teenager who happens to like his best friend. I never got the feeling that his entire world revolved around Chanyoung. Maybe it’s because of the addition of this new “third best friend” character. He was cute, sure, but he took away from the essence of Heesu’s world, which in the manhwa was just Chanyoung. Honestly, at times, this Heesu even reminded me of J-Hope (Hobi) from BTS( maybe because of Begins ≠ Youth).
Now, coming to Chanyoung, I want to talk about him before Seungwon because his character setup was just... so bad. Why? Chanyoung in the manhwa was someone I genuinely liked. His arc: from me thinking that he was taking Heesu for granted, to realising that he knew Heesu liked him, and so he was helping him move on, and becoming the wingman of the century, was something I loved. But in Heesu in Class 2? 😒Yes, he’s always been straight, but his straightness in the drama just didn’t sit right with me. Nothing against hetero romances, but pairing him with Choi Jiyu (played by Kim Do Yeon from Weki Meki) felt ridiculous. I didn’t want a romantic couple out of that. Their friendship alone had so much potential. The drama could’ve embraced the manhwa’s direction, even expanded on it, by showing their platonic bond with more screen time. Instead, they chose to “straightify” the story by making them a side couple.
Plot-wise, their arc wasn’t terrible - it was a healthy boy-girl friendship turned romance. But when you're queerbaiting and then give so much screen time to a couple that never existed in the manhwa? That’s just too much. If this weren’t an adaptation, I might have been all for that couple.
Coming to Seungwon, he may be the only character that somewhat resembles his manhwa counterpart. He was still obsessed with Heesu, still the quiet smartypants who gets jealous when someone gets close to his Heesu. A cutie to his core. But the problem? The chemistry. I don’t want to upset any shippers or fans of this couple, but I didn’t feel it. There was a bromance element, and yes, I watched the behind-the-scenes footage. Yes, they get along well. But a heart-fluttering vibe, like I felt watching Semantic Error? Nope. 😐Sorry, not sorry. Maybe it’s because we only got like 10 minutes of them being a couple. Or maybe because the straight couple took up half the screen time. Even the new third-best friend had a love story. In 10 episodes, Heesu’s romance subplot got less than half the airtime.
Choi Jiyu - I liked her in the manhwa, and Heesu in Class 2 gave her more character and presence. She had her own story, a full-fledged backstory. I liked her in the series, too. I might be biased here because I love it when girls in BLs aren’t just plot devices but queens and supporters. I hate when they’re thrown into love triangle dynamics. So I probably liked her more for that reason. She was a great friend to Seungwon, both in the manhwa and in the series.
It’s not like Heesu in Class 2 was all bad. If I look at it as a standalone attempted BL (emphasis on attempted, cough cough), the plot was decent. It wouldn’t bore you. There was the mysterious carrot person who had a crush on Heesu (I have complaints about how that ended, but I’ll save that for another day), Chanyoung’s ex who bullied Heesu, the arc where Chanyoung finally pursued his non-academic dream (fighting Asian parents and winning a bit is a big deal), the Lee sisters and their individual developments: the eldest sister finally living for herself (as the eldest daughter in an Asian household, I gave a standing ovation), the middle sister’s long-term relationship ending (sad but realistic), and the youngest sister accepting Heesu; the coming out scene was beautiful.
Though I missed the iconic coming-out scenes of both Seungwon and Heesu from the manhwa, that was epic. And not showing Seungwon’s other mom? A big miss. But Heesu’s confession to Chanyoung was a nice addition - it gave some closure.
The actors did a good job, though. Especially Lee Sang Jun as Seungwon- he was Seungwon. I love Ahn Ji-ho, but he wasn’t Heesu. He felt more like an alternate universe Hobi( as an ARMY girl, I couldn't help but mention this). As for Chanyoung - I couldn’t love him, but that wasn’t the actor’s fault. The whole setup made it hard.
Overall, I’d say; watch Heesu in Class 2 as if it were a different series. Maybe imagine a new title - something inspired by the space element they added, like In My Space or Star of My Space. Then, maybe it’ll feel right. It’s a watchable series as I didn’t drop it midway(big win for me YAY)- but a big disappointment for OG Class 2, Lee Heesu fans. As a BL, it didn’t do much justice. Not because they added a straight side couple, but because that couple got more airtime. And in the end, I was left with just a few moments of Heesu and Seungwon.
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