lex_fsilva

Once again, Wavve proves it knows how to do a lot with very little. In One: High School Heroes, the platform delivers a mature high school drama that actually respects the intelligence of its audience — and in a sea of lazy teen scripts, that alone is worth something. Sure, a few episodes drag their feet here and there, but the mental health arc of the main character (played with surprising depth by Jung Ha) more than makes up for it. He and Kim Do Wan have solid chemistry and real presence, and together they drive a narrative that, as I’ve said before, gets that school violence isn’t just random chaos — it’s systemic. It’s a machine where victims and aggressors simply switch roles depending on where they fall in the pyramid of power.

The ending works because it doesn’t try to wrap things up in a neat little bow — quite the opposite. It throws both leads straight into what the show itself calls a “hell on Earth,” a brutal arena where survival takes more than fists. It takes connection, empathy, and purpose. It might look like the series is glorifying violence, but what it’s really doing is using it as a language to talk about mental health, abandonment, self-worth, and resilience. If there’s a second season coming, I’m just hoping the fight scenes — already solid — lean even more into realism and weight, because the story underneath is more than strong enough to carry it. Bottom line: One might not have made global headlines, but it’s one of those quiet gems that has a lot to say if you’re paying attention.