This review may contain spoilers
A Tale of Three Boys All On Their Own
The commonality of the 3 main characters were their school and personal lives. All were growing up on their own and having to watch out for themselves. In school they all were the targets of bullies but handled it in different ways. Their paths collided in Weak Hero: Class 1 and ignited a poignant tale of survival, betrayal, and loss.
Si Eun - the ML. He is an exceptionally quiet loner focusing on his studying. He has a routine he sticks with day in and day out. He has parents but they are busy with their careers and frequently out of the picture so he is alone most of the time. In the first couple of episodes, he becomes the target of a gang of bullies in his class. Two things help him. His intense stare along with the clicking of his pen (which acts as a threat), and another classmate, Su ho, who is an expert fighter and takes on these class hoodlums.
Su ho - the class sleeper who uses a cute pink pillow. He is not interested in school at all and not planning on going to college. Outside of school he works 3 jobs and takes care of his grandmother. He does not have parents. Along the way he has trained in fighting so can defend himself when necessary, and uses it to defend others. In this storyline, he defends Si Eun and they become friends.
Beom Seok - a transfer student who also gets targeted by the class bullies. Su ho defends him and all three become a tight friend group. Of the three, I believe Beom Seok had the hardest life which made him different from the other two. The writer did not develop his storyline too well, but this is the jist of what I got. He is the adopted son of a high up politician who works all the time and needs a perfect image. He has a family, but not really. There is a picture of Beom Seok, his political father, a "wife" and a "sister" in their expensive, luxurious apartment. Beom Seok tells Si Eun and Su ho that he was adopted, the others were stand-ins to give the appearance of a family. His father treats him horribly and regularly beats him in cruel and demeaning ways. So Beom Seok is abused by bullies at school, and abused at home by his father. He has no where that is safe nor secure, or loving nor nurturing. His life day and night is surviving the abuse. The damage to him emotionally and mentally shows up in the latter part of the story.
All three boys support each other first in school by getting the main bully kicked out and the others leave them alone. They are also targeted by the head of a gang who extorts kids for money and lures them in for a life of crime whom they lead the police to and get him arrested. This part of Weak Hero Class 1 is the best. After this the 3 are best friends and hang out everyday together.
Then the story changes, mainly because of a girl. When Yeongi comes into the picture, Beom Seok feels left out and abandoned by his other two friends. He hardens his heart and turns against them, especially Su ho. The story becomes really dark as Beom Seok sinks into maddening urges to get even and destroy.
The drama is sprinkled through with a variety of fights complete with blood, broken bones, bruises, and even some hospital stays. It does not end well for any of the 3 main characters, and the preview for season 2 appears to keep the darkness and fighting going. What made this drama great were the actors in all of the 3 lead parts. Their characters and their acting was superb. What makes this drama not so great is the darkness of bullying, constant fighting, and the emotional cost is takes on a person's mental stability. We are being taken on a journey of the main character, how he just keeps to himself trying to study, but there are those who keep messing with him, so he does what he has to in order to survive. His survival includes others joining in to help him survive but (though no fault of his) end up paying serious consequences for it. The story also shows Si Eun sinking more and more into darkness and emotional instability. It's a push and pull of your senses and emotions as you cheer him on in defending himself, but you cringe at the lengths he is willing to go to hurt others in that defensive moment.
Si Eun - the ML. He is an exceptionally quiet loner focusing on his studying. He has a routine he sticks with day in and day out. He has parents but they are busy with their careers and frequently out of the picture so he is alone most of the time. In the first couple of episodes, he becomes the target of a gang of bullies in his class. Two things help him. His intense stare along with the clicking of his pen (which acts as a threat), and another classmate, Su ho, who is an expert fighter and takes on these class hoodlums.
Su ho - the class sleeper who uses a cute pink pillow. He is not interested in school at all and not planning on going to college. Outside of school he works 3 jobs and takes care of his grandmother. He does not have parents. Along the way he has trained in fighting so can defend himself when necessary, and uses it to defend others. In this storyline, he defends Si Eun and they become friends.
Beom Seok - a transfer student who also gets targeted by the class bullies. Su ho defends him and all three become a tight friend group. Of the three, I believe Beom Seok had the hardest life which made him different from the other two. The writer did not develop his storyline too well, but this is the jist of what I got. He is the adopted son of a high up politician who works all the time and needs a perfect image. He has a family, but not really. There is a picture of Beom Seok, his political father, a "wife" and a "sister" in their expensive, luxurious apartment. Beom Seok tells Si Eun and Su ho that he was adopted, the others were stand-ins to give the appearance of a family. His father treats him horribly and regularly beats him in cruel and demeaning ways. So Beom Seok is abused by bullies at school, and abused at home by his father. He has no where that is safe nor secure, or loving nor nurturing. His life day and night is surviving the abuse. The damage to him emotionally and mentally shows up in the latter part of the story.
All three boys support each other first in school by getting the main bully kicked out and the others leave them alone. They are also targeted by the head of a gang who extorts kids for money and lures them in for a life of crime whom they lead the police to and get him arrested. This part of Weak Hero Class 1 is the best. After this the 3 are best friends and hang out everyday together.
Then the story changes, mainly because of a girl. When Yeongi comes into the picture, Beom Seok feels left out and abandoned by his other two friends. He hardens his heart and turns against them, especially Su ho. The story becomes really dark as Beom Seok sinks into maddening urges to get even and destroy.
The drama is sprinkled through with a variety of fights complete with blood, broken bones, bruises, and even some hospital stays. It does not end well for any of the 3 main characters, and the preview for season 2 appears to keep the darkness and fighting going. What made this drama great were the actors in all of the 3 lead parts. Their characters and their acting was superb. What makes this drama not so great is the darkness of bullying, constant fighting, and the emotional cost is takes on a person's mental stability. We are being taken on a journey of the main character, how he just keeps to himself trying to study, but there are those who keep messing with him, so he does what he has to in order to survive. His survival includes others joining in to help him survive but (though no fault of his) end up paying serious consequences for it. The story also shows Si Eun sinking more and more into darkness and emotional instability. It's a push and pull of your senses and emotions as you cheer him on in defending himself, but you cringe at the lengths he is willing to go to hurt others in that defensive moment.
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