The story was interesting and I never knew exactly which way it would go. It kind of felt like there were two different story arches that happened over the episodes. That being said, I wish it was just an episode or 2 longer. Parts of it felt rushed at times but, ultimately, it was still enjoyable.
I LOVED the acting in this drama. I'd seen the other 2 main leads in otters dramas but this was the first time I'd seen Jihoon act. And he did AMAZING. He really transformed into the character and I honestly forgot the he was an idol. If I didn't know him before this, I would've thought he'd always been just an actor!
All in all, this was a great drama. I'd watch a season two.
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I have zero idea why this series has such a high rating
Pls don't waste your time, people. The whole movie from top to bottom was full of unnecessary violence that never ended. It was a never-ending loop that was far from satisfying. The brotherly relationship between the cast started well but fell off the rails for no good reason. No closure was given. Overall, this was one crappy movie that I wasted my time watching.. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Exhilarating (binged in 6 HRS) but Doesn't Justify the hype/high rating (9)
Debated long before starting this, cause high rated K-dramas in actual had not done it for me, recently. Took a chance, binged it with a few episodes in 1.5x speed & wrapped up in under 6 hours. Have not seen the webtoon, so my review is basis the drama only. Given the high rating this drama has, mine would come across unpopular but this is my humble take on it.10/10 for the acting, but 7/10 for the story/writing.
If the message of the drama was on taking action than talking like mature people; giving in to pure unadulterated rage because you have been a victim too long, then it did not appeal to me. I cannot imagine what are they going to portray in Season 2 differently, other than more rage-fights in a different setting. This season in itself is complete though not satisfactory, with half-hearted character developments & relationships. Honestly, I found the first half to be better, which is what kept me engaged to finish it. But the latter half of the show for me just lost the point or rather could not make a definite point. While the action scenes were good they could not carry the weight of the drama which ultimately made it lose the initial charm & excitement.
We have seen bullying in shows, anime, manga in varying degrees. This drama interprets/portrays it well in terms of:
1. how bullies are (how they get into it sometimes due to situation but in the end by their own choice)
2. how the main characters stand up to it, while forming a bond themselves
3. what are the external factors that affects this evil of our society (role of adults and their interference)
4. Overall the impact of all the above on the lives of the main characters and those around them, which is a message to real society.
Si-Eun is not shown as a conventional hero - while he is gutsy, uses his wits to fight battles but does not always come on the top on his own but has help. The help comes in form of the deuteragonists/his friends, support characters, situations etc. which keeps the story/character (almost) realistic. Expecting the story to continue on this track, with Si-Eun grows individually, enjoying new friendships, courage to stand up to the bullies & the associated evils (gang, unethical adults). Si-Eun, Su-ho & Beom-Seok while had different personalities, family issues etc. I thought the focus would be on their growing bond/bromance even if they face ups & downs, growing into mature adults. I was surprised, but ready to understand when the story takes a different turn (the rift in friendship). But my problem lies with the fact that the writers/directors did not execute this unexpected turn well as below:
1. They did not explain the rift well, cause they did not explore the grey character well.
- We have bits and pieces of their backstory, minimal depiction of their internal debate & anguish.
- It is like the character woke up one day and chose to be evil. The transition & its explanation is missing, which is the fault of writers/directors.
- Neither do other characters make efforts to understand them, but rather take it on face value. So we cannot even understand the gray character from their perspective.
2. Si-Eun being filled with pure, unadulterated rage as he pulverizes everyone in sight. Like why? And why all the time?
- Being the ML, he takes things into own hands to mitigate the above said rift.
- But the focus shifts from communication to just violence/pure rage.
- Si-Eun is essentially a character who uses brains more than brawns.
- Seeing him throughout the drama, especially second half - I am wondering if the focus of the whole story only on taking action & not being calm/practical/ mature about situations?
3. The whole character of Su-ho and Beom-Seok was just messed up in 2nd Half.
- Add in Lee Yeon's character's influence in all of it, it makes it even worse.
The second half lacks proper explanation, characters' choices are more confusing than making me fully sympathize/hate any character. It's like just because they realized that they can fight, so they end up fighting all the time for every situation. Like what happened to calmly talking or discussing, especially given these characters are not inherently prone to action.
Personally, I would say it is a good drama with some great acting, so definitely a one-time watch.
But it is not a great drama that I would recommend (i.e. pester you until you watch it) or be memorable for me.
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Retractable pen
We are at a fight scene in a high school.And this is basically continuing throughout the whole show. This drama does not shy away from violent scenes.
Verbal abuse, mistreatment, bullying as well as physical violence, such as beating up, ganging up as well as a decent amount of stabbing.
Among all those, we get to see three friends, who stick together to help and support each other.
The story itself could have been divided in two parts. The first four Episodes were amazing. We got to see how the friendship between Shi Eun, Soo Ho and Beom Seok was formed.
Honestly, it felt so fresh and natural how those three found together and what they are willing to risk for each other, while the plot is developing.
But sadly, the second part lost my interest. Not because it was not interesting, but more because we got literally thrown into a villain arc. There was little to no transition from the first four episodes to the last four.
And suddenly, a more or less important side character became the main villain.
The only thing that kept me there and not dropping the whole show was the character Soo Ho.
Choi Hyun Wook played his character so perfectly. He was dorky, charismatic and was just adorable in the entire drama.
He as well as Ji Hoon managed to portray the bromance of Shi Eun and Soo Ah in a way, where they do not have to speak much, to understand and care for each other.
Park Ji Hoons character is a hard one to play. You need to find the right/ decent amount of indifference, coldness as well as anger and joy in your facial expressions.
And to be honest, I am not really sure, if he managed to do so.
I have been waiting for some major character development, and even when I got it, it still did not satisfy me.
One thing I have to give him.
He can portray anger quite well. Paired with the retractable pen and the monotone sound, the emotion came off well.
I was shocked to see the last Episode and wished he would have shown more of this potential in former episodes.
Hong Kyung managed to deliver that, what the director gave him. His story plot was rushed, yet he put on a convincing show by convincing us of his current anger and hate.
Overall, a short, fast-paced little series. Interesting characters, compelling plot and a friendship, you wish to have.
I am excited, what season 2 will bring us.
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This review may contain spoilers
a MUST watch
i started this kdrama a couple of hours ago and i finished it all in one sitting. its very rare nowadays for a kdrama to catch my attention like this, but jesus christ this was one of the most interesting eye catching kdramas ever. not one episode was boring and each cliffhanger ending made me want more. such a difficult watch because of how the violence and sometimes you get frustrated watching it— but it’s just something you can’t keep your eyes off. acting was phenomenal especially from the actor of sieun, the performance when he finally brokedown and yelled in school before punching the window in the corridor struck my heart with pain. everytime he would express sadness i would feel it with him…just amazing casting. on a side note: what i felt was unnecessary was youngyi’s sudden involvement into their friendship? perhaps thats why i was on beomseoks side for a while even though at some point i just stopped defending him and slowly started to dislike him, i still feel zero connection with youngyi…her character feels so unnecessary if we don’t look at beomseoks jealousy. but i guess she was only needed for stirring stuff up with beomseok for the sake of the plot but still it just felt so random that they befriended her…overall such a great show. sieun and sooho have the best chemistry out of everyone in the show. you can just tell they care for each other a lot…love those two the most<3Was this review helpful to you?
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Violence with an art form and a touch of reality
As someone who enjoys kdramas, I come across dramas I love quite often. But never have I felt compelled to write a review on them before this one. Most of the time I see dramas that I really enjoy but rarely find one that has me hooked from start to finish, unable to take my eyes off the screen and obsessed. This one is the latter.The story revolves around friendships, the dark side of school life and other real life issues. The action and violence is a plus. The numbness, helplessness and rage are so vivid.
Yeon Si Eun is an unique ML that I don't think I have encountered before. Park Jihoon deserves all the attention and applause for his acting here. The way the character starts getting more comfortable with Soo Ho and Beom Seok and developes friendship with them, quelling his long lived loneliness.
The ending took the cake for me. After he almost lost someone dear to him, we see the rage and hurt from betrayal encapsulated in Yeon Si Eun. When the moment arrives where he is supposed to take out his emotions on the perpetrator, he is overwhelmed by a sort of helplessness and understanding which leads him to not execute his 'revenge'.
Jealousy, miscommunication and many misunderstandings later, they all parted their separate ways but Si Eun's story hasn't ended. We're all left to wonder what else will unfold, a bittersweet longing in our hearts.
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Broody and gripping
Weak hero class 1 was a refreshing take on the bullying system and school violence in Korean high schools. It came off as vaguely relatable and unusually intriguing. It showed an unique dynamic between three students who got into A LOT OF SHIT and showed their vulnerability as teenagers.The cute bromance made up for the intense action-packed fights and adrenaline rushes. Sometimes, there's too much going on the screen and I ate up all that chaos wholeheartedly.
With one of the best pilots ever, it built a lot of expectations going ahead. The writing in the first ep was on point structurally. The screenwriter knew exactly what she wanted us to get introduced to in the first ep. Regretfully it immediately took a U-turn and started to be more plot-centric. Followed by some letdowns the focus changed to a controversial character who sadly wasn't that interesting to watch.
Shi Eun's nuance was skillfully incorporated by the writer and portrayed by the actor Park Ji Hoon. He was visibly blue, dull, and gloomy but his sudden outbursts and piercing words without a single emotion hit hard like that book he threw at Yeong Jin. Giving him chapped lips and a pale look delivered so well. I was very INTO his character and thought we would get more layers of him (which we didn't) so quite disappointed by that. It suddenly abandoned building his character and focused more on the plot.
Soo Ho was likable and cool. Hyun Wook played this character with charm and made him particularly memorable.
Isn't Bum Seok the new nation's enemy? Just kidding! I appreciated his arc and enjoyed scrutinizing his character. A big shout out to Hong Kyung's acting; he nailed it by making the character extremely unappealing.
The production value uplifted the whole show. The intro smoothly goes into my list of "unskippable intros" and the entire aesthetic it went for was so awesome. Still, I think the first two eps were far more well-executed than the rest. It was a shame that the entire concept of the latter half of the drama failed to deliver. My emotional investment in the show was not as high as I had expected.
Overall this was a contemplative show with some great acting though a slight letdown through the later eps.
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MY FAVORITE TYPE OF SHOW
I am leaving this review after my 3rd rewatch of this show. It's so freaking good. The way the friendship started, the way it developed one side and slowly fell apart on the other side - just the perfect blend for me. And the action scenes? Brilliant. Anyone who saw even the first glimpse of the first episode should be intrigued by it. And the acting is chef's kiss ?. I absolutely had no expectations for the acting since it is a mini mkdrama and the first seven episodes were even available on YT but from the first episode the brilliancy of their roles could be felt. I don't know why I felt like crying from the first episode. Maybe because it was just the story I was looking for? But nevertheless I loved this. the only actor I knew at first was Choi Hyunwook (from 2521) but damn now I love Park Jihoon. Outstanding actor!!! He even won the *BSA Best New Actor Award 2023* unanimously for this exact role! So proud of him. Everyone played so well. Now patiently waiting for the season 2 which has confirmed to start filming this year.Was this review helpful to you?
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Slightly Above Average
Am I uhh... Missing something? I'm seeing all these incredible reviews, so I decided to binge it one sitting as recommended and I'm feeling perfectly average.The first half is 10/10, great pacing love the characters and their relationships. The friendships are ?. Honestly I want at least another 6-10 episodes of these three together, learning to fight, supporting each other. Instead we get a sudden massive tone shift and a heavy ass second half entirely driven by character conflicts that are underdeveloped. Frankly by episode 5 I didn't care about any of the characters enough to be ready for their heated conflict.
And then the ending(??) Beom hasn't developed in a single way and just f**ks off to another country after causing so much conflict, Soo Ho is in a goddamn coma after apologizing to Beom just because he has to not because he knows anything about how Beom' s feeling (not totally his fault but whatever), and our main guy Si Eun learns the value of friendship I guess, too bad his only friends are out of the picture and he's all alone and then it all ends like it began with him and a pen in his hand. I just... For a second half so emotionally heavy they sure love to not give us any payoff. This might make sense in the context of a 200+ chapter webtoon, but not in an 8 episode drama.
It's an 8 from me.
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A life changing, soul shattering must see masterpiece
Holy moly this show was life changing, soul shattering and most importantly a beautifully tragic masterpiece. The casting was spot on. As always Park Ji Hoon put his whole into his performance and delivery of Yeon Shi Eun. So much so that even in the most heartbreaking moments I could not look away, I didn't want to look away. This show will stay with me for a long time, if not forever. The way the story was written and directed, sheer brilliance. Every member of the production team of this show, deserves the world and more.When I started the show I knew the basics, but I was not truly ready for what it had in tale for me. The emotional rollercoaster speeding through the violence, the abuse, the pure bloody emotions that were ripped open for the viewers to see in all its ugly glory.
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Intensely Thrilling and Hard to Stop Watching
Weak Hero Class 1 is a gripping drama that packs an intense and violent punch, capturing your attention right from the start. The series thrives on its high-stakes environment and raw energy, consistently keeping you on the edge of your seat and eagerly anticipating what will happen next. Each episode is packed with action and emotional depth, making binge-watching incredibly easy.The show does an excellent job of blending tension with character development, ensuring that viewers are not only thrilled but also deeply invested in the characters' journeys. This intense action and compelling storytelling make it a standout drama for those who appreciate a more intense viewing experience. It's the kind of series you'll find hard to stop watching once you start.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama "Weak Hero Class 1 " is a school drama about school violence.The drama has some interesting main characters, which carry the drama through the very ending. Strong performances, in addition, complete a perfectly well done blend and enhance the entertainment of the story.
Likewise, the cinematography of the drama was spot on. The series didn't overdo it with the violence and the gore, even though the story is pretty dark. Rather, it focuses more on the friendship between the characters and their own life struggles.
So, overall, eight out of ten.
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