must watch
I dont even know how to sum up this drama. Instant 10/10 for me. I just binged it today and I genuinely don't know how how any dramas are gonna beat this for the 2023 YEAR. The emotions it invokes in you, where you can feel their anger, their sadness. PHENOMENAL acting, ESPECIALLY from jihoon, he has a way of drawing you in and you can feel his emotions through the screen and his eyes especially. I REALLY loved it, truly i think everyone should give it a try. I'm so mad at myself for not watching it earlier!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
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Had to rewatch it immediately after finishing it.
(disclaimer: I haven't read the webtoon... yet!)This drama made a remarkable job with the casting! It couldn't have been any better.
The acting was out of this world and it was easy to get immersed in the characters immediately, the story is fantastic as well.
The main character is definitely in my top 5 all-time favorites, I love how he was written and how Park Jihoon portrayed his character. Sieun's bond with Sooho is also one of my favorite dynamics ever, their friendship is definitely something.
I'd recommend this drama to anyone that enjoys the genre, you won't be disappointed.
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Every Emotion
I didn't hear about this series until it was over but once I did I dove straight in and didn't look back. I need S2 like yesterday and the fact there's a S2 in the making shows how amazing this series was. For staters, if you're looking for something wholesome and loving, you've come to the wrong place. If you love a good fight scene with blood and broken bones you're going to be right at home!Everything about this series was cut throat from ep1 and continued to the credits. As someone who takes friendship to the ultimate extreme, I felt more anger and rage than anything. Even though I was really quiet in school I was never bullied but never had many friends, so the ones I had I took care of. I've almost been jumped on the bathroom just for being guilty by association so I understand the fear of being attacked and having to watch your back. Bullying is a worldwide issue and South Korea is probably the best at portraying the brutality of it all, and this series is a prime example. I highly recommend!
Without any hesitation I would've done EVERYTHING the MC did at the end. No Shame!
Enjoy...
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The dynamic of the friendship between the main characters could be seen. I really enjoyed the fact that they were willing to do any and everything for each other.
Communication is always the key. A lot of the scenarios could have been dealt with differently with a proper conversation.
This showed that no matter how much some else values you, It really depends on how you value yourself at the end of the day.
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This review may contain spoilers
Incredible. This show is deserving of it's almost 10 rating it has. It's super heavy and intense and I found my anxiety and heart rate spiking through the roof every time I watched an episode. It is VIOLENT.. there are fights every episode and they aren't small. I think this drama did a really good job of capturing the feeling and emotion that the kids were facing.. hopelessness. First I want to give props to all of the actors, but especially Park Ji-Hoon. The way he played Yeon Shi Eun was incredible. The dead look in his eyes when fighting, but the warmth you can see on his face when he's around his friends is such an amazing skill and really added a layer to the overall story. It had me feeling everything for him and wanting him to be happy.
I have not read the webtoon for this, so I had no idea where the story was gonna go and I'm still confused on where things twisted. I usually am good at predicting how things are gonna play out in dramas, but this one had me. Right when I was getting comfortable and starting to like everyone, it throws you a curveball and you can't do anything except let it hit you right in your face.
I also want to point out that I loved the way they did the fighting scenes. I'm usually not one for action, but the way they use how smart he is and what he's studied in the fights itself was really cool and unique in my opinion. It added a really cool layer of knowing what was in his head before he actually acted. Every move was thought out and it made it super interesting.
Dark, emotional and intense.. I honestly can't wait for season 2.
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This review may contain spoilers
Solid Show, great first half -> poor second half
Honestly, the show overall was a solid show. One of my favorite aspects of the drama is that the pacing was really satisfying to watch unfold. It never felt like it was too fast nor too slow and did a great job at keeping my entertained throughout. There's not many dramas that I feel like can nail pacing as this one can. In particular, the fast-paced violence in the first half of the drama was especially satisfying, particularly when the bullies received their comeuppance.While the plot was strong in the first half of the drama, the second half was not as well-executed.
The first half of the story was perfect. The character dynamics, the progression, the overall story was great. Then in the second half of the story the main focus turns to Beom Seok as he shifts into the main antagonist role. Unfortunately, the reasoning behind his villainous turn felt underdeveloped. His jealousy of Young Yi because Soo Ho followed her back on Instagram, while he was not, seemed like a weak catalyst for his actions. I get it, Beom Seok is written as an insecure individual who seeks validation from others. But using 2/3 scenes of Beom Seok stalking Soo Ho's following instead of showing Soo Ho getting closer to Young Yi when they hang out, would have been an example of a more believable way of showcasing jealousy imo. The catalyst for his transformation into the villain of the second half of the drama felt farfetched and unconvincing.
Furthermore, the character development in the second half of the drama was too focused on Beom Seok, which made the rest of the cast feel underdeveloped and less interesting by comparison. During the entirety of the show we get maybe 2 to 3 scenes that gave a good glimpse at Shi Eun's past and maybe 1 line from Soo Ho mentioning his family. We aren't given any reasoning as to why Shi Eun finds comfort in studying at all, nor maybe why Soo Ho got into MMA in the first place or why he stopped. No. Instead we're given so many scenes that showcase the tragic life of Beom Seok's suffering from his assemblyman father. It felt like it was repeated so many times to garnish sympathy points for Beom Seok's actions, but that left the rest of the main cast feeling underdeveloped and uninteresting by that point (in relative comparison). Consequently, the drama lost the balance it had in the first half, and the screen time was not distributed well for the plot it was trying to execute. However, in terms of character depth, this drama did deliver with internally complex characters such as Shi Eun, Beom Seok and even Seok Dae.
I think my main gripe in terms of the characters department was that both of the main characters were given no love in the second half of the show and felt like everything catered to Beom Seok. Beom Seok was always a step ahead, had connections to stronger people, and in the end even got away scot-free. It's crazy how they spent half the drama developing Beom Seok, yet at the end I couldn't care less what happened to him. Overall, just felt like the screen time went towards the wrong things (in the second half).
The acting was spot on by every single cast member. I have nothing but praise for all their efforts and their portrayal of their characters.
Overall, the Weak Hero Class 1 showed promise, but the second half's focus on Beom Seok's development at the expense of the other characters left much to be desired. It is hoped that a second season (if produced) will balance the focus on all of the main characters, allowing the audience to gain a deeper insight into the characters' backgrounds and motivations.
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This review may contain spoilers
Before it was released I was confused because Ahn Suho (Stephen Ahn) seems to have the traits of Park Hoomin (Ben Park) while Oh Beomseok ( Bryce Oh) is more like Seo Juntae (Eugene Gale) and I was like where are the others? Alex? Gerard? Rowan? and where the hell is the hot Donald Na?? I really thought they got the names wrong and the story will be very different from the webtoon but well, we really should watch it first and don't judge immediately. When I finished watching the 8 episodes only then I realized that it was Gray's back story all along that's why there is no Eunjang boys and Donald's army. I like how they gave the back story more depth and Stephen was a fighter. They made the trio's friendship so heartbreaking where in the webtoon Gray and Stephen do not have a deep connection with Bryce. The adaptation gave more reason and meaning for Gray's revenge. They made it so hard for him to execute it because of their friendship. I can say that it is one of the great adaptation out there. It was a fresh move to start with the back story to build up the main character because we tend to compare the adaptation and webtoon so this strategy poke my interest and I have no idea what's going to happen next (although Stephen end up with the same fate as in the webtoon). About the acting, the director didn't lie when he said that the cast is 10/10. They all pulled off their characters well and they gave more than they are expected. You definitely should watch it because it is worth it. All episodes are out so you can binge-watch it [and of course watch it on legal sites if you can:)].Was this review helpful to you?
worth watching.
This drama is the prequel for the webtoon so if you're hesitating to watch because you haven't read it yet, you don't have to worry.This drama is action packed! Every episode kept me at the edge of my seat. There is no dull moment so you'd find yourself clicking for the next episode.
It really portrayed how can harassment and bullying affect someone's actions and behavior. How friendships form and how they fall apart is also very evident in the story. The actors did a phenomenal job in giving life and personality to their characters especially Yeon Sieun and An Sooho. In contrast with Park Jihoon's image as a K-Pop Idol, his cold blank stare can really pierce you through your screen. In the drama, he is often composed, quiet, and confrontational and as a viewer, you'll find yourself grow with him as he navigate his high school life fighting bullies and form friendships. Probably one of my favorite scenes of Sieun and Sooho is when Sieun came early to school nad knowing that Sooho sleeps inside the classroom, he didn't turn on the lights and opened the windows so Sooho can sleep peacefully. A very subtle action but it shows how he is starting to care for Sooho.
It also shows the difference between bullies you respect and bullies you want to strangle through the screen. An Sooho is a very well written character cause it shows how he reasons and how he deals with situations. He's all about "not crossing the line" whether it be through words or actions, he kept up with that principle all throughout.
My adrenaline throughout the whole drama is shooting off the roof and you can't really tell what will happen next.
The 4 hour watch is totally worth it. The OSTs of the drama are all really good. It gives you that nostalgic feeling of being in high school and making memories with your friends.
Definitely a good watch 10/10.
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Who we are and how we got there
I work with kids from adolescence to eighteen years of age. To sit and listen to about half of this populated group is to hear the hurt....my dad is in rehab, my mom's boyfriend beats her up and we hide. The stories are endless and sometimes, by the time these kids are eighteen, they lose the light in their eyes. Each year, each unforeseen and tormenting circumstance results in hope fading. This drama was the best I've watched at the portrayal of anger, ambivalence and abuse from the trusted caretaker to a child and how these events shape who they are in their journey.Korean actors never cease to amaze me because I cannot see where the actor ends and the character begins and especially in these eight episodes. Park Ji Hoon, Choi Hyun Wook and Hong Kyung seamlessly show each facet of emotional turmoil they are going through and even though I'm not a fan of violence, the fight scenes were so realistic that I went to check the behind the scenes to make sure the actors were okay. Shin Seung Ho has a small but impactful part in this and in my opinion, lights up the screen in both "Alchemy of Souls" and "Weak Hero Class 1". He will be one to watch out for in 2023.
As for the other three actors mentioned above, flawless performances from all even down to their micro expressions. The weak and strong intertwining for the sake of friendship, the weak and the flawed holding onto each other for dominance, every bit of this is told in a way that won't let the viewer go. Simply amazing.
The only thing I marked slightly below perfection is in rewatch value. To see each character's torment is something I cannot tear myself away from in the first viewing but to go down this emotional rabbit hole a second time this soon would be too much. It's that good, that precise, that realistic to life. I have fingers crossed there is a season 2 to show where the path leads next.
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two heroes and a bunch of cowards
yaaa, i didn't know Park Ji Hoon can act this gooood! i was really surprised.the plot was great, and i really like the friendship between Sieun and Suho. in a way, i envy their friendship. they are both loyal and care about each other. both are my favorite characters in this drama.
what about Oh Beomseok? well, what about him? if you give me a chance, i would like to hit him with a broomstick and eat him alive (yikes jk). now now, calm down. seeing how i hate him this much must have shown how good the actor did his part. well done! *thumbs up* looking things from his perspective, i could understand why he did what he did, even though his reasons could never justify his actions.
enough reading this, just go watch the series! it's worth it ^^
p.s. i hate how bullies always gang up on someone and how rich people always get away with crime. cowards.
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Opposite to the title, the drama is strong
Weak Hero Class 1 is a high school thriller series that follows the story of 3 students who doesn’t care about anything else, and somehow gets involved in constant fights due to bullying.Most of the school centric dramas are romance, which becomes monotonous watching after a certain point of time. Weak Hero Class 1,however, is a thrilling, yet sobering portrait of young students and the different struggles, difficulties and momentary joys they experience while growing up in a society that, too often, neglects and pushes them aside, that successfully stands out as one of the best dramas of 2022.
With just 8 episodes, the pacing is superb and the action sequences were well crafted. And perhaps what the series does best is to show the immeasurable toll such violence and abuse can take on one’s physical, emotional and mental health. Especially for teenagers who may be experiencing other types of abuse, hardship and struggles outside of the school walls as well.
School violence is certainly not a new theme for a K-drama. But Weak Hero Class 1 is able to take that familiar topic and present it in a way that focuses more on the characters, particularly the victims, and show the unfortunately lasting effects of such violence. The best part of the drama were the 3 leads who had an amazing chemistry on screen and their change in characters once the events turned dark.
Adapted from a webtoon, Weak Hero Class 1 is engaging, highly effective action packed school based drama. The finale teases a 2nd season and yes I am very much intrigued to see what happens next.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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