Weak Hero Class 1 (약한여웅) Korean Drama Review

Drama: Weak Hero Class 1 (약한여웅)

Director and Writer: You Su-min

Adapted from the webtoon Weak Hero (약한여웅) by SeoPass (서패스) and Illustrated by Ki Ji-seok (김진석)

Trigger Warning: The show talks about high school violence and bullying. This show contains scenes, situations, descriptions and graphic visuals of abuse, injuries and physical assault that could be traumatic and disturbing to many. Please read this review and watch it only if your heart and mind can take it.

Cast:- Park Ji-hoon, Choi Hyun-wook, Hong Kyung, Kim Su-gyeom, Lee Yeon, Shin Seung-ho, Hwang Sung-bin, Cha Woo-min, Yoon Jung-hoon, Na Chul and others.

About the show:-

The show talks about violence in and outside the high schools.

Yeon Si-eun is a student who excels in his school academics. He always ranks at the top of the school academically but in physical aspects he appears weaker than his counterparts. When he finds himself a victim of the school bullying, he decides to stand up for himself and fight against the violence and the bullying. He may appear weak but he uses his quick wits and knowledge to overthrow the bullies.

Slowly and unintentionally, he befriends Su-ho (Si-eun’s classmate who works as a food delivery part timer and always nods off in the classroom) and Bum-seok (a new student at Si-eun’s class who is silent and timid but is lively, kind and caring). Things take a quick and an ugly turn when one of the bullies hires a gang of goons to physically assault and scare Si-eun. In an attempt to protect him, Su-ho and Bum-seok get involved in the brawls as well.

With the entry of someone new in their lives, their tight knit friendship starts to witness jealousy, hatred and a rift in their bonding. Will Si-eun and his two new close friends be able to withstand the injustice, violence and bullying that is thrown their way? Will their friendship and brotherhood stand the test of the many challenges and difficulties that are headed their way or are things about to get way messier than they already are?

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What I loved about the show:-

There are many scenes that caught my attention in the show. Let’s list a few of them:

1) Episode 8:- ‘I’m Sorry’ exchange scene between Su-ho and Si-eun.

시은 (Si-eun) : 미안해 (I'm Sorry)

수호 (Su-ho): 뭐가? (For What?)

시은 (Si-eun) : 그냥 다 (Just Everything)

수호 (Su-ho) : 나도 미안해 (I'm Sorry too)

Many of us use this phrase everyday for the simplest of things and for the most crucial moments. But sometimes we use it too lightly. I have done so too, many many times.
But in this scene the “I'm sorry” between Si-eun and Su-ho is packed with many emotions and words.
It's not an apology but empathy. It's the desperate attempt to let the other know - "what you went through till now and for all your life, the difficult life, you did not deserve it. You deserved better. You should have had a good life. I AM SORRY that you had such a hard time, such a challenging life. I AM SORRY that it was the way it was. I wish you could have had a normal, simpler and a happier life".
It was THAT sorry. A sorry filled with all these words but said with a simple yet heart wrenching emotion.

The scene was beautifully shot as well. The imagination starts with a single ray of light streaming in. The imagination is both sad and happy. It is happy because after all the agony, we finally get to see the interaction between Su-ho and Si-eun. We get to see them communicate their worries about their hardships with their emotions and their apology. All their unexpressed sentiments come tumbling out but in just two words – I’m Sorry. We get to see their communication that they failed at since the beginning. They try to be there for each other throughout the show but they failed at communication.

After the apology, the light fades demonstrating the end of the imagination and brings us back to reality.

2) Episode 8 :- The scene between Su-ho's grandmother and Si-eun.

The actors and the director have discussed this in the commentary video.

The scene is extremely moving. When we try to hold back our tears and emotions and are barely keeping it together and someone kind and loving asks you “Are you Okay?”, you know you are going to bawl your eyes out because of the person’s concern. You have been suppressing your feelings for far too long and the concern is too overwhelming.

That is exactly what I think Si-eun is feeling. The warmth in Su-ho’s grandmother’s voice is overwhelming for Si-eun. He also finds out that Su-ho tells his grandmother about his friends and their names. To be called by his name with such gentleness, makes Si-eun cry his heart out.

3) Episode 8 beginning scene : The three, Si-eun, Su-ho and Bum-seok, sit together in the classroom. One of the only scenes in the entire show where the three friends spend a few peaceful moments with their childlike innocence and banter. The lighting is exquisite. The ambience is magnificent. A huge classroom filled with chairs and desks, just a stream of sunlight and only the three of them, their talks and laughter.

And then we are brought back to reality.

The show begins with just Si-eun, alone and sad and bullied. Then he befriends Su-ho and Bum-seok. And towards the end the worst fear comes true.

The scene depicts that fear in a very beautiful and raw manner. Su-ho is the first to leave, saying he has work to do (it matches with how Su-ho is not around because of his fight and him being in the hospital and he is not by Si-eun’s side anymore). Then Bum-seok leaves, saying he has to get home soon (it matches with him deceiving them both and leaving their side). The plan that Bum-seok makes for them to go to eat together the next day never actually comes true. And just like that Si-eun is alone again. Left to fight his battles alone.

4) Episode 8 End scene :

Si-eun asks Bum-seok the reasons for his violence and Bum-seok answers by saying :

나도 잘 모르겠다고 (I don’t know either).

The emotions and the heat of the moment are captured beautifully by the Director. What I love about the scene and what was performed exceptionally well is the pain in their voice and the grief in their expressions. They were once fond of each other and their brotherhood and bond is too strong. No matter how angry they both are at the surprising turn of events, they can’t seem to fight each other. Bum-seok cannot look at Si-eun in the eye because of his betrayal but we can see it on his face that he is grief-stricken too. The burden of his mistakes and his guilt is too heavy for him to handle and the gravity of the situation is too difficult to digest. He hadn’t realised that his jealousy, insecurities and resentment would later lead him down a path full of remorse and that his mistakes would be too big for forgiveness. Si-eun on the other hand, is unable to let out his anger on Bum-seok because his empathy and affection for Bum-seok are far greater than his anger.

Si-eun's desperate and pain stricken screams and tears are gut-wrenching. You can see that within a few days, he has found solace in the company of his new friends. But all that is stripped away from him. You can see the pain of losing the only good that has happened to him in a long time. The pain of being bullied, of feeling unwanted, of feeling unloved and not understood is released through his agonised cries.

5) Episode 4: The police station scene between Si-eun and Seok-dae. Seok-dae tells Si-eun that after he gets out of the prison, he will have a meal with him.

Seok-dae might act tough, aloof and unconcerned for others but he is soft hearted. He wants to treat Si-eun to a meal because Seok-dae is kind, caring and empathises with Si-eun. He has seen what Si-eun goes through yet decides to help him, Young-yi and the other innocent kids while putting himself in danger. He appreciates Si-eun for the kind heart that he has. The little moment between the two is heartwarming and comforting.

6) In one of the Commentary videos on YouTube, the Director, You Su-min talks about the similarities between Su-ho's introduction and the closing scene where he is sleeping in both the scenes. I was taken aback by his description of the similarities because of how unsettling and excruciatingly painful it was. Su-ho sleeping in his introduction scene is voluntary as in he is tired and just nodding off. But the second scene, that is Su-ho’s closing scene on the hospital bed where he is sleeping, is not voluntary. In both cases, he is sleeping with a calm demeanour but circumstances that led him to sleep were different.

7) Episode 7: Young-yi and Bum-seok's meeting at the cafe.
As she turns her head away from Bum-seok in the opposite direction, the camera reveals a dozen boys looking in her direction and she is hit with a realisation. The realisation that her escape has been restricted or obstructed. She has been brought as bait to catch a bigger fish, that is Su-ho. The scene brought tears to my eyes. Seeing how unsafe Young-yi is with all the boys surrounding her is painful to watch. But I commend Young-yi for being brave, strong and unmoved by the trap. The entire incident could have terrified her. But she remains fearless and showed great presence of mind. She makes the right moves by running away and calling for help once things get out of hand.

8) Childhood:- When children live in a house full of happiness, love and kindness, they grow up to be confident, loving and happy adults. But when children grow up in homes where they are treated as a burden and are exposed to abuse, they grow up with trauma. They tend to become aloof and lonely. They subject themselves to thoughts like – “I don’t deserve good in life”, because that’s how they grew up seeing and feeling.

Every individual, be it an adult or a child or any living being for that matter (animals and plants too) deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. They need to be showered with love and care, so they learn to do the same for themselves and for others around them. An Individual who feels loved and nurtured will always strive to make sure others feel the same way about themselves.

What are we fighting for? Is violence really an answer to failed interactions and communication? When we need peace and calmness around us, we need to question ourselves individually and arrive at a solution, that is communication over confrontation. Fights, bullying, violence and torture are not an answer we are looking for. They are never the answer.

If each of us individually strives to improve and be better first for ourselves and then for others around us then we can make this world a better place. Instead of trying to change the world first and looking down on others, we work on self-healing, self-improvement and self-development. What a wonderful world we could be a part of if we can make these simple personal changes.

The Actors, The Director and Writer:

Three of the toughest roles - both in terms of intensity and depth are performed by actors whose talent is par excellence.

I first came across Park Ji-hoon when he was a member of the boyband Wanna One. His growth as a performer/actor is surprising and fascinating to me and I am immensely proud of how good he is at acting and how far he has come along and is proving his worth. The sadness, aloofness and the calm composure of Si-eun was performed extremely well by him.

Choi Hyun-wook has become a favourite of mine with his portrayal of Su-ho. His voice, his delivery of dialogues, his acting, his fight sequences, his agility and his ability to hold the audience’s attention in every scene that he appears in is what draws me to him. At a young age, to perform with such maturity and mastering the skills of acting shows that he is a talent beyond his years.

A great performer/actor doesn't need a huge set of dialogues or words. He/She can win you over with their performance, their expressions and their screen presence.
Hong Kyung is that performer for me (especially as Bum-seok). He captivates you with his unique charms like his gaze, the hoarseness of his voice, the depth in the emotions and his attention to the details and meaning of the words spoken.

Lee Yeon, Shin Seung-ho, Na Chul, Kim Su-gyeom, Cha Woo-min, Hwang Sung-bin and Yoon Jung-hoon are exceptional and flawless in their portrayals. The show wouldn’t have been as brilliant as it is without their efforts and impeccable performances.

The Supporting cast have contributed greatly to the show and I am thankful for their presence and their performances.

Director and Writer You Su-min :- You Su-min 감독님 has done a phenomenal job at the writing and the adaption. To take a webtoon with a strong concept and storyline like “Weak Hero” and make it visually as effective and gripping as a webtoon is difficult work. The Director has succeeded in delivering a compelling and thought provoking drama with a highly accomplished and hardworking star cast.

“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.

Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living things around us, especially each other.

Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved.” – Dr. Jane Goodall