'Weak Hero' Class 2 Netflix Review: Action K-Drama Doesn’t Miss A Single Beat

It’s been a while since we got such a gripping season 2 to an 8-episode K-drama. When Weak Hero Class 1 came out, it became the talk of the town thanks to how it mixed school violence themes with powerful action sequences that were well shot and felt like they came directly from the pages of the Webtoon it was based on. Okay, to be fair, I haven’t read the Webtoon myself, but based on the reactions, I can imagine it does a pretty good job at delivering what readers expected and possibly more. Weak Hero Class 2 takes everything one step further (possibly deviating from the original script) to give us the same thing at a much bigger scale. In terms of individual storyline, I don’t think there’s been a drastic change in what’s happening with the protagonist, Si-Eun, in 3 years; he’s still going through the same crisis and experiencing the same love-hate relationship with the idea of making friends. It is with new characters, bigger action sequences, and a slightly more positive storyline that the new season differs from its predecessor. 

Weak Hero Class 2 brings Si-Eun to a new school where he meets 3 new people: Hu-Min (who also goes by Baku), Tak, and Jun-Tae. In a similar way to the first season, where Beom-Seok is the starting point of the friendship, Jun-Tae is the source of the bonds that are formed in season 2. This then snowballs into a similar series of events where Jun-Tae is bullied to a point where Si-Eun can’t stand the injustice and decides to look out for the weak and also befriend the coolest duo in school. Well, technically, he doesn’t decide the second bit; they decide to take him in just because they’re nice. I think what makes the characters of Weak Hero 1 and 2 interesting is how they can be a combination of tropes rather than stereotypically a jock or a nerd, etc. Si-Eun is the biggest example of this because he’s basically the nerd character, but he can fight like a badass and has the anger issues of a budding antagonist. This makes the show much more intriguing than your regular school bullying story. 

The first thing I have to talk about with Weak Hero Class 2 is the cast. Already, the returning cast is pretty fantastic, but this time around, we see some big up-and-coming actors like Ryeo Un and Lee Jun-Young show off different sides of themselves in unique roles. I was honestly thrilled to see Ryeo Un playing this role of a basketball player who has the skills to be a bully but acts as the bully of bullies. He’s got a really commanding demeanor for this role, very contrasting to what he did in Twinkling Watermelon, reminding us that he’s headed for superstardom. Speaking of, it’s also lovely to see him reunite with his dad, Choi Hyun-Wook, even if he’s in a comatose state. For those who don’t know, they played dad and son in the time travel show Twinkling Watermelon. 

Of course, Park Ji-Hoon is absolutely fantastic as Si-Eun, the brooding main lead who has no time for anything but studies and vengeance. He’s always got venom in his eyes and is never here to play. In all honesty, I don’t think I can remember this boy’s Wanna One days because I can’t see him as anybody other than Si-Eun now. Guess that’s the sign of a great performance. But I think the standout performance has got to be Bae Na-Ra, who plays Na Baek-Jin, the villain of this season. Okay, can we take a moment and talk about how so many K-drama action villains have the same kind of look, almost cat-like, with their high cheekbones, tilted eyes, and long noses? Very strange. Anyway, Na-Ra is clearly older than the rest of his cast, but it never comes across in the show itself. Choi Min-Young has grown up on our screens, and I’m so excited to see him take up better and bigger roles. 

In all honesty, I want to be mad that there’s literally just one female character in this whole season and that’s Si-Eun’s mom, meaning this show doesn’t even have a single conversation between two female characters, but I’ve liked it so much that I almost forgot that it’s not clearing the Bechdel test, which I personally find very important. If you think this is a reason not to watch it, I wouldn’t stop you. However, I enjoyed the show a lot despite this situation. And, to be fair, this is the only underwhelming thing about the whole show, which is otherwise killer TV. 

Visually, the action sequences feel like they’ve come straight out of anime. From the camera work to the sets to the sound effects, which are plentiful, everything is great, and I would recommend watching this on a big-ish screen for the full experience. I also found the story for this season much more compelling, even if a little bit lacking in background exploration. I suppose the short running time and the larger character roster don’t leave room for dwelling on these things, especially when the show focuses more on the visual treat of Si-Eun and his friends really beating people up (and also getting beaten up themselves). There’s one sequence in this season set in the rain that’s an absolute banger (giving Step Up vibes, honestly), and I might just recommend this show just to get to that point, and I’m not even a big fan of action! 

This season parallels the first season really well, and there’s a special cameo that completely shocked me personally. Additionally, the return of some old characters is completely unexpected but very exciting. At the end of the day, if you like action, I wouldn’t even hesitate before recommending you watch Weak Hero Class 2. Added to that, if you’re okay with trying to fill in the gaps for background stories while still enjoying a good plot, then this show ticks all the right boxes. I’d give Weak Hero Class 2 4 out of 5 stars. I can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy it, and it’s mainly because of the cast.