Summary
- K-dramas based on webtoons have become popular, finding success within mainstream media.
- The first season of Weak Hero was a success, and fans are excited for the second season in 2024.
- The second season will explore Si Eun’s new life in a new school and may deviate from the webtoon’s storyline.
K-dramas based on webtoons have become a tradition, thanks to their ever-growing popularity and newfound success in mainstream media. Over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of critically and commercially successful dramas that ended up being disasters. Sweet Home and Cheese in the Trap are good examples.
With many streaming platforms, such as Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix, taking the initiative to produce these Korean dramas, we’ve seen some exceptional releases in recent years, including Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead, and Weak Hero. Weak Hero Class 1 was a phenomenal hit as it adapted the webtoon’s most exciting part, bringing viewers both amusement and despair.
The first season was a huge success, and it became one of the highest-rated K-dramas of all time, with a MyDramaList rating of 9.1/10. Given the plenty of source material left to be adapted into a drama, fans are now looking forward to the second season, which has already been announced and is set to be released in 2024. So, what can we expect from the second season of Weak Hero?
Yeon Si Eun’s New Life in Weak Hero
The first season of Weak Hero was more of a prelude to the main story since Gray (Si Eun) was shown on the webtoon as a mysterious individual who, despite being weak, fights with unparalleled battle sense. So, the drama adapted Gray’s backstory, in which he is transferred to a new school following an incident with Oh Beom Seok (Bryce in the webtoon).
As seen at the conclusion of Weak Hero Class 1, Si Eun exacts vengeance on Tae Hoon, Jung Chan, and Woo Young, who are responsible for the life-threatening situation of So Hoo (Stephen in the webtoon). As a result, he is sent to Eunjang High School, where bullying is far worse compared to his former school.
The second season will pick up where the first one left off, depicting Si Eun’s new life and how he will cope with the new reality. If it is anything like the webtoon, there will be many action sequences before we get into the central part, when Si Eun becomes even stronger. Still, considering how most of his flashbacks were changed in the first season, some events in the main story are likely to be altered as well.
However, it worked surprisingly well in the first season, and we may expect the same in the second. With Si Eun in the new school, he will encounter a new bully (Donald in the webtoon), and his path to dismantling the school’s ruthless order will begin.
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Ahn Soo Ho’s Return in Weak Hero
Despite deviating significantly from the webtoon, the live-action drama nailed the role of Stephen (So Hoo). So Hoo was an MMA fighter who quit due to financial constraints and later became Si Eun’s best friend. He had a massive influence on Si Eun, who went from being a loner who didn’t speak to anyone to someone who spent time with his friends.
However, with So Hoo currently in a coma, Si Eun’s perspective on the world has changed dramatically. So, unless So Hoo awakens from the coma, Si Eun becomes more brutal in dealing with the bullies at his new school, eventually spiraling into more trouble with gangs and large corporations. So Hoo was also a terrific character; thus, bringing him back to the story by the end of the second season would certainly elevate the show to new heights, adding a touch of true friendship to the action-packed plot.
What More Can We Expect From Weak Hero Season 2?
If the drama entirely sticks to the webtoon, it will not benefit too much from it. So, the writers must make changes similar to those made in the first season. Bringing back Oh Beom Seok would be an excellent place to start because a redemption arc would work fairly well in the drama, although his character exits the story following the flashback in the webtoon.
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Furthermore, the first season only adapted chapters 26-37 from the webtoon, which ended recently with 267 chapters. We could see a second season based on how well the second outing is received, but most Korean dramas are not known for going past two or three seasons. For this reason, the writers will likely skip a few events that have no bearing on the canon part of Gray’s ascension to becoming a prominent fighter in South Korea.
The official cast for Weak Hero season 2 has recently been unveiled, including some big names from the industry. While Park Ji Hoon, Yoo Su Bin, Bae Na Ra, and Lee Jun Young reprise their roles, the new cast members of the series include Ryeoun (Ha Eun Gyeol in Twinkling Watermelon), Choi Min Yeong (Jung Dae Hee in Itaewon Class), and Lee Min Jae (Kwon Min Ho in The Golden Spoon).
Weak Hero season 2 is expected to premiere sometime in 2024.
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If you love Korean dramas, check out MovieWeb’s list of the best K-dramas in 2023, so far.
