How ‘Weak Hero' set up Beom Seok’s downfall from the start
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.พ. 2023
- A video essay examining the masterful character development of Oh Beom Seok (played by Hong Kyung) of 'Weak Hero.' Specifically, I'll be talking about how each moment of Beom Seok's -- even those seemingly harmless ones from the very beginning -- aid in his ultimately tragic downfall.
And it all happens right before our eyes.
All visual clips and screenshots are from the Korean drama 'Weak Hero Class 1.' The only exception is the first image containing warnings -- it's one of the drama's promo pictures from MyDramaList.
Thanks for watching -- see you next time! - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
![Park Ji Hoon x Choi Hyeon Wook | Heat Waves | Weak Hero ( 약한영웅 ) [fmv]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Sh6UnVHgWE/mqdefault.jpg)
I personally relate to Beomseok a lot and that's sad but that's how one of the first things I noticed with the whole confronting his bullies scene is that Sooho and Sieun never turn to violence to "protect" him. Like they already know the amount of abuse he endured at the hands of these people and even after they witness the insincerity and bile that apology held, they choose to not let their emotions dictate them. It's not a bad thing but with how twisted Bumseok's world and morals are, this was the last straw and it could also be seen as a betrayal because we have seen both of these characters use extreme violence while they dealt with their own matters. Examples that Bumseok witnessed are -- Sieun's response to being drugged; Sooho protecting himself when he was targetted by those seniors; and lastly the situation that started their friendship, Sooho and Bumseok saving Sieun from thugs. These were all situation where Sooho and Sieun used violence to protect themselves but somehow that "protection" did not extend to Bumseok and to helping him out with his situation. Telling Sooho and Sieun everything about the bullies left Bumseok feeling vulnerable but he at least felt like he could trust them. He must've felt safe with his friends being there while they confronted the bullies. And in that moment of safety he let go and allowed himself to express his anger which he otherwise would've been too afraid to do or would not have done at all. We see his disdain to turn towards violence when the show starts and we've seen how he slowly becomes used to it, and Sooho and Sieun definitely play a part there. So when Sooho tried to stop him and calm him down, that must've made him feel small again in front of the bullies. He was vulnerable, ashamed and he already felt pathetic so to see Sooho and Sieun's reaction (that could be viewed as condescending) -- when finally it was his turn to make amends using the very tool he has seen all these other people around him use -- must've been devastating and made him think of them as hypocrites. Anyway these are my two cents and how I interpreted Bumseok's character arc.
This is so well put. I think you are totally correct in your interpretation -- that scene was so pivotal in his character arc.
I'm sorry to hear that you relate to him; I wish you the best in life. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Another thing is, when Beom got beaten by his father, he came to class Limping yet no one seemed to have questioned it. I was like “is no one going to ask him why he’s limping???”
@@user-tt2eq7yz3h You’re right; good catch! Thanks for commenting.
Finally! I found someone who straight up doesn't claim that they hate beom seok and appreciates the depth of his character. As you said, the portrayal of his development was great, hong kyung did an amazing job indeed. Oh beom seok is my favourite Weak Hero Class character so I obviously am biased towards him, but I believe that if someone realizes all those things you talked about - things which shaped him to be who he is and who he becomes later on - it's hard to truly hate him. When you think about it beom seoks story is incredibly sad, his behavior is understandable and that's why he is such a great antagonist/villain of the story (being a victim at the same time). All in all, I am very thankful that you made this video, hope more people will watch it and take interest in beom seoks character! Really, it's such an interesting video :)
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I agree with what you said about him…he was such a fascinating antagonist to watch unfold. Thanks again for the kind words.
Likewise. He was my favourite character. Then Si eun. I didn't like suho that much.
Never really hated this character........rather it was sad cause the 2 protagonists were so oblivious to his suffering........and simply told him to stop it.........Bruh he was an orphan, picked up by strangers, and one of them physically abused him, thats some deep shit. Sadly looks like this character will not be saved by anyone unlike the other two.
He was such a tragic character. I think Si Eun tried his best to reach out-he asks Beom Seok so many times if he’s okay. I think he just truly didn’t know how else to help his friend. But yes, so sad regardless.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@clickypen right fr it's obvious that sieun is not much of a people person and has never had friends before so he probably didnt know how to go about it, and that is why even though he wanted beomseok as his friend and even cared abt him the trio was kinda doomed from the very beginning
FINALLY A VIDEO EXPLAINING THE LAYERS TO HIS CHARACTER!!! i hate it when people watch this on a surface level and end up fully loathing him and calling him the villain. It's not easy to pull off such a complex character, Hong Kyung did a phenomenal job, and it was only my first time watching him and i knew he was going straight into my favourites list!
There are also many people who don't understand why Beomseok did what he did even though everything, all the reasons and the story was right there in front of them, this show ain't for the weak yo
And also this is why WHC1 remains my favourite show of all time since i first watched it. It's very well put together and beautifully crafted, there is a lot you will miss on your initial watch like you said. I did too, i rewatched it multiple times, then. It's also crazy to me how Yoo Sumin created the perfect show with so many layers and complexities from start to finish and it was only his debut for writing a drama! Goated show and goated cast and crew
Thank you so much for your comments! Truly appreciate the kind words. It's been awesome seeing how many other people also find his character so fascinating.
3:26 I BURST OUT SCREAMING "THANK YOUUUUU" oh my god you get it frrrr
i was totally immersed in the crafting of beomseok from the start and the more i dug in, i couldn’t despise him even after all the things he’d done. i don’t justify his actions but miscommunication was the main cause that tore his bonds with suho and sieun apart, especially suho because when beomseok expressed his discomfort in suho putting his arms on his shoulders, suho shouldn’t have continued it. however, they were both teens, we just couldn’t expect them to pay attention to minor things, not to mention suho, despite being kind-hearted, is sometimes reckless to notice his actions hurt beomseok somehow. it hurts too much to see their friendship going downhill in the worst way.
I agree, it was so sad to see their friendship tear apart.... Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
damn i never noticed he wears white again at the end...excellent attention to detail
I can see myself in the main characters. It was really sad seeing Oh Beom Seok getting abused and bullied constantly. This show brought me to tears many times. I felt his pain. I was the loner at school and was bullied for being an introvert. I didn't have many friends. It was difficult but I'm glad I'm out of school and doing much better working and leveling up in life.
So glad to hear you’re doing well despite your hardships. Thank you for commenting-and I wish you the best!
I didn't notice a lot of this things and this is the reason why i like watching analysis of series or mv and THANK YOU for this. but i already loved this character for being this complicated, hard and easy to hate and the end when he said a thing like "i don't know why i did that" while feeling guilty and maybe even wanting to be hit by si eun, I LOVED IT. this character was that complicated that made a lot of people get impulsive and hate him and i loved that too, the ones that made this are REALLY smart.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I agree, he’s such a fascinating character and that moment you mentioned was SO well done and portrayed Beom Seok’s internal struggle so well.
i clapped multiple times and gave you a standing ovation for some of these lines you dropped throughout the video im so serious😭masterful analysis of his character and the show too omfg
Thank you!!!! I really appreciate it.
heyyy, its me again (third time omg, im truly obsessed with beomseok complex character).i actually watched weak hero class 1 two times (in less than idk, 5 days). i pretend to watch it again and rlly deep dive into him in special, i just have to find the timeee omg. the second time i watched it was bc i liked it so much, i recommended it to a friend and we watched it together.
anyways, there are things that i remembered after seeing your video. after the fight in the park, suho and sieun are talking and like, completely forgets about beomseok. for me, that already shows how beomseok might think that they didnt really care about him from start. a really bad fight just happened and they didnt search for you, and you find them calmly talking with each other instead of searching for you. of course, at that time they werent that close, but it shows how sieun and suho were already bonding and beomseok was just.. a nice guy they know. and beomseok was obviously the weakest person in the trio, it only made sense to worry more for him. but they dont.
and the next day after the fight, beomseok shows up to school limping (bc of his father beating). suho and sieun dont seem to notice. even if the day before after the fight he was fine
and the last straw: when suho and sieun showed up to his house, beomseok tells them that he suffered bully1ng. suho response is to ask "why?". i mean.. i know it wasnt his intention, but its kinda f**ked up. beomseok must have felt so bad. he suffered all of that plus 4buse from his dad, and he must have asked himself a million times "why do i have to suffer this?". and to have other person, that you thought was your friend, to ask that too... thankfully, sieun stops suho. and with that, we already see how suho and beomseok dont understand each other
i mean, this is my own opinion, but i think that even if beomseok told them what he was going through, suho wouldnt understand him (and tons of ppl say that they should've just talked). for me, beomseok is heart. he feels so much, he thinks and thinks and loses himself in his feelings, in silence. meanwhile, suho feels and reacts right away. he acts and doesnt fear acting. he punchs when he feels he should. i dont think he would understand why beomseok doesnt act, why beomseok just accepts everything until he breaks. sieun too, he would understand till a point. sieun is the middle ground between them. he is brain, he thinks carefully. he waits to act, and acts when he knows he can. he feels but doesnt loose himself. he understand the loneliness in beomseok, but dont understand how he express himself. in the end, beomseok is in the floor, waiting for the punch (he prefers to suffer physical punishment than suffer the emotional consequences) that never comes, and sieun asks "why did you do that?", to beomseok responds "i don't know... you of all people should understand." (this part hurts a lot). beomseok knew that sieun shared similiar feelings with him, but never in the same intensity and never truly the same. you should understand. you know why. but you dont wanna see it, feel it, comprehend it.
anyways, thats it! its been so long since i watched whc1 that i dont even know if everything i said rlly happened. im gonna watch it again for sure. but for now, this is what i have. pls let me know what you think🩷, and sorry for always coming here to rant lol
Wow, this is such a thoughtful comment. Please don't apologize for coming back to comment -- I am grateful you thought of my video after all this time and wanted to share more thoughts on it. This is what I want in a comment section for this video (and any possible future videos): a place where all can come to share thoughts and discuss dramas we enjoy with one another.
I didn't even think of how Beom Seok would feel after the fight in the amusement park. That is such a good point!
Thanks again for sharing more of your thoughts.
Such an interesting video. Thank your for taking the time of making this, even though he's not near a favorite character of mine he's definitely so fun to explore. Loved your approach to his abuse and how you didn't villainize his very action, which is something so common amongst antagonists who happen to also be victims. Again, such a good video!
Thank you so very much!!
warning: this is gonna be a long comment
thank you for the video. i'm with a severe case of beomseok brain rot right now bc i finished watching this kdrama just earlier today (i watched all eps in less than 24h lol😭). and i love analysis of antagonists with deep background stories so im rlly grateful for this video. his character is one of my favorites of like, all time. he reminds me of do-kyung of the game: towards zero, as they both go through a path of suffering, being victims, and later on they bloom as 4busers bc of their journey. (ps: i dont rlly like the plot of the game towards zero but if you can ignore the main plot and focus on the antagonist portrayed by lim ju hwan who slayed with his acting, i recommend watching it). but yeah, weak hero class 1 is super great and they did so well with acting and plot. i like how they portray how ppl who are victims can go through different paths. if you think about it, sieun suffered too (although i would say his case was a lot less severe) but he didnt actually "lose his mind" as beomseok did.
i want to say too that at the begging i thought beomseok had a crush on sooho💀 and that he was bullied bc he liked men?. but yeah... its not rlly that. i think he may have liked sooho a little (bc if he didnt, he would get obsessed with sieun too) but it soon developed into an obsession and it got mixed with his trauma
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video… and yes, the drama is a masterpiece with phenomenal performances. Also, thank you for the recommendation! I haven’t seen the other one you mentioned but I’ll need to check it out. I can definitely overlook a less-than-excellent plot if the characters are compelling!
the last part bruh i thought so too, he showed multiple times that his main problem is suho (ep 6 for example during the underground fight when sieun shows up instead of suho and beomseok tells the others he doesnt gaf about him)
people say it was either he liked him or wanted to be like him but i think it couldve been a little bit of both? sometimes people forget that this is a social issues drama all in all too, its filled with commentary here and there (eg the whole tying social media to true friendship ordeal), and subtly queer characters would be so relevant in a show like this and also to today's world (even sieun and suho man, none of yall can convince me they were "just" friends...like did you not watch that scene in episode 7 where they have their final talk? the way sieun looks at suho with his eyes throughout the show? yeah exactly)
but also, korean high school bullies will bully anyone frail or a seemingly easy target so, who knows :/ it's up for interpretation, but this is my take on it
I just finished the series and I LOVE YOUR video. I will say I automatically hated his character when I thought sooho died but when I found out he was alive and beom soek was remorseful I felt bad for him again
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video.
Just finished watching the series (and sobbing). Thanks for this analysis!
Right? That was about my reaction as well! Thanks for the comment!
Great video! This helps me understand him better
Thank you! I'm so glad it helps.
he's literally me. i could not hate him because in see me in him. he's misunderstood really.
Thank you for commenting. Wish you the best.
Great video, this must have been a lot of work. Excellent job, subscribed
Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate the kind words.
amazing video! the analysis was perfect and weak hero does it very good. really recommend 'how to buy a friend' it has a simiar vibe of high school teenager social problems with awesome characters
Thank you! For the kind words and also for the rec!
18:06 oh exactlyyy i thought i was the only one who noticed!!
What if Seokdae replaced Young Yis role how would the dynamic be between Beom Seok&Seokdae :D
That’s so interesting to think about!
Your video is exactly true while I was watching series I thought it's cuz sometimes it get hard to accept someone new suddenly in our group for some people in group and what happen to him that's why he become like this and feel the way he is feeling when that's not what his friends Indentions is for him as a Viewer we know what's happening but as a chrachter we don't that's what happen it dose happen b/w them
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! He’s such a well-written and well-performed character.
Shi Eun must have regonized later how Beom Seok felt at the Coffee area so He offered to go with Him at Karaoke to buy Soft Drinks :D .
Ah, you might be right! That’s a good observation. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@clickypenAll Good :D
What do You think is the difference between Shi Eun & Suho regarding the way They treat Him what benefits did He gain from both and could have been better between both duos
@@petepangtele182 Wow, that’s a great question! My instinctual response is that I believe they both have such different personalities and different strengths. I think Si Eun is more observant and more easily able to empathize with others, while Su Ho is less sensitive in that regard but more likely to quickly rise to action in defense of a friend. I think they both had true friendship to offer Beom Seok and both tried to be friends with him the best way each knew how. At least, from what I recall of the series. I would need to rewatch it in order to give a more detailed answer but these are my initial thoughts. I hope that answers your question! And remember, these are all just my own interpretations and opinions.
@@clickypenThank You that was a great analysis I think if Beom Seok had also told Them about more than just His Bullies like His Step Dads abuse & Suho not following Him back & Gil Soos insult to Him then it could have been fixed.
If He did not feel comfortable telling Suho He should have talked about it to Si Eun in private considering Si Euns strengths when it comes to Empathy then things would be fine because Si Eun would tell Suho and Suho would apologize & then problem solved for the most part.
tysm for explaining it
No problem! Thanks for watching!
I honestly thought he had feelings for Ah Soo. Even though I noticed all of this
That’s definitely a point to consider as well-I haven’t read the original material the drama is based off of, but I wonder if it has any indications as to whether this is the case.
@@clickypen beomseok in the webtoon is a traditional typical villain all along and no where near the complex and layered character that is in the show. he was a lot more insufferable and annoying. any queer subtext that exists in the webtoon is only between sieun and suho lol (its not even subtext tbh it was so obvious they just never used direct words to describe their relationship and even their classmates spread rumours about them dating and they were so homophobic about it ugh)
Thanks for the helpful insight!
I really love your in-depth analysis of his character!! Beom Seok is indeed complex and realistic. At the beginning of the show, he's already portrayed as a character with an unstable background, as he was not only abused at home but also bullied at school. This moulds him into a character who is constantly cautious and often rethinks his actions, as he is afraid of the outcomes they may create. However, it becomes evident as the scene goes on that he develops a more violent and aggressive personality.
His character shows us the effects of abuse in different ways, and viewers overlook that because they think he did it solely because Sooho did not follow him on Instagram. However, if we pay more attention to him in the show, there are many instances where he is triggered, which leads him to be an abuser near the end of the show. He doesn't feel like he has anyone on his side, and even though he spends time with Si Eun and Sooho, he believes that he is inferior to them and feels left out in the group.
He was also triggered when Young Yi joined his friend group, since he thought she stole his place because they paid less attention to him. It is clear that he was seeking validation-the attention that he never received from his family. Nevertheless, he seeks the most validation from Sooho, that being said, because he is the strongest in the friend group. Apart from that, his inferiority complex made the situation worse. Sooho was everything Beom Seok wanted to be; he wa confident, strong, outspoken and looked up to. On the other hand, Beom Seok was weak, insecure and hated himself. We can see the difference in his emotions towards Sooho, from looking up to him to gradually resenting him because he could never have those qualities.
Additionally, Sooho insulting him triggers his emotions, which makes him hate Sooho even more. This foreshadows their fallout due to the lack of communication between those three. However, simplifying the solution that he should've told them how he felt is not as easy as that. The reason why Beom Seok is having a difficult time expressing himself is because of the way he grew up. It's devastating to see how Beom Seok was both the one who started the friendship and the one who ended it.
Overall, I'm really amazed by how detailed and well-made his character is. He portrays trauma so realistically, both in terms of thoughts and emotions. Though I can see why some people hate him, he truly deserved so much better.
Wow, this is so well put! Thank you so much for your comment; it’s clear you put a lot of thought into delving deeper into his character as well.
hii its me again (i just posted the other comment but anyways), i found your blog and in one of your reviews you said you like solomons perjury!! i actually love this kdrama too, it was what made me seek more dramas that are deep, about crim1nal investigations, bull1ing and hard themes like that. so, i just wanted to recommend strangers from hell, as it is my favorite series. i think you would like jongwoo, not that i find his character that likable, its just that its kinda easy to identify with him and also bc we see him transform through the kdrama, so he is kinda similar to beomseok in that aspect.
hm yeah, its just this that i wanted to say. i think we have similar interests so i got too excited lol. keep up with the good work💖
Wow, thanks for checking out my blog! I actually have seen Strangers From Hell and really enjoyed it! You’re right, the character development was so well done. I haven’t seen it in a long time; I might have to revisit it.
Thank you for the recommendation and for commenting!
Truly peak post more
Thanks - I appreciate it!
Beom seok like suho..
clock that tea
can you do a part 2 if possible? and other characters from the series if possible??
Thanks for the comment! I cannot promise anything, but I will say that I hope to make another video for this channel in general. Honestly, it would probably not be on ‘Weak Hero’ at this point in time since it’s been such a while since I watched it and would certainly need to rewatch. But if one day I rewatch it, I’m sure I’ll find that I have much more to say.
@@clickypen okay ❤
Can u do other character too?? Like yeon sieun??
Hey, thanks for commenting. I can’t make any promises, but I hope to do more characters from the drama one day-that’s definitely something I’ve considered!
The thing im not understanding is why his anger was only towards Sooho ?? The only thing that's making sense for me is him having feelings for SooHo
I find that interesting as well! And that's certainly a way one could interpret why he targets Soo Ho. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
From what I can understand it’s because sooho was more like a “bully” type. Someone similar to those that have beaten him in the past.
I don’t know if Si Eun has an insta (I feel like it’s unlikely) but Beom kept looking at Sooho’s insta because he was following him, and yet Sooho never followed him back. (Why?)
Yet he followed the girl they met just a few days ago.
That got Beom feeling as if he wasn’t actually a friend.
I think he ‘realized’ when he was paying for their coffee, how they all sat down laughing and he was there alone at the counter to pay.
I feel like soho realized later on when Si Eun was telling the two goons to not use Beom for his money.
Sooho always appeared dull (as if he was thinking) whenever Si Eun mentioned using Beom for his money.
Wow, good catch about Instagram. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
I hate him and only people that did not went through his shit are the ones that actually forgive him and are trying to make excuses for his character, thinking, "oh my god, but the circumstances made him be like that", that is not an excuse, I have been through shit, I know people who had it so much worse than this character yet they knew better not to act like the people who bullied them and wanted to be better. The character's backstory and circumstances are just shitty excuses for his disgusting personality. Plus I do really believe he started to feel an unhealthy attachement towards Soo hoo, love and obsession at the same time. Pathetic, I really wanted someone to teach him a lesson. Or just go and be miserable in Phillipines.
Loved the video it is a really nice analysis, one advice, please try to cut the audio were you swalow or chew it is really hard to follow the video. Keep up
Thank you for the constructive criticism; I’ll keep it in mind for any future videos!
Also, thank you for sharing your perspective and thoughts. I hope you were able to enjoy the drama regardless of what you thought of his character.