Tag: weak hero

Rating The Good Boys Of Weak Hero

I can’t Tumblr but AlliefromSEA commented eons ago about wanting ratings of the good guys in Weak Hero and I aim to please, especially because I’m shocked anyone reads my blog.

All opinions are my own and my opinions are garbage, but loosely my criteria for a good character is not sure because I’ve never thought about it but:

  1. Their removal would affect the plot i.e. their role/dialogue/etc. being removed or relegated to another character would change the story
  2. They undergo some change/character development, for better or for worse, as the story progresses
  3. We see different sides of their personality – aka they are presented as complex individuals with some negative and positive traits
  4. They’re not a Mary Sue/Marty Stu or an author self-insert character that exists to either fulfill an author’s weird fantasy, or preach the author’s personal views
  5. They have personal goals of their own unrelated to other characters
  6. They aren’t so OP that the villains aren’t a threat to their goals (unless it’s a central part of the plot i.e. One Punch Man) but not so weak that they aren’t a challenge for the villains

**Spoilers**

Rowan Im (Im Juyang)

  • Hyper elbow
  • talks a big game, can sort of back it up with hands
  • red-hair clan
  • the reason Teddy joins Gray’s harem
  • childhood friends with Eugene
  • class 1 squad
  • low key a one-trick pony
  • KO’s Helmet with above mentioned one-trick

Rowan is mildly sus when first introduced, both in the sense that he appears weak or like a bully. However, he turns out to be a true bro with a level of courage that far surpasses his actual fighting skills. His backing of Teddy when they finally decide to knock Phillip Kim off his sand throne allows them to live a peaceful existence in class and integrate himself into Ben’s bro club.

Rowan is lowkey helpful in fights because his hyper elbow, when it connects, does serious damage.

Rowan Im Rating: 7.2/10

Eugene Gale (Seo Juntae)

  • Glasses Dude No. 1
  • can’t fight like at all and in a story like this, it’s an issue
  • desk buddies with the white mamba
  • nerdy but not super book smart
    • he makes an effort to better himself by going to cram school
  • physically weak but not a coward. Eugene knows he can’t fight and usually doesn’t try, but he does attempt to defend Gray a few times
  • got into delinquents because of Jake Ji
  • cat lover
  • shuttle patch king
  • knows how to make an awkward situation less awkward (by ordering pizza!)
  • good with lights

Eugene is basically us as the reader, enchanted with Gray, unable to fight, and bad at school but good at collecting gossip and finding out the tea. For most of the story, he’s the side-kick to everyone else until he gets a day in the limelight when investigating some shady buying up of real estate.

Eugene’s knowledge of delinquent gangs comes in handy, but it’s ultimately the fact he’s a kind-hearted dude that allows him to hang with the bros at the pool hall. He’s also Grey’s first true friend.

Eugene Rating: 8.5/10

Gerard Jin (Jin Gayool)

  • broccoli head and upset when others point that out
  • tarot card king
  • the mad hound
  • the quiet one
  • extremely tall – several characters point this out, especially if they’re about to fight him
  • talented singer and guitarist
  • has an actual job even though he’s a child (?)
  • use to be in a moderately successful band called Slam
  • dark and tragic past that resulted in his face being scarred
  • only fights with his shoes
  • always sleeping in class or in bushes
  • KO’d the chiller half of the Mokha Duo
  • the reason Ben Park fought Jake Ji seriously

Gerard’s reason for hiding his face is actually because he’s hot for never using his fists in a fight is because he promised his ex-bandmate, Hyeonjin, he wouldn’t after Hyeonjin pulled Gerard out of a fire and consequently, burned his own hands. Gerard stuck to that promise even at the cost of almost being murdered because he’s a real one.

Gerard Jin Rating: 9.8/10

Stephen Ahn (Ahn Suho)

  • SAINT Stephen Ahn
  • king of giant safety pins
  • gamer boy
  • actually a genius when he puts in effort, which is never
  • Gray’s first real friend – like literally his only reason for living and the light of his life (no homo tho)
  • the reason Gray doesn’t like roof tops (or friends for that matter)

I actually wrote an entire blog post on why Stephen is an absolute king.

Stephen Ahn Rating: Myles Joo’s 2 seconds of Screen Time/10

Alex Go (Go Hyeon-tak)

  • Gogo!
  • Ben’s best buddy since childhood
  • king of trash talking
  • hot-headed – he’s always ready to throw hands, even as a child
  • levels up in boxing – he trains to get stronger so that he doesn’t have to rely on Ben sledgehammer fist of might
  • had a moody moment on the beach
  • got beaten up by Jimmy Bae twice
  • sort of won against Jimmy’s bae Jack Kang but not really
  • ran with a bad crowd, ended up almost being murdered by Donald Na as a result of that
  • KO’d Orochimaru of the Mohka Duo

Alex doesn’t have main character energy, which is why he was/is frequently saved by Ben. That’s actually Alex’s issue – he’s a strong dude fighting actual monsters and he’s constantly comparing his strength to Ben, who is God-tier and doesn’t count. This brief insecurity causes him to get tangled up with some bad individuals in the past and he very nearly gets himself and Ben R.I.P.ed by Donald Na because of it (as it stands, Ben had to get physical therapy lmao). Fortunately, this incident teaches him the power of True Friendship and consequently, Alex becomes one of the more openly caring bros.

Alex Go Rating: 8.2/10

Ben Park (Park Humin) aka BIG BEN!

  • Gogo senses – can always sense when Alex is in danger or in a mood
  • easy going personality and generally goofy demeanor causes others to question his strength and status, which is a negative vibe for them
  • sledgehammer fist of might
    • several characters remark how Ben’s fist feels like getting hit by an actual stone wall or brick
    • he’s only 2nd to Donald Na in terms of strength
    • his punches are so loud others can hear them over a brawl
  • KO’d Jimmy Bae x2
  • KO’d Forrest Lee (x2)
  • KO’d Jake Ji
  • KO’d Juwon Lee
  • KO’d by Donald Na but rose from the dead
  • fried-chicken stan
  • a true amigo. When he learns Gray doesn’t like roof tops, he finds a different spot to chill in
  • low key a therapist. He gets Gray to open up about his tragic past and accompanies Gray on a futile trip to search for said tragic past
  • his strength is 85% of the reason why Eunjang hasn’t been swallowed by the Union
  • zombie Ben

Big Ben initially seems like your stereotypical loud-mouthed hot-head, but he’s actually quite chill and not interested in fighting unless his friends get hurt. Much of Ben’s story is is often pictured smiling even when presented with bad news, so it’s never good when he actually looks upset. And when Ben’s actually upset, nothing short of death will get him to stop fighting (see Donald Na/Jake Ji fights which activated zombie mode)

Ben’s stubborn friendliness helps melt Gray’s frosty attitude too and leads to the creation of the Eunjang gang. He’s a great example of positive masculinity showing that men can be stereotypically masculine and kick ass whilst remaining kind, empathetic, and upbeat.

Ben Park Rating: 10/10

Gray Yeon (Yeon Sieun)

  • white mamba
  • doesn’t like rooftops but gets over it
  • smart – solved The Question albeit in a different way than Donald Na, and he’s regularly shown studying and scoring high on tests
  • according to Wolf (whom he KO’d with a potted plant), he’s a pretty boy
    • actually multiple characters agree that Gray is hella fine, male and female alike
  • KO’d Colton Choi
  • KO’d Helmet, gave him pen PTSD
  • KO’d Teddy Jin, gave him coke PTSD
  • KO’d Phillip Kim, just gave him PTSD
  • Beating Wolf Keum earned him a top ten spot in the immovable shuttle patch ranking
  • KO’d Dean Kwon
  • KO’d TRASH Bryce Oh, Oscar Yang and his goon
  • generally fights dirty aka with bricks, pens, literally anything in sight
  • Jake Ji notices Gray is slowly becoming a blood knight but is in denial

Gray kept to his studies until meeting his sun and stars, Stephen Ahn who was bullied into a coma. This was the start of Gray’s villain origin arc. Fortunately the power of True Friendship turned him into a Hero instead of a bad guy.

He is the Weak Hero, or at least he was in season 1. In season 2, he’s actually not weak but I digress. His frigidity and aversion to humans is slowly melted by the power of fried chicken, and his combo of brains and physical strength allows him to analyze situations and figure out foolproof ways to crush his foes. That, or he just picks up a picture frame and bashes someone over the head with it.

Gray Yeon Rating: 10/10

There are probably some other “good” characters like that random glasses dude that regularly appears, but this is getting long lol. Also, apparently Weak Hero has become a drama so that’s exciting.

Rating The Bad Boys of Weak Hero pt. 2

Part One.

My criteria for a good villain is based 100% on my personal, garbage opinions but basically:

  1. Their removal would affect the plot
  2. They undergo some change/character development, for better or for worse, as the story progresses
  3. We see different sides of their personality – aka they are presented as complex individuals, who have some good aspects, or we get enough back-story on them that we understand the motives behind their actions
  4. They have some sort of personal goal/motivation that goes beyond, “for the sake of being chaotic and evil.”
  5. They aren’t so OP that no one can defeat them except by random chance or luck
  6. They’re not so weak that they aren’t a challenge for the hero

*Spoilers, also I own nothing. Not even my own soul*

(Seong-je Geum) Wolf Keum

  • threw hands with Donald Na twice (impressive as Donald says when he fights someone, he beats them thoroughly so they don’t challenge him again)
  • was Donald’s fav
  • red blazer instills fear in the hearts of those who see it
  • has beef with Grape and it’s always on sight
  • 3 seconds, bam
  • doesn’t like pretty boys who cry when he fights them
  • is smarter than he initially seems (noticed Jared Sun’s face/realized Rowan wouldn’t have kept lying)
  • beat up Jared Sun
  • probably would’ve killed Jimmy, despite having recently gotten whooped by both Gray Yeon and Donald Na
  • seems to be a decent friend. After his skull was cracked, Red Hair is like “u good bro?!?” and looks genuinely concerned. They’re also seen vibing together.

After losing to the White Mamba, Wolf’s just like, “what a funny dude,” which is an odd reaction to getting knocked unconscious with a potted plant.

Wolf Keum seems to be teetering on the edge of leaving the Union. Given he’s one of the few characters who seemed somewhat humbled by their beating who seems to respect the strength of those who beat him instead of being petty about it, it’ll be interesting to see if he goes round 3 with Donald.

Wolf Keum’s Rating: 8.5/10


(Gong-sam) Sam Lee/Grape

  • Doesn’t like being called Sam, so he goes by Grape I guess because his hair is purple.
  • Grape seems like a decent friend given he’s lost multiple fights but is always seen vibing with the same folks.
  • He can throw hands.
  • He was mad jelly Gray Yeon did what he could only dream of doing, which was murder beat up Wolf Keum.

Grape’s notable for always looking woefully resigned cause with Wolf it’s always on sight, no matter the location, situation, doesn’t matter who else is around either. Wolf’s dislike of Grape is so palpable and notorious even Long Hair of the Mok-ha duo is like, “dude, why’d you beat him after he got trashed already lmao,” (and Long Hair is bat-crazy)

In a way, Grape’s pitiful despite generally being a jerk because Wolf seems to be violently yandere for him and unless he moves to another country city or dies, it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna be able to escape him anytime soon.

Grape’s Rating: 7/10

(Hak-ho) Jake Ji

  • Jake is basically Ben with red hair.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Bad-Ass.
  • Likes manga, specifically One Piece
  • Has a solid group of ride or dies (Dean, Wings of Peace, Glasses Dude No. 2)
  • Got (narrowly) whooped by Ben Park and admitted he lost
  • Wasn’t really mad about losing to Ben
  • Protected trash Naksung from Zombie Ben
  • Really only joined the Union for the sake of his brother, Kenny
  • Watched Gray and Wolf clobber one another from atop a building
  • Has fabulous taste in hats

One thing I appreciate is how the author often draws Jake’s expressions – he goes from looking very lively, affable, and goofy one second, to looking like he’ll rip your eyeballs out the next (because he will). It’s enough to intimidate even Glasses Dude No. 3 (Kingsley). He loses some likeability for beating up Gerard Jin prior to fighting Ben Park, though this is likely because he knew Ben would only fight seriously if one of his homies got clapped.

Jake is different from the other top dogs as Jimmy was pissed he lost to Ben and sought revenge, and Wolf is generally just a blood knight. But Jake doesn’t involve himself in needless fighting (even Eugene comments that he’s not like other girls dudez). His friends seem to genuinely like him, and they’re seen joking around and talking about things non-Union/fighting related.

Jake Ji ‘s Rating: 9.7/10

(Sehan) Forrest Lee

  • Fights Teddy and Alex and almost wins – the dude has hands
  • Took Myles Joo’s place as HBIC after he defected (or whatever).

He seems like a True Companion too as he’s mostly always seen vibing with the same crew.

Forrest Lee’s Rating: 4/10

(Seung-jin) Myles Joo

  • Hyped up for an entire season only to get brought down at the speed of light by Orichimaru the Mok-ha Duo.

Miles dipped from the Union and doesn’t appear until season 2, but almost everyone knows about him. We don’t know the circumstances of why he left; we barely know what his face looks like, all we know is that he’s uber strong.

Sadly, he wasn’t strong enough to prevent himself from getting clobbered.

Myles Joo’s Rating: 6.3/10


Bryce Oh

Bryce Oh highlights a central theme in Weak Hero: when folks take off their glasses, they become evil.

Bryce Oh is initially a loner, taken in by Saint Stephen Ahn. They get along well enough at first but it’s all downhill once Bryce stops wearing his glasses.

Bryce’s issue was always that he is a worthless, spineless parasite had a severe inferiority complex and wanted acceptance – that’s why he never messed with Gray (because Gray excelled in school, his friendship came with benefits) and why he latched onto Oswald after buying him shoes (cause he was loaded). These traits might make him pitiable but he also desired power. This put him at odds with Stephen, who was content to be nice whether it benefitted him directly or nah. Eventually, those odds turned into resentment once his inferiority complex kicked in and when given an outlet for that resentment, he took it out in the form of bullying.

Bryce Oh is one of those characters who, despite my tendency to be enamored by the absolute worst (fictional) characters, is very difficult to sympathize with because there wasn’t much of a reason given for him betraying Stephen and he didn’t even seem a little sorry for, ya know, nearly killing someone who considered him a friend.

His actions inadvertently give birth to the White Mamba though.

Bryce Oh’s Rating: 6.5/10


Oswald Yang

Oswald Yang was trash from the start, so unlike Bryce who was at one point Saint Stephen’s friend, Oswald was a classic silver spoon using their privilege to bully others.

The disturbing thing is how realistic Oswald’s story is – the school does everything to cover bullying that resulted in someone becoming a vegetable because Father Yang is important and has money. It’s something we see in real life all the time – the law being used to protect the wealthy instead of enacting justice.

#putOswaldYangandBryceOhinjail2021


Oswald Yang’s Rating: 2.7/10

(Jeongwon Seon) Jared Sun

  • basically Phillip Kim lite
  • has 0 fighting abilities
  • lied about everything
  • is not loyal – stole money, framed Rowan resulting in him and Eugene getting a beatdown
  • is generally why Gray ended up in the hospital and Wolf not only got KO’d with a potted plant, but also inadvertently the reason he got beaten by Donald Na as that situation resulted in Wolf wanting to dip

Much like Phillip and Oswald, he’s born with a silver spoon and uses his privilege to belittle others. He also dug his own grave by being a titanic terror to Chicken Place Dude and his Son. At least those those like Jimmy, Wolf, Forrest, etc. risk their physical health by fighting to gain power, Jared was content sit on the sidelines while others got wrecked.

Jared Sun’s Rating: 3.7/10

(Baek-jin) Donald Na

  • looks like a vampire, which is fitting given he essentially sucks the will out of everyone he encounters via fear and fists.
  • seems to be an orphan.
  • has beaten the snot out of pretty much every top fighter in Weak Hero without breaking a sweat sans maybe Jake as he seemed to have joined “willingly”
  • is like what… 16? 17? And is working with other adults and basically running an empire lol
  • is super smart, having created an impossible math question
  • puts effort into styling his hair
  • has some sick tattoos and jewelry
  • good fashion sense
  • nice office with a good view
  • good with business – he’s making $$$ enough to pay like several different schools

In some ways he’s like Phillip Kim except Donald could for sure kill anyone who challenges him. Like Phillip, Donald’s power is very tenuous in the sense that Jake is only with the Union for Kenny, Wolf had to be beaten into staying, Myles already dipped, and while Jimmy is terrified of Donald, that’s not stopping him from looking for a way out either. All those schools aren’t following Donald so much as following their respective leaders who’ve mostly been beaten or coerced into following Donald. And Ben still won’t join despite having gotten whooped by Donald once. All in all, he’s sort of built his empire on sand.

Speaking of hair, it’s notable that since season 2 began, Donald’s mane is no longer nicely coiffed but usually down, giving him a more sober, unkempt appearance. Is this a sign he’s starting to crack?

Only time will tell.

Donald Na’s Rating: Ben Park’s Sledgehammer Fists KOing Forrest Lee/10

There are more, like Mok-ha, etc. but this it already long and no one’s gonna read it anyway.

Rating the Bad Boys of Weak Hero Pt. 1

Of Season 1.

Normally, I rate female characters. But that’d be like 2 people (Queen Lily and Julia).

There are, however, loads of bad boys.

My criteria for a good villain is based 100% on my personal opinions but basically:

  1. Their removal would affect the plot
  2. They undergo some change/character development, for better or for worse, as the story progresses
  3. We see different sides of their personality – aka they are presented as complex individuals, who have some good aspects, or we get enough back-story on them that we understand the motives behind their actions
  4. They have some sort of personal goal/motivation that goes beyond, “for the sake of being chaotic evil.”
  5. They aren’t so OP that no one can defeat them except by random chance or luck
  6. They’re not so weak that they aren’t a challenge for the hero

*Spoilers, also I own nothing. Not even my own soul*

(Hyo-man) Colton Choi

  • Awarded for being the first fool to get wrecked by the White Mamba.
  • Pimp slapped by Gray Yeon in the middle of class.

Colton Choi’s Rating: 3/10

(Haiba/ Hee-chol) Helmet/Harper Ha

  • Unfortunately wasn’t wearing a helmet when he got bricked in the face.
  • gets others to do his dirty work
  • switches sides when the literal second it suits him

In a way, Helmet is pitiable because he gets beat once, is bullied and effectively ostracized over his epic loss (it’s hinted his physical appearance plays into his treatment too). He tries to get the job done, but his pen PTSD is so strong a mere clicketh of a pen has him shooketh.

It’s hard to feel sorry for him though, because he’s still a bully.

Helmet’s Rating: 5.5/10

(Tae-oh) Teddy Jin

  • Got beat with a coke can
  • Was strangled with curtains in the middle of class
  • Found a stray cat, took care of it
  • Wears his hair in a fabulous pony-tail
  • Accepted his defeat, didn’t try to get revenge
  • Eventually became friends with Rowan (who apparently talks a lot)
  • Took over his class by challenging Phillip to a brawl on sight
  • Brought Gray coke at the hospital
  • Beat up that weird teacher and those kids who were throwing rocks at Sprite

When I re-read Weak Hero, I’d completely forgotten how much I initially despised Teddy.

Teddy was not only humbled by his curb-stomp but changed his ways too. Realizing his “friends” were fake probably helped him turn over a new leaf. Fortunately, he’s got a fresh home boy, Rowan aka Hyperelbow aka Sidney Guillotine, and he’s part of the Squad now.

Teddy Jin’s Rating: 9.5/10

(Jihoon) Jimmy Bae

  • Has red hair
  • Clearly puts effort into styling his hair
  • Has beaten up many people to get where is he
  • Lost to Ben once, had to be rescued by Donald Na
  • Uses those he bullies as footstools
  • Lost to Ben a second time, wasn’t rescued by Donald Na
  • Gets killed by Wolf Keum in a dream sequence after getting knocked unconscious fighting him

Jimmy is an arrogant jerk, pummeling people for no reason, smoking and generally being a delinquent. His sole good trait is seemingly being a good friend considering Jack is willing to risk his life by leaving the Union’s clutches with him.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Jimmy. He wants out of the Union, but even Jack is like, “yeah if we leave we might die, but at least it’ll be me and you dying together, bro,” which is a true bromance if there ever was one.

Jimmy Bae’s Rating: 7.4/10

(Jeongyeon) Jack Kang

  • Jimmy Bae’s bae homie.
  • can throw hands
  • always looks low-key annoyed with whatever is going on
  • is not interested in the ladies
  • is more level-headed than Jimmy, sensing something was amiss with the Myles Joo meeting and preventing them from probably getting killed
  • doesn’t seem interested in the Union (and the money/power it gives them) so much as sticking with Jimmy

For all Jimmy’s abundant faults, he has a friend who’s willing to stay with him wherever he goes. It says something about his character… sort of, since a lot of characters lose their friends/respect once they get wrecked even if they are strong. Fortunately, Jack is a real one.

Jack Kang’s Rating: 8/10

(Pil-young) Phillip Kim

  • Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty – won’t find that here.
  • Gets whooped by Gray
  • Gets scared into submission by Teddy
  • Puts effort into styling his hair

Phillip’s image is accurately described as a sandcastle that eventually crumbles. The dude cannot fight, yet becomes the HBIC by aligning himself with the strong and using his wealth/charisma to win allies.

Phillip Kim highlights a central theme in Weak Hero – a lust for power but how easily that power can crumble when it’s built off fear and fakery. Phillip was like, “a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

He’s hard to pity as he’s not loyal even towards his homeboys (such as setting up Jimmy v. Ben Park), and he’s not willing to risk anything personal to get what he wants (he literally can’t fight).

Phillip Kim’s Rating: 7.1/10

Part 2.