Based on Manhwa/Webtoon/Webcomic "Yakhanyoungwoong" written by Seo Pae-Seu & illustrated by Kim Jin-Seok (first published from May 5, 2018 via Naver).
Reception
Viewership
Weak Hero's popularity was driven primarily through word of mouth and positive comments on social media and communities. The drama became an overnight hit, immediately becoming Wavve's number one drama in paid subscribers within the first day, garnering a 9.9 rating overseas through iQIYI, Kocowa, and Viki, and glowing reviews from critics. According to the data compiled by Good Data Corporation, it ranked first in the 'OTT Topic' drama/series category for four consecutive weeks. According to Wavve, Weak Hero was the first OTT series to rank in the top 3 for viewing time and remained in the top 10 ranking on iQiyi Taiwan and North America." It also ranked second in the rankings for the 3rd week of November 19-25, compiled by OTT integrated search site Kinolights.
Viewership
Weak Hero's popularity was driven primarily through word of mouth and positive comments on social media and communities. The drama became an overnight hit, immediately becoming Wavve's number one drama in paid subscribers within the first day, garnering a 9.9 rating overseas through iQIYI, Kocowa, and Viki, and glowing reviews from critics. According to the data compiled by Good Data Corporation, it ranked first in the 'OTT Topic' drama/series category for four consecutive weeks. According to Wavve, Weak Hero was the first OTT series to rank in the top 3 for viewing time and remained in the top 10 ranking on iQiyi Taiwan and North America." It also ranked second in the rankings for the 3rd week of November 19-25, compiled by OTT integrated search site Kinolights.
Casting
In an interview at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, the directors Yoo Soo-min and Han Jun-hee explained the casting process. Han revealed they wanted to "invite actors who can lead Korean films in the next generation and actors who have great energy." He continued, "There are actors, former singers, some models, and people who worked out that I didn't know while watching the work. Now, with experiences in various categories, I can see the faces of actors with good expressions and performances. [...] I think it became a work that I liked because I could see the colourful faces behind it." He also revealed the casting of Park, Shortcake's CEO Lee Myung-jin originally suggested the idol actor for the role after being amazed by his performance in At a Distance, Spring Is Green. After reviewing his older work and interviews, he was convinced, and the suggestion was passed along to director Yoo Soo-min.
In an interview at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, the directors Yoo Soo-min and Han Jun-hee explained the casting process. Han revealed they wanted to "invite actors who can lead Korean films in the next generation and actors who have great energy." He continued, "There are actors, former singers, some models, and people who worked out that I didn't know while watching the work. Now, with experiences in various categories, I can see the faces of actors with good expressions and performances. [...] I think it became a work that I liked because I could see the colourful faces behind it." He also revealed the casting of Park, Shortcake's CEO Lee Myung-jin originally suggested the idol actor for the role after being amazed by his performance in At a Distance, Spring Is Green. After reviewing his older work and interviews, he was convinced, and the suggestion was passed along to director Yoo Soo-min.
Development
The drama was directed and written by Yoo Soo-min, who won the Best Film Award at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival for his short film Advent of the Villain, and Han Jun-hee, who won awards such as the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Awards for Netflix's D.P., served as the drama's creative director. The collaboration between the directors made Weak Hero Class 1 one of the most anticipated films in the second half of 2022.
Park Ji-hoon took inspiration from Won Bin's acting in the movie The Man from Nowhere (2010) by practicing a lot of eye acting while watching Won Bin- "even if he doesn't say much, I can feel all his emotions in his eyes." Martial arts director Heo Myeong-haeng lead the cast for high-intensity action scenes.
The drama was directed and written by Yoo Soo-min, who won the Best Film Award at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival for his short film Advent of the Villain, and Han Jun-hee, who won awards such as the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Awards for Netflix's D.P., served as the drama's creative director. The collaboration between the directors made Weak Hero Class 1 one of the most anticipated films in the second half of 2022.
Park Ji-hoon took inspiration from Won Bin's acting in the movie The Man from Nowhere (2010) by practicing a lot of eye acting while watching Won Bin- "even if he doesn't say much, I can feel all his emotions in his eyes." Martial arts director Heo Myeong-haeng lead the cast for high-intensity action scenes.
All eight episodes were released on Wavve on November 18, 2022, and simultaneously aired with multi-language subtitles on OTT media service for other countries. It was considered one of the most anticipated dramas in the year's second half after the screening at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.