First Up: High School Heroes - A Gripping Drama That Lays Bare the Struggles of the Weak

Hello!

I recently devoured the South Korean drama series 'First: Heroes of High School', and I'm still reeling from the experience. The show's protagonist, Kim I-Gyum, is your typical 'weak hero' who just wants to live a peaceful life and ace his studies. But, as the opening credits so aptly put it:

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The problem is that our world has too many villains.

Country: South Korea

Release Date: 30 May 2025

Number of Episodes: 8

At first glance, the series seems to follow a similar plot to 'Weak Hero 2'. The main character, Kim I-Gyum, transfers to a regular high school after attending a prestigious one. And, as it turns out, there's a compelling reason behind his decision, tied to a tragedy that befell his family.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviewsKim I-Gyum sits at the back of the classroom, quietly studying, and deliberately avoiding conflicts. It's clear that he's trying to steer clear of trouble. And, he's determined to avoid fights, ignoring provocations. However, when injustice and inhumanity are right next to him, it's hard to remain a bystander.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviewsSo, Kim I-Gyum must face off against the school's 'authorities' to ensure that no one else tries to belittle or dominate him. And, the main reason behind this is simply infuriating – it's infuriating when these morally reprehensible individuals think the school belongs to them.

There are plenty of bullies around, and it's impossible for Kim I-Gyum to take them on alone. Will there be anyone willing to help the positive hero?

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviewsLee Jong-Ha impressed me with his portrayal of Kim I-Gyum. He's created a realistic character that's full of life and doesn't feel like a comic book creation. The actor's expressions accurately convey the character's emotions, and it's entertaining to watch him perform.First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsI have to admit, I couldn't place this face at first. It wasn't until I checked the filmography that I realized it was Lee Jong Ha, who played the lead role in 'Auditors' last year. I didn't recognize him here because the characters in the two shows look completely different. The auditor was a cheerful, outgoing, positive person, while the main character in this show is his complete opposite. It's amazing how the actor can transform into a completely different character, and he pulls off different roles so well!

First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsSo, Kim Igom is a quiet, introverted high-achiever with old-fashioned headphones on his head. His old-school MP3 player, which he always carries with him, is the most precious thing to him. I won't spoil it for you, but you'll find out why it's so special if you watch the show. You're not allowed to touch his precious player!

First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsTrying to touch his precious player often leads to conflicts with local bullies. If it weren't for that, he'd probably ignore most provocations and avoid fights.

First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsOne of his classmates, Kang Yungi, immediately tried to convince Igom that he had to fight in this school, or else the school bullies would crush him.

First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsThe school authorities immediately picked up on the quiet, reserved boy and started to latch onto him, thinking he was a typical coward. But once they got to know him better, they quickly changed their minds and now they call Igom a psychopath.

First School Heroes 2025 ReviewsThe school bullies' motto is nothing new: 'Strength gives freedom and power.' That's why they're structured like a pyramid, familiar to many Korean drama fans who've seen shows about school violence. As usual, each of them bullies the weak and submits to those who are even stronger.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews I've gotta say, I'm not a fan of their life philosophy, but he's forced to speak their language. The main character is constantly running into all the school's authority figures, from the bottom up. The confrontations are brutal, and the kid who's been poking his nose in where it doesn't belong is constantly getting put in his place.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews But I Gom thinks the authority figures are just a bunch of nobodies until he runs into a rich kid who's a total slacker. The conflict gets even more complicated because I Gom's dad thinks it's essential to keep good relations with this kid's family for future connections that'll benefit I Gom.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews Actor Hong Min Gi played a dual-role villain: in one scene, he's all polished and respectable, but beneath that mask, he's a sadist who loves to bully his classmates.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews I have to say, I enjoyed Hong Min Gi's character in "Class" way more. This doesn't mean he wasn't good in the villainous role, on the contrary, his dual-role villain was very expressive, almost too much. A repulsive character.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews The main character has it tough. His life isn't exactly sweet, no matter which way you look at it: his family tragedy in the past, the daily battles in his new school, and the lack of understanding from his family.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 Reviews His mom and him barely talk, lost in her sorrowful memories. His dad is tough on him, demanding high grades and putting pressure on him to perform.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviews I've gotta say, this family's got some major issues with love and support. But the toughest of them all is I-Gom's grandfather, who's trying to run the show and expects absolute obedience from his grandson and his parents.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviews I-Gom's grandfather wants something different from life, but that's not what matters to him. So, the main character's gotta stand up for himself and his freedom in school and at home.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviews As usual in Korean dramas with a similar plot, the fight scenes are top-notch. You see how incredibly tough it is for I-Gom to take down his tough opponents.

Every time there's a fight, it pretty much follows the same pattern: they almost kill him, and then he gets a second wind, and that's when the opponents get what's coming to them.

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviews The fights are less brutal than in 'Weak Hero', but they're definitely not kid-friendly. I'm not even sure why it doesn't have an 18+ rating on the drama websites. There are some crazy, impressive camera angles in those scenes, like this one:

First: Heroes of High School 2025 reviews I usually don't mention the voice acting in my reviews, but in this drama, it's become a major issue for me. LE-Production does a solid, meaningful translation, but there's a ton of profanity - it's really jarring. Animaunt replaced the profanity with 'Damn it!', 'Scumbag', and 'Trash', but then they had the nerve to dub the auto-translation! It's a waste of time, as the dialogue makes no sense. Guess I'm stuck going back to LE-Production.First Heroes High School 2025 reviewsI'm really into this series, First Heroes High School. It's a true drama with some action elements. The cast is great, and the production is top-notch – it's super engaging. Now, if only they'd get the subtitles right. I was more blown away by Weak Hero, but I don't see any reason to dock points from this one. So, five stars from me. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.Thanks for reading!Akula 2: Storm (2025) – fighting to survive and protect friends - how well did the continuation of the movie fare as a series?

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