"Weak Hero Class 1" Park JiHoon Character Sketch - The Scream Of Consciousness

Opening with the most famous line in Hermann Hesse's "Demian" - "The bird fights it way out of the egg", "Weak Hero Class 1" sets the tone for the ultimate struggle that our central protagonist Yeon ShiEun (Park JiHoon) is about to undertake or in a sense, is right in the middle of.

Even before this prologue, comes a scene bathed in a cautious yellow light. The action begins in medias res and we're thrust into a classroom discussing answers to an exam, interrupted by an unassuming young boy whose apparent last straw is the question he got wrong. He gets up with a predetermined aim and walks over to a student at the back, grabbing a book on the way, and punches him with the same. The scene cuts to an ordinary dawn 13 days ago, and thus begins the grand odyssey that births our eponymous weak hero.

This is Kpopmap's "Character Sketch" and today, we're discussing the destruction and rebirth of Yeon ShiEun. Earlier this month, Kpopmap opened a poll, asking readers to vote for the iconic K-Drama character they would like to see an in-depth analysis of. Yeon ShiEun, one of the most brilliant affecting characters in recent times, played by the incredible Park JiHoon in the webtoon-based K-Drama "Weak Hero Class 1", emerged victorious with 1,575,052 votes, making up for 52.2% of the total votes cast. So, without any further ado, let's get analyzing!

Note: This article is based exclusively on the portrayal of Yeon ShiEun in the K-Drama "Weak Hero Class 1". It will not take into account the complete scope of the character in the original webtoon. 

Spoiler Alert!

01. What We See & What We Get

The first proper introduction we get to Yeon ShiEun is from behind him and the first words we hear are about the quadratic formula. He's a high school student and evidently an over-achiever but there's a certain obsessiveness to him when it comes to studying. ShiEun goes about his daily life in an unfazed manner, focused solely on the information he must absorb to get into a good university, so much so that the quote at the beginning of the episode might as well have been a part of his curriculum. Park JiHoon catches the viewer's attention at once with his deadpan delivery, heavy, disinterested gait, and unmoved disposition. ShiEun is physically weak and lacks stamina, which is also conveyed with the utmost verisimilitude by Park JiHoon.

It becomes clear at first glance that ShiEun is not simply striving for success like any other student but, instead, is under some sort of compulsion. So it is no surprise that he is utterly unaffected when rewarded for his merit. Yet, ShiEun enters the classroom before daybreak, couldn't care less about his classmates, and has little to no heroic ambitions. The walls he has up are impenetrable, or so they seem, giving off the impression that he is not to be messed with. He is comfortably uncomfortable in his bubble - the bird's egg, until an external impetus starts to prod.

Park JiHoon portrays this subtle disturbance with a masterful gaze. His eyes are still, almost as if they're holding the darkness from escaping, and he rarely blinks, unless it is to deter himself from further reaction. The restraint in his eyes is palpable, and when the camera focuses on it shakily, it is enough to send a shiver down our spine. This is where the first opposition between Yeon ShiEun's facade and his reality starts to peek through.

At some point in this scene, a soft yellow light - the same kind that filled the room in the opening scene, pours in. In film and television, the psychology of the color yellow is often linked to obsession and madness. So, it is an excellent creative choice to chart ShiEun's slow but steady descent into violence with this motif, which is later subverted.

Elsewhere in the story, we soon find out that Yeon ShiEun's parents are separated and he lives with his absent father, who barely has any time for his son but is certainly interested in his scholastic achievements. His frail attempts at getting to know his son and what he's up to are perceived as surface-level and hence, don't usually evoke a response from ShiEun. The disconnect between them is severe enough for ShiEun to feel completely alienated and uncared for unless he has something to warrant his attention. His mother, also estranged, is a teacher, whose lectures he follows to imitate a semblance of a relationship. She brags about him in her online classes but they rarely keep in touch. ShiEun falls asleep to his mother's voice through the computer until another day starts, and he repeats the cycle all over again.

To both his parents, ShiEun does "well on his own" and is "good at everything", even when he admits to there being many things he's not good at. Little do they know, he holds deep trauma inside from the constant fights that his parents got into because of him. As they played the blame game, shifting responsibility for ShiEun on each other to the point of regretting his very existence, the little boy repressed his feelings, slowly inching towards implosion. Once he heard his father say that he expected ShiEun to grow up on his own without getting sick all the time, ShiEun locked himself in, shutting the world out - both physically, emotionally, and metaphorically. Studying and doing well in school thus became a fixation, a way to prove to his parents that he was living up to their expectations without being an inconvenient burden in their lives.

02. A New World For ShiEun

One might think, quite understandably, that it is the constant pestering of the bullies that forces ShiEun out of his shell. However, it is one tiny moment in the very first episode that proves this theory wrong. It is the unwelcome hand Ahn SooHo (Choi HyunWook) extends towards ShiEun that does the trick and this first comes in the form of a knock. SooHo invites himself into both ShiEun’s house and his life, ushering in the coming-of-age that has been long overdue for him. It fuels the necessary destruction of his world so that he may see the light of a new dawn, just like Demian’s bird - “Who would be born must first destroy a world”. This growth is natural and painful but it is inevitable.

The next day, when ShiEun is on the verge of letting his self-control go, SooHo intervenes again, lest ShiEun lose himself. On the day of the mock exam, ShiEun is drugged by Oh BumSeok (Hong Kyung) under YoungBin’s (Kim SuGyeom) intimidation. He soon realizes what exactly has happened and slaps himself to get out of the daze. Later on, instead of exploding on BumSeok, who he figured was under pressure, ShiEun goes for the kingpin.

We’re taken back to the opening scene, saturated with yellow, as ShiEun finally breaks. The sheer nuance and detail with which Park JiHoon delivers this scene, complete with his eye twitching, veins popping, and his face quivering with rage, sets a precedent for the rest of the series.

We finally see Yeon ShiEun implement his theoretical knowledge of physics into his attack, marking the beginning of the saga we have been waiting for. It is not just cathartic but also pitiful, in a sense, to see this boy teetering on the brink of insanity and finally giving in. When SooHo tries to stop things from getting out of hand, he fires back at him, having clearly lost his sense of judgment.

As the situation de-escalates, ShiEun leverages YoungBin’s drug use to dismiss his assault charge. At this point, he has gained quite a reputation at school but somehow, he feels lonelier than ever. Despite his indifferent facade, he is unnerved and ShiEun’s tremendous distress is expressed wonderfully in the way Park JiHoon’s hand trembles with the pen as he struggles to write.

Right then, SooHo turns up again, and ShiEun feels compelled to open up the window to his heart (in reality, he’s just opening the bus window to greet SooHo at a traffic light, but it’s the perfect imagery for such a change). He’s flustered but there’s a shift in him whereby he appreciates SooHo’s presence for the first time, even apologizing for their tiff. SooHo has an effortless air to him, a casual amicability that gently holds ShiEun by the hand and urges him to change. On that bus ride, as ShiEun looks out of the open window, his eyes sparkle for the first time.

The next morning, ShiEun reaches out to him first, offering to buy him a meal. He is testing out the waters and preparing to flap his wings, which SooHo both acknowledges and encourages. As he’s settling into this new world, BumSeok approaches him, out of a need for security, but his efforts are quickly disregarded, although not disrespected. BumSeok picks up on this and so doesn’t hesitate to come to his aid with SooHo when Jeon SeokDae (Shin SeungHo) attacks him. The fight brings them closer together and a friendship forms quite naturally, especially since it cannot be denied.

This is also the first fight where we truly see ShiEun’s analytical and strategic abilities shine. Park JiHoon is spectacular in this scene and deserves high praise for the impact that he leaves on the audience. From the deliberation in his eyes to the subtle shades of anxiety and fury that wash over his face when he is planning his next move from a point of disadvantage, the relief he feels on seeing SooHo’s arm held out for him as well as the renewed confidence of fighting together - Park JiHoon expresses the tiniest details with conviction.

ShiEun entered the fight alone but left it as three and thus begins his journey into this new world - one that shines golden with warmth. He is invited to go eat with his new friends and he desperately wants to, from the way he looks at SooHo’s scooter. So, even though he should ideally go to cram school, with just a little push, he agrees to skip class. They end up helping SooHo at his part-time job and get to know each other better.

Watching SooHo work leaves ShiEun wide-eyed in respect and admiration. He is letting his guard down and it shows in every fiber of his being, thanks to Park JiHoon's marvelous acting. At the same time, he reconciles with BumSeok, clearing their misunderstandings once and for all. Surrounded by love and laughter, ShiEun stops and stares, taking in the wholesomeness, almost in disbelief, which is probably why he cannot smile yet. This is ShiEun’s first transgression from the boundaries he had set for himself and the bird is finally fighting its way out of the egg. That night, he dozes off instead of studying and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a good night's sleep after way too long.

03. The Tipping Point

In episodes 3 and 4, our favorite trio takes a detour for a side quest. After being lured into the lion’s den by YoungBin, ShiEun, SooHo, and BumSeok are embroiled in a terrible relationship with Kim GilSu (Na Chul). Meanwhile, ShiEun strikes up an unlikely friendship with YoungYi (Lee Yeon), who he finds easier to connect with now that he has made the conscious choice to let people in. He also empathizes with her while she helps him bring GilSu down. In some way, it appears that ShiEun could see a nerve of similarity between the two, which is probably why their relationship continued beyond the altercation and ultimately fueled the final arc of the narrative. 

It is interesting to see how ShiEun’s plan to call the cops on GilSu doesn’t exactly go as expected. It reinforces the fact that ShiEun is, after all, just a high school kid, and he isn’t fully equipped to handle something as unpredictable as a sting operation with lives at stake. When faced with a knife, he, too, falters and is visibly afraid. 

After all, Yeon ShiEun is not invincible and neither is he a mastermind but the wrath, resentment, and desperation that he feels at the mere thought of his friends getting hurt are what drive him to a solution. He chases after GilSu fearlessly without a strategy, which, once again, almost gets him stabbed until SooHo comes to his aid. 

At every turn in this scene, you can see ShiEun wrestle with his emotions as he oscillates between confusion, calculation, and execution. Park JiHoon’s array of expressions is so unbelievably versatile that he conveys this emotional vacillation with the utmost precision. After the final showdown, ShiEun admits that he could only go after GilSu alone because he knew SooHo would come for him, but it is rather hard to believe him, even more so because he wouldn’t necessarily want to admit that he was reckless. You see, ShiEun is only starting to explore this new world and his communication skills are arguably not the best. So, he talks back, refuses to give in, and holds his ground, even when he would much rather be held himself. The same goes for when SeokDae asks ShiEun to join him for a meal someday. He replies with an indifferent remark, referring to how all SooHo and SeokDae could think of was food. However, the way his gaze softens, tells all. 

Later that night, ShiEun visits SooHo in the hospital with YoungYi, leaves, and goes back once more with ox knee soup - the exact food SooHo had been craving. He puts on a nonchalant look and doesn’t seem to react even when YoungYi wraps herself around him, but what finally gets him to break character, once more, is when SooHo points out how his warm-heartedness gives him the heebiejeebies. ShiEun breaks into a smile, for the first time in the entire series, and this single grin radiates the light of a thousand suns. 

If not for Park JiHoon’s masterful portrayal, perhaps this scene wouldn’t have had as much impact. It is only because he builds his character with undeniable depth and complexity, bringing out ShiEun’s inexplicable pain with cutting clarity, that this smile allows us to let go of a breath we had been holding since the first episode.

Through it all, perhaps no one described Yeon ShiEun better than GilSu: “I thought you were darn weak but you’re actually gutsy”. Note here that he doesn’t call ShiEun “strong” per se, at least not referring to his physical strength or his endurance in a fight. Rather, he calls him gutsy because his courage and smarts are the true sources of his strength. 

Episode 5 focuses on BumSeok and his feelings of isolation. Despite being close with SooHo and ShiEun, he cannot help but feel like he’s part of another world - one that in no way intersects with his friends. YoungYi, a young girl who also has nothing, forges a bond with SooHo and the two appear closer than BumSeok has ever been with him, which sows the first seeds of discontent in him. ShiEun is quick to grasp the situation, which is aggravated even more by BumSeok’s former bullies. Rather than being baffled at the change in BumSeok, ShiEun is genuinely concerned, and while SooHo tends to YoungYi, ShiEun sticks around for BumSeok.

It is also in this episode that we get one of the most affectionate scenes in “Weak Hero Class 1”. At the crack of dawn, SooHo trains ShiEun, teaching him how to protect himself and throw a punch. Thanks to SooHo, we also get Park JiHoon’s aegyo making a special appearance, even as ShiEun maintains a poker face.

They visit BumSeok next, to check up on him and while SooHo looks around the mansion, ShiEun scans BumSeok’s body carefully to make sure he is doing alright. His voice is soft and gentle, laced with apprehension. When ShiEun speaks to BumSeok, he validates him, affirms his feelings, and tells him the golden words he needs to hear - “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong”. It’s little things like these that endear ShiEun even more to us because you cannot help but notice how much he cares. 

When things get worse between SooHo and BumSeok, ShiEun constantly tries to stay neutral, with a full understanding of both parties. He realizes that SooHo, in his attempt to prevent BumSeok’s corruption, tries to hold him back but at the same time, what BumSeok needed at that moment was undivided support, not discipline. He demanded an eye for an eye but SooHo was aware of how futile that would be. Naturally, BumSeok finds this “support” elsewhere and goes down the rabbit hole of alcohol, drugs, and bad company, turning into the same breed he despised.

ShiEun notices BumSeok’s twisted inclinations at once and tries to hold an intervention, only to be met with quite the cold shoulder. As BumSeok and SooHo face-off, ShiEun lets out a sigh, his eyes drooping ever so slightly. He is watching his brand new world crumble right in front of his eyes and he must have thought to himself - is this how it’s going to be again?

One thing leads to another, and BumSeok ends up getting involved with YoungBin and takes his bait to mess with SooHo, even bidding on getting rid of him once and for all. 

On the other hand, SooHo wonders whether BumSeok had been tagging along for a sense of popularity rather than friendship, so it is not surprising that he switched sides. ShiEun sees right through him and questions whether he really believes that because he knows SooHo is simply trying to justify the betrayal. Then comes the tipping point.

04. The Eye Of The Storm

Ahn SooHo’s birthday rolls around and ShiEun is fixing up some seaweed soup, when YoungYi is called out by BumSeok in a ploy to get SooHo to come out. Meanwhile, back at the party room, SooHo is teaching ShiEun the ways of the video game world. There’s a moment in this scene where Park JiHoon simply blinks, albeit like a doe, and it gives off such a deep impression of innocence as he sits cross-legged with an unintentional pout, staring at the screen, that it makes the darkness of the impending doom hit even harder. This is the calm before the storm, before utter devastation comes down on him and this implication is nothing short of tragic. Soon, it arrives.

ShiEun intercepts the message meant to blackmail SooHo and the realization dawns on him. His throat goes dry and his eyes lose their stillness. Without a second thought, he goes out to the mentioned address - characteristically steered by his emotions. He enters the abandoned basement, once again lit by a sickly yellow light, and is reminded of the Battle of Thermopylae. In an instant, he decides on his strategy, carefully examining his surroundings before coming face to face with his opponents. 

Even though he is armed this time around, ShiEun recalls SooHo’s advise to run. YoungYi escapes to get the police while ShiEun, unfortunately, is caught. However, he expertly directs them to a narrow passage, imitating the Spartans in the aforementioned battle. He barely manages to subdue the gang before Kang WooYoung (Cha WooMin) steps in, breaking down his defense in one go, giving YoungBin and his minions enough scope to beat him to a pulp. By the time the police arrive, ShiEun is as good as half-dead. YoungBin taunts him one last time, and ShiEun’s chin quivers in response, which tells us all we need to know about the anguish he holds within. Still, ShiEun can’t cry, not yet. 

Sometime later, YoungYi is reporting the crime to the police, implicating BumSeok as the culprit. ShiEun wakes up just in time to stop her and confesses that he was the only one in there, reasoning that SooHo must not know about what happened. He calls BumSeok, warning him (rather politely) against harming SooHo. Not only does the threat not have the desired effect, it also backfires, egging BumSeok on further in his madness. 

SooHo catches whiff of the matter and shows up at ShiEun’s house, just like the first time. He asks him if he’s okay, to which ShiEun responds by looking up at his eyes, almost as if he couldn’t hide the truth from him even if he tried. So, he looks away, lest SooHo catch him in a lie. As SooHo leaves, ShiEun wants to believe that he bought the act but deep down, he knows there’s no way he did. 

The rest of the episode follows SooHo as he seeks revenge but his previous injury proves a disadvantage. As he lies on the floor, knocked out, BumSeok and his “friends” take turns kicking him, pushing him into a coma.

The 8th episode opens with the classroom again - this time, inundated in a beautiful warm golden color symbolic of reverie. We see ShiEun, SooHo and BumSeok whiling away their time with carefree chit-chat. ShiEun suggests that they go eat but SooHo has his part-time job, and BumSeok needs to be home, so he is left alone. The moment that he thought would last forever gets cut short, and the overwhelming weight of loneliness becomes rather unbearable. His back is hunched over and we see him from behind again, just like in the first episode. 

Unable to get a hold of SooHo, ShiEun goes to school alone on the day of the final exam but he can hardly focus. Even though this is what he has broken his back over for months on end, ShiEun couldn’t care less. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t get a perfect score but it doesn’t trouble him nearly as much anymore. After finding out about SooHo, his world comes crashing down. Seeing him on the hospital bed, ShiEun’s voice is barely a whisper. SooHo’s grandmother recognizes him, which can only mean that he’s spoken about him before. Now, he cries. 

Yeon ShiEun has reached his limit and there’s no turning back. Thus begins the definitive episode of “Weak Hero Class 1” - one that solidifies Park JiHoon’s position as one of the greatest actors to ever come out of the Korean entertainment industry.

The next morning, ShiEun gets on the bus and, on the way, inadvertently listens as the news reads out the results of a survey that revealed how a majority of students cannot get enough sleep because of academies, private tuitions, and so on. This is particularly ironic when we consider what ShiEun is going through because, without a doubt, if those were the reasons for his sleepless nights, he would consider himself rather lucky. The show peppers in such brilliant details with careful precision throughout the episodes, amplifying its impact manifold.

As it turns out, ShiEun wasn’t just going to go back to his regularly scheduled programming. No, he showed up at YoungBin’s school, Jisung High, ready to dish out exactly what he deserves. This is Yeon ShiEun at his rawest, seeing red. He is unhinged and unstoppable - a force of nature, and anything that comes in his way, will be crushed. 

From the very beginning of this sequence, until the extreme end, Park JiHoon’s eyes are unrecognizable. In a perfect representation of ShiEun’s deranged rampage, his previously glazed-over look is taken over by a feverish frenzy. There’s not an iota of sympathy behind those eyes; only the fire of vengeance glows bright. 

First comes YoungBin, who gives him the truth, leading him to WooYoung. The next scene is highly reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”, as ShiEun sounds his make-shift weapon like Sergeant Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) right before unleashing hell upon his enemy. Like a death knell, ShiEun hits his rod against the floor, invoking fear at every beat. Finally, he meets Kang WooYoung. 

Recalling his singular lesson with SooHo, ShiEun combines technique with strategy and brings WooYoung down. He doesn’t fight fair, he fights to win; but this time, he’s fighting to punish, and when Yeon ShiEun rains down retribution, nothing is off-limits. 

Much like YoungBin, WooYoung defers blame, shifting it onto Oh BumSeok. Bruised and bloodied, ShiEun walks into Byeoksan High, abandoning the last thread of sanity in him. Despite being outnumbered, ShiEun remains unbeaten, but when he gets to BumSeok, his ire melts into unadulterated despair. 

As much as he wants to land a punch, ShiEun cannot lay his hand on BumSeok. “We were all close” - he claims, demanding an explanation, while BumSeok writhes underneath him, begging for salvation. The camera closes in on Park JiHoon, blood rushing to his face, tears forming in his eyes, clouding his vision, and beads of sweat settling on his brow. His gaze betrays his agony while his clenched teeth solicit vindication. He can’t help but blink as he tries to make sense of the situation when earlier, he unwaveringly held his stare. 

Yeon ShiEun is stuck right in between fight and flight and his spirit is completely broken. All he is, is a husk of a man, devoid of purpose and meaning. Yeon ShiEun is weak. 

As he walks out of that hallway, drained of life itself, leaving nothing but ruins in his wake, the teachers’ pathetic attempts to establish “order” as adults push him over the edge. The world that should have been colorful and pure for the youth is defiled by these very adults - from his own parents to GilSu, and BumSeok’s abusive adoptive father - no one is to blame but them.

ShiEun bursts out in anger, punching the glass windows with his bare fists, yelling at the top of his lungs. This is the scream of consciousness - a cry for help emerging from deep within his soul, uninterrupted by rationale. Tears run down his cheeks as he sniffles in exasperation, turning his back on the world that forsook him, his joy, his friends. 

05. An Existentialist Resignation

ShiEun walks away in a haze, trudging to be by SooHo’s side, dragging his feet along. He sits in front of him, head hung low, partly in shame and partly in mourning, but also to rest. As his eyes close, the hospital room is awash with golden light once more, almost like an angel’s halo is embracing him. ShiEun drifts away to a land of idyllic happiness, where SooHo has woken up and is speaking to him. Yet, there’s not a trace of surprise on his face. SooHo asks if ShiEun is sleepy, and he says that he is, to which “SooHo” calls him a weirdo, just like he always does. ShiEun simply says he’s sorry for everything, taking this imaginary chance to make amends. SooHo apologizes in return and the light drains from the room, bringing ShiEun back into his colorless reality. 

The boy who never cried cannot help his tears from welling up as SooHo’s white breath comes and goes - the only sign that he is living, but not alive. He whimpers in silence, see-sawing between uncontrollable rage and an excruciating ache. All is said and done but nothing is achieved and ShiEun is alone again in this drab, merciless world - one that he fought so hard to break into. 

BumSeok is sent abroad to study, SooHo remains in a coma, and YoungYi runs away from the guilt of having caused it all. Although she keeps in touch with SooHo’s grandmother, she doesn’t contact ShiEun. BumSeok’s father intended to send ShiEun to a juvenile reformatory, but when presented with evidence of his son’s assault, he simply forces him to transfer quietly, albeit making sure that ShiEun couldn’t get into a single school in Seoul. ShiEun divulges these details in a matter-of-fact way, with not a hint of emotion in his voice, which makes it all the more heartbreaking.  It is almost as if he has surrendered to the meaninglessness of life. 

We cut to a car crossing a dark tunnel on a rainy day, where ShiEun’s parents are taking him to Eunjang High School in Yeongdeungpo. Perhaps the incident awakens some sort of instinct in his parents as his mother desperately tries to hold on to him despite their distance. ShiEun says that he’ll go in alone and turns before hearing “you did well”. He must have heard this an infinite number of times before for his academic success but this is the first time ShiEun feels it in his bones. “You did nothing wrong”, says his father, with a face that reflects true pride. ShiEun does not, or cannot answer him, and walks away. 

In that one statement, ShiEun’s father validates his existence with more conviction than ever before, granting him the strength to start a new journey. Even though he says nothing, Park JiHoon’s eyes say it all. 

Eunjang High is another hellhole, worse than anything he’s seen so far, but Yeon ShiEun is a changed man, weathered, defeated, and with nothing to lose. Harkening back to “Demian” - “The bird flies to God. That God’s name is Abraxas.” Abraxas is the Gnostic deity of a united world, where binaries coexist, and Yeon ShiEun, too, must accept this world. 

So, now in Eunjang High, ShiEun has no intentions of letting petty, predictable bullies walk all over him. From the very beginning, his eyes are crazed. He is the god of this new world. He is the weak hero. 

What did you think about Yeon ShiEun in "Weak Hero"? Share your thoughts with Kpopmap in the comments section down below!