Another hit film that continues the lineage of school action film syndrome has appeared.

Wave’s original series ‘ONE : High School Heroes’ (High School Heroes)has been increasing viewer immersion with its exhilarating action scenes and fast-paced development, and has taken first place in content attracting new paid subscribers on Wave(May 30 - June 1).Proving its hot topic through numbers, it is also drawing attention as a work that will follow in the ‘box office lineage’ of school action films such as Netflix’s ‘Weak Hero Class 2’ and Tving’s ‘Study Group’.

‘High School Heroes’, released on the 30th of last month, contains the action of high school students wearing masks to destroy the school order covered in school violence and hierarchy.This work, which is summarized as the story of ‘breaking the villain’s dojo ‘, is based on’ One ‘by Lee Eun-jae, winner of the’ 2020 Today’s Our Cartoon Award ‘.

This is the first drama directed by director Lee Sung-tae, who directed the films’ Two Men ‘and’ Quantum Physics ‘, and Lee Jung-ha, who made his mark with the Disney+ series’ Moving ‘, takes on the lead role.
Immediately after the 1st to 4th episodes were released simultaneously on the 30th of last month, the viewers’ reactions have been heating up to the point of being reminiscent of the ‘Weak Hero’ syndrome.In various communities, the main response is that “it has inherited the strengths of previous hits such as ‘Weak Hero’ by balancing the protagonist’s growth narrative and the thrill of action.”

Just as ‘Weak Hero’ and ‘Study Group’ were produced as seasonal series, attention is focused on whether ‘High School Heroes’ can continue this momentum and secure a seasonal series.A production official positively predicted the possibility, saying, “The unique worldview, character charm, and long-term narrative proven through the webtoon original are also advantageous for expansion into seasonal series or spin-offs.”

Just as the actors ‘great acting played a big role in the popularity of’ Weak Hero ‘, the performances of the characters in this work are also dazzling.Lee Jung-ha, who plays the title role, is the center of attention, and is receiving favorable reviews for his delicate portrayal of the character of the top student in the school, who is different from Park Ji-hoon of’ Weak Hero ‘.Actor Kim Do-wan, who plays’ Yoon-ki ‘, also shows off his extraordinary presence.Yoon-ki is a character who takes notice of Ui-gyeom’s ability and leads the formation of the secret group ‘High School Heroes’ to overturn the school violence hierarchy.

In addition, veteran actors Kim Sang-ho and Kim Joo-ryeong are holding the center with their solid acting skills, and Hong Min-ki, who also appeared in ‘Study Group’, and Yuk Jun-seo, who appeared in the dating program ‘Solo Hell’, are also attracting the attention of viewers.


Reporter Jang Eun- eunj@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.