Kdramas Like Weak Hero Class 2: After two long years, Weak Hero Class 2 finally released yesterday—and it absolutely delivered on everything it promised. From the very first season, this drama somehow perfectly captured the harsh, heartbreaking reality of school bullying. It made us actually feel the pain and also the helplessness that the victims go through, and many of us couldn’t help but cry while watching it. Season 1 was devastating, seeing how the boys struggled and ultimately failed to protect each other against the powerful bullies.
Since then, we’ve all been waiting to see what would happen when Yeon Si-eun, played by Park Ji-hoon, moved to a new school. In Weak Hero Class 2, Yeon Si-eun faces another fresh set of bullies and also new friends, but let’s be real, new friendships come with new problems. And, this time, actually, things get even messier than before. However, I just loved the way Si-eun and his buddies handled the mess, so yes, we even root for them way harder this time.
Now that Season 2 has wrapped up, and while we impatiently wait for Season 3, let’s dive into some other Kdramas that I know are just as intense. These shows don’t shy away from showing the dark side of school life; some of them are based on real events, whereas some just explore powerful stories of revenge, survival, and justice.
Kdramas Like Weak Hero Class 2
High School Return of a Gangster
High School Return of a Gangster is a fresh take on the school violence issue. Based on the web novel I, a Gangster Became a High School Student, the story centres on an old-fashioned gangster who finds himself inside the body of a bullied boy. Suddenly street smart and commanding physical strength, the teenager starts to flip the school’s brutal hierarchy on its head. Starring Yoon Chan-young and Lee Seo-jin, the show combines action, heart and a touch of the supernatural.
This is a drama that appeals to fans who have a soft spot for underdogs who fight back. High School Return of a Gangster is yet another school bullying series to make your skin crawl with how desperate and lonely its victims become, just as we can witness in brutal series of the sort. Its nail-biting depiction of a single individual standing up against systemic inhumanity reflects the emotional peaks and valleys that fans of intense school dramas value.
Study Group
This one is based on the hit webtoon, and it is full of action! Located in one of Korea’s lowest-performing high schools, Study Group follows a group of students who are trying to survive academically and physically. Though it be their every intention, trying to create a proper study group is not as easy as they would expect from a collection of delinquents and the like.
The drama deftly intertwines academic trials with the grim reality of school violence and manipulation. Starring Hwang Min-hyun and Han Ji-yoon, the cast breathes life into the cruel yet optimistic story. The fight scenes are cool, but the bond between the characters is what sets the show apart. If you enjoyed the teamwork from Weak Hero Class, then you’ll also like this.
A gritty take on teen survival, much like other school-centric action drama shows, Study Group follows suit. A mix of fragile friendships, secret rivalries and brutal bullying will be familiar to anyone who likes reading stories of survival in a toxic environment. A reminder that sometimes the only way out is to stand together.
Also Read: Weak Hero Class 2 Review: Park Ji-hoon’s Fierce Gaze and Brutal Battles Shine Yet Again
Undercover High School
In Undercover High School, espionage collides with the savage world of bullying. A secret agent, played by Seo Kang-joon, infiltrates an elite school in search of stolen treasure, only to find the dark underside of a seemingly flawless institution. Below the shiny veneer, a malignant environment of bullying thrives, undermining the hero’s purpose and his ethics.
What makes this one interesting is it’s not just about taking on bullies — it’s about the double lives students live, and the systems that safeguard the wrong people. Viewers who enjoy getting tangled up in high-stakes conflicts edged with tension, as found in emotional school dramas such as Undercover High School, may find the show a good watch.
The King of Pigs
Based on the award-winning animation, The King of Pigs looks at the psychological scars inflicted by schoolyard bullying. It features two childhood friends, reunited as adults, and ends up entwined in a sinister string of murders connected to their traumatic shared history. With strong performances from Kim Dong-wook and Kim Sung-gyu, the show doesn’t shy away from showing the long-term trauma bullying can inflict.
For viewers who are attracted to these darker, more psychological kinds of stories about the cost of violence, this show excels. Like other dark school tales, it raises hard questions about victimhood, revenge and whether there is such a thing as full recovery.
Also Read: 8 Upcoming Kdramas to Look Forward to in May 2025: Tastefully Yours, Good Boy and More
The Glory
The Glory could be one of the most brutal school bullying dramas ever made. It’s about Moon Dong-yoon, who aspires to become an architect before her dream is shattered by her classmate’s ruthless bullying. Years later, she does find a way to exact revenge when she becomes the homeroom teacher of her bully’s child. Starring a spellbinding Song Hye-kyo, the series is haunting, beautiful and intensely personal.
The Glory should appeal to lovers of the most raw and intense bullying dramas because of this slow-burning storytelling and the depth of the emotion. It seizes upon the deadly calm and lifelong trauma of unfettered violence: It’s for anyone who loves endlessly meditative, character-first sweat-revenge fare.
Revenge of Others
In Revenge of Others, the school turns deadly as a battleground. The story centres on Ok Chan-mi as she investigates the mysterious death of her twin brother. Along the way, she meets another student on a bug’s back ride for revenge, and the two are drawn into a web of secrets, betrayals and bloody confrontations. The drama was so unpredictable, with Shin Ye-eun’s acting making the audience nervous.
Like other school violence dramas, Revenge of Others depicts the grief of loss and hunger for justice. It’s thrilling, emotional, and taps into the same feeling of unease and urgency that makes the genre so compelling.
Extracurricular
Extracurricular kdrama paints a grim picture of the double lives high schoolers can lead. Fronted by a seemingly perfect high schooler running an illegal operation, the drama looks at the pressure, the downturns, and the corrupting allure of the illicit game that is badminton. Featuring Kim Dong-hee and Park Joo-hyun, it expertly walks a line between the tension of survival and perversion of your morals.
Though it isn’t exclusively a show about bullying, Extracurricular tackles a lot of the same brutal concepts, power dynamics, taking advantage of someone else and the fine line between victim and perpetrator. It’s required viewing for anyone who loves ward diving into the tangle of realities teenagers have to navigate.
Korean dramas like Weak Hero Class 2 don’t hold back from showing the brutal truth of school life. Whether it’s personal revenge, the survival of a hostile environment or even emerging from buried traumas, these shows tell powerful stories that linger long after the credits have rolled. If you want emotionally intense stories that will keep you glued to the screen as you discover the harsh world of school bullying, then these 7 dramas should be your next binge.
Also Read: 4 C-Dramas Based on Zhu Yi’s Novels That Hook You with Their Characters!
