Kdrama Deep-Dive Review: Winning by Outthinking Rather Than Overpowering
I’ve said it too many times—like in my last two pieces—the god-like fights and moves of Gamin. Okay, I better stop that already, but I really want to emphasize just how fun it is to watch Gamin. The choreography, the moves, the impact, the wins. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t even watch that many violent movies or dramas. You can certainly call me out for not watching Squid Game yet!
And yet here I am, watching the fights in Study Group and being completely entertained—except, of course, when they get too real and violent, which they sometimes do.
This, then, reminds me of another underdog I adore: Sieun in Weak Hero Class 1, another manhwa adaptation. But Sieun is very different from Gamin. Whilst Gamin struggles in his studies, Sieun is the more intelligent type. He is just as serious about his studies, working hard to get good results, even winning first place in a math competition. He may seem weak, often out of breath when he overexerts himself, but he fights in a way that’s just as calculated as his studies.
And just like Gamin, he strategizes his every move. Thinking, for example, that “centrifugal force on an object will create greater force upon impact,” he smashes a hardback book into a classmate who was bullying him—then, using that momentum, stabs another bully seated in front with the pen in his other hand. How cool is that? Violent, yes, but undeniably smart.
Unlike Study Group, Weak Hero Class 1 is grounded in realism. Its fights are brutal, its strategies calculated, with no absurdity. But the comparison struck me while watching Gamin—he reminded me of Sieun. Who would have thought that wielding a book as a weapon could be just as intellectual as reading one?
I am obviously not someone who fights—not even someone who could throw a proper punch. Maybe a light tap is the best I could do. But I’d like to think the same way they do. Observant, precise, able to act on details with accuracy. That’s something I struggle with—not just in fighting, but in life.
I hesitated to watch Weak Hero Class 1 because of the violence, but it was really the main actor who drew me in and kept me watching. Maybe it’s my affinity for underdogs—Gamin is one too—and he pulled me in just as deeply with his fights and pursuits.
Could I, then, gain the ability they have—to stay cool, unaffected by emotion? To rely on intellect and strategy when physically outmatched? To think through my battles, not the physical ones, but the ones I face every day?
These two underdogs don’t win by sheer luck. They win because they outthink their opponents. And that is what I want to be—cool and collected, observant and sharp.
And there’s a lot to learn from the so-called “winners” too—the ones who eventually fall. When we think we’re too good, too great, we blind ourselves to the reality that we can fail too. When we fill our minds too much with ourselves, it dulls our senses, and we lose sight of reality. And that, more often than not, is what makes the proud fall. If not now, then later.
And now I get it—why I like underdogs. Not just any underdog, but those who are humble, who know their limits, yet still find that one edge to win.
Because in the end, it’s not just about fighting—at least not the physical kind. It’s about knowing when to fight, how to fight, and what it really means to win.
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