Was Yeong-i Added to Tone Down the Bromance? Deep Analysis with Subscriber Discussions

📍Recently uploaded “Was Yeong-i Added to Tone Down the Bromance?” video tackled one of the most debated topics among Weak Hero fans – Yeong-i’s role in the series. Was she just thrown in to make the bromance less intense, or does she serve a much deeper purpose in the story? This post compiles the video content along with diverse perspectives from subscribers.

If you’d like to read the Korean translation version: 약한영웅 영이 분석: 브로맨스를 희석시키기 위한 캐릭터일까? | 구독자들과의 깊은 토론

Full Video Script

Hey everyone, it’s Jenny. I’ve been getting quite a few requests to break down Yeong-i’s role in Weak Hero Class 1. And honestly, the discussions about her character have been just as intriguing as the character herself. Today, I want to delve into this ongoing debate and compile all the different perspectives from you.

Some of you think she was thrown in just to tone down the bromance vibes, or maybe she was shoehorned in because, you know, every boy group needs at least one girl to make things look more realistic. But I’d like to know if there’s way more to her character than meets the eye.

One subscriber left this comment that opened up a whole new perspective on how to view this character. It was like poetry, honestly. They said she turns Si-eun’s walls into butter. She just cuts right through that butter and barges in. You know, she starts caring about her safety, her welfare, her future super quickly. Isn’t that wild?

Watching Si-eun take care of the girl, we actually get to see how fast this seemingly cat-like loner boy melts when someone breaks into his boundaries. Under that blank expression of this boy who seems to love being alone, there’s this self-made ice wall, and we get to watch him slowly warm up to the decent people in his life through this girl.

---

Reading that made me realize we really need to talk about Yeong-i’s role and what she brings to this drama. Most importantly, this girl’s existence throws a curveball at Beom-seok that he just can’t handle. She becomes the trigger that sends this poor kid spiraling down faster and faster until he completely crashes and burns.

Watch how this boy’s emotions take a nose dive after this penniless, powerless street girl shows up. Beom-seok is trailing behind Su-ho and Yeong-i like a lost puppy. But inside his head is boiling with suspicion and this anger that’s starting to bubble up. When he pays for their coffee, something that would have been no big deal before, his expression is dark as hell.

Looking deeper into the script book directions for this sequence, what really gets to me is how natural Su-ho and Yeong-i’s banter sounds, just like typical teenage conversation. When Yeong-i suggests going to Yangyang Surf Beach for Su-ho’s upcoming birthday, saying Jeju Island is a bit much, how about Yangyang Surf Beach? Su-ho responds with, “Do you even know how to surf?” Yeong-i shoots back, “Who goes there to surf? We go because it’s hip.” And Su-ho immediately counters, “Does being hip put food on the table?” Then Yeong-i fires back. “Hey, I make a living off being hip.” And they just keep going back and forth, playfully arguing like kids their age do.

Meanwhile, the script notes that Beom-seok feels increasingly left out, watching this entire exchange unfold. Deep down, he knows Su-ho and Si-eun genuinely care about him and want to protect him in their group. But he’s picking up on all these side comments from classmates like that loser thinks he’s hot just because he hangs with Ahn Su-ho, and it’s eating away at him.

---

This series brilliantly captures how teenage boys naturally figure out the pecking order, who’s on top and who gets pushed around. We see this not just with Yeong-bin’s gang or those Mon-gang high bullies who constantly pick on their victims, but even within this trio. Su-ho never takes advantage of this dynamic, but he naturally slides into the protector role, living up to his name, and even jokes around, calling himself Hyong to his friends.

So, when Beom-seok’s already feeling inferior to Su-ho and Si-eun, street girl Yeong-i shows up. Here’s where Yeong-i’s role becomes absolutely crucial to understanding the whole show.

A bunch of you have asked me to break down Beom-seok’s psychology and Yeong-i basically forces him to face this impossible question.

She can’t fight like Si-eun, so how the hell is this homeless girl getting Su-ho’s attention in favour?

One subscriber pointed out that Yeong-i is also a lunatic in the brave sense. And that’s what Su-ho found appealing about her. When Su-ho was laid up in the hospital, he introduced this girl to his best friend, cracking up as he called her that girl who smashed a thug’s head. This shows Su-ho is drawn to courage above everything else.

But from Beom-seok’s messed up perspective, this was like a bomb going off in his brain. Here’s this girl with no money, no power, who can’t throw punches like the boys. Yet, she’s still earning Su-ho’s attention and respect.

That whole sequence where Beom-seok kidnaps Yeong-i and basically fishes around to confirm his suspicions that Su-ho and Yeong-i are sleeping together. That was the moment his darkest assumptions completely took over. This pitiful boy is convinced that instead of owing Su-ho, Yeong-i must be giving something back as a woman.

His screwed up psychology shaped by years of getting beaten down by his adoptive father has taught him that kindness always comes with strings attached. Never having experienced unconditional love or care, Beom-seok just can’t wrap his head around Su-ho’s selfless generosity toward Yeong-i. In his twisted worldview, every nice gesture has to be transactional. There’s got to be an exchange, a debt, some power play going on.

The idea that Su-ho could just help Yeong-i out of basic human decency without expecting anything back is completely foreign to how Beom-seok understands relationships. His abusive upbringing has wired him to believe that care always comes with conditions, manipulation, or hidden agendas.

This inability to process unconditional kindness forces him to face the question that’s been burning in his mind.

What does she have that I don’t? Am I worth less than this street girl?

---

From another angle, another fan shared something that really grabbed my attention. From a male viewer’s perspective, they interpreted her inclusion not as something to stir up jealousy or water down the bromance, but as a natural reflection of teenage reality.

They pointed out how awkward class 2 looks with all these teenage boys who seem completely uninterested in romance, mentioning that having girlfriends is just part of normal teenage life. That scene in season two where Baku suggests the guys go out looking for dates actually felt like real bro code to male viewers. Backing up the idea that Yeong-i’s role isn’t just some narrative device, but a realistic addition.

Let’s circle back to that observation about Yeong-i cutting through Si-eun’s walls like butter. That butter metaphor is perfect. It happens in the most natural, unforced way. Remember when Yeong-i boldly links arms with Si-eun and drags him off to eat Tteokbokki together?

What makes this connection so powerful is that Si-eun and this character come from completely different worlds. They’re from different social circles with no natural connection points, but her fearless personality builds that bridge. She doesn’t tiptoe around his walls or carefully probe his defences. She just bulldozes right through them like they don’t exist. And he responds to this authenticity.

We see it in that scene where he’s wearing a hat because of Gil-su’s threats and calls her asking, “Are you okay?” This moment reveals his naturally warm and caring nature that’s buried under all that icy armor.

---

So, she was to act as a catalyst that brings out these three boys’ true natures and makes them clash. Her presence forces each character to show their real selves. Su-ho’s protective instincts, Si-eun’s capacity for warmth, and Beom-seok’s fundamental misunderstanding of human connection all become crystal clear through their interactions with her.

That’s why I personally think the interpretation that Yeong-i was just thrown in to tone down the bromance or stuffed in as a token female character is kind of a shallow take.

One subscriber left a comment that really hit me in the gut.

If she hadn’t left and her friendship with Si-eun had continued, it would have helped both of them. And when this little boy lost his little hero in an instant, even though he couldn’t afford to lose him, she could have been someone to lean on to ease his sadness and guilt. But then she just up and leaves.

Personally, my favourite thing about Yeong-i’s personality and actions was how, like a guardian angel, Si-eun really hadn’t had peers like Su-ho or Yeong-i before. What Su-ho and Yeong-i have in common is this ability to just barge right into Si-eun’s fortress-like shell without reading the room or tiptoeing around his defences.

Maybe some fans initially saw her as getting in the way of the bromance in a story where relationships are often complicated by trauma, hierarchy, and unspoken emotions. Her straightforward authenticity can feel almost too simple. But that simplicity is exactly what makes her so powerful.

And her choice to leave these three friends behind with that final shot of her watching Si-eun’s back as he stares at comatose Su-ho with those heartbroken eyes still makes me feel sick.

📍 What do you guys think about her role in Weak Hero? Did your understanding of this character evolve as you watched or did you see her importance from the get-go? I’d love to hear how your perspective developed.

Thanks for listening and I’ll catch you in the next episode.

Subscriber Comments Collection

1. Obsessive Love for Weak Hero

@manelbenchaoui4514:

I haven’t watched the video yet, I discovered your channel literally one hour ago and watched 4 videos on a row and directly turn on the notification! And to my surprise you just uploaded a video lol isn’t it fate?

I have a question, though. Why are we so obsessed with WHC? Like, I can’t understand why it’s my favourite kdrama while all my friends prefer other romantic kdramas and don’t understand my obsession? Literally, my best friend is tired of me and keeps teasing me every time for fangirling.

I’ve tried to watch other kdramas with strong bromance like DP or bloodhounds, but none of them left a mark on me like weak hero, literally discovered the drama in March (literally 3 years after the release of whc1) and can’t stop hyperfixating, watching edits and reading fanfictions daily, am I the only one? I’ve never been obsessed with a piece of media like this. I’ve even tried to watch other K-dramas with Jihoon and Choi Hyunwook, but it didn’t affect me like WHC.

Jennie’s Reply:

Hey friend! How’s it going? I’m off today, so I’ve been glued to my computer, archiving precious subscriber comments on my Twitter and having the best time. Re-reading all these WHC fans’ thoughts really hit me again with how much we all love this show. Having such a happy afternoon.

Really enjoyed reading your comment! I was so surprised because you totally nailed the point I was trying to make! I deliberately sprinkled some mentions of my previous Jihoon vid throughout this one (sorry the video got so long btw got completely distracted looking at Hyunwook photos and ended up making a 17 mins monster lolol my video skills are getting better though so expect more frequent uploads!)

Everything from here on is just my personal take and impression from reading through all those Jihoon and Hyunwook interviews (but I think you explained it perfectly in your comment already). Like you said, diving into all the behind-the-scenes stuff really made me think these two have pretty different acting styles, and I wonder if there was some healthy “argue” between their approaches on set.

If you discovered it in March and still can’t escape, I think I’ll probably be freed from this drama hostage situation around this winter.

I’m basically Rapunzel with hair long enough to escape, but I’m locking myself in the tower. And look. even starting a YouTube channel. a channel that doesn’t make a penny (like Su-ho said, does this YouTube channel put food on the table?) I’ve been doing something that only a completely crazy person would do for a month now.

2. Psychological Analysis of Yeong-i and Beom-seok

@Piefweren:

Yeah, I think your analogy is absolutely outstanding! Yesterday night I couldn’t sleep, so I was thinking bout Yeong-i, and I think that she was the silent trigger for Beom-seok’s deepest insecurities. She represented something he could never grasp: acceptance without effort.

She entered the world of Su-ho and Si-eun effortlessly, while Beom-seok had to scrape and claw for the smallest scraps of attention.

I think she was there to expose Beom-seok’s fragile self-esteem—how easily he believed he could be replaced, how quickly jealousy metastasised into violence. Even though Yeong-i never harmed him, her mere existence felt like a threat. She highlighted everything Beom-seok lacked: confidence, ease, and a natural place among them.

Yeong-i’s easy laughter and warmth were the mirror Beom-seok didn’t want to look into. Her role was subtle but vital: she cracked his mask of false calm, pulling out the raw need for validation that had always festered beneath the surface. She showed that real belonging can’t be forced, and Beom-seok—desperate and empty—couldn’t handle it.

That’s why he turned to violence, why he became the storm in their lives. Because in his mind, if he couldn’t be loved, he’d be feared. Yeong-i was the final reminder that some things, no matter how hard he tried, would never be his.

Jennie’s Reply:

OMG, your comment is absolutely gorgeous. That line about Beom-seok having to “scrape and claw for the smallest scraps of attention” and how “jealousy metastasised into violence” I literally memorised those phrases the moment I read them. Such poetic expressions.

Reading your comment made me feel so sad for Beom-seok all over again. even if he hadn’t tried so desperately hard, he was already a precious friend to Su-ho and Si-eun. but Beom-seok being such a bundle of insecurities wanted that “equal power” like you said, so even being protected by his two friends probably ate away at his heart.

Always grateful for your comments! Like Su-ho said, these discussions of ours don’t exactly put food on the table but as Seong-je would say, it’s pretty damn romantic in its own way.

3. The Absence of Yeong-i’s Missed Opportunity

@alice6131:

When I was watching Weak Hero two, I often thought of her, “Where does she live, and is she still working at the restaurant? What if she had never left Si-eun and Su-ho behind? I think her existence and mutual experience will become a great therapy for Si-eun to share each other’s sense of guilt. Unfortunately, she is not around when Si-eun dive into the depression and rebuilds his wall with trauma.

@RAMSIL882:

In my humble opinion, Beom-seok wanted to believe that the reason Su-ho treats Yeong-i differently from him is because she is a female. Then, he doesn’t need to think that Su-ho is looking down on him, which is his greatest fear. He had little faith in the friendship because, to him, Su-ho was a strong, cool kid and way out of his league.

Jennie’s Reply:

Yeah, that’s why one subscriber said this, and I totally agreed. “Su-ho brought these two boys. not just Si-eun but also Beom-seok, a tsunami of emotions they’d never felt before in their lives, and these two boys couldn’t afford to lose him, but they lost him anyway and went kind of ballistic” Thanks for the comment.

4. Yeong-i and Su-ho’s Common Ground

@sereinleal:

In a sense Yeong-i and Su-ho are kind of like each others reflection or you can say each other’s echo. both of them have same type of personality and courage. so maybe Si-eun expressed his admiration or maybe love through Yeong-i that he couldn’t quite express towards Su-ho. maybe it was romantic maybe it was platonic but surely Si-eun and Su-ho’s dynamic is so so so complex and deep and pure that it is so hard to name their affection. the directors really left it for us to interpret however we wanted. and for me they will be more than friends and less than lovers because of lack of time.

Jennie’s Reply:

Thank you so much for your beautiful comment. Yes. the feelings the boys shared, especially Si-eun’s feelings for Su-ho. I thought it was really clever that the director called Si-eun’s experience “first love”. For the boys who have lived in isolation their entire lives, Su-ho’s sincere friendship brought about a tsunami of surprise, gratitude, happiness, confidence, joy, and many other emotions that cannot be expressed in words. I think there is only one word that can express all of those feelings, “love”.

5. Beom-seok’s Perspective on Yeong-i

@high_lowx:

Yeong-i isn’t a bad person but when she enters their friend trio, their group balance is thrown off a bit. Like that cafe scene is still in my head because personally I felt Beom-seok because I was in that position too. He felt that he was ignored and only used for his money like when both Yeong-i and Su-ho went towards their seat and just start talking while Beom-seok pays for the drinks. He felt that he might loose that friendship which he was in not because of the money but actual friendship and the happiness he feels when he heard Su-ho say that he was going to make his bullies apologize. and that karaoke scene. He expected Su-ho to actually beat up his old school bullies and he doesn’t, the other school gang does exactly the same and he felt that “yes they are ready to fight for me”. This is my opinion btw

Jennie’s Reply:

Yeah. I mentioned this in my audio, too, but reading in the script book that Beom-seok felt “excluded” while following Su-ho and Yeong-i as they joked around like typical teenagers on their way to the cafe. It made my heart really sick. Honestly if I were in that situation, I probably would’ve felt just as left out as Beom-seok did, even though Su-ho and Yeong-i had absolutely no intention of making him feel that way

6. Cultural Perspectives and BL Interpretations

@gashinadiamond3146:

I honestly didn’t see any semblance of romantic interest from her to Su-ho and Si-eun, or from either of those boys to her. She jokes about it quite a bit, but it seemed to just be that, a joke. I think she was added as a way to destabilise Beom-seok.

She actually has an innocent and purely platonic friendship with both Su-ho and Si-eun but to Beom-seok’s traumatized, insecure, and slightly misogynistic mind (how him & the bullies talk about the girls in bars in later eps); it seems like something more because he feels replaced by her, so he thinks that she has to be someone special to do so.

And if we analyze the text through a literary queer theory lens, she’s a girl with a more masculine leaning type of behavior who isn’t romantically interested in either of those guys, and neither of them are interested in her that way either and have a stronger connection with each other instead; this leads Beom-seok to move away from them and attempt to align with and try to fit in with the more traditionally masculine and overtly heterosexual behavior to gain social capital and feel more powerful.

Jennie’s Reply:

Really appreciate the comment. Subscribers have been chiming in with similar takes, and it’s totally expanded how I see Yeong-i as a character. Well. You could say Yeong-i’s entrance shook things up in Beom-seok’s world, but she ended up delivering the knockout punch that sent everything tumbling down.

One subscriber nailed it when they said Beom-seok could never win over Si-eun in Su-ho’s heart, and while Beom-seok genuinely loved Si-eun, Yeong-i’s appearance trapped him in this brutal self-doubt.

Am I really worse than this street girl who can’t even fight like the guys and doesn’t have any money?

Hope you have a great day!