📍 Mmmm… So here’s the thing – I’ve been kinda worried I’d come off as too much of a language nerd with this analysis 😂 but, as a hardcore language enthusiast, I had this burning desire to define Su-ho’s emotions toward Si-eun with the perfect verb or noun. You know that itch you get when you KNOW there’s a perfect word for something but you can’t quite pin it down? That’s been me for weeks trying to capture what Su-ho really feels when he calls Si-eun “torai (lunatic🌛)”
And then one of my brilliant subscribers, Elaine, had dropped this comment that literally gave me the exact English verb I’d been searching for when I first started writing about this. Sometimes the best insights come from collaborative analysis, and today we’re diving deep into why “You’re really a lunatic” might just be the most romantically coded line in the entire series.
All of Elaine’s analysis is brilliant, but if you’re reading this blog, I’d really recommend checking out this post where she did an intimate analysis of why Yeong-i became Beom-seok’s trigger: 🔗 Understanding Yeong-i: The Character Who Reveals Everything About Weak Hero’s Heart
Fair Use Notice
This post contains copyrighted material from “Weak Hero” (© Wavve/Netflix) used for educational analysis, criticism, and commentary purposes under fair use doctrine.
When Language Becomes Personal
What I love most about Weak Hero as a work is that careful restraint – how it doesn’t rush to define teenage boys’ emotions with a single word. These kids don’t even understand their own feelings, so there’s something about that tired, grown-up way of thinking – trying to slap adult labels on everything – that just feels… well, kinda boring, doesn’t it?
So when I watch Weak Hero, especially Class 1, I just try to see Su-ho through Si-eun’s eyes and understand Beom-seok without labeling everything.
But then, after Class 2 came out, Director Yoo Soo-min said something at the homecoming event with the cast that somehow pulled my trigger. He started with “Well, enough time has passed now that I think I can say this… it seems like Su-ho and Si-eun were in love” and then officially, with this knowing smile, mentioned that Su-ho was Si-eun’s “first love”.
As a passionate fan of this series, it gave me the desire to try expressing their emotions in specific language, just once.
Then Elaine dropped this perfect observation in the comments about how Su-ho “responds” to Si-eun’s courage. And wow, reading through Elaine’s comment, the verb that really stuck with me was “responds” – how he responds to Si-eun’s courage. I use the word “respond” countless times at work, but the moment I saw that particular phrase in Elaine’s comment, it just resonated deeply in my heart.
Su-ho and Si-eun’s Iconic Sequence (Universal Fan Favourite?)
In the script book, there’s this long interview with Director Yoo and Creative Director Han Jun-hee (honestly, these two are my absolute favourite filmmakers in Korea right now). According to Han’s interview, he took the bromance between Baku and Si-eun from the original webtoon and applied it to drama Su-ho and Si-eun.
But here’s where it gets adorable – Director Yoo shared this behind-the-scenes story about filming those sweet, heartwarming shots of the two boys. You know the ones that give you that radiant smile? Like when this lonely boy with a cat-like face looks at his fighter friend who became his guardian?
I bet most fans will nod along – it’s that scene where Su-ho puts the helmet on Si-eun and says “cute” 😸 while picking him up in front of Daesung Academy, right? When they were filming this scene, Director Han goes, “This is straight up melodrama, isn’t it?” and Director Yoo just laughs and says “Yeah, it is melo”
Su-ho placing the helmet on Si-eun’s head and then patting it to check if it’s secure… there are so many snapshots of Si-eun looking at Su-ho with these lovestruck bunny eyes 🐰 during this scene. Of course I’ve saved them all 😂
The Twin Peaks of Their Sweet Bromance
The scene where Su-ho gets moved by the ox bone soup Si-eun bought him and jokes in his Su-ho way “I feel dirty” and this helmet scene – these are the twin peaks of their sweet bromance, wouldn’t you all agree?
“I feel dirty”
Actually, the scene where I personally felt these two boys’ emotions get tightly tangled up was actually the Yongmaland sequence in episode 4 where they beat up Gil-soo. Su-ho follows Si-eun who ran after Gil-soo alone, and after finally subduing him, Su-ho is breathing heavily and delivers that famous line: “You are really a lunatic”
Now, I think “lunatic” captured the vibe Su-ho was giving Si-eun better than “crazy” would have. But the Korean dialogue was literally “You are really a ‘Torai'” – and let me explain this Korean nuance, because buckle up, it’s gonna be a long journey 😉
Torai: The Curse Word That Isn’t Really a Curse
‘Torai’ is definitely close to a curse word. If you like Korean dramas, you know Korean has a really colorful array of profanity, but among these, ‘Torai’ is on the milder side 🤣 I think every culture has these slang-like words with dual meanings.
If I put on a serious face and said “That person is really ‘Torai'” obviously they’d be offended. But when Su-ho says to Si-eun with affection “You are really ‘Torai'” it’s not really a curse – it’s closer to “I really acknowledge you and like you so much” Everyone felt that vibe, right?
It’s the same in real life. If I look at my friend with loving eyes and a smile and say “Ugh, this Torai!” it’s no longer profanity – it just becomes something like “You are really impossible, you know? 😂”
That’s exactly the vibe Su-ho gave Si-eun in that Yongmaland scene.
Translation Choices: When English Almost Captures It
Now, here’s where Elaine’s translation insight really hit home for me. She pointed out that “nutcase” could have worked in this situation – it’s a soft kind of slur, not rude, but something you might call someone when their humor is kinda off the wall, in that same affectionate teasing way.
But as she noted, “nutcase” isn’t quite strong or definite enough. “Lunatic” or “crazy” suits Si-eun and this situation much better. The translators made a good choice because “lunatic” conveys that audacious, reckless bravery so clearly. Plus, with Su-ho’s tone of voice and that facial expression? Well, that makes it unmistakably affectionate teasing.
The Desire to Capture Feelings in Words
Here’s where it gets funny – this felt almost like Su-ho’s kinda… love confession (I like you so much!!) to Si-eun to me 😂 This was when I felt like this fighter friend really started to genuinely care for his friend.
Of course, as the director officially mentioned, Si-eun’s first love is Su-ho. This boy who had isolated himself for seventeen years, suddenly felt these tsunami-like emotions toward Su-ho that can’t be defined in a single word. If we had to define it with just one word, it would have to be “platonic first love.”
But conversely, if we had to define Su-ho’s emotions toward Si-eun with just one word in Korean, I think that would be this “Torai (nutcase/lunatic)”
Finding the Perfect English Equivalent
This is where I got stuck for the longest time… (I know, I know, like Seong-jae would say, this is stupidly romantic and a total waste of time 😂) Whenever Su-ho says ‘Torai’ to Si-eun with that smile, eyes sparkling, in that playful way that makes people feel good – if I had to pick one English word to express Su-ho’s feelings, that undertone vibe, I kept bouncing between “adore” or “babies”
But here’s where I was overthinking it 😂 I worried “adore” has worship vibes – sure, Su-ho respects Si-eun’s courage, but worship felt too much. And “babies” seemed like a verb used too much for romantic affection between guys and girls, so I thought it might be going too far.
Because that’s what Su-ho does, isn’t it? He doesn’t just tolerate Si-eun’s reckless behavior or find it amusing – he responds to it. He sees that audacious bravery and something in him just… clicks. He recognizes it, appreciates it, and yeah, develops this protective instinct toward it.
Si-eun wrapped his lifeline around Su-ho’s waist within the tsunami of emotions he received, sending back waves just as powerful toward Su-ho (though this boy probably didn’t even know what he was sending…). Su-ho did the same – whenever this precious “Torai” friend tried to cross lines or get blood on his hands, he’d tie a rope around Si-eun’s waist and pull him back to his side to keep him from crossing those lines. He’d watch Si-eun’s “craziness” with interest and respond to it, but whenever it threatened to go too far, he’d rein him in.
But no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like no container could hold all of Su-ho’s emotions toward Si-eun – not even “responds”
In Korean, it would be something like Su-ho finds Si-eun endearing, but “responds” captures that active engagement, that genuine recognition of what makes Si-eun special.
The Korean Way of Saying…
Let me elaborate more on this profanity with dual meaning. A few years ago, there was this content posted on a Korean portal site that got such hot reactions from netizens – it was huge. Let me share it:
When Koreans fall in love:
- “You are really stupid”
- “You are really weird”
- “You are really just a funny kid”
- “You are really absurd”
But here’s the thing – we don’t actually say “I love you” directly 😂 Instead, we think these thoughts to ourselves or say these roundabout things to the person we’re falling for. It’s like our way of expressing affection without being too direct about it.
So instead of going “I think I’m in love with you” or “I think I have feelings for you”, Koreans will be like “You are so weird” or “You are such an idiot” – but with this fond, affectionate tone that actually means the complete opposite 😂
When I felt like I was developing feelings for someone, I would look at them and think they’re really stupid, weird, funny, and absurd and just smile to myself. When you start liking someone, instead of directly saying “I think I love you” you deflect with roundabout language.
Actually, Koreans tend to speak quite indirectly in many aspects of real life. I work with quite a few foreigners, and one of the things they struggle with most in Korean work culture is our characteristically indirect speech patterns.
Su-ho: The Seventeen-Year-Old Boy Beneath the Fighter
Getting back to Su-ho – this boy, as we all know, has some one-dimensional aspects and operates emotions pretty straightforwardly. A breadwinner doesn’t have time for emotional waste 🥲
But what made me personally feel that Su-ho is exactly that seventeen-year-old boy was when he spoke roundabout to people he cares about:
“Hey, are you really crazy?”
“Hey, what were you gonna do chasing after him alone?”
This dialogue clearly means: “Hey, I was worried about you. What would you do if you chased Gil-soo alone like that? What if something happened?”
That “lunatic” that “Torai” he says to Si-eun felt like it contained all the meanings of “you are really recklessly stupid, weird, funny, and absurd” in one word. It’s Su-ho’s playful way of expressing his emotions roundabout but in his own style.
Well… watching this Yongmaland sequence, I found myself chuckling in the best way, just grinning at the screen 😂There’s something so endearing about how Su-ho playfully scolds Si-eun by calling him “lunatic” (“Torai”) – it’s this wonderful moment where Su-ho responds to Si-eun’s courage and you can see him growing so fond of this crazy friend, really starting to like him so much. This “Torai” felt to me like the perfect word for Su-ho’s growing affection toward Si-eun.
In the Season 2 directors and cast behind-the-scenes commentary, they had a quiz: “What word do Weak Hero characters use when expressing that they like or acknowledge someone?” All the actors unanimously answered: “Torai” 😂
The Most Heart-Wrenching Parallel
One thing that still makes my heart ache – in episode 8, when Su-ho becomes a sleeping beauty and Si-eun, covered in blood, returns to the hospital room, there’s a moment when the yellow light turns on and these two boys meet in the dream…
Even then, Su-ho looks at Si-eun with that familiar grin and says quietly – this time with worry fully loaded into “Torai”
Weak Hero has parallel editing that connects the very beginning and the very end. Personally, the most heart-wrenching parallel dialogue for me was between when Su-ho started to adore Si-eun and called him “Torai” (lunatic), and the worried “Torai” he breathed out in the final episode.. 🥲
💭 Do you have affectionate profanity with dual meanings in your culture that you use with people you care about? I’d love to learn about how different cultures express that kind of roundabout affection!
Once you start understanding these cultural layers, you’ll be catching so many more emotional beats in K-dramas! The Korean language really has this beautiful way of saying “I like you so much” without actually saying it 😂
🔗 Related Posts by Character & Language
📚 Si-eun (시은) Analysis
English Posts
- Si-eun’s Episode 8 Revenge: Why the “Implausible” Critique Completely Misses the Point
- Why Si-eun is a Character Magnet: The Psychology Behind Weak Hero’s Most Compelling Relationships
- Si-eun’s Hidden Violence: An Exploration
- Si-eun’s Revenge Debate: Core Fan Comments Compilation
🥊 Su-ho (수호) Analysis
English Posts
- Su-ho’s Lost Comedy Gold: The Wordplay That Made Weak Hero Fans Fall in Love (But English Subtitles Missed Everything)
- The Untold Story of Su-ho and Beom-seok: Why Their Friendship Was Doomed from the Start
Korean Posts
💔 Beom-seok (범석) Analysis
English Posts
- When Dreams Become Prison: Analyzing Beom-seok’s Boxing Ring Appearance in Si-eun’s Dreams
- When Subscribers Become Psychology Experts: Two Brilliant Takes on Why Beom-seok Destroyed Su-ho in That Ring
- Beom-seok’s Obsession with Su-ho: The Tragic Psychology Behind Weak Hero’s Most Complex Relationship
⚡ Seong-je (성제) Analysis
English Posts
🤝 Character Dynamics
English Posts
- Su-ho and Si-eun’s Relationship: When Fans Ask the Hard Questions About Weak Hero’s Most Debated Bond
- Understanding Yeong-i: The Character Who Reveals Everything About Weak Hero’s Heart
- Was Yeong-i Added to Tone Down the Bromance? When Subscribers Drop Literary Masterpieces in My Comments
- Jun-tae’s Japanese Mystery and the Heartwarming Go-tak Friendship in Weak Hero Class 2
🎭 Behind-the-Scenes & Analysis
English Posts
- Weak Hero Class 1 Script Book: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets That Will Change How You See the Show
- Script Book vs Final Cut: The Dream Scene That Made Us All Cry
- The Complete Behind-the-Scenes Story of Weak Hero Class 1 – Answering Subscriber Questions
- Weak Hero Class Change Video Explanation: Actors Switching Roles
- Weak Hero Deleted Scene Delivery! Beuksan High’s #1 Taking Down Bullies
🌍 Fan Community & Cultural Analysis
English Posts
- Weak Hero Fans Are Going INSANE and I’m Here for It: The Comments That Broke My Brain
- The Joy of Global Connection: Discussing Weak Hero’s Most Complex Relationships with Fans Around the World
- When International Fans Decode Korean Bromance: Why Weak Hero Reads as BL Overseas
- Three Questions That Reveal Weak Hero’s Hidden Korean Realism
- Why These Three Friends Always Sit Together During Exams (And Other Translation Secrets)
Korean Posts
📊 Quick Navigation by Interest
⚡ Character Dynamics:
- Su-ho and Si-eun’s Relationship
- Beom-seok’s Obsession with Su-ho
- When International Fans Decode Korean Bromance
🧠 Psychology Deep Dives:
- When Subscribers Become Psychology Experts
- Si-eun’s Episode 8 Revenge
- Why Si-eun is a Character Magnet
🎬 Behind-the-Scenes Content:
🌐 Translation & Cultural Context:
⚠️ Site Policies & Legal Information
✅ About JennieKdrama.com: This blog provides personal fan analysis and reviews of K-dramas, focusing on school action series like ‘Weak Hero.’ All content represents individual opinions and interpretations from a fan perspective, unrelated to official production teams.
⛔️ Copyright Disclaimer: All drama footage, images, and references belong to their respective copyright holders including streaming platforms and original creators. Materials are used minimally for educational criticism and analysis with no intention of copyright infringement.
🚫 Privacy Policy: This site follows standard web policies and does not directly collect personal information beyond basic analytics for content improvement. We use cookies to enhance user experience and may display advertisements.
📳 Contact: For questions or concerns, please use the comment sections or contact forms provided. This is fan-created content respecting all original copyrights – we are not responsible for any losses or damages resulting from our content interpretations.
