When brains meet brawn: K-drama duos who fight with mind and muscle
Above Si-eun strategising behind the scenes (Photo: IMDb)
Above Baku possesses brute force. (Photo: IMDb)
The brains: Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon)
The brawn: Ahn Su-ho (Choi Hyun-wook), Baku (Ryeo Un)
Yeon Si-eun, top of the class at school, is introspective and highly analytical. That's not to say he doesn't know how to fight or isn't strong enough to take a beating. But when confronted by bullies, he uses his sharp mind, knowledge of everyday physics and psy-ops-style tactics to fight back.
His allies, Ahn Su-ho in Season 1 and Baku in Season 2, are a whole different breed. Built for combat, one-time MMA champ Ahn Su-ho and the physically imposing Baku bring the muscle. Perhaps the best example of the dynamic between Si-eun and his friends comes during the climactic battle in the K-drama's second season, when Si-eun's calculated plan to help Baku take down main villain Na Baek-jin (Bae Na-ra) is set into motion.
Don't miss: The breakout stars of 'Weak Hero Class': Meet the next generation of K-drama talent Kim Jong-hyeon and Yoon Dong-joo in 'Good Boy'
Above He comes at everything fists up. (Photo: IMDb)
Above The team's chief strategy guy (Photo: IMDb)
The brains: Kim Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi)
The brawn: Yoon Dong-joo (Park Bo-gum)
The special police unit in Good Boy is composed of five former Olympic champions, but a bromance appears to be brewing between rivals Yoon Dong-joo and Kim Jong-hyeon. A former fencer, Jong-hyeon may have serious fighting chops, but it's his analytical mind and a cool head that set him apart. Meanwhile, Dong-joo, an ex-boxing gold medallist, lets his fists do the talking.
Both are vying for Ji Han-na's (Kim So-hyun) heart, and their competitive streak often gets in the way of teamwork. But all signs point to a formidable partnership—if they could just get along long enough to combine brains and brawn. Choi Se-kyung and Kim Deuk-pal/Song Yi-heon in 'High School Return of a Gangster'
Above Kim Deuk-pal is a gangster stuck in a high school student's body. (Photo: IMDb)
The brains: Choi Se-kyung (Bong Jae-hyun)
The brawn: Kim Deuk-pal (Lee Seo-jin)/Song Yi-heon (Yoon Chan-young)
When the soul of 47-year-old mob boss Kim Deuk-pal accidentally enters the body of Song Yi-heon, a bullied high school student, everything begins to change. Suddenly armed with years of street-fighting experience and shrewd gangster instincts, Yi-heon undergoes a startling transformation. No longer an easy target, he becomes a force to be reckoned with.
In his new body, Deuk-pal—now living as Yi-heon—befriends the school's top student and class president, Choi Se-kyung, someone Yi-heon had always admired from afar. And while it's easy to assume that, prior to the body-swap, Yi-heon would have benefited most from this friendship, it's surprisingly clear that Se-kyung needed Deuk-pal/Yi-heon in his life even more.
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Yeon Si-eun and Ahn Soo-ho and Baku in 'Weak Hero Class' Above Si-eun strategising behind the scenes (Photo: IMDb) Above Baku possesses brute force. (Photo: IMDb) The brains: Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon) The brawn: Ahn Su-ho (Choi Hyun-wook), Baku (Ryeo Un) Yeon Si-eun, top of the class at school, is introspective and highly analytical. That's not to say he doesn't know how to fight or isn't strong enough to take a beating. But when confronted by bullies, he uses his sharp mind, knowledge of everyday physics and psy-ops-style tactics to fight back. His allies, Ahn Su-ho in Season 1 and Baku in Season 2, are a whole different breed. Built for combat, one-time MMA champ Ahn Su-ho and the physically imposing Baku bring the muscle. Perhaps the best example of the dynamic between Si-eun and his friends comes during the climactic battle in the K-drama's second season, when Si-eun's calculated plan to help Baku take down main villain Na Baek-jin (Bae Na-ra) is set into motion. Don't miss: The breakout stars of 'Weak Hero Class': Meet the next generation of K-drama talent Kim Jong-hyeon and Yoon Dong-joo in 'Good Boy' Above He comes at everything fists up. (Photo: IMDb) Above The team's chief strategy guy (Photo: IMDb) The brains: Kim Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi) The brawn: Yoon Dong-joo (Park Bo-gum) The special police unit in Good Boy is composed of five former Olympic champions, but a bromance appears to be brewing between rivals Yoon Dong-joo and Kim Jong-hyeon. A former fencer, Jong-hyeon may have serious fighting chops, but it's his analytical mind and a cool head that set him apart. Meanwhile, Dong-joo, an ex-boxing gold medallist, lets his fists do the talking. Both are vying for Ji Han-na's (Kim So-hyun) heart, and their competitive streak often gets in the way of teamwork. But all signs point to a formidable partnership—if they could just get along long enough to combine brains and brawn. Choi Se-kyung and Kim Deuk-pal/Song Yi-heon in 'High School Return of a Gangster' Above Kim Deuk-pal is a gangster stuck in a high school student's body. (Photo: IMDb) The brains: Choi Se-kyung (Bong Jae-hyun) The brawn: Kim Deuk-pal (Lee Seo-jin)/Song Yi-heon (Yoon Chan-young) When the soul of 47-year-old mob boss Kim Deuk-pal accidentally enters the body of Song Yi-heon, a bullied high school student, everything begins to change. Suddenly armed with years of street-fighting experience and shrewd gangster instincts, Yi-heon undergoes a startling transformation. No longer an easy target, he becomes a force to be reckoned with. In his new body, Deuk-pal—now living as Yi-heon—befriends the school's top student and class president, Choi Se-kyung, someone Yi-heon had always admired from afar. And while it's easy to assume that, prior to the body-swap, Yi-heon would have benefited most from this friendship, it's surprisingly clear that Se-kyung needed Deuk-pal/Yi-heon in his life even more.
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