"There are so many loopholes" — Fans slam Netflix for alleged poor promotion of Weak Hero Class 2 despite 20x webtoon sales surge & global popularity

Weak Hero Class 2 was released on Netflix on April 25, 2025. The series quickly dominated the platform, reaching Netflix's Global Top 10 Series (Non-English) within three days with 6.1 million views, according to Tudum.

As per South Korean media outlet My Daily, the renewed popularity also sparked increased interest in the original Naver webtoon Weak Hero (약한영웅), written by Seo Pae-Seu and illustrated by Kim Jin-Seok. Originally published from 2018 to 2023, the webtoon saw a 20 times surge in sales following the drama adaptation's release.

Despite its success on Netflix and a surge in webtoon sales, Weak Hero Class 2 faced unexpected backlash—not for the series itself, but primarily due to what fans perceived as Netflix's poor promotional efforts.

Social media was flooded with complaints about Netflix missing key promotional opportunities and the lack of an announcement regarding Weak Hero Class season 3. Fans questioned the platform's commitment to one of its most popular non-English titles. One viewer commented:

"Then also they don't want to renew for season 3. I will be really disappointed if they don't make season 3. There are so many loopholes in class 2 which can be shown in season 3"

Fans accused the platform of missing out on hyping up the series through cast interviews, director's commentary, and scene breakdowns—something typical of other top-grossing Netflix shows.

"It being so successful yet netflix is still doing nothing for promo or content... alright" said one netizen.

"Let's talk about @netflix tremendously fumbling in promoting one of the biggest shows currently on their platform, with the potential of becoming bigger. we could've had more cast interviews of each scene, special interviews with the directors discussing filming" mentioned an X user.

"The way a season 3 would be perfect to tie up lose ends and give every character arc the finish it deserves but when has netflix ever struck when the iron's hot and taken good decisions anyway" voiced one fan.

Alongside concerns about Netflix's weak promotion, longtime readers of the Weak Hero webtoon expressed deeper frustrations with the adaptation itself. Many felt that while Class 1 maintained the spirit of the original, Class 2 strayed too far.

As the webtoon surges back in popularity, some fans are revisiting it to find the closure they didn’t get from the drama. Meanwhile, others wonder how the original creator feels about the changes and if there would be a sequel to the original webtoon.

"This is great! People should read the webtoon and actually feel what a lost potential CL2 was. CL1 was perfection and CL2 was anything but apart from a few scenes. The short episodes that was extremely clichéd, too fast paced...typical f**kup job of a big network taking over" mentioned an individual on X.

"As a webtoon reader, I re-read this webtoon due to my unsatisfied feeling after watching the 2nd season. The first season although the plot changed, it was still tolerable because the prequel didn't destroy the whole plot" said an X user.

"On the other hand, webtoon readers on TikTok are wondering how the webtoon creator feels when his drama is changed arbitrarily by Netflix "they say". And in reality, the weak hero webtoon received popularity again after ending in 2023. What about the creator? Yes, he must be happy" shared a netizen.

"Just had this thought that the webtoon artist had kinda offhandedly said weak hero webtoon might get a sequel (like just very vaguely nothing at all confirmed like passing comment) but seeing the webtoon sales rise maybe just maybe...." added a fan.

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Weak Hero Class sparks global buzz and webtoon revival following drama success

According to My Daily, Weak Hero Class quickly rose to first place on South Korea's Top 10 Series list immediately after its release. It also secured a spot in the Top 10 rankings in 63 countries globally, including Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, France, Morocco, Greece, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and New Caledonia, highlighting its wide international reach.

Weak Hero Class season 1 also performed strongly, reaching 8th place on the Global Top 10 Series (non-English) chart and maintaining a position in the Top 10 for five consecutive weeks. When season 1 premiered on Wavve in 2022, it earned both critical acclaim and commercial success, garnering 45% of the channel’s total viewership at the time.

Weak Hero Class follows Yeon Si-eun, a top student who uses his intelligence to fight school violence. In season 1, he teams up with Ahn Su-ho and Oh Beom-seok to challenge bullies. In season 2, after transferring to Eunjang High, he builds new alliances with Baku, Seo Jun-tae, and Gotak, facing off against the dangerous group Union.

The original Weak Hero webtoon is regarded as a standout school action series that consistently held high rankings during its run. As per My Daily, the IP has expanded into several secondary markets, including exports to nine countries, publication of single-volume editions, a mobile game adaptation, and emoticon production.

Following the release of Weak Hero Class seasons 1 and 2, the original webtoon has experienced a dramatic surge in sales. Additionally, interest in future installments of the webtoon is rapidly rising. This development is being noted as a successful example of a positive IP feedback loop, where a well-produced webtoon adaptation boosts interest in the source material, thereby increasing its value and reach.

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Both seasons of Weak Hero Class are currently streaming on Netflix.