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REVIEW | Heesu in
Class 2 Cancelled
Every Other BL
Webtoon in
Existence
Throw out all webtoons that
aren't named Heesu in Class 2.
Immediately.

by Rinni — September 13, 2019

Following the great Lezhin boom of

2017, BL manhwa skyrocketed in fame
and official translations were made
readily available for every other new
work out there. However, delving into
this industry as a person with morals
is as exhausting as the eternal search
for decent manga with LGBTQIA+
content. You’ll have to go through
dozens of webtoons that are terribly-
written, over the top, fetishize
LGBTQIA+ folks, or all of the above.

Thankfully, I’m here to get the ugly

work done so that you don’t have to!

Korean Name: 2반 이희수

Genre: BL, Shounen Ai, Fluff, Cavities

Author: Lily

Publisher: Lezhin

Chapters: 79 (2 Seasons)

STORY
Heesu is a “plain” boy who is self-
aware of his standing as an extra in
Chanyoung’s story. Heesu has never
stood out in anything and only
blended in the background of
Chanyoung’s life, who is his crush and
best friend. Chanyoung is athletic,
handsome, sociable, and popular.
Heesu has liked him for a long time
and has built his entire life around
him. Thus, Heesu himself remarks that
although people are usually the heroes
of their own stories, his life is actually
Chanyoung’s story.

“I’m not the hero of this story.”

Nonetheless, his first love is straight.

Heesu has come to terms with this
fact and is satisfied with standing on
the sidelines of Chanyoung’s active
romantic life. Despite the fact that
Chanyoung has dated many girls, his
relationships never last long because
of his lack of investment in them.
That’s not to say he breaks up with all
of his girlfriends – rather, they’re the
ones who break up with him. This
arrangement is good enough for
Heesu, as Chanyoung doesn’t have
anyone he really loves.

Heesu’s daily life as an extra is thrown

off by an outrageous rumor: Heesu in
Class 2 can fix anyone’s love problems.
Unbeknownst to him, this rumor
marks the start of his journey as the
hero of his own story.

One of the strongest points of Heesu

in Class 2 is definitely the composition
of its narrative. Its main objective is to
show the reader Heesu’s growth from
an extension of someone else’s
existence to an individual who can
leave his mark in the lives of others.
Initially, Heesu is someone who
exclusively interacts with Chanyoung
and has no other significant platonic
connections. Over time, he makes new
friends, falls in love again, and
successfully quits the role of a mere
“listener”.

The first season as a whole is the

superior half of the story. The main
focus is Heesu’s development through
his friendships and the progress of the
wholesome slow burn romance
between him and Seungwoo. The
events that take place, the friendship
squad, and the introduction of each of
the two leads’ family come together to
complete a picture that will heal your
very core. “Love is not dead,” you say,
as your faith in humanity is restored.

The second season isn’t as solid as the

first, but it’s still enjoyable. The
protagonism mildly shifts from Heesu
and friends to introduce a secondary
couple that hogs a lot of the spotlight.
The main problem is, not only is the
secondary couple not as interesting as
our main couple, but they also
completely snuff out the focus on
Chanyoung and Jiyu, who were
charming and lovable parts of the core
cast. The friendship squad ghosts us
for well over 30 chapters and then
miraculously appears again in the
ending. The narrative would have
benefitted much more from showing
glimpses of Chanyoung and Jiyu’s
personal lives, addressing situations
such as Chanyoung’s struggles finding
a meaningful romance. Instead, their
plot relevance is discarded to
introduce the two new characters
who… really weren’t necessary. At all.

This problem aside, though, the

progression of Heesu and Seungwoo’s
relationship is so endearing and soft
that it’s the kind of rewarding content
authors often leave out of their stories,
leaving it up to fans to write in the
form of fanfiction. These two are an
exemplary portrayal of a healthy
relationship. Despite my aversion to
parenthood, the motherly feelings
these two stirred in me are stronger
than the light from a thousand suns.

CHARACTERS
One of the webtoon’s strengths is its
characters. Our protagonist, Heesu, is
a sweet, kind boy who comes from a
large and loving family. Heesu in Class
2 begins with Heesu embracing a
reality that features him as an
unremarkable side-character with a
one-sided crush. Seungwoo’s
intervention in his life helps him come
out of his shell and speak up for
himself instead of passively listening
to everything Chanyoung says. Heesu’s
true personality is diligently dug out of
a ditch by Seungwoo, and he naturally
flourishes into a social butterfly in
turn.

Not only is Heesu one of the most

adorable characters you’ll encounter,
but he’s also one of the most relatable
ones. Both his contentment in an
unbalanced relationship and his
newfound confidence following the joy
of a reciprocal one are situations many
can relate to. Since Heesu had never
experienced any sort of platonic
connection that involved mutual
support, he was unable to miss
something he never had. His
admiration for Chanyoung eclipsed
every other necessity, leading him to a
lonely lifestyle. After opening up to
others and attaining meaningful
platonic and romantic connections, he
gained both ambition and empathy.
Was Heesu’s growth satisfactory?
Damn right it was.

You know what that’s called? Growth!

Seungwoo is a shy and reserved boy

who has liked Heesu for a long time,
yet couldn’t muster the courage to
speak to him. The rumor about Heesu’s
matchmaking finally gives Seungwoo
the perfect excuse to approach him.
Over time, he demonstrates that he’s a
great listener and caretaker. He loves
listening to Heesu ramble and looks
after him in the same way Heesu looks
after Chanyoung. Thanks to his two
beautiful mothers, Seungwoo’s very
open-minded and caring. Getting
closer to Heesu makes him drop his
cold and distant demeanor while
encouraging him to open up and
become more approachable. A few
chapters will be enough to add
Seungwoo to your ever-growing list of
children. Going into Heesu in Class 2,
you certainly need to be prepared to
mother all of its cast.

Chanyoung is a surprisingly deeper

character than Heesu would have you
think. Although he’s perfect in Heesu’s
eyes, he’s no big shot in the eyes of the
reader. Heesu’s narration gives off the
impression that he’s your standard
popular guy who can’t get a hint, and
he also comes off as a bit of an asshole
because of the one-sided dynamic
their friendship has. Nonetheless, later
chapters will prove your initial
judgment wrong and prompt you to
love and respect him. He’s not happy
with the one-sided nature of his
relationship with his best friend,
either, and he’s determined to change
it.

Jiyu’s characterization is such a

refreshing breath of fresh air that it’s
impossible to dislike her. She’s not
your classic feminine girl nor Heesu’s
love rival. In fact, she’s Seungwoo’s
best friend who, much like Chanyoung,
is determined to help Heesu and
Seungwoo get together. Jiyu is funny,
charming, kind-hearted, and even
motherly. Her off-the-charts
chemistry with Chanyoung also gives
off the vibe that they could’ve dated,
which might have addressed
Chanyoung’s incapability of falling in
love with anyone. Alas, the author
probably didn’t go through with her
plans because of Heesu in Class 2’s BL
genre. Fuck the ratings, give me that
quality narrative!

Heesu and Seungwoo both belong to

healthy and loving families. Heesu’s
three sisters are down-to-earth and
witty, and their individual
personalities are so strong that you
might end up picking a favorite. On
the other hand, although they’re not
in-frame as often, Seungwoo’s
mothers set an example of a quiet and
happy family. The environment of
Seungwoo’s home isn’t as boisterous as
that of Heesu’s messy house, yet it
gives off a peaceful vibe. Everyone is
great at reading each other, which is
why words are often unnecessary. The
contrast between the two households
is similar to the contrast between the
two boys, and it works.

ART
Heesu in Class 2 features sketchy
linework and soft, glossy coloring as
its signature style. Throughout the
manhwa’s publication, the character
designs experience huge
improvements that polish the cast’s
appearance and successfully enhance
your motherly feelings towards them.
In general, the art is aesthetically
appealing, albeit with some
downsides. The sketchy aesthetic of
its character lineart can occasionally
look too sloppy, and its props… well,
you be the judge with the example
below.

The flowers in this chapter…

The faults in presentation won’t hinder

your overall enjoyment. Still, even if it
pains me, they’re worth noting. As a
side note, I began noticing these faults
towards the end of the webtoon. I’m
unsure if I just started paying more
attention to the aesthetics, or if it was
a recent problem possibly caused by
the author’s run to the finish line.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Heesu in Class 2 is a refreshing read in
an industry that is, unfortunately,
brimming with unhealthy portrayals of
LGBTQIA+ relationships. This gem
made all the bullshit I browsed to get
to it worth it. So much care is put into
its universe that even the “angst” is so
adorable. You will feel happy every
second spent reading about Heesu’s
adventures. The writing is so
overwhelmingly sweet that it will heal
your heart at every little gesture. All of
the characters come together to
present to you a big and supportive
family that you won’t want to part
ways with. It’s a must-read for any avid
or casual webtoon reader, even for
newcomers looking for a light-hearted
work.

THE REVIEW

PROS
! The main cast is criminally likable.

You'll walk out with 40 million

children.

! The main romance is an amazing

representation of a healthy

relationship with good

communication and mutual care.

! There are no dragged-out cliché

misunderstandings nor any

negative tropes. This means no

love triangles, no toxic jealousy, no

dubious consent, etc.

! The start of the relationship isn't

the end of the manhwa.

CONS
" The second season wastes time

introducing an unnecessary and

unmemorable secondary couple.

" The art, although good, can be too

sketchy at times. This is mostly

seen in props, as the artist

prioritizes the characters in her

drawings.

" It ended. Why did it have to end? I

got too attached to these

characters please save me.

Tags: BL Heesu in Class 2 Lezhin

LGBTQ Plus Recommendations Lily

Manhwa Rinni Webtoon

! " "

Rinni
Just a gamer with voluntary
insomnia. Too many hobbies and
too little time. I mainly review PC
and PS4 games.

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Comments 5

Fatur Fca ! 11 months ago

I hope heesu in class 2 season 2

coming

! Reply

hetian ! 8 months ago

I’ve never read such a comprehensive

review for a BL manga/manhwa. I
enjoyed reading this and the analysis
helped me realize how better it is
compared to how i actually remember
it. Thank you very much and looking
forward to your other reviews!

! Reply

Rinni ! 8 months ago

Thank you for your feedback, I’m

glad you liked it I’ll definitely
be reviewing more manhwa in the
future as they finish!

! Reply

Maddi ! 5 months ago

What do you think happened to the

side couple though I wonder..

! Reply

Leo ! 1 week ago

I have read a lot of BL

manhwas/mangas and honestly this
one really blew my mind. I guess I am
used to a lot of explicit contents in
this genre but this one seems to be a
di!erent and wholehearted
wholesome which is something that I
personally like in a fan perspective. I
normally would move on once I got to
read everything (even if I did enjoyed
it) that I chose, but this one stands
out with the rest because this one left
me with such post-addiction
feeling/e!ect that now I couldn’t move
on from it and surely would want to
read it again and again. The 2 MCs are
so adorable, that they’re making me
bleed, and honestly, transition wise
and the mood was very genuine for
me, and it surely did made me laugh
SO HARD and feel giddy for 16 hours of
reading it all at once.