Heesu in Class 2: 20 Differences Between Webtoon and Live-Series

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When the Korean series Heesu in Class 2 started streaming, a lot of fans of the original webtoon expressed their disappointment over how different the live-action show was from the source material. And honestly, the fans aren’t wrong to feel a little cheated. So, here’s a list of 20 big and small ways the webtoon and live-action series (starring Ahn Ji Ho as Lee Heesu) differ, even though they are both primarily about Heesu’s crush on his childhood best friend Chan Young, and his growing proximity with handsome neighbor and classmate Seung Won.

Also Read: Heesu in Class 2 Review: More Like ‘Teens in Class 2’

Major spoilers ahead.

In the webtoon, Heesu lives with his family, including his dad, mom, and three sisters. But in the live-action series, it’s only the siblings sharing a flat, while the parents are never in sight. Maybe they didn’t have the budget for the parents, or didn’t see the point. At least this change doesn’t make much of an impact, because in the comics, Heesu’s parents don’t have a major role either.Chan Young is portrayed as an ace athlete who loves tennis in the live-action series, although in the webtoon, he is just another regular kid.Heesu is a lot more philosophical and an astronomy enthusiast in the series, but in the webtoon, he is more cheerful and not as introspective. Depending on the viewer, some might enjoy Heesu’s deeper reflections in the live-action version.The live-action series places a lot more focus on Chan Young’s personal life at home, depicting his fraught relationship with his father, something that isn’t featured in the webtoon.In the series, Chan Young even ‘runs away’ from home and stays with Heesu for quite a few days due to a fight at home. This certainly doesn’t happen in the webtoon, although he does occasionally sleep over at Heesu’s place when he wants to avoid his parents.A very big difference between the series and the webtoon is the fact that the webtoon doesn’t have any romance between Chan Young and Ji Yu. In both versions, Ji Yu is shown to be Seung Won’s friend, but nothing romantic develops between her and Chan Young.There’s a small subplot in the series about Heesu trying to get approval for a late-night stargazing club at school, but this doesn’t happen in the webtoon.In the series, Chan Young and Ji Yu start dating early on, while the webtoon keeps them as friends until the end. So essentially, the series serves two primary pairs – Chan Young and Ji Yu, and the slow-burn romance between Heesu and Seung Won. In the webtoon, the later chapters feature a completely different romantic story between Heesu’s classmate and a junior.In the webtoon, there’s a fun little trip that Heesu and his friends take, along with Ji Yu’s friends, to her family property. But in the series, we get a more cozy overnight camping trip that only four of them go on – Heesu, Seung Won, Chan Young, and Ji Yu. Honestly, the webtoon trip looked more fun, with sun, swimming pool, and games.A good change in the show was the addition of a third friend who constantly hangs out with Heesu and Chan Young, so Heesu isn’t entirely dependent on Chan’s friendship.A major subplot in the series is a mystery involving someone secretly leaving little notes and juice packs on Heesu’s desk at school. These incidents do not happen in the webtoon.Now for a major spoiler and one of the biggest changes, Chan Young in the webtoon knows Heesu has a crush on him, but in the live-action series, Chan Young is completely oblivious to his best friend’s feelings. It makes more sense for someone to understand their childhood best friend’s emotions.In the webtoon, there are some rumors at school about Chan Young and Heesu dating, which appear briefly in the live-action too. But again, Chan is shown to be aware of the hearsay in the webtoon, while that’s not the case in the show.Chan Young is essentially a lot more perceptive about social cues in the webtoon. He figures out early on that Seung Won might have a crush on Heesu. His suspicions are confirmed when he overhears Seung Won talking about his feelings with Ji Yu. None of this happens in the series.In fact, Chan Young actively plays matchmaker for Seung and Heesu in the webtoon—a big difference from the show, which instead adds drama by showing Chan Young misunderstanding Seung Won’s friendship with Ji Yu.This brings us to Ji Yu, who is just another regular teen in the webtoon, and best friends with Seung Won. But to add some glamour and K-pop charm, the live-action show makes her a famous singer on YouTube, though she doesn’t show her face.Needless to say, there’s no subplot about Ji Yu participating in a high-profile music competition in the webtoon, since she isn’t even a singer.The confession scene between Heesu and Seung Won is way cuter in the webtoon, and doesn’t feature the tear-inducing tension shown in the series. As many viewers complained, a lot of their cute moments from the webtoon didn’t make it into the live-action.Chan Young does not lash out at Heesu when he ultimately hears about his sexuality and unrequited crush, which honestly didn’t make much sense in the live-action series. Sure, they make up soon enough, but why would you be mean to a friend who gathered the courage and trust to come out to you?Overall, the webtoon is a lot more comedic, cute, and fun than the live-action series, and maintains its focus on its titular protagonist – Heesu in Class 2. As it should.

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