not the best , but also not the worst
okay, so, i will not write this review considering the scarcity of lgbtq+ content in korea 'cause otherwise, we all know this is a good one even tho it's a web drama. yeah, good but only when you think of it as a warm up for the beginning of the contents with big budgets, better acting and unique story tellings.since most of the lgbtq+ shows are high school/university themed, i guess i'm kinda used to seeing people in usual school uniforms. it's not much of a problem for me as long as story goes with it. but in light on me, there's a love triangle (which i really hate to see because i usually want to focus on one thing rather than to keep up with other parties' perspectives) that leads to a bunch of unfortunate events.
tbh the plot is decent. there are not unnecessary dialogues or jokes, but it is slow. like reeaaaally slow. i kinda like slow burn to see a real character development but what makes it low-key boring is the choice of location. %75-80 of the story takes place in the same place and it's none other than school. and there's that girl who is a literal evil and obsessed with da-on (our mc's first love interest). honestly, i'm tired of seeing the only woman in the show being a bad character.
+ i loooove both love interests. at first, i thought i would take sides but after seeing their cute interactions and mature mindsets i think i will be satisfied with whoever the mc wants to be with.
so yeah, it's full of clichés and school uniforms :D i like it. the episodes where that girl shows up might give you a bit of headache but i think you can ignore it with the help of their acting.
i do wanna see the final ep of this because it makes me wonder how this all would come to an end. if you want something cute but not too dramatic, give it a go.
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An angst filled but satisfying teen boys love drama
I'm a little undecided about this drama. On the one hand, I think that Light on Me is great for everyone to watch, either as an introductory taste to boys love or just as a gripping love story but I can't help feeling unfulfilled with the story overall. Now, don't get me wrong, I felt satisfied with where all the characters left off but I wanted more happy scenes and less of the angst, although maybe this was to be expected considering this is a drama targeted at teens, and the formula follows the classic Kdrama style (16 eps, intense drama, couple getting together right at the end, lacklustre kiss) And so, you see where my problems lie.The story overall was great, the love triangle dynamic between Da On, Shin Woo and Tae Kyung was interesting as the characters had depth that is not all to common in boys love dramas. Saying that, I just felt like the story dragged in places, especially between Da On and Tae Kyung, I might be biased because I've been team Shin Woo from the beginning, but, I felt like especially in the last few episodes we could have had more Shin Woo scenes, because without this it made Tae Kyung's end decision seem rushed. The other characters were great, especially Nam Goong, I loved how wise he was and protective of his friends, he also added the majority of the comedy which helped the drama feel less stuffy. So Hee wasn't very likable, but I think she was an interesting 'villain' character, because at some points I did really feel sorry for her. I liked that the characters gained some personal growth by the end of the drama, Da On seemed to really grow into himself, So Hee was a better friend but, Nam Goong was, well, Nam Goong.
Honestly, all I can hope for is another series, or a special episode, because I was definitely left wanting more. I have to give credit where its due because the actors did a perfect job of portraying the characters, and the production quality was really high but saying that, I can't see myself rewatching this series anytime soon because it was a bit to slow and angst filled for me.
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Light and Sweet!
It such a Light and Sweet drama! I can't handle the sweetness here guys XD ... Actually I don't have planned to watch this before because I have so many bls to watch to but I click the episode 1 of this by chance then it caught me off-guard! Lol XD... The 1st episode is really something for me hahahahaha it makes me laugh so hard tbh XD.... Although it's really cliché when it comes to high-school drama but when I'm watching this it feels like I'm under the cherry blossom and it's smells like vanilla lol I'm overacting but it really it is! XDStory: Yes it may be cliché but I'm already solved about the flow of the story. Tbh, I just wished that they give a background story to Noh Shin-Woo for liking Woo Tae-Kyung I think? Not to mention how lovely No Shin- Woo is ( ＾◡＾)っ ♡ ...
Acting: 10/10 all I can say!!!!!
Music: Is this even a question to answer??? Absolutely a BOP soundtracks!!!!!!!!! 10/10
Rewatch value: 10/10 I think
I'm recommending this to everyone who just want some Light and Sweet to watch to XD
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I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. LIGHT. ON. ME.
Am very impressed with this Korean drama. I’d go to the extent of even saying that this is the best Korean BL I’ve seen so far. It shows genuinely the struggle of the LGBT youth and those who were labeled as losers in high school, while giving us all the KILIG (google it) at the same time. Specifically the characters of Lee (Tae Kyung), Kang (Shin Woo), and Choe (Da On) fabulously show us the different sides of the experience of the LGBT youth.The obvious highlights include our 4 main boys!
Go (Nam Goong) was such a bright and shining light in the series. It was just a wonderful performance that gave the viewers so much joy, while taking the story forward in a smart way, even with all the humor he brought with him. “Potato Pizza” says WHAT?!? Ahahaha
Choe (Da On) was such a sweetie. A boy clearly caught between a rock and a hard place. My heart really went out to his plight; being a child of absent parents while clearly compensating with grades for the approval the parents never really gave (heavily implied). It’s hard when you are suddenly hit by the discovery of being LGBT while being in such a crucial phase in your teen life. I am genuinely my happy that at the end of his story, he realized that he is living his life for yourself, and that the opinions of strangers on your life is never as important as your opinion of yourself (if you can’t love yourself, how can you love somebody else). I loved how his character really grew and give time to discover himself in the end.
Kang (Shin Woo), the precious little pancake! I just want to protect with my whole life! He was so adorable, and he is just our strong boy! His character has experienced so much with losing his friends from just being himself. Him being just love struck with Tae Kyung was just so KILIG to watch! I squealed so many times during his scenes with Lee (Tae Kyung). It was embarrassing. We love a gay boy who knows what he wants and does what he can to fight for it. “Fighting!”
Side note, did you notice his LIPS! They were so dry (not in a bad way). I just wanted to lick them every time there was a closeup on them! So kissable!
There is an obvious juxtaposition between the characters of Kang (Shin Woo) and Choe (Da On), where the former has been stung at a young age by prejudice and now hides his real feelings, while the latter is still just discovering himself, but in being such a public figure, is stifled by how the world perceives him.
With a setting of an all boys school, not withstanding that it’s also set in Korea, an obvious norm of toxic machismo is present within the male student body; an environment where being different is treated as a disease. Children are made afraid of being who they are, that is shown in the series. When a child finds out that he is different, instead of embracing it and accepting it as a part of them, they are made to think that this new found part of them has to be kept a secret. My heart goes out to Shin Woo and Da An. The struggle is real, and we have to do our part to move society where kids like them don’t live in fear.
Lastly, of course, and not least, Lee (Tae Kyung) gave such a lovely performance. In another life, little gay high school me also had 2 boys fighting over my affection. He was such an innocent character that just wanted to be accepted by his peers. Cute as a button. Thank goodness he never got scars from all the facial injuries he seemed to receive. Ahahaha. I wish I was as confident as him when I was in high school.
To close, I am subtly reminded of the events of the recent Olympics in Tokyo, where a GOLD medalist Korean woman was accused of being a feminist based on her non female conforming haircut. And the Korean, mostly male, population was scandalized and would rather have her revoke her golds just because of their alarm of her potentially being a feminist based purely on the fact of her hat cut. It seems that through the gloss and veneer of KPop and KDrama, we tend to forget that Korea is still deeply intrench in its conservative traditions. (Surprisingly way more conservative than my über Catholic home country). I honestly lost a bit of respect for Korea then, but I do honestly hope that through time, with representation in media as seen in Light On Me, that Korea will soon become a more accepting country.
The Koreans are very conservative. And that’s not going to fly with our changing world.
We have to do our part to normalize equality in our society. We must teach children that love is love is love.
Proper LGBT representation? Best Korea has to offer so far!
P.S. Lee, Kang, Choe, and Go we’re born in ‘95, ‘94, ‘95, and ‘96 respectively. I was also born in ‘94. Can I also still pass for high school!? Ahahaha. The gift of hydrated youthful looking skin, I guess. SANA ALL!
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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a basic shojo story with a male lead
For me it was watchable and enjoyable to some degree.
It was reasonably well-written and didn’t have much of a pacing issue like, let’s say a lot of Thai BLs do but it was still a predictable, basic, Shojo-seque story with a nondescript male lead and two Love Interests. A moody/broody Love Interest and a cheery/helpful Love Interest.
What I found especially interesting is that the atmosphere felt a lot like a webcomic or a manga. Maybe it’s bc of the vivid colors and make-up or bc of the camera work and editing. I’m not sure what it was but it felt very much like reading a comic. The atmosphere wasn’t really realistic but rather fairytale-like, which I actually liked.
The love triangle was very well-done. I mostly had the right hunch but there were times where I wasn’t hundred percent sure who TK is gonna end up with. It wasn’t pointless, it was understandable and it propelled the story.
I’m usually a sucker for slow burn but in this case unfortunately the story became dull and kinda boring towards the end. I think it’s bc when the time came to level up the drama the makers didn’t do the same with the pacing and it ended up being kinda out of sync with the all the drama happening in the series. The feeling was similar to like when you’re getting on an ride in an amusement park but something just keeps pulling you back. It prevents you from speeding up and enjoying the climax of the ride. That’s how this story felt to me in its third part.
My biggest problem though was the non-existent personality of the main lead. He simply didn’t have any core personality. He just did what felt best for the story at the moment. He was constantly changing his personality from awkward to blatantly honest or even aggressive to shy. These changes didn’t necessarily stem from character development but were rather random. It really bothered me. Everyone else did have a core personality, only TK was left to be very vague. He literally felt like a half-baked main character of a Visual Novel for the audience to identify with.
He was also fsr completely showered in make up. With his over-painted and strangely non-expressive porcelain doll face he looked like an alien to me. He somehow felt human but also kind of didn’t. It’s like he was in the Uncanny Valley. It was probably the directors fault but...who knows.
The overall development of romantic feelings in this series was a bit underwhelming too. While I could kind of understand why TK would fall in love with Da On and maybe vice versa, I had a hard time getting why Shin Woo fell for TK. It seemed like he fell for him in that study room while TK told the other boys that he wasn’t interested in games and they should just go bc they were disturbing other students but I still don’t get why that would make him fall for TK. ShinWoo’s development of romantic feelings didn’t really make much sense to me and TK too, fell for ShinWoo way too fast. I personally didn’t mind them getting together but tbh I felt like it would make more sense for him to end up with Da On. But both of them kind of worked so it’s fine.
Oh and btw. could somebody pls explain to me how in the hell did TK win that princely contest or whatever it’s called? That just straight up pulled me out of the story bc it was so unbelievable! What happened there? He was super awkward and couldn’t even talk properly and he won? How? Why? I don’t get it. Somebody explain it to me.
Anyway, regardless of my enjoyment level I’m still very grateful that Korea slowly decides to put more effort und budget into BLs. Hopefully Light On Me will become an important milestone in the history of Korean BLs. I’m truly thankful for that.
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I didn't get what I started this drama for
If you're gonna sell it as a drama where a loner makes friends, then why does this plot arc only get around 1 episode. A person who has been alone would not be this natural at social cues and friendships and really would not be so comfortable confessing so fast and knowing exactly how to go about them.I'm not sure why exactly the main lead was cast as the main lead. I am not the kind of person who criticizes so much about anything, but watching this drama was a really frustrating and dissapointing experience.
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it seriously felt like a waste of time
the plot is meh, the acting is meh... tbh when it started, the first eps were exciting it did have potential, but later on it didnt live up to my expectations, i dk it started as enemy to lovers but instead they suddenly added a triange love and i was like "ok" until it dragged and dragged, for how long? so the plot looks all about a never ending triangle and i started to get really bored, until i feel i had enough.and the girl is annoying asf, i get it they are friends but if i was a part of the group i'd already be dragging her by her hair to get her out of the school because no go stalk someone else girl or nah even better get some help (im not into violence im just so annoyed about her character but for real id stop being friends with someone who behave like her), so i dont understand why they had to bear her non stop stalking and how she behave and talk with people. i also had enough of shows trying to include an "evil" girl or whatever
what im saying the plot is really weak ,the acting is not great, the chemistry no too, unfortunately i dont see myself finishing this show
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It's okay
This drama is more of a coming-of-age kind of BL. Yes, although, there is explicit romance and fluff but personally, it focused more on the discovery of the self and the things that come with it. At first, it kind of did looked like your cliché BL but as it goes on, it "strayed" away from that path.The drama was just an "okay" drama because it just revolved around the 5 characters. There weren't even parents present in their respective houses. Another thing, when the MC realized that he liked a guy, he didn't undergo any pondering, reflection, or what. I mean, I don't know about other people but that kind of discovery deserved some time to think.
In addition, when people debated on who TK will choose between the DO and SW, I thought that it was better to not choose at all. I felt like TK could've given himself time to think things. He was torn between his former like and present like. TK liked DO because he was the first friend he had and TK developed feelings towards SW because he was there during his broken-hearted phase. I liked SW's character and I believe he didn’t deserved that affection or feelings that developed just because he was the one comforting TK when he was broken-hearted and sad because of DO. What if another person was there for TK? Will he also develop feelings for that person? Just my thoughts.
Anyway, still a good drama. There were really good philosophical thoughts here. Very quotable.
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A really enjoyable and cute BL with some really well done love triangle
The drama follows the story of Tae-Kyung, a blunt and awkward loner, who decides to join the student council of his all-boys high school to try to make some friends. He meets there 3 high school boys, very different from each other...The show resolves around how their relationships flourish (into a friendship or even more as feelings get into play...).I loved the 4 main characters right of the bat: there are a bit stereotypical but that is what makes the show works so well! There are: our hero (the blunt and awkward guy without filters), the tsundere one (heart of gold behind a cold demeanour), the charming prince (nice with everyone but somewhat distant) and the funny guy (cute but also very perceptive and protective of his friends).
I found the story super refreshing, really pure and cute. It was efficiently paced over the course of 16 episodes of 24 minutes allowing enough storylines and characters developments. The various relationships felt fully fleshed: the love triangle was super balanced, it was very difficult to guess in which direction it will go. I must say I was really satisfied the way it went was what I wished for. However, I was (as it is often the case in BL shows) disappointed by the girl part. She is there mainly to create the drama (which is OK) but it is difficult to sympathize with her. I also found her redemption arc not believable and unnecessary.
The making was not outstanding but fun with vibrant colours. I loved the OST so much: the two main songs are sentimental and pop, totally fitting for the drama, and I was super frustrated to never hear them in full as they were mostly set at the end of the episodes in a shortened version...
I would recommend this to people looking for a light and cute BL story with a sweet and well done love triangle in a high-school setting. With its love story balancing in an interesting way scenes between multiple love interests, it gives a bit a similar vibe to the drama "Cinderella and the Four Knights", so if you enjoyed it, you might want to give it a go !
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The characters were super relatable
Let’s be honest, the plot was not anything new or exciting, but I think the execution was done well! The plot was given time to develop, the friendships had time to form, and love had time to blossom. It’s definitely a slow-burn with a sprinkle of love triangle, maybe even a love square. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were very picturesque. The music, the lightning, the camera angles… Korean series have definitely mastered that.Noh Shin Woo & Woo Tae Kyung – the two are a hot mess. I think they are both so relatable. Tae Kyung is an introvert, does not have any friends, and doesn’t do well in social situations. He does often come across as cold and closed off, but I think it was often just his nerves and not knowing how to act in given situations. Shin Woo has a crush, and he does not know how to handle it. He has been hurt in the past, so he built walls to protect himself. He is awkward and comes across as rude, but in reality, he simply doesn’t know how to act around his crush. I really like how they take things slow, going from enemies to friends and only then to lovers. It is not rushed. This is a first love, first relationship for both after all.
Shin Da On – he is an over achiever and a people pleaser. He is friendly, approachable, always smiling and hiding his true feelings. I think his struggle to maintain his status, the idea of him that others have, has been done nicely, especially in the latter episodes. It really showed the painful reality of trying to achieve the expectations of others. Da On trying to be good and helpful to everyone did contribute to certain people feeling like he was leading them on, like they meant more to him. And I really appreciate how that was pointed out.
I do think that Shin Woo and Tae Kyung were not given enough time as a couple. I really wished everything would have been resolved sooner and we would get to see them being all cute and lovely for a bit longer. I also think certain people were forgiven too easily. What that person did is horrible, especially considering the society and the school environment. Another thing that bothered me is how it was implied that we can decide who we will like. That’s not how it works. Just because someone is being nice to you or has feelings for you, you can’t just say “I am going to like that person too” and be done with it. I found that very strange and not really making any sense.
I think it was good that they addressed and showed negative aspects of being gay in all boys’ school. It is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows and people are not nearly as accepting as we would all like them to. So I think it’s important that such things get addressed from both the positive and negative side.
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Korean BL drama that spends enough time to develop friendships/relationships
Completed - 4/2/2022Korean BL dramas tend to be pretty short, so I am glad to see that "Light on Me" is a longer one. And because of that, I feel that there's enough time for the drama to really develop the friendships and the love triangle well. The development feels organic and at a good pace. Most of the time, high school or college BL dramas focus so much on cuteness and fluffiness, that the romance develops way too fast and quite forced. "Light on Me" is able to spend time to let Woo Tae Kyung's character develop and really shows us how he grows from an anti-social loner, to one surrounded by close friends and loved ones.
Speaking of Tae Kyung, I am also happy to see a male lead that is not overly innocent and passive, a doormat or pushover. Although Tae Kyung is quiet, he's honest and will fight back. He's not afraid to speak his mind and thus, avoids any type of miscommunication or lack of communication, esp. when it comes to his relationship with Shin Da on. He wears his heart on his sleeves and really left the ball on Da On's court initially. The dynamic between him and Noh Shin Woo is different. He's not the smitten one, but one that holds the power to dictate how the relationship goes.
On the other hand, due to the longer length of the drama, I also would like to see other small subplots. I want to know more about Shin Da On's family and their family dynamics. What really prompted him to strive so hard to be liked and not be a disappointment. I want to see more about Noh Shin Woo's initial feelings towards Tae Kyung. We were only shown a few quick flashbacks of the initial attraction, but I would have loved to see more and know more of his background story. This drama did a good job in providing enough materials for Tae Kyung's character, but I wanted to know more about the other characters in general.
Acting and production quality seem to be decent. I would say Kang Yoo Seok (who plays Noh Shin Woo) might have the best acting performance out of the bunch. But then, I might also be bias as I think he's the most handsome one in this drama as well. LOL. Acting is not cringey but not always natural. They definitely act better with the more outgoing/friendly/fun scenes, than those that are emotional or require subtle facial expressions.
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SEASON 2 Should Happen (honest review)
HONEST REVIEW.This is a proof that having LONGER episodes could add more value to the story and drama itself. It stretches the plot, gives the characters more exposure and builds deeper emotions and attachment from the audiences. Of course it has to have a good storyline like this one.
I’ve watched several BLs already (chinese, thai, japanese), so trust me, this is on my Top 5! It’s the most k-drama like BL drama (if you get what I mean).
It’s actually so REALISTIC. I’ve had someone like Daon in my life (lol). He was afraid to be a disappointment to his family, and everyone else. So he couldn’t fight for me. But he loved me. Anyway, the way every scene reminded me of our struggles before just get to shows that it’s something that really happens in real life.
So I basically watched it for Yooseok, but… I ENDED UP FALLING IN LOVE WITH CHOE CHANYI (SHIN DAON) 😭
He played his role so well, that even I myself fell for him 🥹 I was happy to see him happy. Admire him for always understanding people and situations. I was also hurt, when he was hurting. I was sad with him. I was regretful with him. I was with him on this drama. He made me, be with him all throughout.
It’s crazy!!! I don’t wanna invalidate Shinwoo’s efforts… he deserves everything… but Daon has a special place in my heart already and it grew bigger and bigger I couldn’t just let go of him. Like I wish Taekyung could’ve been more patient and understanding about Daon’s situation. They ain’t the same, Daon got different things to consider, different background, different people in his life, and I wish Taekyung could’ve supported him more while he was struggling. Daon (his character even in real life) needs someone who won’t give up on him, someone who he could call his safe haven where he can rest when reality hits him so hard. It was his first time as well so his situation was really understandable too.
This is not one of those dramas with 2nd Lead Syndrome (If I’m taking Daon as the main love interest), cause I want them to end up together so bad LOL.
If Season 2 will be about a 2nd Chance of Taekyung x Daon??? That would be THE END OF ME.
Like what if Shinwoo would for some reason screw up, or his Old Crush would come back???? Then Daon will be there for Taekyung. OMG OMGGG WE ALL NEED SEASON 2 WITH SAME CAST JUST ADD MORE LOL
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