If you’re a fan of webtoon CEK, then you must have heard of Lookism. This animated series is adapted from a popular webtoon created by Park Tae Joon in 2014. The series has over 400 episodes, and it’s still continuing. Due to its popularity, Lookism was adapted into an original Netflix animated series that premiered on December 8, 2022, with eight episodes.
The story follows the life of Park Hyung Seok, a high school student who is overweight and constantly bullied by his peers. His bullying becomes so extreme that he’s humiliated, beaten, and asked to do things that degrade him. Hyung Seok lives in a small and dirty apartment with his mother, who works odd jobs to support them. However, despite their financial struggles, she tries her best to help Hyung Seok attend school.
One day, while getting beaten by his classmates during a P.E. class, Hyung Seok’s mother unexpectedly shows up and defends her son. This event causes Hyung Seok to become even more embarrassed and resentful towards his mother. In response, he asks to transfer to a different school, which his mother reluctantly agrees to. A few days before starting at his new school, Hyung Seok experiences something strange. He wakes up in a different body, taller, and more muscular, with a slimmer and more handsome face. To his surprise, his old body was still lying unconscious in front of him.
Hyung Seok discovers that he experiences this phenomenon whenever he sleeps. When he sleeps in his fat body, he wakes up in the body of the handsome boy, and vice versa. With his new body, Hyung Seok tries to figure out how and why this is happening, leading him to discover the hidden power of “lookism.”
Lookism, the phenomena that people judge you solely based on your looks, is a significant theme in this animated series. Through switching between his two different bodies, Hyung Seok discovers the prejudice and discrimination that people face due to their looks, which helps him reflect on his eventual change of self-image.
Not only does Lookism highlight important social issues, but it also explores topics such as identity, self-worth, and kindness. The series shows how the experiences of bullying and peer pressure can push us towards choices that are detrimental to our well-being, how our self-worth is often influenced by external validation, and how small acts of kindness can go a long way in improving our mental health.
In conclusion, Lookism is not just an entertaining animated series but also a thought-provoking one. It addresses essential issues that many people face in their daily lives while simultaneously conveying the message of self-acceptance and embracing our differences. If you’re looking for a show that’s both heartwarming and meaningful, Lookism is the animated series to watch.
