Light on Me (2021)

Rare case of love triangle done right

Under the cliché high school romance full of tropes, there is a hidden depth. Don’t expect this show to change your life, but it might leave you with some thoughts to think about.

It’s a short story of finding yourself, standing up for your beliefs, improving and changing your environment. At first all the characters might seem stereotypical, but there is more to them.

Tae Kyung is not your typical introverted shy boy. While he might not be the life of the party, he is confident and honest, never scared of voicing his opinion to the people he cares about.

Shin Woo seems like a cold, distant lead? Could not be further from the truth. He is a shy, sweet and loving potato that needs some time to open up to other people. He values his friends, trying to stay honorable while not giving up on what he desires and loves.

Da On might seem too good to be true, but he is battling his own demons. The external and internal pressure to be a perfect student, friend, son took a toll on him, and we witness his slow change, as he discovers who he truly is.

Shi Woon is not just a comedic relief that is supposed to brighten up the mood. He is the most caring and emotionally mature of all the characters, always giving wise advice and making sure everyone is taken care of.

While the drama follows all the well known tropes, by changing some details, and giving the character more nuance, it becomes more interesting and engaging. The love triangle? Chef’s kiss. The way the story unfolds, you cannot stop yourself from understanding both main ships, since they both work and have their charming aspects.

The acting could be improved. I know many people say Tae Kyung is just that awkward character, hence the acting is fitting - for me it’s just not good. While I ended up liking the awkwardness behind Sae On’s line delivery (it was cute), I do think he needs to train his acting skills quite a bit. The rest of the cast did rather well. Some more emotional scenes from Seo Hyun seemed a bit empty, but So Hee’s character was not worth even caring about, so I let it pass.

Light On Me is an amazing step forward for Korean BLs. The audience wants a longer format, the audience wants better production quality and the audience will appreciate the hard work. This show proves it. While I don’t think it’s the best K-BL, I completely understand the sentiment of people who do believe so. With more and longer episodes, the main leads were fleshed out more, the story had a steady pace and the supporting characters were more than just extras filling the space.

I also have to appreciate the job done behind the scenes - the cast supporting the genre in the interviews. The whole production team seemed to do it for more than just money, there is a true important message they are trying to convey. Even the OST singers A.C.E showed support for the community on countless occasions. On the OST - opening song is such a bop.

Some complaints though. While I understand the purpose of So Hee’s character, I also believe the show could have done without her being the antagonist. The same result could have been achieved without making the only female character the "villain". Her character progression was also not quite believable.

Another small, but extremely distracting aspect was the makeup. Damn. What they’ve done to Sae On’s pretty face should land them in jail. It was extremely unnatural, which added to the robotic vibe Tae Kyung gave because of the, at times questionable line delivery. They literally looked like plastic dolls, with white faces not quite fitting the tone of the neck.

The last thing worth mentioning - the first episode does not represent the drama well. It was not the best introduction to the story and the characters, but I promise it gets better with each episode.

Overall, such a fun and enjoyable ride. It truly brought a lot of people on mdl together to discuss the characters and relationships. Getting so many people so attached and engaged speaks volumes about the show itself.

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WORTH WATCHING!!

SPOILER AHEAD!!!!


I can't even explain how much I loved this series! Everything about it. First, the cast was so great, they were very GOOD! The OST was also really nice and comforting. I like Da-On, I'm glad he got to realise that putting himself first before others is so important. Sohee, I very much disliked her and she made me sigh A LOT lol, but I'm glad she learned her mistake and apologised, and changed. Namgoong was just the best, he was such AN AMAZING FRIEND, will punch you to the ground if you crap about any of his friends, and he makes the mood a lot lighter and I love that about him. Taekyung was (dreamy sigh) everything for me; he was so adorable and very straightforward which is so amazing, his little smile that he often does? that got me freezing, i love him. Shinwoo (dreamy sigh #2) was the dreamy boyfriend; he stepped back when he had to and wanted Tae to be happy. All his actions towards Tae were really cute. The teacher was also their emotional support which I loved, since we never saw any parents. Now there was a cliffhanger at the end with the teacher which makes me think there might be a s2? But maybe not. The ending, I LOVED. Finally Shinwoo and Taekyung got together, and lemme tell you, the last scene of ep15, I had tears in my eyes cause I thought Taekyung pried Shinwoo's hand away to stay with Da-On, BUT OUUU, my smile when they left together?! priceless. That scene where they kissed was so adorable. I really wish we'd get a season 2!

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