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Surprising depth for a web drama
It's an interesting, balanced storyline featuring what you'd typically expect from a high school drama but with hidden depths where it touches upon some deeper topics. The emphasis on challenging who you are, what you know and whether you need to change and grow really added a surprisingly good depth to the web drama that was enjoyable to watch with a satisfying ending.The characters are well written, realistic and well-acted with their own issues, backstories and arcs for character growth. Some of the acting of the physical motions like the clumsiness are exaggerated and a little cringe-y but it's a web drama so it's to be expected. Other than that the acting is very good, emotions are clearly shown and easy to follow. It's easy to get invested in the emotional journey.
The storyline showcases varying types of homophobia (casual, blatant and internalised) and how that's dealt with and overcome. It provides a very realistic backdrop for the issues the characters face. In turn, this is nicely balanced with supportive friends/characters and allies so the drama is easy to watch - it doesn't make you feel bad.
The music is featured at appropriate times and fits the tone of whichever scene it's in.
Also, the setting is an all-boys school so it provides an explanation as to why there are few girls present, unlike a lot of BL.
An extra part I noticed and extremely liked was that Tae Kyung is an ASD coded character (difficulties interacting socially and following social cues/norms, slower speech, difficulties making eye contact/handshaking, brutal honesty, rigid morality, separating beans from the food, and more). While this was probably unintentional on the writers' side and most likely a coincidence, it stood out as obvious to me and personally added an extra layer of enjoyment. It was refreshing to see that this kind of character was liked (and even loved) for who he was and that he was the one bringing about positive changes in others as he learned to travel the unfamiliar social landscape. ASD coded characters are usually depicted as "lesser", as "missing" something, whereas in this case, Tae Kyung was the one humanising everyone else, helping them become more rounded, happier individuals which filled my heart with joy. He even got to keep his "quirks" at the end, they didn't change the quintessential parts of him.
Nothing but praise for the web drama, I enjoyed every part.
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Cute high school romance bl
I'm not really into high school bl romance genre, but this one was an exemption. The story is told from the MC pov, where he is like an introvert or someone that do not like to make friends. He starts to explore and found himself befriend the smart, handsome and cool school president Da-On, and the cute stand-off keep to yourself Shinwoo. With all these new feelings of discovering who he is, he developed a crush on Da-On. However, Da-On is also exploring his own feelings and is having a hard time coming to terms with them. Eventually, Shinwoo step in and confessed his feelings to our MC, Taekyung. The story shares their moments with us on love, friendship, and how youngsters coming to terms with their sexuality and feelings. It is a cute plot with good acting, and it just melts you.Was this review helpful to you?
What's not to love?
One of the best BL series I've seen. So many little things done right. Really cute actors accurately cast. Interesting and very sophisticated dialog. The story takes place in an all boys school but the costuming manages to keep the scenes fresh with minor adjustments to the uniforms. Music that enhances the story. Gorgeous cinematography. Very interesting personalities of the characters. The pacing is excellent as we move along gently with the characters as they change and mature. I could go on but you get the picture. If you haven't started it, yet don't hesitate. You will fall in love with all of them.Here's a thought. They were seniors in high school. Why not a second season with their experiences at a university?
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Sweet Gem
I loved this drama so much. Both the general plot and the romance were good. This drama had a good balance of focusing on developing the characters and showcasing a good love story. The main character Taekyung was unique and different and this made me like him a lot and care about his development. The love triangle featured here didn't even annoy me as they usually do. Usually, in a drama, there is a clear person who is better for the lead. However, here I felt okay with either lead getting with Taekyung. The other side characters were also interesting and fun. I loved this drama and highly recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
Saebit school boys will definitely make you smile!
I really adore this show. I love pretty much everything about it. Nothing in this world is perfect, but "Light On Me" is definitely a huge improvement from previous korean boys love dramas.First of all, the characters. I really liked all of them especially the character development we got to see. Daon was my favourite among the school council boys for his complexity and the way Choe Chan Yi portrayed him. The cast did such a great job! They were all shining!
Second, the production teams deserves a huge praise! It was the first time I truly enjoyed the camerawork in a korean bl. The filters they used and the colours they chose were all eye pleasing. To be honest this is what other bl dramas really lacked in. I know they have a limited budget, but sometimes I just couldn't understand the choices PDs made!
And lastly, let's talk about the OSTs . They have been on my playlist ever since they got released. They are such a good songs. Listening to them feels so good especially now that it is summer. I truly love how a kpop group sang an OST for bl drama! It is such a huge step up.
"Light On Me" definitely made me look forward to the next korean bl. If you are still wondering if it is worth a watch, do not hesitate, just go straight into it. I gurantee you will love it as much as I did!
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From the trailer this looked like it had every bad BL Cliche, I was totally wrong
First, I thought the acting was great by everyone. I was always team Shinwoo, so happy about that. There was a lot of drama explored that you don't see in many BLs shows in general. There was issues with social awkwardness, teen hormones. It felt very real, all the situations. And there wasn't girlfriend trouble (well, maybe one, but she reformed). She just accepted the situation and moved on like an adult would. I don't really think she or Duan loved each other at all. I think it was more brother/sister love. It's hard for me to think of any scene in the series that made me cringe. I liked everything about it. I felt like I know where the story would end, but the journey was worth it.Was this review helpful to you?
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Crossing my fingers for more Korean BLs of this length and quality!
The first three quarters, my heart was beating so fast. The last quarter, they played with my emotions so much I was afraid I'd throw my computer out the window. Overall, I had a great time!The acting is great, everyone is very gentle and soft which is I personally adore. Tae Kyung is just awkward enough that it's not painful to watch, instead he's very sweet and innocent and leaves you hoping you could be more sincere and honest like him. Shin Woo opens up so beautifully that it doesn't feel like he gets a sudden personality transplant. It's very nicely paced in that regard. Ah, I love this boy a lot. He's a cutie pie. I really oscillated when it came to the way I felt about Da On. He's obviously got good intentions and is just misguided but it's hard not to feel annoyed when people keep getting hurt around him. As much as So Hee gets on your nerves, in retrospect I understand her more than I thought I would: three years is a long time to hold on to someone who won't tell you no just to be polite. Now, I don't always vibe with the funny best friend type of character but honestly, Nam Goong is a gem. He's not too over the top, really funny, sweet, and, as it turns out, loyal, reliable, and very mature beneath his goofy exterior. Bonus points for Haet Bit who is wonderful and adorable (Season 2! Season 2! Yes?).
In terms of the story, it's definitely heavy on the love triangle. I wasn't prepared for how much Tae Kyung likes Da On, which made me think maybe it wouldn't have the clear ending I expected. It kept me on my toes, that's for sure! Individually, the characters are all pretty interesting. Although, I wouldn't have minded a bit more info about Shin Woo. There's so much time spent on Da On's personality that it feels a little unbalanced compared to Tae Kyung and Shin Woo.
It hasn't dethroned my favorite Korean BL despite having the huge advantage of being longer but it easily is way better than a lot of BLs out there. More please!
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Coming of age 1st love and friendship
What a great coming of age drama finding new friends, 1st love, friendship and yourself. Woo tae kyung was always alone and was ok until school started and he saw people smiling, laughing and horse playing and wonder it be nice to talk to someone. His guidance counselor Seo haet bit is also always looking out for kids and helping as needed so he recommended the student council as a friendly bunch to get alone with. He joins and is welcomed, but since he low key, shy and take everything literally they begin slowly to break the ice & him to be comfortable. Then we have student body president Shin Da On who always wears a smile and offers a helping hand to everyone and never say no. As he tutors Tae kyung they become very close and feeling start and Lee so hee gets jeousle as she has liked Da on for a few years, but he doesn't feel the same. Then we Noh shin woo who is also shy, cute when smiles also has a hard time expressing/opening up his feelings to anyone back in JH he told a boy he liked him and lost his friend. He always picks on tae kyung since the beginning and his ears turn red when he with as his feelings are growing.Then Nam goong shi woon who thinks he hot looking, but really is cute, funny, smiling, good listener and likes Lee so hee.
The friendship that started with 2 boys are now both interested in tae kyung who will win his heart💖enjoy was a great web drama
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LIGHT AND SATISFYING
The plot is not that very complicated, talks about a simple love story. What I like about this is it's not very stressing and just a light story. You can go on about your day without getting affected by it negatively.I love how the two main leads end up together but really drag the conclusions until the last episode. I wasn't happy about SW did not receive too much attention at the first half of thes series, he was only given light mostly at the last six episodes which is annoying since he is the main lead.
The character development of each character is what I love the most about this series. They did not stayed like there were in the beggining, the characters also changed for themselves, which we don't see in a lot of BL stories.
If you are looking for a light and fluffy BL series this is for you. This is a must watch, not perfect but it was satisfying.
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Team Shin-Woo
In typical K-Drama BL fashion this was incredible..ly short. Something about Korean BLs always have me hooked, but are always too short. Moving on...The entire cast was amazing. Everyone brought something different and it made a perfect concoction of cute and fluffy with plenty of chemistry all around. The story itself wasn't too cliché or basic, but wasn't something new either. I'd definitely recommend to pretty much anyone as it's realistic with all the feels. I can't recall the last time I wanted to punch and hug the same character in a single episode lol
I think everyone can learn a thing or 2 from this series!
Enjoy...
*seems potential for a P2?...
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A Complicated And Heartbreaking Love Triangle For Me
I am so soooooo conflicted with this series. It's so beloved by people now at this point, and though I thoroughly enjoyed it of course it still has me left with some confusion. Imma say right off the bat I was totally 100% okay with Taekhyung ending up with either Daon or Shin Woo. This is probably a very dividing sentiment, so if you're not okay with that don't continue reading this review. Let's get into this!Off the bat with this series I was thinking if Taekhyung wouldn't take the president Daon I would! He's so cute and kind. A very likable person. Probably too likable and it ends up being his demise in this series tbh. I already could tell too that Taekhyung would probably gonna end up with dude VP Shin Woo as soon as he had a falling out with in the hallway. The enemy to lovers trope is so strong in Kdramas. So I wasn't really surprised or on the edge of my seat wondering how the love triangle would turn out. Since I watch many of those dramas lol. I also should say I pieced together that Shin Woo had a traumatic experience with his sexuality in the past. Hence why he's so reserved and finds it difficult to express his feelings. I totally get that and started to like him more once that was apparent. We see his character go through some serious growth throughout this. Opening up to sweetie pie Taekhyung. Being more open in the relationship than Daon was. This was all good! However, a lot of fans of this series looked past Daon's growth too and it makes me so mad! So I'll express it in this because he deserved just as much of a chance to be with Taekhyung than Shin Woo did.
Daon needed more time to come to terms with himself. There's NOTHING wrong with that at all. To be honest it wasn't even that much time so Taekhyung was pretty impatient lol. Daon also has very strict parents, who might literally uproot his life if he expresses his sexuality or who he is. That's even more reason why he's such a internalized sad person. No wonder he wants constant validation from people around him. It's how he was raised and he had no real love growing up! That's trauma too ya'll and I wish more people watching saw that. This is not an easy situation at all and idk why people are acting like coming out is easy? Let alone in somewhere like Korea where its still conservative in parts. Eventually he gets to where he needs to be emotionally and by then its too late. Which sucks and I kinda hated seeing it. I honestly wish 100% he would've ended up with Namgoong. That would've been PERFECTttttt. He needs love and I'm sad that he didn't get that. At least they show him finally taking time for himself and being able to say no to people taking advantage of him. Thank the lord.
Moving on past that. I wanna say Namgoong became my favorite character. He's sweet, hilarious and indeed handsome. He also guides so many characters throughout this and I loved it. Though I hate that he was kinda stuck with So Hee, who didn't do enough in my opinion to get redemption for her attitude and sh** she did throughout the series. They aren't shown dating or anything (if they had I would've thrown my remote through the screen) but she's clearly after him now. Ugh girl disappear please. Some things I enjoyed though was how brightly coloured and shot this series was. Really nicely done. The music was fantastic, we love ACE!!! Though I took issue with some of the plot, overall its pretty solid. Definitely watch this! Hopefully we get more Kdrama BL's with full length series <3
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BL Done Right
Ok. So lemme start by saying I absolutely loved this from the moment it started until the last frame. I am a person who can enjoy most BL I see and can find positives in all of them.NO NEED TO LOOK FOR THEM here! It’s one long amazing and well done show. The acting is perfect, the story is believable and real. Characters seem like real people who would really react the way these characters do.
Throughout the journey I found myself laughing, smiling, crying, and even yelling at the screen too. But it was an amazing journey.
And this, this is how you should do a good BL. No side quests, no 7 couples competing for screen time. This is a simple story, with limited characters, done believably and done well.
Thank you Light On Me! I loved the ride. And I want more!
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