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| "Light On Me," Main Cast ~ Image (c) Copyright VIKI TV |
Light On Me, a VIKI.com Original production, adapted from the mobile game / interactive web novel, Saebit Boys High School Council, by Day 7; written by Lee Ji Eum, directed by Lee Yoo Yeon, 16 episodes, 24 min. each, aired Tuesdays & Thursdays from June 29, 2021 - August 19, 2021, filmed and produced in South Korea.
MAIN CAST:
Lee Sae On as Woo Tae Kyung (lead role)
Kang Yoo Seok as Noh Shin Woo (lead role)
Choe Chan Yi as Shin Da On (lead role)
Go Woo Jin as Nam Goong Shi Woon (lead role)
Yang Seo Hyun as Lee So Hee (support role)
Lee Ki Hyun as Seo Haet Bit (support role)
STORY SUMMARY (from Viki.com):
Tae Kyung is a 18-year-old high school student. He is also a lifelong loner. But one day, he starts questioning his own judgment and tells a teacher that he no longer wishes to be alone. The problem is, he has no idea how to start going about making new friends. The teacher advises him to join the school’s student council. He agrees, but discovers that making friends may be harder than it seems.
He meets the Vice President of the council, Shin Woo, who is cool and level-headed, but also somewhat cold toward him and reluctant to accept Tae Kyung. However, he also meets the super-attractive President of the council: Da On, who appears to take an instant shine to him. The beginnings of a romance appear to be in the cards for Da On and Tae Kyung, but Shin Woo does not seem to approve. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Da On’s close female friend – who secretly loves Da On – is jealous of their closeness, and attempts to drive a wedge between them!
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SPOILER ALERT. If you do not want spoilers, do not read any further.
MY REVIEW:
At the onset, Light On Me seems like it is going to be light on content, more a comedy than anything else. In fact, after I watched the first much-hyped episode, I left off the series until it was completed and only watched it because I needed something new to watch, and because the online praise for the show from the fandom was so strong, I decided to give it another try. (Also you can't write a blog about BLs if you don't cover the most popular ones running...)
I'm glad I did it.
This series surprised me with some unexpectedly weighty themes. Two of the characters in particular, Taekyung and Daon, both experience very difficult personal decisions and situations that any young person would have a hard time getting through, and they get through them. Often with the help of their friends, and even in some cases in spite of them (or because of them...) both of them grow as individuals and are changed by what happens. You can't tell one story without the other, so let's begin...
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| Image (c) Copyright VIKI.com |
Very quickly it becomes apparent that there is a strong, mutual attraction between Taekyung and Daon. There are the usual BL offerings of much hand-holding, longing gazes, blushing and excited giggling. But more importantly, there is a very authentic seeming relationship that begins to develop. It truly appears that Teakyung and Daon are going to get together, fairly early on. There is also the expected plot foil of the two always being interrupted before they can confess their feelings to each other. Equally expected, it is obvious early on as well that Sohee is going to be the trouble maker for them -- she obviously likes Daon and makes it clear immediately that she is not going to let Taekyung take him away from her.
This is where the interesting part starts.
Indeed, Sohee makes trouble. She posts a video clip online of Taekyung and Daon holding hands while they are on a student council trip. In the story, this trip was hyped to be the event where Taekyung ad Daon would finally get together, and they were about to, when another of those pesky interruptions happened -- a pretty contrived one, a weak point in the story really. It's late at night, they are out on the balcony of the hotel the student council is staying in, holding hands and looking deeply into each other's eyes... and randomly some character we've never seen before and never see again bursts in on them and tells Daon that the hotel manager needs to talk to him. Taekyung is already asleep by the time he gets back, and the next day Sohee has done the damage -- the video goes viral and the rumors explode.
You would think at this point you could guess the rest of the plot: there is a lot of drama, the boys freak out because of the gay panic that is such a popular trope in these stories, one or both of them possibly even tries dating someone else, and eventually there is the Big Confession Scene. Well, if you were waiting for that in this series you will be disappointed because it never happens.
It almost happens, and that is what makes this show different from other BLs. What happens instead is that when Taekyung and Daon do meet to discuss the video clip and their feelings for each other, Daon lies to Taekyung out of fear and tells him he misunderstood, and the only thing he ever felt was friendship. Taekyung's heart is broken. (NOTE: Lee Sae On is almost as good a TV crier as Fluke Natouch.)
This is also when things start to heat up with Shinwoo. Once more, it feels like you already know what is going to happen, and once more, it doesn't. We think poor, sad, emotionally vulnerable Taekyung is going to fall into Shinwoo's arms and... nope. Again, Light On Me surprised me by doing something believable instead: Shinwoo comforts Taekyung as a friend, without trying to take advantage of him.
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By this time in the plot you know that Shinwoo has liked Taekyung for quite a while, so it's easy to picture him taking this development as an opportunity. He doesn't. He does the honorable thing, the thing a real friend would do: he tells Taekyung he will never tell that he saw him crying. In fact, the scene where Shinwoo tells Taekyung, "Cry if you want to," is the only time I cried watching this show. (And we all know I usually cry my way through a box of tissues every episode of a BL.) Seeing him hug Taekyung while he cried and just letting him do it without speaking, and without trying to turn the events to his advantage was one of the sweetest things I have seen in a BL.
Although this is not the start of anything romantic between them, it is still the start of the real relationship in the series, obviously between Taekyung and Shinwoo. As part of the development of the story, this is also the time that Shinwoo confirms his sexuality. We pretty much knew anyway, starting early in the season when Taekyung intervenes with some boys who are bullying Shinwoo and making fairly clear references to his "secret." But, Shinwoo directly discusses it with Teakyung when he is comforting him about the failed relationship with Daon. He tells Shinwoo that he has been hurt this way before, that there was someone he liked and it didn't work out, too and "it was a he." This scene I feel was just as important as the "cry if you want" scene because it further confirms that Shinwoo genuinely cares about Taekyung, he is not just being nice for personal gain.
This also begins the part of the story where Taekyung and Shinwoo start spending a lot of time together. We also see that Taekyung starts to have feelings for Shinwoo once the pain of rejection starts to fade. Taekyung continues to feel regret over Daon, clearly still has feelings for him, though, and Shinwoo continues to just be his friend. Regardless, the two do start to develop something more than just friendship, and it starts to get hard to ignore. Neither of them do ignore it, they talk about it a little bit, but they don't rush into each other's arms, either.
This is when another very interesting thing happens. Daon realizes his feelings for Taekyung are not going away. He realizes it wasn't just an infatuation, or Taekyung influencing him. And he finally calls Taekyung and says he needs to talk. Once again, here we go... you think for sure you know what is going to happen - finally! Taekyung and Daon are going to get together. And again, the story surprises you with this: Taekyung turns him down. He tells Daon that the fact that he was more concerned about people judging him than with his true feelings means he does not really care as much as he says and Taekyung can't abide it. He also tells Daon that it was Shinwoo who was there for him, that Shinwoo was the real friend and that he wants to continue getting closer to him. ("I want to reciprocate his feelings.")
There is a later meeting between the two where Daon makes his case again. He apologizes to Taekyung and tells him that he was afraid and spoke out of fear. He pleads his case in an emotional way and it does seem to work a little bit. Taekyung goes away from this meeting asking himself what should I do? This is another uncommon thing for a BL -- the main character admitting he has feelings for two different people. Taekyung has to make a choice between Daon and Shinwoo, and he takes him time deciding.
In the meantime, Shinwoo turns up the volume. He realizes that he is going to lose his chance with Taekyung if he doesn't do something. He starts by confronting Daon and telling him this is it -- either you go after him, or I will, I'm not going to stand out of your way any more. And the volume goes to 10. Shinwoo starts wooing Taekyung hardcore, taking him on dates, being sweet, helping him with everything, and showing a real soft side that everyone keeps saying Shinwoo has, but we rarely see.
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| Image (c) Copyright VIKI.com |
The skirmish for Taekyung's love plays out before the backdrop of the campus "prince" contest. It is the annual fund raiser that the student council does for some charity, and Taekyung is nominated to enter. Both Shinwoo and Daon take on roles supporting Taekyung, and a little bit of jealous rivalry livens up the events. We also see the contrast between Shinwoo and Daon here, and so does Taekyung. Daon is clearly competing to win Taekyung over, while Shinwoo is still primarily worried about Taekyung's well-being. Taekyung is nervous and insecure about the contest and Shinwoo again is there for him. He keep reassuring Taekyung, "Just look at me and you'll be fine."
This contrast is not lost on Taekyung. When he wins, he ends up coming across Daon first, who has fallen asleep in the student council room after the contest. Taekyung is just about to wake him up when Shinwoo walks in, takes Taekyung's hand and says, "Are you going to make me keep waiting?" He gives Daon one last lingering look, and for a minute it seems like he is going to turn Shinwoo down. Then he turns back to him, takes both of his hands and says, "No. Let's go." And they leave together.
The finale episode is your typical fan-service wrap-up, which is just fine, most shows do it, not just BLs. We see that yes, indeed, Taekyung and Shinwoo get together. And the other characters have all made up, and teenage life is proceeding as it should. Even Sohee, the villain of the story, is welcomed back into the fold after she repents for her crimes with a little help from Namgoong, the best friend in the story.
Namgoong deserves a mention. At the beginning, he appears to be the usual comic relief character, the hyper friend who is always playing the clown and can be easily bought with food. In Namgoong's case, that is BBQ, which he is successfully bribed with several times. In fact, all of the things I have said so far are true -- Namgoong is the clown, he does provide a lot of comic relief, and he often seems like he took too much Adderall™ this morning because he's wound all the time. There is a particularly amusing scene where they go to karaoke (one of the times Shinwoo goes for it and asks Taekyung on a date) and Namgoong is singing and dancing? (flailing around hysterically) and Taekyung makes a comment about Namgoong being a little high-strung and Shinwoo says, "He's actually pretty calm today."
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| Image (c) Copyright VIKI.com |
(NOTE: Go Woo Jin, the actor who plays Namgoong is a really good singer, and was the lead singer for the K-pop "multi-tainer" group
The Man BLK until spring 2021 when he announced on his personal IG that he had left the group.)
That is not what Namgoong deserves mention for though. What is most interesting about him is that he is the BFF of the story. So often this role is cast with a female, which is fine, but it's a departure to see the role played by a male. Namgoong sees everything that is going on, is not fooled by Sohee's bullshit denials that it wasn't her who posted the video, and stands up to people he encounters who talk bad or gossip about his friends. He also is the one who goes around secretly putting the grease on the cogs so to speak, making sure things go how his friends want them to go. He's a clown on the outside, but very loyal to his friends, brave in protecting them, and unconcerned with what people think about him.
Lastly, I want to talk about Daon a little more. I said at the beginning that two characters in particular were very interesting, Taekyung and Daon. We have talked a lot about Taekyung. Daon throughout however, goes through a personal crisis that we don't see with the other characters. Taekyung and Shinwoo never have a "coming out" crisis, both of them seem internally comfortable with their sexualities. Daon on the other hand, experiences an existential crisis, not so much about his emerging sexuality, but because of it.
Daon is portrayed as a person who always thinks about others. Although the viral video clip exposing him as gay shows that is not necessarily always the case, that is also the event that sets off the crisis for Daon. Not only does he have to accept that he has feelings for another boy, he realizes he had no idea. Daon's friends keep pointing out that he has always had a lot of responsibility, and he tells Taekyung early in the series that his family are very cold and withdrawn from him, that they don't seem to care about him at all except that he be successful and not bring shame on them. He says they don't ever praise him or come to his events. We also see that Daon, as president of the student council, is always busy, immersed in the world of school and helping others.
When his personal life is suddenly splashed across the Internet in an intentionally hurtful way, Daon is staggered by it. Whereas Taekyung seems not to care about that at all (he is too preoccupied with being hurt by Daon's rejection of him) about the video, Daon asks himself, possibly for the first time, who am I? He has several discussions with both Namgoong and Sohee about it. Namgoong adorably tells him, "All the members of the student council are precious to me, but I like you best." It comes at a time when Daon most needs a friend, and Namgoong is right there, goofy smile and all. By the end of the series, Daon has come to terms with himself a little bit at least. We see him slowly accept that his issues and how he chose to deal with them in a crisis are the reason he lost out with Taekyung. But instead of falling into a depression or blaming Shinwoo or Sohee, he takes it as a lesson and promises himself he will continue being honest with himself, and taking time for himself. There is some cheesy exposition of this in the finale where he refuses to loan out his gym clothes or pick up a last minute tutoring session, but we get the point: Daon is going to work on himself for himself, he is redeemed.
Overall, I loved Light On Me. I was pleasantly surprised by the more sophisticated themes, which are much more believable and gave the series a texture that is missing in a lot of BLs. All the fluffy backdrops were in place: the school environment, including the fetishy uniforms, and the typical setups and meddling females and then -- boom, they drop an ethical choice on Taekyung and he makes the exact opposite one you were expecting. (The right one, if you ask me, but then I was in Camp Shinwoo from the start.) There is very little physical touching, less kissing, and absolutely no sex, even implied. Even when Taekyung spends the night at Shinwoo's house, you never see them in bed, just Taekyung falling asleep on Shinwoo's shoulder while they watch a movie (a romance...) It is my feeling that this is just fine. They didn't need to use sex to liven up an otherwise lackluster plot. (Also, they are teenagers, this story does not take place at a university with university-aged characters, although it does take place in a very similar setting.)
Light On Me featured a compelling story with believable characters and a realistic development of the relationship(s) in the show. There are no consent issues at all. The story comes to a natural conclusion without any glaring plot holes, or the need for a "special episode" to answer for all the missing plot points. (NOTE: I know COVID-19 was responsible for this phenomenon in a lot of shows filmed from 2020 forward because the pandemic halted filming and production so suddenly for so many of them. But it is also a regular problem for some older BLs and for some less well-done ones.) The plot also features a real conflict, not just the typical central conflict of the two main leads coming out. This story really presented the story of 5 friends who play varying roles in a problem that results in all of them having a personal epiphany. BLs are moving away from the coming out crisis being the central plot point, and Light On Me completely moves beyond it. Even Daon's coming out is not the main thing about his personal crisis. This show is a must see.
5 of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
image (c) Copyright VIKI.com
