Lookismas the recent Netflix Anime of the season, brings forth a lot of interesting questions despite being only an adaptation of the WEBTOON Manhwa of the same name. Park Hyung-Seok is the cornerstone of most of the themes of the anime, as well as the message that it is trying to provide to those watching, especially considering Park’s difficult past and his trials in his new environment. Despite all that, it’s very clear that Park has become the example of an individual who makes an effort not to change the people around them, but also themselves.
In Lookism, the setting takes place in South Korea, following the main character of Park Hyung-Seok, who is consistently bullied as well as put down due to his looks and rather chubby physique. Her mother, having witnessed Park’s mistreatment and his frustrations about it expressed towards her, decides to have him transferred to another school so that he could start fresh. Of course, even after having arrived in a new environment, anunfortunate series of eventslands him right back in square one. However, when he falls asleep one night, he is shocked later to find out that he has a new body. A more attractive body. One that can potentially make his school life much easier, but eventually also allows him to the opportunity to change himself through the other students, and his own efforts.
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Starting At The Bottom
Park Hyun-Seok knows what it’s like to start at the bottom, and he knows exactly what it’s like to be angry at the world for being picked on wrongfully by other people who are lucky. However, starting from the end of episode 4, “Mom” after a fight with Euntae ‘Basco’ Lee in his new body, Park starts reflecting on his decision-making and what he wants to do. Soon after, he decides to start training his old body andmake a change then and there. Even so, he doesn’t stop trying to make a change with his new body, using the physical and social advantages that come with being essentially the most good-looking boy at J-Highschool.
Of course, the big reason behind any and all change has to start within one’s self and the support of people from unlikely places.Lookismisn’t afraid to bring in people from various walks of life, and with different perspectives on how they perceive both identities of Park. Basco in particular inspires Park to become the kind of person willing to help and be friends with the outcasts of his school, even standing up for them when they get bullied. Typically speaking,Park decides to change himselfand his school half-way into the series, however, what exactly about him has changed?
Slow Change With Big Steps
Typically speaking, Park’s character changes, but he also attempts to inspire and change the people around him because he realizes that it isn’t easy. Park isn’t immediately the best person to begin with. Despite his sympathetic situation, his anger and frustrations are taken out on his mother in the first episode, where he realizes that he’s been ungrateful and even somewhat cruel to his kind, and ever forgiving mother. Park spends the first 4 episodes, living a double life between his idealized body, and his original body that he has to maintain by working at a convenience store. Regardless, he doesn’t change or make an effort to change immediately.
Even if he has a new body, it doesn’t change thathis real self is still weak, and still cowardly. It isn’t until he makes an effort to make one of his recent friends, Pyeon Deok-hwa, achieve his dream and perform in the school festival that he manages to make a difference he can be proud of. By the end of episode 8, “Wall”, Park and Pyeon manage to fulfill their song and performance, with the results being majorly positive for both of them. However, what does this mean for those watching, or even for the characters surrounding Park Hyung-Seok?
When it comes to some of his true friends, such as Pyeon, eventually Basco, and the fashionable Hong Jae Yeol, many of them have directly helped him in either one body or the other, sometimes even both. Basco may have made many misunderstandings to his second newer body, but when meeting him in Park’s old body, he ensures him that he isn’t weak, that he can train and become stronger, and stands up for him whenever the chance arises. Hong Jae Yeol is mostly an observer, but he contributed to helping Park’s image without asking for anything in return, and it slowly becomes clear he has a sense of justice. And Pyeon Deok-Hwa may have assumed that Park in his new body was trying to use him due to his previous experiences with bullying, but eventually comes to not only rely on him, but evenconsider him a good friend, helping him with his singing performance.
In many ways, Park has made an effort to change, however what does this mean for those who watched the series. While it’s animation and art causes some fans of the show to be distanced from it; it’s message and brief 8 episodessucceed in giving a messagethat one can’t wait for something to change the world around you. And even if they do get a miracle, it’s up to them to change themselves so that they can properly make use of the miracle and use it for good that change the world, themselves, and even the people around them.
Overall,Lookismmanages to provide the message, and Park Hyung-Seok manages to exemplify theconcept of changing for the better, as well as making the people around him change because of his actions and his efforts to change himself. Certainly an interesting character on its own, and with his own change for the future.
