

Lookism is anime from South Korea, first on my list. And it did not leave a good impression.
This show took a well known trope "in the world where looks rule, the ugly MC has it hard. but then..." and absolutely butchered it.
I do not know what the main goal of the author was with this work, but it definitely wasn't accepting yourself the way you are.
Main character Hyung-Suk Park is fat, short, and wears glasses. That is the recipe for an ugly person in this show. Having even one puts you automatically on the bottom of a social pyramid.
By his classmates, he is treated like a slave almost, and he gets beaten up for almost everything. (Even breathing wrong sometimes.)
So he convinces his mother to transfer schools.
In a new city though, he wakes up in a body for a tall, slim boy with no glasses. That makes him climb up and become the best person in the whole world. His appearance shakes up not only his class, but the whole school. Suddenly, everyone knows and loves him. (Without Hyung-Suk Park saying a single word.)
We do not know who the body belongs, if it's the reflection of his inner self or he stole someone else. It might have miraculously spawn to help MC live a better life, for all we know.
And so, from being bullied and unhappy, he becomes a whole different person.
The story goes as follows: Hyung-Suk Park has two bodies. He uses the ugly one to work a part time job and earn his living, and the pretty one to go to school, make friends and tackle various issues.
As an ugly body, he still gets beaten up and not taken seriously - but as a pretty one, he fights for good cause and talks to "unpopular kids" (you guessed it - fat, short, glasses wearing students).
Even though other attractive people talk behind his back about how weird he is or try to make it seem like he is using them as his minions - Hyung-Suk Park doesn't listen and insist he wants to be their friend.
Why? Well, because he is just like them.
The anime looks great visually. The animation is great, and the art style really is beautiful. The character design especially is pleasing. The opening and ending songs are really good, and the opening animation is funky in the best way.
In the matter of quality, I cannot say one bad word. It's done tastefully.
Story wise, it's just not... it's nothing. There is no message that you would expect. He literally just lives two lives. Sometimes something happens - like pretty Hyung-Suk Park talking to his mom as a friend of the ugly Hyung-Suk Park. Telling her he has friends and finding out stuff about his mom he didn't know (like working more jobs to keep her son alive), and gains more respect for her.
Then there is a lot of fighting. Some don't even make sense. Well, not to me. In Bucchigiri or WIND BREAKER they fought less than here. And for what? Just because they are bullies, or fighters for someone's rights? It makes no sense to me.
Mainly because we don't get a single "beating up someone is bad". We just see it happen and then they move on.
I guess a story that is touching something so sensitive (that being looks and being ostracized in class or society because of them) needs some message or work. It doesn't work for me to just see it. It's not even a warning of "this is happening in the world". They are just using it as a part of their story.
I dunno. It missed a mark for me.
4/10
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