Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight#5: Lookism vs Odd Girls Out

Have you ever thought that two very different stories were similar? If you do, this special spotlight will shine even brighter as I compare and contrast at face value two phenomenal webtoons: Lookism and Odd girls out by Tae-joon Park and Morangg! Before we begin, let be known for simplicity's sake, I will refer to both webtoons by their initials (i.e., L and OGO).

Summary

L version

Lookism follows the story of Daniel Park, a short, fat, unattractive loser who regularly got picked on at his school by the venomous bully Logan Lee. Finally, with Daniel's constant humiliation getting worse and worse by the day, his mother decided to use what little money she had left to send him to a new school to live by himself. 

Along the way to Jae Wong HIigh, however, he suddenly discovers for himself a new body! But this wasn't any old somebody, nobody, give a dog a bone. Instead, it was a perfect one, fast, strong and most of all: hot! Now armed with the ability to change between the two bodies freely, Daniel is ready and willing to start his new life in Seoul! 

All the while, Daniel does everything he can to make it up to his mother, who sacrificed her health for him. Along with new friends, enemies, and plenty of adventure, Daniel will need to learn how to balance the bodies and realize the true definition of Lookism.

OGO version

Odd girl out follows the story of young high school girl Nari Oh, a short, fat, unattractive loser who regularly got picked on by sure bullies around her. With Nari's constant humiliation getting worse and worse by the day, she decided that she would go on a diet, and unlike 99% of us,  committed to it, evolving into a beautiful girl as she went to her new school. Along the way, however, she discovered that she had inadvertently become friends with the three most popular girls in school, becoming: the Odd Girl Out!

Characters

L version

Fun fact: some of the characters in Lookism got based on real-life South Korean idols.

Lookism overall has one the best cast in Webtoon, with only Noblesse to me being able to compare (Note: I think Noblesse has the second-best cast in Webtoon). But overall, I will give my thoughts.

Daniel Park: Daniel is a naive, courageous, and compassionate boy Daniel is a very intriguing character. One of the best general characteristics of Daniel, in my mind, is even with such immense power and prior experience, he still uses his body for relatively good purposes. His main arc throughout the series is one of growing up with Daniel's confidence and drive for self-improvement growing as the story goes on.

Zack Lee: Starting as a straightforward punk who only loved his childhood friend, Mira zack wasn't the most liked person in school. However, after meeting Daniel, Zack soon becomes the most improved character on the show. While on the surface, he is a temperamental, dedicated, arrogant thug, he soon becomes far more diplomatic and honorable in his resolve.

Euantee Lee/Vasco: My favorite character in the show personally Vasco is the leader/ founder of the Jae Wong High's Architecture department A.K.A the Burn knuckles. Vasco is essentially a little kid in a teenager's body. 

While he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, he does have an incredible sense of right and wrong with the strength and stubborn nature to back it up. Although Vasco may be humorously dumb, his strength and devotion to his fellow friends have inspired many to join the burn knuckles and spread the message of defending the weak.

OGO version

Nari Oh: despite being a blunt, warm-hearted girl, Nari has an inferiority complex about her beauty and feels awkward around the other girls. Nari has a very relatable and down-to-earth glue that holds the group together.

Mirae Seo: A cheerful girl who loves a good joke, Mirae hides sadness with a smile.

Seonji Lim: A dumb girl with a heart of gold Seonji is humble and kind with unparalleled loyalty to others.

Yuna Kim: An absolute ice queen to the core, Yuna is a prideful person who finds it hard to open up with anyone but Nari. While her pride often gets her into more trouble than anything else, she is starting to move past it.

Overview/Good stuff

L version

Lookism is very much like a fireworks show, fast, loud, and very intense, and the art reflects that very much. Since it's a comedy as an action story, much of the series will have blurred or more primal expressions to exemplify intense emotion or a comedic moment.

 Also, as I said before, the series has an incredible cast that all works off each other fantastically. Despite its inclination of lol random humor, Lookism can also be very brutal and over the top in its action and violence. It is also surprisingly knowledgeable about the topics that I'll explain later.

OGO version

Odd girls out is an elementary and kind of soft Webtoon. Its art is pretty basic, all things considered, which perfectly fits the very laid-back nature and comedic nature. As a result, many of its chapters are much more relatable next to Lookism's outrageous tone. It also has an overall smaller cast to focus on building its main characters, with a lot of its drama coming from how our characters are not the perfect little angels as they get made out to be.

Why?

I did this whole compare and contrast thing in the first place because I have never seen two stories so vastly different yet similar. Both webtoons have a pretty basic message on not judging a book by its cover or not taking things at face value. However, the execution and expansion of the concepts are what keep it interesting. 

As I said before, lookism is vastly over the top, but the whole "looks aren't everything" lesson is often taken pretty straight and to the point. However, it also deals with a lot of darker themes in the story. 

We not only see themes such as fame over morality and appearance over talent; it also gives us the lives of prisoners, runaways, and the homeless. And as long this story sticks with its message of self-improvement sticks, I can't help but see it get better with age as it tackles the unfairness of the world head-on.

Odd girl out is far more relatable and calmer with its messages, but it doesn't mean the themes themselves aren't any less critical. Odd girls out show that everyone is as perfect as it seems and how to handle your relationships best. It also talks about the themes of cyberbullying, PTSD, and jealousy. The Webtoon is fun to read every time, and I only hope for more in the future.

Epilogue

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this different spotlight, and next time you guys look in the mirror, I hope you like what you see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to reflect a little bit to see where the spotlights take next.