Imagine getting lost in a dark alley, unknown, scared, cold, and alone; suddenly you see the warm light, that feels like the touch of love. That is what Disney+’s new kdrama is all about, and in this Light Shop review, I will break it down for you, so you can decide whether you want to watch the show or not.
But beware, there might be spoilers: some minor ones, other major ones. The show offers a glimpse of worlds that are beyond our understanding. But it all eventually makes sense, so I will discuss the plot with some crucial details that you might think of as spoilers.
If you’re ready to take the risk, let’s move ahead!
Light Shop’s plot is very different from other kdramas
Disney+’s Light Shop subtly sets up a weird afterlife world that takes its sweet time in unfolding mysteries. What begins as a horror flick slowly takes you through an emotional chain of events that each character makes so much sense.
Fair warning, very rarely some scenes are scary- but it’s a heartbreaking drama. Honestly, I was sobbing quite a lot. Especially as mysteries were getting unfolded.
So the plot starts with a lady standing outside the light shop, in a very dark alley. Well, at first, it feels like she is a wandering ghost with a backstory- while I was partially right, the character had an arc much deeper than that.
In the next scene, she is sitting on a bench, alone, where the bus stops every day, and a guy, among many people, deboards it. On the first day he ignores the girl, the following day, he gets an eerie feeling about her, and on the third day, he offers her help.
That is where you get a disturbing follow-up that you might have guessed until now, if not, unfold it yourself by tuning into the drama yourself. It’s worth to know where their story leads.
The Afterlife Concept in Light Shop
The Light Shop Korean drama is not just focused on these two folks, there are plenty more. For instance, a bus driver’s spirit wanders into the hospital where a nurse can see dead souls. The nurse is kind and has the ability to interact with spirits.
Her kindness makes souls feel heard, and her patients feel cared for. I won’t tell you much about her story, But hear this, she is an anchor being of the story, not the only one, but one of them for sure and her story is beautiful as well as tragic.
As the drama unfolds you meet plenty of dead people and plenty of alive people. Each character eventually leads to the Light Shop, one way or another.
I can’t hold it in so let me give you a major spoiler warning once again before you progress further in reading this Light Shop review.
The Light Shop, in the dark alley, is a safe space….
The concept of the afterlife, as the Light Shop aligns makes me want to talk about it in this review. It’s a shop where wandering souls go. They, however, do not go to this shop to move to the beyond. Instead, this shop is for patients with comas or people who experienced near death. They have to find their light and touching their light will bring them out of comma. It was brilliantly threaded into an emotion-riched plot.
Honestly? I can’t end my Light Shop kdrama review without showering love for the cast
What has been common among critics’ reviews that covered Light Shop was praise for the cast. The brilliant work done by the actors delivered each emotion beautifully. Kim Hee-won, who made his directorial debut with the title brought together these geniuses. Kim brought Kang Full’s beautiful story to the OTT screen in the form of a Korean drama. In his first job as a director, did a damn well job.
As for actors, the Korean drama is dominated by Park Bo-young (The Empathetic Nurse Kwon Yeong-ji), Lee Jeong-eun (The Mom), Ju Ji-hoon (The Mysterious Light Shop Guardian), Minha Kim (The Solitary Writer), and Bae Sung-woo (The Detective). Shin Eun-soo as Hyun-joo, Um Tae-goo as Hyun-min, and Kim Seol-hyun as Lee Ji-young were also shining in their roles.
My honest Light Shop review? The Kdrama is not for everyone, that’s true…
You know, not everyone will appreciate it, and that’s alright. It blends two beautiful genres quite well: horror and emotional. Whether you’re looking to sob your heart out or maybe in the hunt for a great story, Light Shop is the kdrama you can rely on. But let the story unfold, it’s not a very long show- just eight episodes.
But when everything starts making sense, it keeps tightening its grip on your soul, you will feel wanting it more, and more. I honestly was getting anxious as the last episode was getting closer- I didn’t want the drama to end.
So, Mr. Kim Hee-won, this message is for you
“If there’s a possibility, bring the drama back for another storyline. You will find me being one of the first ones streaming all episodes at one go- of course if you release them together.”
Well, with that, I am wrapping up this review, now the job’s on you, start with the first episode- by the time it ends, you will want to explore the mystery further. Oh and don’t forget to subscribe to CineCinnati before you go. I am here reviewing shows, delivering news, trailers, and much more straight to your inbox. I can’t do that if you don’t sign up. 😏
So, see you around?
