8 Animated Shows Like Lookism You Must See

Based on the Manhwa series written and illustrated by Park Tae-joon, ‘Lookism’ is a Netflix South Korean animated series that follows Park Hyung-seok, a short and overweight teenager who gets viciously bullied at school. After his mother witnesses this, she decides to transfer him to a better school even though she can’t afford it. On what is supposed to be his first day there, Hyung-seok finds himself inside the body of a tall, handsome, and athletic young man. He soon discovers that his old body is still there, and every time he falls asleep in one body, the other one awakens.

Hoping to have a new beginning, Hyung-seok attends school in his second body and has a vastly different experience than ever before, making him realize how shallow the world can be. So, if you have watched ‘Lookism’ and loved it, here is a list of recommendations that might fit your taste. You can watch most of these animated shows similar to ‘Lookism’ on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll, or Funimation.

8. Punch Line (2015)

An original Japanese anime, ‘Punch Line’ is an ecchi, supernatural series about Yuuta Iridatsu, a boy who gains superpowers from looking at women’s undergarments. However, if he looks at women’s undergarments twice in quick succession, the world is destroyed by a meteor. During a bus hijacking incident, Yuuta’s soul leaves his body, and he now searches for a special tome to bind his soul to his body again. Compared to ‘Lookism’ and other entries on the list, ‘Punch Line’ is a silly series. But a literal out-of-body experience plays an important part in the plot of this show as well.

7. The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009)

Over the years, there have been several animated shows based on Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man.’ ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ is on the list because it covers Peter’s school life extensively. Each season of the series revolves around a semester Peter completes at Midtown Manhattan Magnet High School. The series deftly maintains a balance between Peter fighting his rogue gallery and his interactions with his friends. In many ways, Hyung-seok new body can be regarded as a superhero costume. When he’s using it, he can truly be himself as the world becomes less harsh. The same principle applies to Peter’s transformation into Spider-Man. The anonymity of the mask gives him a chance to be his true self.

6. The Simpsons (1989- )

Widely regarded as one of the greatest animated shows of all; time, ’The Simpsons‘ tells the story of the eponymous American nuclear family. Each member of the said family is fundamentally different from the others. ‘The Simpsons’ is how its creators see the world around them. Over the years, several other shows have come up with a similar narrative format, but none has been able to emulate the characterization. ‘The Simpsons’ has certain episodes where bodies are switched, just like what we see in ‘Lookism.’

5. BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)

BoJack Horseman’ is not an easy animated show to get into. It’s dense with references to addiction, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, trauma, racism, sexism, sexuality, and self-destructive behavior. Set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist, the series revolves around the eponymous character, a washed-up actor who intends to make his grand return to fame after publishing a tell-all memoir. However, things don’t turn out the way BoJack had hoped. BoJack’s over-reliance on his life and popularity as an actor reminds us Hyung-seok with his body. Moreover, multiple characters in ‘Lookism’ constantly deal with psychological and emotional issues because of bullying and are not that different from the characters in ‘BoJack Horseman.’

4. Komi Can’t Communicate (2021– )

Komi Can’t Communicate’ is a Japanese anime developed from a manga series written and illustrated by Tomohito Oda. When Shouko Koimi enrolls at the elite Itan Private High School, her stoic beauty and elegant appearance turn all her classmates into her fans. To most, Komi seems exceedingly quiet, distant, and beyond reach, but Tadano, the exceptionally average but remarkably perceptive boy from Komi’s class, realizes that she struggles to communicate with others and has no friends. Tadano subsequently becomes her first friend and starts helping her efforts to come out of her shell. As with Hyung-seok, Komi’s physical appearance leads people to erroneous deductions. Throughout the series, Komi confronts this with Tadano’s help, but it keeps happening to her, much to her exasperation.

3. Birdy the Mighty: Decode (2008-2009)

Another manga adaptation, ‘Birdy the Mighty: Decode’ tells the story of Birdy Cephon Altera, a Federation agent and part of an alien race known as the Altan. While performing her duties of capturing extra-terrestrial criminals hiding on Earth, Birdy accidentally kills Tsutomu Senkawa, an ordinary high-school boy. Desperate to save Tsutomu, Birdy merges the two of them together so that Tsutomu’s body can be repaired. The concept of body switching functions differently in ‘Birdy the Mighty: Decode’ from ‘Lookism,’ but in both shows, they serve as the primary plot device.

2. Kokoro Connect (2012)

‘Kokoro Connect’ is a gem of an anime based on a Japanese light novel series written by Sadanatsu Anda and illustrated by Shiromizakana. The plot revolves around the members of the Student Cultural Research Club at a high school. These students draw the attention of an entity calling themselves Heartseed, who causes most of the strange phenomena the Student Cultural Research Club endures. The very first of them is personality exchange, where Heartseed swaps the minds of his subjects. Like in ‘Lookism, the swapping allows the characters to gain a broader perspective.

1. When I Woke Up I Became a Bagel Girl (2019)

Like ‘Lookism,’ ‘When I Woke Up I Became a Bagel Girl’ is a South Korean animated show based on a Manhwa by Tank Guy. The similarities don’t end there. The story follows Jeong Bong-gi, a short and overweight man in his mid-20s, who wakes up one day to discover that he has been transformed into a girl. The term “bagel girl” refers to women who have an innocent face and voluptuous body. Initially embarrassed and troubled by the change, Bong-gi learns how to live as a woman with the help of the friends he makes along the way.

Read More: Lookism Ending, Explained: Who Else Can Switch Bodies Like Park Hyung-seok?

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