Today we bring you our review of the hit Disney+ drama Light Shop which comes to us from the pen of the same mastermind that gave us Moving. Let’s see what our thoughts are on this star-studded TV show.
My first drama review of 2025, cheers to that! Light Shop really had me patiently waiting for its release in December for two reasons – 1) this is another adaptation of Kang Full’s webtoons, the brilliant mind who gave us Moving, one of the best 2023 k-dramas, and 2) the drama stars incredible, talented names such as Ju Jihoon, Park Boyoung, Uhm Taegoo, Seolhyun, Lee Jungeun, Shin Eunsoo, and many, many more. There was no way this drama was going to be a bad one because the actors themselves are good enough to be able to carry literally anything on their backs as a script. However, Light Shop did surprise me with how much it tricks you in the beginning, especially since I wasn’t familiar with the webtoon before diving into it. I think it will be very hard to comment on the drama without spoiling everything but I will try my best!
Summary via MDL: The series follows the story of a group of strangers who are all having a hard time processing a horrible experience from their past. Each of them is going about their normal lives when they are all strangely pulled to a light shop located at the end of a dubious alleyway. A cautious shopkeeper guards the light shop, which may contain the key to the strangers’ pasts, present, and futures.
Possible spoilers ahead:
The cast is incredible. I don’t think any of you who saw that Ju Jihoon and Park Boyoung would be leading the story expected anything less from them, and I’m glad to say they absolutely confirmed what great actors they both are. I think, similar to Moving, that Light Shop‘s strength (and confusion in the beginning) comes from the fact that it has several main characters whose stories we are following at the same time and whose destinies are irrevocably intertwined. It might be hard to grasp the connection between everyone in the beginning, but everyone’s acting was so stellar, and everyone’s story was intriguing that it just keeps pushing you to go further on and find out what’s happening. I was very excited to see Seolhyun and Uhm Taegoo paired together again and they delivered one of the best performances of the drama without a doubt. Bae Sungwoo as the brilliant, charming detective Seong Sik was yet another highlight of the drama for me, and Kim Daemyung’s appearance made me so happy. You can definitely go into the drama knowing that the acting surely won’t fail you, no matter how big of a role the actors play.
The first four episodes of Light Shop will have you thinking – what on Earth am I watching and what exactly is happening here? The drama starts off with an incredibly eerie and creepy tone, making you think you’re about to dive head-first into a fantasy horror storyline. The production is definitely done in this way as well – the lightning is always dark, except in the actual light shop, the characters are mysterious, with a slightly disturbing tone to them, the whole atmosphere feeling like one giant escape room. Seolhyun’s character Ji Yeong, as well as Kim Seonhwa’s character Hye Won definitely led the way of the uncanny, sinister type of energy of the drama during the first half of it and I’m impressed with just how much the directors were able to play with our feelings during this part. Of course, as you’re nearing the end of this first half, you start suspecting things might be different than what you thought, but it’s still very bleary and unfocused. Shin Eunsoo’s character Hyeon Ju is another element of this story that definitely kept confusing me and maybe leading me in the wrong direction. She’s such a promising actress, having 3 amazing dramas back-to-back. Her story tugged on my heartstrings so much and I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a key role she has here.
The second half of Light Shop is just pure heartbreak. It hits you seemingly out of nowhere and really makes you think about a lot of things. Light Shop is definitely thought-provoking, at least to me, and makes you dive deep into the feeling of grief, love, acceptance, and destiny. As the story progresses, the eerie feeling you’ve felt in the beginning starts to completely dissolve, and with it the directing changes its style as well – the deeper we dive into it, the more we shed the dark lighting that was following us, which was definitely the intention as it holds a metaphorical meaning as well. I think everyone’s acting also really gets to shine during the second half. If you were curious about everyone’s past, you will get to find out, although not in as much detail as one would like, what happened to them and why are they constantly being pulled to the light shop. We also get to know Ju Jihoon’s lightkeeper’s history and why it’s him that’s welcoming all of our characters. Stellar acting on every level, a lot of emotions, sadness, hollow feeling of loss, dealing with grief – that’s what awaits you in the second half.
The only disappointing thing about Light Shop is that it only has eight episodes. Just as you’re starting to get ahold of things, it wraps the story up and has you dealing with all the brought-up emotions. However, I think it’s nicely wrapped-up, offering just enough of a closure for us to accept the reality, but also throwing in a few elements that make you wonder if they would consider coming back for another stellar season. When I finished Light Shop, my first thought was wow, that was incredibly hard and depressing. It’s a strong, emotional story of fighting for your own life despite the odds, but it’s also emotionally draining and I definitely think you need to be in a certain mood to really watch it and feel it. Either way, I’d definitely recommend it because despite how confusing the first part might be, the second one will make up for it. It gets an 8.75/10 from me, and although I’m not sure I would rewatch it, I do think that the acting was one of 2024’s strongest, if not the best honestly.