Warning: This article contains spoilers from Lookism’s new arc, The Mandate of Heaven.
Lookism Chapter 553 will be released on 1st May, 2025 at 11:00 PM KST in Korea on Naver Webtoon. The flashback arc finally ended, and now we are back to present-day Busan. Kitae Kim made his move again. He showed up, easily took down both Jinrang and Allied, and then aimed to finish him off completely. Goo Kim and Kitae were originally sent by James Lee to bring Jinrang to him, since James wants full control over Busan. But instead of capturing Jinrang, Kitae decided to kill him with his axe as he saw the loyalty in his eyes.
At the end of Chapter 548, the Busan arc had paused on the axe strike scene, but it was not clear if Jinrang survived. Then the story shifted to a backstory of Gapryong Kim’s disciple arc, showing how Jinrang became the King of Busan. He had killed the former King and was sent to prison for it. One key reveal was that ‘Jinrang’ had no name before becoming the King, the name was given to him by none other than Gapryong Kim.
In Chapter 552, Lookism returns to the present timeline. It is confirmed that Jinrang survived the axe strike, but only because his childhood friend, Sang Baek, jumped in front of him and took the hit for him. After seeing that, Jinrang snaps into full conviction mode, and the chapter closes by teasing a second round between the two kings, Kitae Kim from Seoul, and Jinrang from Busan.
Lookism Chapter 553 Release Date
Lookism Chapter 553 will be released on May 1st at 11:00 PM KST in Korea and Japan. While in regions like the USA and the UK, the chapter will be released on May 1st at 7:00 a.m. PT. For early spoilers, join my Facebook Group and Reddit!
I have attached the complete release schedule for Lookism Chapter 553 below!
| Time Zone | Release Time | Release Day | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Standard Time (KST) | 11:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 11:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Pacific Time (PT) | 7:00 AM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 10:00 AM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Central European Time (CET) | 4:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 3:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Indian Standard Time (IST) | 7:30 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Philippine Time (PHT) | 10:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
| Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) | 7:00 PM | Thursday | May 1, 2025 |
Remember, this release is for the Korean version on Naver Webtoon, not the English one. The English release on Line Webtoon is still way behind, right now, it is around Chapter 544. Even though both platforms are owned by Naver Corporation, the chapters don’t come out at the same time.
After a chapter is released in Korean, it takes extra time to get translated and edited properly. Also, not every Korean webtoon gets cleared for global release right away. It depends on copyright, contract deals, and sometimes the themes, too.
What To Expect From Lookism Chapter 553?
Lookism Chapter 553 will feature King of Busan, Jinrang (Conviction mode) vs Kitae Kim (King of Seoul). These two already fought once, and in round 1, Jinrang could not even touch Kitae. Kitae Kim is the son of Gapryong Kim, and since he comes from that 0th generation’s legendary bloodline, his strength is just on a whole different level. We have seen it in the Busan arc already, and back when he destroyed Jichang Kwak, the previous king of Seoul, and took his spot.
But Kitae Kim does not really care about being called king or anything like that. After beating Jichang, he disappeared from Korea. He only returned after the Gun Park Hunt arc, and this time, he has teamed up with James Lee again. Goo Kim is also on their side now, mainly because he just goes wherever the money is.
Jinrang’s flashback arc showed how strong someone can get with real conviction. Even Dayoung Oh, the previous king of Busan and another disciple of Gapryong, lost to Jinrang without landing a single punch. He was crushed by Jinrang’s conviction punch, showcasing that when it comes to Gapryong Kim’s teachings, conviction is everything.
And after Sang Baek came in front of Jinrang and took the axe blow meant for him, Jinrang snapped back into conviction mode. PTJ even paralleled that moment with James Lee’s conversation with a policeman, where James talked about someone who once broke his limits in a fight and gave him trouble. That man was Seongji Yuk, who unlocked third mastery just from his will to protect others. But Seongji’s gone now (he took his own life), and James does not think anyone like that is around anymore.
PTJ then cuts to Jinrang’s face, showing his bloody eyes and conviction burning. It is obvious Jinrang still won’t win. But it won’t be as one-sided this time. It will likely move from a low diff loss to a mid diff kind of battle.
Still, right now, there is no one in Busan who can really stop Kitae Kim and Goo Kim. And Goo Kim is just watching everything as a spectator because he knows Kitae does not need any help. Even Daniel Park can not handle him unless he goes into UI (Ultra Instinct mode), and even then, Kitae might find his weak point and finish him.
How long can Jinrang hold out this time? And what happens next? Share your theories in the comments below!
All images used are from Naver Webtoon / Lookism by Park Tae-jun and are only for coverage and promotional purposes. If there are any issues, feel free to reach out to us for removal.
