Meow, the Secret Boy (2020)

It's a bird! It's a plane! NO, it's Cat-Boy!

Oddly, I enjoyed this drama.

I see a lot of reviews here and elsewhere complaining about plot, acting, "how can she choose to love a CAT?", and "she should have ended up with the HUMAN!".

Let's see... plot. It's about a girl and a cat-boy. How realistic can it get?

Acting... It's about a girl and a cat-boy. I'm not watching it while expecting it to win an award at Canne's or even an Oscar.

"How can she choose to love a CAT?" Well... it's about a girl and a cat-boy! Seriously though, for all the ones going "ewww", what's wrong with falling in love with a cat? Now, if he was just a normal cat and not cat-boy, then I can understand a bit of the "ewww" thing. If we are only discriminating for human on human, then we should also say "ewww" to elves, robots, aliens, witches, demons, and everything else too.

"She should have ended up with the HUMAN!" See above paragraph. In a way, this close-minded view makes me a little sad. This reminds me of all the racism in the real world. White should only be with White. Black should be with Black. Rich should only be with Rich. Poor should only be with Poor.

Basically, what it comes down to is this... it's about a girl and a cat-boy! The most annoying thing when I went to watch Star Wars with some friends years ago is when they start complaining about the movie... "That's NOT possible!". Really? It's about space ships, robots, lasers, aliens, and... Jedis that can use super mind powers!

When watching dramas like this, it's probably best to check Reality at the door in order to enjoy it. The drama never took itself seriously anyway, so why should we?

Would I watch it again? Yes, some day when I need to escape from reality for a little while... escape from all the thieving, cheating, murders, and wars in the world.

Leggi di Più

Is it just me or is there something unsettling about the whole setup? L (Kim Myung Soo) plays a character who alternates between being a cat, who lives with the female lead, including watching her dress and undress and sleeping beside her (ewwww) and a guy who falls in love with her and with whom she falls in love without knowing he’s a cat. I feel no chemistry between the two human leads so the romance seems strange rather than charming. Every character behaves irrationally. L’s acting leaves a lot to be desired. I know he’s supposed to be a cat-like human but the actual cat is a much much better actor. I preferred the second lead Jae Soon. And I don’t feel the secondary romance between the two co-workers at all.

Leggi di Più

Story - 6.5 - I really enjoyed the beginning of the show, it was cute and relaxing to watch, but then the last 4 episodes dragged and focused on unnecessary drama.

*SPOILER* Had the ending been sad I would rate it much lower, but since it wasn't I'd say it's a decent drama, enjoyable and cute for the most part. Not that sad endings are bad, I just think that for this particular show it wouldn't be fitting. *SPOILER*

Still not a 10/10 ending whatsoever. Episodes in my opinion were: 1-8 good, 9-11 kinda boring and draggy, 12 okay.

I would have liked more interactions and backstory on the friendship between Doo Shik, Seol Ah and Jae Sun, their relationship was supposed to be deep (they told us) but they never really show that. I felt like either the casting choice wasn't good or the writing of the characters was pretty bad, hence the characters didn't have chemistry and all of them, including secondary ones, came off at least slightly annoying. Not completely unlikeable though.
I could never discern Hong Jo's intentions and feelings, whether he was happy, in love, sad, annoyed, confused, etc. Jae Sun fell flat for me and Seol Ah was immature, childish and infantile. Ji Eun started annoying but improved, same with Doo Shik.

Cast - 6.0 - I'm within that group that thinks L still has a long way to go to be considered a good actor. The role does fit him since he looks cat-like and cute (especially when he pouts) but he still lacks the ability to emote that's necessary for a lead role.
- Seo Ji Hoon was okay, I like his acting but this role wasn't one that would allow him to show his skills.
- Shin Ye Eun, while I don't understand the hype around her (I haven't seen He is psychometric yet), did a good enough job.

Music - 7.0 - I actually quite liked the songs, I actually saved more than a couple of them on my playlist. While the OST is nothing to rave about, it does fit the show and it's memorable enough. Except the song in english... I don't like it but that seems to be an unpopular opinion.

Rewatch value - 5.0 - I don't think there's any rewatch value. I don't feel the pull to go back and watch any scenes again which usually happens with other shows even if it's just one or two scenes. It's a show to watch once and then forget. I don't rate it lower cause it wouldn't be dreadful to rewatch either.

Leggi di Più

Cute, hilarious, & touches on animal rights

If you like fantasy dramas with romances involving ghosts, nine tailed foxes, vampires, etc. then you’ll love this drama. Yes it’s a very far fetched story and it doesn’t really explain why a cat suddenly becomes a human. But I like how sweet and funny it is. There’s not a lot of angst or sorrow in this drama. It’s a light, sweet, fluffy romantic comedy.

First off, the story is unique and has interesting characters. And I like that it touches on many issues we all face regardless of what country we live in. Such issues as animal abuse, animal neglect, animal hoarding, and abandoning animals are all addressed here and really make you think. It’s all issues that are close to my heart so it made me really like this drama. It’s so sad that many animals are abandoned after they are no longer cute little puppies or kittens. Or they are just tossed into the backyard and forgotten. These issues are highlighted and addressed quite well.

There’s also lots of comedy that really cracked me up. I loved how the cat that’s now become a human behaved when he was in a grocery store and saw the live fish in the tank. Or when he found the owners stash of canned tuna and proceeded to try to cram as many cans as he could into his pockets and make a run for it. But I think the funniest and cutest moment was when he was riding in the bus. He couldn’t resist swatting at the cute little stuffed animal toy dangling from the passengers bag in front of him. Myungsoo played the part of a human cat to perfection. His mannerisms and facial expressions were so adorable and very believable. It reminded me of Dilraba Dilmurat’s portrayal of a cute little nine tailed fox in “Three lives three worlds: the pillow book.” You just can’t help giggling at the cuteness.

Overall this is one of those dramas that if you turn off your brain and don’t over analyze the premises of the story then you’ll love it. That’s not to say there’s no depth to the story. It has depth and tons of character growth. But you just need to sit back, relax and not take things too seriously if you want to really enjoy the sweet funny romcom that touches on a few important issues.

Leggi di Più

I wanted something on the fluffy side, so Meow, the Secret Boy looked like a good fit. I ended up having mixed feelings towards the drama though. It’s a cute show overall with a side of angst to round things out. The story is decent but quite basic being centered around a cat who can transform into a human and what ensues as he lives a double life trying to be with her.

There’s some fun to be had as Hong Jo adjusts to human life. We also watch as his and Sol Ah’s relationship develop. It has some cute couple moments as well as some heartwarming ones as he always tries to be there for her.



We then have to deal with Sol Ah’s past issues with Jae Sun. There’s some mystery around why their relationship ended, and both of these people are dealing with a lot of pain for different reasons. Some communication could have went a long way to prevent some of their troubles though.



The characters themselves were interesting, but I did find them a bit flat. They seemed pretty one note for the most part. There is a tad bit of growth for them as the drama progresses with the most notable being for Jae Sun as he has a lot of emotional baggage to unpack. He’s pretty closed off for most of the drama though, and it takes until those last few episodes to really make progress.



This is the kind of drama that also seems to just kind of mosey along. From start to finish I found it to be on the slow side. It kind of takes its time and just casually moves ahead with the story. Things definitely progress, it just wasn’t the kind of show that had me itching to go onto the next episode right away.

It should also be noted that this isn’t a drama that should be looked at too seriously. We have a cat changing into a human because of a girl. That pretty much sums of the why and the how. It does dig a little deeper into the situation, but it’s not some grand mystery with a huge purpose. It’s more just a cute scenario with the challenges that come with it needing to be explored and dealt with. The ending may leave some rolling their eyes too.



So overall, I found Meow the Secret Boy to be in the okay range. The story was basic and a bit slow, but it did have some humor, heart, emotional situations for our characters, and a cute romance. A decent enough watch for the most part.

Leggi di Più

Ok, I was really enjoying this drama until its half or so. It was a nice drama, with which you could laugh a lot or just suffer because of the cat's cuteness. Oh, also, the cast was really amazing and basically the only reason why I kept watching it. Their acting was really nice. Buuuuut I have some issues with this.

Everything started with the girl, Sol Ah. She is someone who doesn't listen to anything and is always speaking while others were trying to talk. I felt really annoyed by it, especially considering the fact that it happened ALL the time. I mean, this could have been 3 times shorter if she had listened to him the first time... But I get it, it is kind of a part of her personality (a really annoying part, I must say,) but not enough to make me dislike this.

Remember when I said you could laugh a lot? Yeah, it suddenly became just pure drama and, sometimes, it wasn't really interesting to watch. This was my "to get out of reality and forget everything" drama, so I didn't really appreciate that change. They took what made me like it in the first place away. Maybe comedy is not my favourite genre, but it fit so well in this drama...

So... I guess this was a nice drama? Yeah, I cannot say this was bad. It just felt boring by the end.

Leggi di Più

Middle of the road drama

Overall
It a good drama to watch if you have some free time and don't have something that is interesting to you more then this.

Story
The story of this Kdrama is a little odd, to say the least. A woman falls in love with a guy, who turns out to be her cat, and in turn, gets over her high school crush, who likes her. Well, this leads into an okay story to watch that can be enjoyable to follow until she finds out the secret. After that, I feel it turns weird. Thankfully, the really interesting couple, Go Doo Shik and Eun Ji Eun, start to steal the show around the same time. They have great moments which is what kept me interested in the end. I do like how the main male lead and secondary male lead end up respecting each other and caring for each other.
Apparently, this drama was not doing so good so it was shortened and you can sense that at the end as plot just happens out of nowhere.

Acting/Cast
The acting was a bit better than average but I have seen better.

Rewatch Value
I don't think that many people would want to rewatch this drama once you're done with it.

Leggi di Più

Another taboo romance...this time with a cat!

Straight up I have no idea what I was thinking when I clicked play on this Kdrama. Like...it was ok, I enjoyed it well enough....but holy crap is it weird. The entire time I was watching this (and for some time after) I was like...how weird would it be if my cat could turn human cause like he's seen EVERY side of me...I can't even go to the bathroom without this little turd.

That said, this drama is pretty shallow easy entertainment. I didn't hate it. I wouldn't watch it again, but I don't regret watching it. The storyline isn't terrible. The acting is average. The whole thing is average.

But seriously....the basic theme is that she loves the dude whether he's a cat or a human. DO YOU ROMANTICALLY LOVE YOUR CAT? CAUSE I SURE DON'T. I really tried to justify the theme like...ok I mean I've watched dramas with 9-tailed foxes that are in human form and how is that different. But it definitely FEELS different. It's a housecat. She's in love with her housecat.

They did make a few good jokes about themselves in this drama's script, I especially like the one about the litter box cause for sure that was a question I had rolling around in my head as well. Those sorts of logistical issues were basically all I thought about when watching this drama. Like...is there a cool down period between when dude was a cat, used the litter box, and cleaned himself off and when he is a human and you kissed him. Like...when he turns human does it also wipe away any residue that might be left on his tongue?

Overall, I'd recommend this drama if you're high and want to contemplate the bigger mysteries of life (like whether or not you'd swap spit with a cat). But otherwise...idk, there are probably better drama options out there.

Leggi di Più

This drama was disappointing to say the least.
Every episode was average and I have to say the last episode definitely ruined it.
The whole storyline is ridiculous and to top it off it's barely a happy ending. I regret wasting my time watching this and I strongly recommend you NOT to watch it.
The only thing I can applaud it for is the aesthetic of it and the actors. There was little climax and a weak build up towards it and I couldn't feel any heavy emotions during the supposedly 'sad' parts of it. I feel like this drama could have had potential to remain at average or maybe even slightly above if the ending was different.

Leggi di Più

Catastrophy

Watching this felt like a bag of chips, 99% air and 1% something. You do get some cat action in the first 2 episodes then turns into a whatever triangle.

Leggi di Più

Eu estou na dúvida por onde começar sobre esse leve e adorável dorama que me cativou tanto, contudo me sinto satisfeita e perdida ao mesmo tempo. A historia foi boa, a escolha do elenco foi incrível, imagino que ninguém mais ficaria tão perfeito em um papel de gato como o L fica, uma ótima escolha, pois o mesmo tem seu próprio jeitinho de fazer isso. O casal principal era fofo, assim como o secundário e eu poderia ficar assistindo por um longo tempo. De inicio não fui com a cara do Jae Seon, achei que o triangulo amoroso ia ser insuportável e cansativo, e acho completamente o contrario quanto aos comentários em que chamavam ele de inútil. ele foi um ótimo amigo tanto para Sol Ah como para Hong Jo, ele soube de fato respeitar a decisão de Sol Ah e isso é muito maduro, o que me fez admira-lo ao decorrer dos episódios. Eu não nego que fiquei um tanto desapontada com o final em que deixaram muitas coisas soltas pelo ar, e porque diminuam tanto a quantidade de episódios do nada, deixando a maioria perdida. Ficou tão em aberto se Hong Jo agora que voltou a ser humano depois de tanto tempo poderia permanecer assim para sempre, eu ficaria tão confortável em saber que ele nunca mais se tornaria gato, deixando Sol Ah na espera novamente. É tão difícil além de transformar um anjo em humano novamente, transformar um gato em humano para sempre?! Talvez seja demais? Brincadeiras a parte. Eu senti que o final foi feito com tanta pressa, deixando tudo pelo ar, sem explicações necessárias, mas isso não me fez achar o dorama ruim, terminou leve assim como ele foi desde o inicio. Eu amei assistir e já sinto saudades, Hong Jo.

Leggi di Più

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this show. I started watching it as soon as it was released, then put it on hold and got back to watching it. I almost dropped it once or twice and was going to rate it lower, but I finally gathered the will to finish it and got really conflicted oh what score to give it, and from now on I'm going to try and explain why.

The best part of this show for me was when Hong Jo was discovering new things and trying to figure out how to act like a human, it was cute to watch. But after that, specially regarding the middle section of this drama, I felt like I had nothing to hold on to in order to keep me interested. I know the writers tried to push this romance between Sol Ah and Hong Jo, but their relationship felt more like the one of a pet and its owner than of one of lovers, making their "romantic" scenes together awkward to see. Perhaps it would've been better if Hong Jo was a human who could turn into a cat and not the other way around. I honestly never have second lead syndrome, but with this show I was kind of hoping Sol Ah would end up with Jae Son, maybe because he was also one of the characters with the most development through it.

The saving grace of this drama for me was the bittersweet tone in the last few chapters, so much so that I'd rather they kept the ending with the same tone than just pulling a happy ending out of nowhere like they did. They also explored some interesting themes such as the importance of treasuring your moments with your loved ones because some day you might run out of time to do so. The OST was very good, too, with songs that worked well to set the mood for the scenes.

The acting was nothing special, the male leads lacked some emotional range, too. Even so, as I stated before, Jae Son started annoying but grew a lot, becoming one of my favorite characters. Doo Sik was good enough. Ji Eun was a true waste of screen time, though. I honestly don't blame her co-workers for thinking their boss (who was kind of a bitch, by the way) was favoring her since Ji Eun couldn't even communicate in her work environment. She was truly pathetic and even though in the very end it shows she had changed, it all happened off screen so it wasn't rewarding at all to see. Sol Ah is ok for the most part, but she was so quick to jump to conclusions just for the sake of keeping the plot going, it was infuriating. And towards the end she also makes extremely rash decisions like quitting her stable job and turning important oportunities down, it was almost like she was brain-dead.

The plot is very weak. We didn't get any explanations whatsoever, like why did Hong Jo turn into a human in the first place? Can all cats do that or is it just some special ones? Also, the whole subplot of that crazy cat lover was extremely irrelevant and one of the most stupid things I've witnessed, it was super cartoonish the second time around, too.

All things considered, it's not bad. I still don't know if I like this show or not, despite everything it still gave me some warm feelings, so if you're an animal lover like me, you can give it a try and form your own conclusions.

Leggi di Più