Meow Ears Up (2022)

and they were "friends"

Overall: I was going to give this an 8 or higher, but the final episode was pretty disappointing so I gave it 7.5. Still decent to just turn off your brain if you want a silly/gentle series. Watched on Gagaoolala, also on Viki.

Content Warnings: professor/student, boss/employee, age gap/1 character under 18?, pet death, taking pictures without consent

What I Liked
- the cute moments
- how Meow in his human form acted like a cat (fyi that Meow is a different species, he's not a cat and he's not a human)
- Meow not judging the truck driver based on looks and how in a later episode they brought back that character
- a couple subverted tropes like the love rival
- the cutesy OST fits the vibe of this series
- when there was comic book like editing
- neutral, comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- Dermdem thought Meow was 17 or 18 but Meow acts much younger (ie can't use a phone, doesn't know what a haircut is, doesn't know why people kiss on the cheek, gets lost in a market, throws a temper tantrum)
- based on Meow's child like behavior/age, I didn't want a steamy scene, but the final episode was really disappointing to the degree that I'd likely label this as a bromance/womance... two people even denied having a romantic relationship (one said friends, the other said roommates). I think we are supposed to believe that all three couples will turn romantic in the future but they needed to show/say just a little bit more with at least one of the three couples.
- not a fan of the wig (gets a haircut in ep 4)
- odd/plot hole/non logical things - the intern first stated she liked her boss from college but then said she saw her at a vet???
- the power imbalances in all of the couples (although the one who was in a position of power does not use it to manipulate at all)
- enough of having women gawking/taking pictures of two random guys in a public place
- the professor's flat expression, they did give it an explanation but I don't like flat affect characters
- Manni's ineptitude and what she did in the final episode instead of calling Jin

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Tropes: catboy (pet), cohabitation, indulgent bf, age gap

Adapted from the Korean manhwa (!) Hey, Your Ears Popped Out and interesting because Thailand doesn’t adapt from outside their own y-novel tradition very often. This is a pretty classic version of the catboy trope: a lonely orphan comic artist adopts a stray cat who suddenly turns into a human teaches him about love, chaos, and family.

Initially, I liked this BL and found it sweet and VERY cute with surprising depth around concepts of loneliness (I loved that Meow could smell unhappiness), but I guess it was trying to be too Japanese manga about it (in a manwha way), because while the set up was all sweetness and Thai style BL, they fudged the ending. For me, that’s a fatal flaw.

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Weirdly Entertaining, yet it Looses itself in the Middle

I'll start this off by saying this is NOT for everyone, and I mean that with everything in me. If you can get used to the fact that a grown man is acting like a cat, along with the most frustrating theme song ever known to man, then you might be able to watch this. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. And this is coming from someone who actually really enjoyed MEU. I've been in a pretty bad slump when it came to BLs. Things were starting to feel too repetitive and I needed a switch up. This was that switch-up. I can't explain why this show piqued my interest, or why every Tuesday I would genuinely be so excited to watch, but seriously, this series is nothing but buttercup-rainbow supreme. It's a catering worth of fluff, with some angst to wash down the spoonful of sugar you just swallowed. This is why I say this wasn't for everybody, because if a sweet tooth on crack isn't your forte then neither is this show.

Let's Dive in.

Meow Ears Up is the first (as I know of) in the on-screen BL community to showcase a metamorphizing cat that has the ability to turn into a human. During a bad storm, Negative Nancy Dermdew brings in a stray cat from the streets only to realize that that cat was a cat-human. They have their own story, and so do the other side characters, Faiyen, Evan, Jin, and Manni. From the first episode, I knew that this wasn't going to be easy. Learning how I was going to be able to watch James act like a cat and not cringe was difficult. And sure, there's cringe, but after a while, I got used to it, and it just becomes a part of the watch experience.

At first, the only frustrating thing was the fact that Meow seemed to be the only one that didn't know anything about the human world. His brother, who managed to make it to college, is intelligent enough to survive through adult-like activities, and so can Manni (although, she's a mouse, or a hamster, or a bear or dog, or whatever she was). They do explain that he was scared of humans because they were mean to him as a cat, but I think a better explanation of his and Faiyen's upbringing could've answered more of those questions. I can't remember if they even had parents, which I think was explained, but again, I don't remember.

What was helping me survive through this series was Dermdem and Meow's relationship, which I found very appealing and cuter than cute. Dermdem helped Meow with everyday activities, while Meow simultaneously taught Dermdem how to show love to another, and teach that life didn't always have to be about work. And this was probably the best thing the show did, show development between the two of them without anything moving too fast, or seemingly too slow. And while I'm glad nothing extremely intimate went down between them (cause there is a part of Meow that still needs to progress before anything like that happens), it was a huge letdown that they don't end up together by the end. Maybe the creators left this open for a season 2, where we see a few years into the future when a much more mature Meow and Dermdem living together, but until it's announced, I feel like I was dillydallying in a bromance type series, and I try to avoid those at all cost.

I absolutely loved Faiyen, with all of me. I will miss his bright aura and darling smile. Bright (Faiyen) did a fantastic job at playing this character. He was sunshine times 10, and there was never a dull moment when watching him. I don't know how I feel about Evan, and I won't blame Bodo (Evan) for this since it was a part of his character, but god, did I hate this no-emotion syndrome he has. Bodo himself is a lovely-looking man, and the very few times he did smile, I caught myself doing the same. But for most of his story, he was just a talking robot, and it was upsetting. There was nothing there for me to actually appreciate the existence of his character, other than to make Faiyen happy. Their relationship was enduring in the beginning, but by the end, it fell flat. Evan did this weird lay-his-head-on-Faiyen's-head thing and it didn't feel natural at all. I think a hug or being close in proximity could've sufficed.

I originally started watching this series because the GL couple caught my eye, and since SCOY gave me nothing, I thought this series could at least bring something. And sure, they had a good amount of screen time, but none of it was to develop their relationship romantically. Jin's this stubborn woman and Manni is the complete opposite. There are some points that we see Jin soften up around her, but nothing's ever said to really make me think that they should go together. Other than a close-in-proximity trope, nothing happens between these two. If anything, they gave me best-friends vibes. I wanted so much more from then, really.

Some episodes were straight filler, but I didn't mind it because I sincerely liked pretty much every single character. But that time used to show random shit, or have Mark randomly appear for an episode, could've been used to further these three's relationships.

But overall, and like I've already said, I loved this series until the end. It could've been worst, like they could've all died or something, but leaving each couple open-ended sucked ass. I at least thought Faiyen and Evan would get an ending, but nope, none of them do. I think a second season would only work, for Dermdem and Meow's sake, if they do it years later, like 3 or 4 when Meow's had more time to learn about human characteristics and behaviors and act more appropriately to his age. I never really saw him as acting like a child until someone pointed it out, and yes, I can see it, however, I wouldn't go so far as to call Dermdem a "pedophile" or to say that them loving each other would be morally wrong. Meow is in full control of his feelings and emotions (who's also an adult), and in addition to that, Dermdem would just never do anything to Meow that he didn't have a full understanding of. There were PLENTY of times that Dermdem could've kissed Meow, and he doesn't. Also, these are just fictional characters, so I don't care enough to think that deeply about them. I just watch and have fun, exactly what this type of series is for; it's nothing to take seriously (and those wigs are great examples).

Ratings:

Story: 6.5 - Some bits were really enjoyable. Seeing Dermdem and Meow's domestic relationship was probably my favorite part, along with Faiyen and Evan. Manni and Jin were cute, but the whole work thing was kind of boring. Their individual backstories were fun, Evan's though a bit annoying. But for the most part, I enjoyed the story until it got kind of filler-y and had no good ending.

Acting: 8.5 - James and Bright were hands down the best. It was weird watching James act like a cat, but he does put on a really good performance. And Bright is just memorizing. I really hope to see him again. Po, Gap, and Kris were good too. I think Bodo could've been good, but he was given the blandest character to portray, so I hope I see him again with a more complex person to play.

Music: 2.0 - Fuck no. and I would give a 1 star, but I feel bad giving it anything lower. I don't know who came up with that theme song, or who even green-lighted it to go on air, but I hope they're in jail now. A MUCH better uplifting song could've worked 10 times better.

Rewatch value: 5 - As I said, I really enjoyed that I just got to sit back and really just watch this for what it is, and didn't feel the need to analyze anything. I would for sure have this one while doing homework or working.

Overall, I really liked this show (even though I complain more than I applaud). But I'll say again that it's NOT for everybody. Watch the first episode and see for yourself. I would definitely tell the few of you that like intimacy in a BL to go ahead and drop this because the most you get is a kiss on the cheek. I could recommend this to CHILDREN. That's how PG it is. But I don't mind PG, which is why I enjoyed it. But if you're just going to watch to nag then don't bother, we've seen the show, we know.

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A lot of hollow cuteness, and also somewhat disturbing

Cats. Cute guys. BL. Lots of affection and friendship. What could go wrong?

Well, if you isolate the different parts, it's all good. I wish the real cats appeared more frequently. They are adorable. The leads are cute and sweet too. There's even a bit of GL thrown in as a bonus.

But even if we don't care about the lack of a story in quite a number of episodes (the danger of Meow getting into deep trouble because his ears are revealed isn't really made use of fully), there is the awkwardness of the human-evolved cat romantic pairings. At what point does love for the cuteness of cats become romantic love for the human form of the cat?

Even if we just take the evolved cats to be more like humans who can transform into cats, the characterization of Meow is problematic. Meow doesn't seem all that young, but he behaves very much like a really young kid who does not know anything. Come on, cats grow up much faster than human beings, and why would a cat remain like a kid when a human kid has grown up into an adult who has been working for a number of years? And then the talk about Meow "growing up" in the future and Meow's seeming ignorance of romantic love makes the whole relationship between Dermdem and Meow pedophilic. Such a portrayal of Meow is very much unnecessary. Can't he simply be a young grown-up who is really innocent but is still aware of his own romantic feelings for Dermdem? (Even young teenagers are often curious about romantic relationships and sex, so Meow seems more like a toddler in a young adult's body.) There's no need to exaggerate his innocence given that this is a live action series featuring human actors.

Some parts of the series are quite nice, like the first half of Episode 8, which brings some of the significant events together. Unfortunately, overall, the potential provided by the cuteness of cats and the cuteness of the actors isn't really used.

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Complete waste of time

This isn't a BL, or at least I hope not, or it's about a zoophilic pedophile and his victim.

I know this is supposed to be sweet and cute, but it's cloying and dull, with no plot, And even with no plot it manages to be full of plot holes. The first episode was the worst. It went downhill from there.

This is the entire series: A guy finds a cat that turns into a human-like thing. They move in together. The end.

The acting is universally weak, except maybe Bright as Faiyen. To be fair, Bodo's job as Evan is to not act, so in that light he did an excellent job. Meow is so child-like that he doesn't understand what happened when Dermdem gets a haircut (and takes off the most ridiculous wig since Ja's in Until We Meet Again. Actually, I think it might be the same wig.)

The plotline between Faiyen and Evan had potential - Evan is incapable of facial expressions, which was good for one or two moments, but was never explored or used for either dramatic or comedic effect, so it was just a shallow affectation assigned to the character - which in live action doesn't work, it's just distancing and boring.

The music is trying to be cutesy and Japanese-ish, but they've somehow skewed it so that it made me feel enraged and violent. If you need the Hulk, just play the theme song in front of Bruce Banner.

Rewatch value - I would rather vacation in Mariupol than watch this again.

This is the shortest review I've ever written - there's almost nothing to say. It's that vapid and dull. If you like this sort of thing, watch the first ep - if you don't like it, run. It never gets better.

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Great acting making up for poorly written characters and storyline

! This is my first time writing a review, sorry if its not helpful !

This show is quite good so far, for only 5 episodes being released currently there has been good character development, no toxic characters or cliché tropes and a unique storyline to say the least.
I will have to say that if you want a cute and simple show that you don't have to pay much attention to enjoy it, I highly recommend watching this series
However the storyline and characters are quite dull, none of the characters have much depth to them except for the occasional snippet of a backstory, such as Faiyen having a fear of thunder.
Were already more than half way into the show yet the story has barely progressed at all since the first episode in terms of romance, and we are yet to see anytime of romance from the main characters apart from Dermdem getting shy around Meow occasionally.
The thing that makes up for the poorly written plot, is the amazing cast. Each actor has done an amazing job at fitting into the roles of their characters no matter how badly they're written. Except for the awful quality wigs, the actors managed to save the show from being a boring mess.
In conclusion, while the storyline and characters are a bit rough around the edges this is a good show, with great actors and a simple yet cute plotline.

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Cute but Incomplete

The series overall is cute but feels incomplete.
To some it might be disturbing, to some it might be dumb and to some, it might be abstract but it's all up to the viewer;

I would recommend it to the young audience only, would have been good for matures also when they just want to calm their mind if the series was complete.
It's a hard paced series with many things happening at once.
I realized that part of the episode ends somewhere and the next part starts somewhere else with no context as to what happened.
Overall acting is good but needs more zing.

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A Misunderstood BL Series

This is a deeply moving series guised to be light-hearted. But, at least for me, it was sad and very thought-provoking. I cried more than once in this series. To describe it or summarize it might make it sound fatuous. But it is far from that. Yet, I almost gave up on it in the beginning because it asks you to suspend your beliefs and move into the realm of fantasy in almost a caricature sort of fashion. It is only when you get into the story do you realize the characters are not meant to be real but allegorical in nature and representing us. A rather unique approach to BL storytelling. This easily could have slipped into a farce but did not.
The title should have been worked on a bit more. It sounds a bit too cartoonish which it is not.

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Brings a smile

I decided to watch this straight after enjoying Choco Milk Shake.

This was delightful and, I suspect, what I liked the most was seeing James, Prapatthorn Chakkhuchan, as Meow. The lighting, makeup, wardrobe all added to this total package of cuteness. I kept commenting to myself on how lovely he looked. If he wore a halo instead of those adorable twitchy cat ears I would have believed it.
To me he stole the scenes at every appearance.

The whole story is very innocent and nothing inappropriate occurs, although there are participants that wanted more they were respectful. Meow is so youthful in his actions (it is hinted that he may be 13 or 14 but acts very much younger) I had to look up his real age (23) his actions are sometimes closer to a six year old.
Gap in real life is 27 and we are not told his characters age, however, he does play the role of older brother (with a crush).

So although there is cuteness overload I feel that all the actors did a good job and possibly the director was at fault and needed more input from the real world for Meows character.
I smiled a lot.

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Sweet Little Love Story

I would say this show is more of a love story, rather than being wholly classified as either BL or GL. It certainly has elements of BL, but would I consider it the height of BL art? Probably not. Is it an absurd and cute little love story that will make you laugh? Most definitely. It just makes you feel good inside because it doesn’t complicate things with too much drama or overdone tropes.

The plot is very simple for this one, it is just a love story between several couples, plain and simple. Well, those couples are comprised of “The People” and…well I guess actual people. The central theme is pretty simple as well with Meow and Dermdem coming to grips with trusting people after getting burned by them. However, this theme only pops in and out at certain points of the series and resolves itself in the end without bogging down each episode. Personally, I enjoyed the format of taking us on a different adventure each week, but I realize that’s not for everyone; that might be one caution about the show.

My other caution is that you can’t take this show too seriously. The concept might seem ridiculous and there are a lot of unanswered questions about shapeshifting animal people that will never be answered. However, the joy of this show is that no one is pretending to take it seriously. I know how that sounds but if the writers were asking us to suspend our disbelief while delivering a serious message this show wouldn’t be half as good. Since their goal, though, is to deliver a funny, feel-good show centered around a ridiculous concept, it just becomes pure joy, and the delight is in watching love blossom between the main couples.

Many of the actors and actresses are rookies and at times that shows. James is probably the best and he always goes all out in a character (he is amazing in “The Effect”). He is not afraid to be over-the-top and plays a very convincing cat-person. Gap needed a little more work. He had some good chemistry with James, but he is very stiff in the early episodes. Not to say he doesn't have potential, but it might take a series or two more to get there. Kris and Po, thank goodness we got a GL couple and not just the acknowledgement of a GL couple, but the actual development of their relationship. I liked the opposites dynamic of the two characters, and they were a bit more natural than the other characters. Finally, Bright and Bodo. Once their relationship was introduced, I was more eager to watch this show because of them than the main couple. Faiyen is so adorable, and, like James, Bright is not afraid to embrace the ridiculousness of a cat-person. Evan is a bit harder to critique because he supposedly doesn’t have facial muscles to emote things (might be a bit of a concept stretch). However, Bodo is able to channel that lack of facial expression into his verbal expression which only adds to the chemistry these two had in the show.

Ultimately, give this show a chance. You may have to adjust your expectations if you wanted a high-caliber BL, but once you do this show becomes so much more enjoyable. The chemistry of the characters/actors is amazing and it will leave you giggling like a fool to see the weird antics they get themselves into. So go watch it right meow.

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ah yes, another one that claims to be romance, tho it's not

I’ll make this short, as I don’t remember much of it. I dropped this series after episode 4 in June and just picked it up again a few days ago.

Just to get this off my chest:
This surely is not romance. This is 2gether romance, it gives huge lets-high-five-instead-of-holding-hands-or-kiss energy.
The characters were forgettable, and the story drags a bit too much. The random adding of plotlines or, IMO, unnecessary character developments were irritating and awkwardly implemented.
The ages of the characters were never addressed, which made me a bit uncomfortable sometimes. This wouldn't be a problem if Meow didn't act like a toddler at times.
I feel like this concept could’ve worked so much better than it did. The idea itself is great, a stray cat that can shapeshift into a human is such an interesting plot. Sadly the execution wasn’t what I hoped for. The romance tag made my expectation go up too high, as no romance happened between the lead couple.

What I liked:
The lesbian couple was the most interesting and adorable to watch IMO, they shared a lot of cute moments and oh I wish the other couples had at least half as much chemistry as they had.

Still, this is very sweet to watch, so if you are in search of something that has little romance, a lot of bromance and just want to watch something cute, this is the one for you! :)

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This is so - innocent - , maybe to innocent - . -

At first. I loved the idea, I loved the cast, I loved basically the story.
Why am I so disappointed?

The lack of any kind of intimacy or public display of affection (PDA)!

Don't get me wrong: I don't need steamy scenes. I don't need wet kisses. (I am a huge SOTUS Fan ^-^, I love The Untamed UwU) Nice, but not necessary.
But I need chemistry, something You can see and feel. Any kind of sparkle. But everything was just so sweet and to innocent and even chaste.
I don't know, after watching the final episode, is this a bromance between roommates? Is there more than just "let's live happily together for the rest of our lives"? There wasn't even a kiss on the cheek. And no, the little toe knot is not PDA imho!

Also the side-couples: Cute but no real intimacy. Evan only had take Faiyen under his chin to show affection (Bodo was cute, I loved his acting the lack of expressions, because of the role). That's all. But really, that's what I do with my friends, not lovers.
And I did not understand the girls couple. That was kind of cringe. The girl was so clumsy, she was a stalker, she ruined a lot of her given tasks, but "she is so cute and she has ears", so her boss could not be mad at her. . . Phuuuu, ehm yes, and why, but no!

To be clear, it's worth the watch !!!
But it's really a series for beginners, maybe youngsters.
It is not what I hoped for and it's not a classical BL in my eyes.
I really hope to see the cute cast in other roles, hopefully in a BL.

(If You want to see a BL story about a cat human and a human, watch "Youths in the breeze: Cat Boyfriend" , it has also no PDA, because it's chinese, but sooo much more tense.
https://mydramalist.com/708063-cat-boyfriend - available on YouTube)

available on GagaOOlala

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