Drama Digest
Adapted from the manhua ‘hey your ear’s popped up’ by Tracy Hu. Derdem is the protagonist who one day takes in a stray cat. The stray cat is however no ordinary cat, it turns into a human. Sometimes during the night, the cat transforms into a human with cat like ears and a tail. This surprises Derdem, who quickly realizes that the cat he got in is not normal. The cat then explains that he comes from an ‘Ear tribe’ and he is here in search for his elder brother Faiyen. Derdem promises to help him and he starts to call the cat ‘Meow’. The show is about how two individuals come to co habit by pure accident and impacg each other’s lives.
The Feel-Good Part
Meow as a character is incredibly naïve and often behaves like a child. His charms are very adorable to see on screen and pairs up well with derdem and his jaded personality. Meow can also smell unhappiness. Traits like that attributed to meow make him extremely likeable. As they co habit we begin to see a change in Derdem’ s behaviour. Their daily conversations become more and more endearing to witness. The naivety and childlike aura from Meow and the jaded personality of Derdem make up for an amazing pairing. The relationship flourishes because of the dynamic their unique personalities present. Right at the end of the second episode, Meow is reunited with his elder brother, but Derdem has already developed a bit of feeling that is implied romantically.
The Disappointing Factor
Meow acts very childish at some points, for e.g., he does not know what a haircut is or how to use a phone. Some characters are written to have a stone-faced expression at all times. This backfires despite the explanation given as they come off as impassive and boring. There is age gap and to an extent gives the vibe of a young person in love with an adult. For impressionable audience this would be giving some bad examples. The acting is weak too but considering how Derdem’s actor is a rookie this could be just a small flaw in his career. It’s quite vapid and dull at the end of the day which made many viewers think the series is incomplete. The script is not developed beyond a cat turning into a human after an unhappy man takes the stray in. in an attempt to make Meow cutesier, the character often comes off as a child. This would be uncomfortable to watch as mentioned previously, a wide number of the audience is at an impressionable age. Showing relationship dynamics like this on the screen could very well lead to teens being groomed and not understanding the severity of their situation. The wigs and the hairstyling need more effort.
In-Depth Analysis
Despite reaching half of the show, the romantic relationship between the two main leads does not develop much further than what was shown in the first episode except maybe Derdem being shy around Meow occasionally. Derdem works as a graphic designer and one day his boss comes home unexpectedly but does not discover the truth about Meow. A lot of plot holes and unanswered questions in the plot. However, the chemistry of the actors is amazing to see. The plot is very simple and the story is presented keeping that in mind. there is no over the top PDA or intimacy shown. The only focus is the budding love between the two main leads. Most of the actors are rookies and some times it is visible in their work on this show. The goal was to deliver a feel-good, fun show that the producers have succeeded in showing. This show is not meant to be taken too seriously or consumed as a high-caliber BL.
Star Power
Gap Kittichat was cast in the role of Derdem in this show. James Prapatthorn played the role of Meow. Both actors are relatively new to the scene and are budding actors, although the latter has had experiences in working at other shows as a support role. Bright Thanappon played the role of Faiyen- meow’s Older brother in the show.
Overall Opinion
This show is a fun, short, and sweet series. Nothing too major, the plot is very simple, for some it may come across as dumb and for some, it would be very strange du toe the relationship dynamic shown. Nevertheless, this is a feel-good one-time watch. The actors have done their best based on experience and the script.
