target audience is me
I am clearly the target audience for this and I didn’t know it.who would have thought we’d get an adorable penguin themed BL? not me but I’m here for it.
maybe it’s the right timing or what not but this is a super sweet, silly, absolutely ridiculous series and I love it. I had the biggest grin on my face watching it.
sometimes we just need something that lets us shut off our bains and enjoy.
I also gotta give it to wetv they are stepping up their game in their productions this year, knock knock boys, monster next door, and now caged again. my hats off to you.
as for the series we’ve got some mystery and magical moments that intrigue me and I’m curious to watch it all play out. I’ve not come across a theme like this before and it’s pulled me in even though I didn’t think id be a fan of they type of series.
casting was fantastic in this. Jay does a phenomenal job at being a penguin.
I’m seated. I’m excited. and I want more.
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quirky romcom with some darker aspects
Overall: I enjoyed the fantasy aspect and the dynamics ,but too much time was spent on the villains. 10 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4962/caged-again-2024-e01 and WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/album/b3s2uqh9es211rfContent Warnings: fight, manipulation, kidnapping, held against will/injury, bullying, trauma, illegal activities, attempted murder, violence, blood, grief
What I Liked
- dynamic between the MLs
- an inexperienced character who was intelligent and stood up for himself (that walk in that orange top was amazing)
- sweet/caring moments
- the ghost/goddess character
- I laughed several times
- some mystery
- Porsch & Arm
- had a realistic fight followed by apologies
- episode 10 wrapped up well
Room For Improvement
- a bit choppy at times, started with a flash forward and then went back and forth on the timeline especially in the beginning of episode 2, some scenes jumped from one to the next a bit abruptly
- wish they had kept 1 aspect more secret
- odd, why wouldn't he just want to go to the other pole where they do live
- cliche thing that happened in the beginning of episode 2
- that was not enough consequences at the end of episode 2 or later
- (neutral) comedy sound effects, mostly fine except I didn't like the gulp noises
- nonsense/because the writer said so stuff: why was the truck be parked there and how did no teacher/staff notice what was going on, why weren't the police been contacted on multiple occasions, odd reasoning for not going to the hospital
- too much time spent on the villains, could have tightened up pacing in places
- the first time gap was too long without communication
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Junior's Queen Energy Made the Show
What I loved most about this drama was how Sun, a carnivore, was constantly taming his instincts so he doesn't literally EAT Junior for lunch, but Junior tried whatever he could to tempt him. He even used catnip on the panther. Literally, that shameless penguin was born with no fear, cuz he was courting dead the whole series.Listen, Caged Again was nothing to write home about. The premise of the show was quite unique, interesting and different from the same school based bls we always got. So although I was sceptical, I still tuned in for it. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectation, the execution and the plot was all over the place, and everything was frankly a mess. Some of the characters were dumb as rock, nonsense misunderstandings that could be resolved if they just spoke dragged the pace, how that whole kidnap thing ended was so stupid, I'm still asking myself 'who dafug wrote this?' and I have like a billion questions as to how the penguin and the panther integrated into society with no legal papers. That last villain vs heroes stand-off had me shaking my head in judgement, literally the eff was that?
Yes, so many things made no effing sense and was flat-out ridiculous, but I'll give them this, the two leads, although new, did well with their acting. Junior stole the show for me, that penguin was such a drama queen and I loved every time he was on screen. Not gonna lie, with how the whole plot was all over the place, I thought I'd end up disliking the series, but, I liked this show more than I thought I would. I had some good laughs. Sun and Junior had good chemistry and entertained me with their antics. Their two friends were an okay addition as well, although not really sure what was up with them, and I liked how meta the Goddess was too.
Scenes that made me went hihi:
- In the beginning when Sun saw Junior as food in all those fantasy tripping sequence. Lol, like damn, don't eat your classmate.
- Junior turning his ruined gym uniform into a tank top, and doing a runaway show in the school's hallway. Slay!
- When Junior tried to seduce Sun by wearing that penguin suit. And I can't believe it worked, cuz all he did was lift Sun's arm and put it back down. Sun, honey...stand up!
- That whole catnip scene had me going... boy, do you have no regards for your safety? That penguin was shameless.
- Sun wanting their baby to have the face of a penguin and the body of a panther. Like??? then he got disappointed they couldn't have any. I'm glad they got a fish, hopefully they take it to the zoo and it becomes a person too.
- Junior waiting a few months, then started planning his life of moving to Bangkok and marrying someone else. LMAO, that penguin's sass needs to be studied. Sun lucky he showed up in time, boy was ready to move on.
- How sassy, naive, adorable, innocent, honest and bold Junior was. I loved how he was always true to himself and was unapologetic. He did this whole human thing better than most of us.
- That temple fair date that ended with them in the gambling club, but Junior just went with the flow, putting his dancing and gambling skills to use. Like, children, does this place look like a temple to you?? also how Junior got that piggyback ride... such princess behaviour, I stan!
- Sun's future job where he was an actor/stunt-man. LOL, the part when he fell before they even hit him, then after he was so proud like he did such a good job. Boy???
- That obvious green-screen North Pole :((((
- I also like how deep Sun loved. He found Junior and made him his whole world. Those two truly deserved their happy ending.
All in all a fun show if you go in not expecting anything, matter of fact, don't even question stuff, just go with the flow. You'd like the penguin for sure. So, I'll recommend it if you are looking for something to watch, just to watch something. I look forward to more work from the two leads, Ben and Jay, really liked them here.
Happy New Year.
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Jay IS the show... the rest is average...
There is not much to say about this show. It's silly, it's cringe and it's cute too. Jay playing the "pengun" is the star of the show who delievers his character to perfection. He's direct, he know's what he wants, he is more mature than most in his emotions and without him, the show would fall apart. That part of the script was good, the rest of the script was medicore at best.So, if you have nothing better to do, the show is watchable, if you have better things to do, you may skip it.
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There are many BL series being released in Thailand now, this one is not one you need to prioritize
It is a Thai BL series with a very strange story. The absurdity of a panther and a penguin from the zoo turning into two human boys in high school who also fall in love with each other. Also with action elements when they are hunted by some trafficking guys/hunters and then some invisible goddess who helps them.. it's just a bit too much and so many unexplained gaps in the story.The two main characters do their best though and the chemistry between them is good, we will definitely see more of them later on. The series has some cute romantic scenes and is one of the most innocent BL series that Thailand has produced in recent years, no nude scenes and no jealousy dramas at all. But no, I'm sorry but this one doesn't even reach an average rating for me.
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Plot is a little weird but hear me out….
If you had to do a double take at this synopsis, don’t worry. You read it completely right: This plot is wack.Silly plot aside, there are some profoundly existential scenes and dialogues questioning the meaning of ‘being human’ and what constitutes an existence worth living. I started watching this series for the hell of it but one episode turned into two, and then four and five, and before I knew it, the entire series had come and gone.
The relationship between Junior and Sun develops organically and at its own pace over several episodes without rushing into anything. As they navigate the world in their human forms, their attraction towards each other is obvious but largely unspoken, paving the way for an innocent and sweet teenage relationship.
The editing of the series could have been a little tighter. Some parts of the story felt disjointed and there are many random plot holes in this quirky storyline. But its quirkiness is also what makes the storyline so memorable.
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A Recipe of Randomness
While I did find the series to be entertaining, there were a lot of things that were happening. You have got to keep count on how many arcs present and time skips there was---especially in the end.The main premise of the series was brilliant and unique! It is rare to see this type of genre played in the BL scene. However, the execution felt a bit lacking. Some scenes felt rushed, and some were too out of place, and some would be even better without them. We are watching a BL series, not an action series.
The whole ride felt like trying to sew pages of a manuscript that was blown by the wind. That was the main problem I had with the series, especially it only having 10 episodes in total. It would be understandable, or even better if it was a series with 20 or so episodes. Fitting it all in 10 does not really do justice to the plot.
In the visual FX aspect, they did okay. It is hard to have a higher budget on the animals, but given the circumstances, it was good but not great. On the other hand, the pairing of Ju and Sun was great! They had their chemistry, and their acting was on point. You love how quirky and Ju is, and the seriousness of Sun does not feel forced.
There are scenes I would love to see removed or changed, but I also understand why they were there in the first place.
Overall, a good series to watch when you're bored or when you have no more to watch.
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Cute, fun, and just the right amount of unhinged
I'm not entirely sure if this show is even real or if it's all been one big fever dream. But if it is, don't wake me up because I'm having the time of my life.Is this show a masterclass in writing and storytelling? Absolutely not. It's very flawed, in fact. But it isn't trying to be a great show. It is awfully self-aware, and you can tell that the writers are having a ton of fun with the silly little idea they came up with. It's obvious they didn't want to think too much about the world-building, themes, or the characters. They just wanted to write a show about a penguin and a panther turning human and falling in love, and they did exactly that. It's a fresh idea, it's absolutely unhinged, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
It is a bit difficult to look past some of the glaring issues. For example, there's no logic about Junior's knowledge about human culture, or lack thereof. He knows how to write, he knows what a bed is, but he doesn't know how to use a computer or what religion is. He also struggles to comprehend what a kiss on the cheek is for, but five minutes later is fully kissing Sun without thinking twice about it or questioning how weird the concept of kissing would probably seem to any non-human. You can tell the writers didn't bother thinking anything through, but it really doesn't matter because the cuteness, silliness and fun of it all makes it easy to get past all the nonsense.
That being said, the series is sometimes trying to be a solid show. There was at least an attempt at exploring the human experience. Happiness, sadness, heartbreak, dreams, conflicts with parents and other peers... They tried to do something with that. I don't think they explored it well, but at least they tried to be serious at times. There's no real message to take away from this, and that's okay, only the thought 'What were they smoking in that writers' room?'
The main thing this show has going for it is cuteness overload and humor...
Caged Again is absolutely adorable. Ben and Jay shine as Sun and Junior. Although they aren't the greatest actors yet, they portrayed their roles perfectly and their chemistry is fantastic. Their height difference is a swoon-worthy cherry on top. Sun feels like a rather unique character. At first, you think he's just going to be a walking stereotype of the emotionally-constipated BL cliché. But you soon realize he's not that at all. Nor is Junior your standard cutesy, ditsy BL bottom. He's self-assured, doesn't take crap, doesn't need to be treated like a baby by his love interest, and is amusingly sassy. More of all that, please. The two of them together sell the puppy love incredibly well and often had me squealing and kicking my feet. Especially their first kiss, which might go down as one of my favorite first kisses in BL history. This show is a slap in the face to every director who instructs their characters to kiss like two dead fish in an attempt to get across the shyness and inexperience. It doesn't have to be that way, and SunJunior proved that very well. A shy, inexperienced first kiss can absolutely have passion behind it. Lips can be moving. They portrayed the timidness so well all the while clearly longing to be close to each other. And those two are animals who haven't even been aware of the concept of kissing until, like, two minutes ago. So stop making your actors press their lips together awkwardly. Unless they are fish turned human, of course, then that might work.
The humor of this show might not land for everyone, but it did for me. The rawr sound effects for Sun, Junior dressing as a penguin to activate Sun's animalistic instinct, the bad penguin CGI and hilariously poor North Pole Green Screen, Junior using catnip on Sun, drunk Sun singing 'You've made a kitty out of me' in a karaoke sesh, the school's guard yelling 'You will never escape, my gays,' Sun and Junior indulging in mpreg fantasies after their first time... It's all so stupid and unhinged and absolutely hilarious. Okay, Junior essentially trying to use catnip to drug Sun into loving him does have very problematic undertones, but I won't even harp on that because that shit was funny as hell.
All in all, this is far from perfect, but it's something fresh. And honestly, with the amount of samey BLs we're getting, I much prefer something unique over something flawless. That's why the rating is a very subjective 8, not an objective one. To me, this was an enjoyable watch from start to finish and I desperately hope to see Ben and Jay together again in future projects. Whoever came up with this foolish concept of a show, may the BL gods bless you.
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Junior looks like chimon and Sun look gulf huhuhu and the support role also, I like them!!! And the music wasss so good, I felt the series even more in their music fr. I love it!
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One of the cutest most unique BL ever made.
This is exactly what I look for in a BL: a fun story, light and fluffy tone, with a great cast and excellent chemistry. The story is incredibly gripping, and the cast does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Ben and Jai are amazing as Sun and Junior, while Jaonine Nokia is also incredible, breaking out of their roles from KKB.The CGI penguin is surprisingly well-done for a BL, and the visuals and cinematography are gorgeous, fully immersing you in this fantasy tale.
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Penquin Only
If you are inclined to watch this do not go into it with any expectations and you won't be disappointed. Yes it was scattered, poorly written and unbelievably stupid. I fully supported releasing the last 3 episodes together. Why stretch the unbearable? A better script might have them becoming shape shifters, exploring the world by night but living their animal form by day. Then a catalyst happens forcing them to make a choice. Their choice would include being adopted by Ton and Nam with Jeng and Jod as friends in their escapades. No, what we got was a whole lot of nonsense, with irritating side characters and with outlandish plot twists. Eliminate the rest of supporting cast and the money saved could have gone into more cgi to enhance the plot.Then I remember Penguin and I'm okay with some aspects. He is innocent, naive, sassy with a big heart. He was the only reason that would excuse wasting 8 hrs of mind blowing nonsensical. Sun, rubbing his face against Junior aka Penguin and resting his head on Junior's shoulder while telling him how much he loved him, made for a very sweet moment. Junior crying in ep 10 undid me. His process of deduction and internal conversations are humerous. That is all.
Take Junior and Sun out and you can burn the rest. For relative newbies they were okay, especially Jay. I do hope they get better scripts because they are cute together. I can not recommend watching this. No, I really can not. Go to a real zoo instead.
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Adorable WTH? that I Still Enjoyed
This is one of those shows where the message is about the journey, and the plot very much takes that route. I think this could have been stretched out to 12 episodes to give a little bit more of fleshing out because the ending was very rushed, as does it usually is. Ep. 8 is was pretty much all filler just to get to that end scene, the 2nd to last episode curse and then conclusion and end. I can't help but feel like I've missed something.What happened to Junior's brother Little? Does Junior ever visit after he went to Bangkok?
What happened to Nam? He became a bully and then just fell off the face of the earth.
Did the 'bad guy' die? He was hit on the back of the head. Did he live and get rearrested?
Who was the guy on the phone?
How far away do Jeng and Judd live from the school because they got to Sun reaaaaally quickly LOL
How did Sun turn back into a human? How did he get from the hospital to Junior?
I honestly wtf'd my whole way through the final 2 episodes LOL
The plot focused on Sun and Junior's journey and everything else just danced around them.
I almost feel like we had another director for those final episodes. There was a drastic change of tone for me, so much so that the humour that was littered throughout the show, which I had been enjoying up until then, seemed really out of place.
Having said that, it is what it is, and I still enjoyed it but things did go wonky at the end there.
The CGI stuff didn't bother me honestly. Even that last scene of Junior fulfilling his dream didnt bother me. I get it. CGI is expensive. It's ok, I'm not going to be too harsh about it. Did laugh a little at Sun visibly sweating in his artic clothing with the wind sounds and green screen northern lights LOL
Overall, it's a sweet quirky show, kind of a filler for your afternoon type of show and I thought the ML's as newbie, did well for their first roles.
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