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They had a great idea and strong imagery, but too many episodes for it
I seek out dramas with an unusual premise, and a penguin turned human is as unusual as it gets.
I loved the first half of the drama, how the unsual premise at first seemed to be nothing but a simple high school drama, complete with school bullying, an odd group of friends and a ghost -- but then turned out to have strong imagery of cages vs. freedom, of staying in the seemingly safe present vs. going out into the wild and unknown future. I loved the metaphor of school and teenage years as prison, which liberally used striped pyjamas with numbers, high walls, guards in uniforms and so on, where school is a prison / a cage that provides a safe space but at the same time, stifles growth -- versus the wild, and maybe dangerous woods, symbolising the unknown, in which you can get lost, but also be found again.
The metaphor gets spelled out in a medically induced dream and subsequent dialogues between Junior and Sun -- what will the future bring? What will we do when we grow up? Will we be brave enough to step out of our cages or will we go back to what we know? I think the animal-turned-human is also part of this imagery; as a human, we have much more freedom, we don't rely on instincts alone, we can be who we want and be with whom we want, even if it's a black panther.
Overall, this first part was a very good metaphorical coming-of-age comedy.
I loved Junior's character in these first episodes; he didn't know much about the world, but he did know what he wanted and went to get it, he was able to stand up for himself, even when he was betrayed by someone he had trusted his whole life. And he did all that while being an adorable penguin.
All of this was supported by good choices of sets and wardrobes; and the main actors portrayed their characters and their quirks and thoughts well (especially considering that they are newbies!). More than a few times, Junior really acted like a penguin in human skin, which was lovely to see.
In my opinion, the drama should have ended somewhere in episode 8, when Junior makes his decision whether he wants to go back to his cage or to live in an uncertain future but together with Sun.
Because after that, the writing falls apart. Sun and Junior change to a stereotypical top/bottom couple (with a whining bottom, and a sexually experienced(?) top), the side couple's development stalls completely, even to the very end, the narrative starts to feel redundant and made of ill-fitting pieces, leaving some plot-holes. Especially the last episode, with its weird time skips, and all too sweet ending that somehow tries to give even the minor characters a happy ending, is a huge let-down.
My theory is that the writer had a fantastic idea for a plot -- and then discovered that it wasn't enough to fill the standard 12 episode format, so they had to add more filler, and this is what we got.
Was it good?
There were a few highs, and some great imagery, as well as some good acted scenes. Unfortunately, the last three and a half episodes were weak.
Did I like it?
I loved the first two thirds, so much so that I thought the drama might become a new favourite; and didn't dislike the last third. It was just less than it could have been, so I don't think I'll ever rewatch it.
Would I recommend it?
I don't know. Maybe to someone who likes their BLs on the cute side and doesn't mind some fantastical elements and doesn't expect great writing.
I loved the first half of the drama, how the unsual premise at first seemed to be nothing but a simple high school drama, complete with school bullying, an odd group of friends and a ghost -- but then turned out to have strong imagery of cages vs. freedom, of staying in the seemingly safe present vs. going out into the wild and unknown future. I loved the metaphor of school and teenage years as prison, which liberally used striped pyjamas with numbers, high walls, guards in uniforms and so on, where school is a prison / a cage that provides a safe space but at the same time, stifles growth -- versus the wild, and maybe dangerous woods, symbolising the unknown, in which you can get lost, but also be found again.
The metaphor gets spelled out in a medically induced dream and subsequent dialogues between Junior and Sun -- what will the future bring? What will we do when we grow up? Will we be brave enough to step out of our cages or will we go back to what we know? I think the animal-turned-human is also part of this imagery; as a human, we have much more freedom, we don't rely on instincts alone, we can be who we want and be with whom we want, even if it's a black panther.
Overall, this first part was a very good metaphorical coming-of-age comedy.
I loved Junior's character in these first episodes; he didn't know much about the world, but he did know what he wanted and went to get it, he was able to stand up for himself, even when he was betrayed by someone he had trusted his whole life. And he did all that while being an adorable penguin.
All of this was supported by good choices of sets and wardrobes; and the main actors portrayed their characters and their quirks and thoughts well (especially considering that they are newbies!). More than a few times, Junior really acted like a penguin in human skin, which was lovely to see.
In my opinion, the drama should have ended somewhere in episode 8, when Junior makes his decision whether he wants to go back to his cage or to live in an uncertain future but together with Sun.
Because after that, the writing falls apart. Sun and Junior change to a stereotypical top/bottom couple (with a whining bottom, and a sexually experienced(?) top), the side couple's development stalls completely, even to the very end, the narrative starts to feel redundant and made of ill-fitting pieces, leaving some plot-holes. Especially the last episode, with its weird time skips, and all too sweet ending that somehow tries to give even the minor characters a happy ending, is a huge let-down.
My theory is that the writer had a fantastic idea for a plot -- and then discovered that it wasn't enough to fill the standard 12 episode format, so they had to add more filler, and this is what we got.
Was it good?
There were a few highs, and some great imagery, as well as some good acted scenes. Unfortunately, the last three and a half episodes were weak.
Did I like it?
I loved the first two thirds, so much so that I thought the drama might become a new favourite; and didn't dislike the last third. It was just less than it could have been, so I don't think I'll ever rewatch it.
Would I recommend it?
I don't know. Maybe to someone who likes their BLs on the cute side and doesn't mind some fantastical elements and doesn't expect great writing.
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