Caged Again – Series Review & Episode Guide

Junior is a penguin born and raised in a zoo, where he and his brother, Little, perform for adoring crowds. Junior is curious about the world beyond the zoo's gates. Rumours speak of an abandoned part of the zoo where animals can transform into humans. Driven by curiosity, Junior decides to test the legend. To his amazement, it's true. He has now become a human being.

At first, Junior is shocked and confused by human customs. He ventures outside the zoo, eventually stumbling upon the gates of a boarding school. By chance, the school authorities allow him to enroll. Later, Junior discovers that Mina, a spirit from a nearby shrine, has been quietly helping him. Mina is omniscient and aware of everything in her surroundings. She takes an interest in Junior and wants to help him adjust to his new life as a human.

As a new student, Junior tries to fit in by joining extracurricular activities, but most clubs fail to catch his interest. Along the way, he befriends two classmates, Jeng and Jodd, who help him adjust to school life. Junior eventually discovers his talent on the swim team. His background as a penguin gives him a natural edge in the water. Impressed by his skills, the coach offers Junior a scholarship to stay at the school.

Junior meets Nam, a warm and outgoing teammate who quickly befriends him. Beneath Nam's cheerful facade lies a competitive streak. He feels threatened by Junior's superior swimming skills, fearing his scholarship may be at risk. Sun, another team member, is quiet and introverted. He rarely gets involved or speaks to others. Despite his reserved nature, Sun knows Nam's true intentions and steps in to protect Junior from harm.

Before a competition, Nam resorts to cruel tactics to sabotage Junior. Fortunately, Sun rescues him, earning Junior's gratitude and strengthening their bond. Despite Sun's introverted nature, the two become close friends. However, a new problem arises. Son, the zookeeper, begins searching for the missing penguin. He suspects Junior may be hiding at the school and wants to bring him back.

Caged Again has an unusual premise about a penguin transforming into a human. As expected, the story begins with plenty of silly shenanigans and comedic misunderstandings. However, a zoo animal that suddenly becomes a regular student is a far-fetched concept. The series struggles to explain this bizarre sequence of events in a believable way. Why does the protagonist settle into his school life so quickly without facing realistic challenges? Caged Again breaks my immersion because the plot doesn't make sense.

My least favourite part of Caged Again is the school antics. The storylines about Junior's campus rivalries or extracurricular activities are dull, yet they drag on for multiple episodes. From inane chats to pointless interactions, I struggle to stay interested. While a few scenes can be amusing, they aren't funny enough to offset my boredom. The humour feels childish, catering more to a middle-school audience than adults. The series also has a bad habit of going off on random tangents. It often strays into irrelevant side plots or comic relief. Caged Again is eight hours long, but much of it feels like meaningless filler.

Midway through Caged Again, Sun reveals his mysterious background, adding complexity to the story. I like the creative twist and wish it was introduced earlier instead of wasting time on filler. The characters have a few mature discussions, tackling topics like freedom and identity. I'm impressed by the comparison between life as a human and life as a caged animal, which cleverly highlights the similarities. This series shows more substance than I expected. When Caged Again explores its animal themes, I feel intrigued. If it focuses on any other plot, I lose interest.

Junior and Sun build a meaningful bond by spending quality time together. Both leads treat each other kindly in a gentle and wholesome teenage romance. However, the relationship arc develops predictably without much excitement. As pleasant as the couple may be, their interactions often seem vaguely similar in an indistinguishable blur. Some BL ships can set my heart ablaze or evoke passionate emotions, whereas Junior and Sun leave me uninspired. Like visiting an ice cream parlour that only offers vanilla flavour, this love story is sweet but a little bland.

Junior's actor (Jay) energizes each scene with his genuine smile and cutesy mannerisms. However, his co-star (Ben) seems stiff in comparison. While Sun is supposed to be introverted, the performer interprets his role with wooden expressions. Even when emoting, he comes across as stoic. Among the supporting cast, the cute zookeeper (Khunnote) has a spark that catches my eye. I'd like to see him star in a BL project and hope a director feels the same way. On the production side, Caged Again is solidly made. All the visuals look bright, smooth, and crystal clear.

Caged Again introduces a sudden conflict in Episode 9, but everything gets resolved during an anticlimactic finale. There's a happy ending with many sweet, fluffy relationship moments, including an adorable last scene as Junior achieves a life goal. Despite the positive conclusion, my feelings on this series remain negative. The boring plots, an uninspiring couple, and many filler scenes have ruined my interest long ago. After enduring eight tedious hours, I'm free from Caged Again. Finishing it is such a relief because I can move on to more entertaining BL dramas than this.