Imaginary Cat

Imaginary Cat

4.5/10

Imaginary Cat 

Genre:                                   Episodes: 8                          Year: 2015

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Hyun Jong Hyun is an up-and-coming webtoon artist who is on the verge of signing his first contract. Rather than socialising with people, Jong Hyun is far more interested in spending time at home with his cat, Bok Gil.

Cast:

Yoo Seung Ho (Hyun Jong Hyun)

Cho Hye Jung (Oh Na Woo)

Kim Min Suk (Yook Hae Gong)

Lee El (Dokgo Soon)

Biteuli (Bok Gil)

Han Ye Ri (Bok Gil's Voice)

General Thoughts:

The cat was the best part. Any scene that didn’t involve the cat was just plain uninteresting to watch. Don’t be deceived- the romance isn’t between the leading actor and actress, it’s between the leading actor and the cat.

A picture of true love

It’s a short little series to give all those crazy cat ladies/lads hope. Yoo Seung Ho was adorable when he was interacting with the kitty, but outside that his character was underdeveloped, bland, and a bit of an asshole.

I'm an ass to everyone but my cat

Cho Hye Jung is okay- her character doesn’t have much substance to begin with and was basically akin to a talking tree. Which is less interesting than a talking cat. Just sayin’. The main lead’s friend, Yook Hae Gong was far more interesting than our two leads combined, and that’s not just because of my newfound love of Kim Min Suk. The storyline was…wait, was there a storyline? It was mostly just cute scenes of Yoo Seung Ho snoodling this cat intercut with scenes of him being an ass to this talking tree- oops I mean girl. The series was short, with episodes sitting at about 30 minutes or so each, and there were only 8. It was a pretty quick drama to get through. While it’s relieving that the drama didn’t try and squeeze too much in or blindside us with random twists it didn’t have time for, I do wish it had spent a little more time developing the few plot points it chose to include. The whole suicide friend was understandable enough in the way it was presented, but it would have been nice to get a little more on our main man’s feelings of guilt. I would happily sacrifice a few ‘Omg, Bok Gil might be Haru’ scenes for a little extra depth. I know that this drama didn’t set out to be an amazing series, but I’d heard some rave reviews, so I think I went in with my expectations a little too high.

This is about as romantic as the humans get

What Was Great:

That Cat:

I don’t know where they found a cat so complacent. It was amazing. Either that cat is the most chilled feline in the world or Yoo Seung Ho is a wizard. I’d believe either. It was just so brilliant!

Hooman...why you do dis

Not too mention that kitty’s character was probably the most developed character in the whole show. It was spot on cat thoughts too- like I don’t doubt that the cat’s dialogue is what most cats think. The writers nailed the whole ‘This is my house and my human’ attitude- of course all built up around a developed affection.

Basically just every cat ever

Bok Gil ignoring her human when he came home late and complaining about the strange female human in her house was hilarious. Han Ye Ri has got the perfect voice for a cat- now whenever I think of cats speaking I’m going to hear her voice. Of course kitty’s relationship with her human Jong Hyun was too adorable for words. I just bet half the women in South Korea were spewing with jealousy watching the way Yoo Seung Ho snuggled that cat. His interactions with the kitty were so genuine and filled with love that it all seemed so natural, and it was totally believable that this cat was the most important thing in his life. I don’t doubt that Biteuli (the cat) fell head over heels for Yoo Seung Ho either. In most scenes where they interact you can hear kitty purring away nice and loud beside her new bestie. I really believe that poor cat would have plummeted into depression after filming was over and she stopped being able to spend such quality time with such a quality cat-man.

Sooooooo many girls want to be that cat right now

The Friend:

I swear Kim Min Suk is not why I like this character. Though it doesn’t hurt. After our kitty, I found that the supporting actor’s character, Yook Hae Gong, was the most interesting. While we have our main man being moody and a bit of a downer (when he’s not with the cat) we also have this other character who works hard, is supportive and always willing to lend a listening ear. He’s also one of the few characters that has some depth.

I can't hide my love for you either, Kim Min Suk

Unlike all our K-Drama heroes and heroines, poor Hae Gong has realised that there is a slim chance that his dreams will ever become a reality and that he has to get on with his life. It’s a bitter pill that most young adults eventually have to swallow, and Gongie did it in such a realistic way, without lashing out in jealousy at his friend who had achieved the things he wanted. His romance with PD Dokgo is a little random but acceptable enough- though I did feel like Lee El was significantly older than him. I know it’s only five years, but even that short haircut can’t disguise the flower-boy baby-face.

Stood up for her once- now the woman won't leave

What Wasn’t:

Boring Leads:

The acting wasn’t bad, but the characters were pretty plain. Cho Hye Jung was pretty green, but delivered her character well. It’s just that her character was a tad whacky. And not in the good way. Oh Na Woo is not relatable at all. Sure she’s got a naturally chirpy character, but no girl would stick around a guy she barely knows that treats her that badly- no matter how cute and smooshy his cat is. There’s no depth to the main female character beyond that she really likes cats and for some unexplainable reason has a crush on Jong Hyun. It’s mentioned that she was sick when she was younger, but that has no impact on anything. Also she turns into a bit of a nutbar sometimes. I just don’t buy that any normal person would react in the way Na Woo often does. I get that she likes cats and that she’s bummed she lost hers, but who honestly still holds a burning flame for a kitten they lost seven years ago? And then to rock up at the house of the guy who’s raised the cat for the better half of a decade and demand it back? C’mon. No one’s that daft.

She actually had the mental capacity of an 8 year-old

Then there’s Jong Hyun who slays every scene with the cat. But take the cat away and he’s got no personality. All his playfulness and cheeriness disappears. All of it. He becomes an abrasive, self-centred ass as soon as he’s out of the house and it’s not understandable why.

Who needs women when you have a cat?

He seemed open and friendly enough before his friend committed suicide, but the show didn’t touch enough on his feelings of guilt for that to be a fully acceptable reason behind his character change. As a viewer you can connect the dots, but I would have preferred it if it had been explained properly (which would never have happened in a drama this short) or if he’d been a total loner/introvert his whole life. Sadly, there’s also no chemistry between the leads. They felt more like brother and sister than a couple- and I truly believed that they had more interest in the cat than in each other.

Boring Story:

Nothing really happens. There’s a whole lot of cute with the cat, but not much else. The only real plot line that was focused on was totally obvious from the start and didn’t really cause that much conflict anyway. The writers dropped some very, very heavy-handed hints that Bok Gil was long lost Haru right from the start. Which is fine, it’s a short series and it doesn’t have time to be mysterious- but then nothing really comes of this discovery anyway.

"What a surprise!" Said no one anywhere

Nothing really changes between our leads or their situation. Na Woo had a keen interest in Bok Gil before she found out it was the same kitten she’d lost all those years ago. I suppose Jong Hyun became a little bit nicer to her, but even that felt like it was a bit out of character as it would have made far more sense for him to become an overprotective ass the way he has been all series long. Oh well.

Re-watch?

Nope. The pictures and gifs online of Yoo Seung Ho and the cat are all you really need. Not joking. It probably would have been a better drama if it was just 8 solid hours of nobody else but Yoo Seung Ho and this cat. Which (if we're all honest) it nearly was.

So many people are going to buy cats after watching this drama