Cheese in the Trap (2016)

Loved it!

This show wasn't what I was expecting at all. I really don't understand the low rating! I suspect it's from people who are (understandably) turned off by the sociopathic traits. Yeah it's in pretty bad taste to give a ML sociopathic traits, but the entire theme of the show is about misunderstandings, and he's majorly misunderstood - and while we shouldn't expect someone like him to be "misunderstood" in real life, it's just a drama people. I feel this show in general is misunderstood. It's about young characters in a high school setting, and comes across as something lighthearted at surface level, yet is all about very mature and complex subjects. I can see how some audiences could be put off. I absolutely LOVED it. Each episode kept me hooked from scene to scene. I'm already a huge fan of SKJ and I went into it expecting major second lead syndrome. That didn't disappoint...but I also totally felt the chemistry with the ML who was actually very sweet. A must see, just don't go into it expecting a fluffy high school drama.

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white sheep in a flock of black ones..

Slightly wrong description of the drama..” Yoochun has some kind of secret” .. he doesn't have any secret! The whole joke is that he had a strong sense of justice that so interfered with the others (who used the position of his father ) that they called Yoochun "strange" thereby spoiling his life .. and those close to him ..
Actually Yoochun is the most adequate character in this drama!!! He is just not strange, but fair, with character and his opinion, who knows how to stand up for himself and for people close to him!
And strange here, his father, who wanted and tried to raise an obedient doll / vegetable from his son and did not allow him to show emotions (anger), thereby himself is to blame, and Inho's sister, Park Inha. Those are really weird! Inhuman to the point of impossibility, trying to convince anyone that Yoochun is strange just because he refuses to be their toy and rag and behaves as he sees fit and also takes revenge on everyone who offended or used him at any time.
I don’t understand a little the idea of the screenwriter (I don’t like this idea at all, he unhealthily hyped it throughout the drama) who promoted the idea to the masses “Yochun is strange Yoochun is strange ..” ( the idea of people which respect themselves and don’t give others play with them ) where almost all the people around him thought of him that way ..
Where is he weird? All his actions here are so clear and transparent that there is no trace of strangeness! Everything is logical and consistent .. probably the scriptwriter was trying to show how difficult it is for people to survive in a society of idiots (in this case, this is the society where Yoochun was) such as Yoochun who differ from the herd by having a brain, thinking and a sense of justice and self-respect!
And if Yoochun also set everyone up or crap everyone, or okay, didn’t betray those who set him / anyone up or allowed him to sit on his neck, then he would not automatically be strange because he would not resist and would not take revenge .. they want such people see everything? Not able to stand up for themselves..?!
It was a pity for Yoochun, he suffered the most ..
The topic with Yoochun and Park Inho is not fully revealed
It is not clear who actually betrayed the guys, what club they will be in when InHo then broke his arm ..
Maybe it was the pianist who wanted to be closer to Yoochun so that Inho couldn't perform..
It was also very pitiful for Yoochun when Sol went to the hospital and he chewed for the only person who understood him a little and was on his side .. he was afraid of losing her.
In general, this topic is still relevant now, there are very few intelligent adequate people who do not give themselves offense .. and very few who stand on the side of such people. Most of them are like Sangchul, Mina, Ingun...

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Needed Better Balance with the Supporting Characters, but the Main Characters are Good

I did not the point of certain characters being in the series (i.e. Nam Joo Yeon) and other characters I had seen more of (Hong Joon, Kang Ah Young). Neverthelesss, I liked a lot of the main characters in the series.

Bo Ra always sticks up for Seol. Additionally, her bickering with Eun Taek is pretty comical.

Seol is a very strong character who doesn't let her life situation or peers get in the way of her studies.

Baek In Ha comes off as very needy, annoying, and a bully, but you see why she is the way she is through flashbacks of her experiences growing up. There's a lot of depth to her character.

Baek In Ho was my favorite character in the series because he is very dynamic. He picks on Seol and his sister a lot, yet he is very caring. He appears very tough, yet expresses a softer side to him when he plays the piano or when Seol or his sister get into trouble.

The one main character I didn't like as much was Yoo Jeong. He appears mean at the very beginning, then kinda creepy, and then more caring toward Seol. The transitions in his character seemed kinda abrupt. However, that could also be the point to his mysterious character, I dunno.

Overall, I would recommend this one, but maybe not put it at the top of your list.

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Most say it's bad, but I loved it. It didn't become one of my favs because it didn't have a 100% closed ending. Shippei right as always. And I didn't think Jung was crazy and psychopath. I do think he had a certain problem because he got irritated easily and for anything, and that even though it was a small thing, he felt the need to get revenge and want to pay back. However, in certain situations, I fully agree with Jung to want revenge because I don't see a problem in getting revenge, as long as it's not for insignificant things (as he did many times) but for something that had an absurd impact on his life. (I am scorpio girl. Revenge is a characteristic of my sign). I defend him because I'm someone who loves revenge stories and not because he's a man, standard, handsome, as many say.
About the couple's ending: it was an open but not vague ending. That's because as Jung finally read Seol's email, it means he was finally confident and ready to love her. And we know and we can clearly see that even after 3 years, love for each other still existed. After all, it was a very intense love. Don't say he was crazy, psycho, just because you wanted her with In-ho. It wasn't Jung's fault that he became that way. It was the events since his childhood that made him that way. And thanks to Seol and all the things that happened from their relationship, they served to make Jung realize that he had something wrong and so go after improving for himself and especially for her.
I absolutely loved In-ho too, but he didn't and would never have the possibility of Seol choosing him because Jung was always undoubted for her.
Another secondary couple calling attention as if they were the protagonists too. Bo-ra and Eun-taek were too perfect. A pure, light and funny relationship.
In-ha was just so insufferable. I have nothing to say about her except that she is a freak and that her expressions, speeches and actions as if she were a child, irritated me absurdly. I hated her from start to finish.

I loved this drama and all the lessons, conflicts and revenge. But mostly I loved the two couples and Baek In-ho.

And by the way, a lot reminded me of True Beauty. And True Beauty is one of my favs ever. This also had an influence on me.

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Despise love triangle !!!!!

The webtoon was extremely well-written, with an interesting plot and complex characters. When I realized there was a drama adaptation of the webtoon, I was a bit nervous and excited.

For a sixteen-episode drama, I think the writers did a decent job at condensing the story into 40 to 60-minute episodes. Of course, it had its flaws. The webtoon provided an in depth look at the characters, and I think the drama failed to do that.

What I liked about it though is the cast. Park Hae Jin did a good job of portraying Jung's multi-faceted personality. Kim Go Eun and the rest performed really well too.

Overall, it could've been better. If only they gave the drama more episodes (about 20-24 eps), then the story wouldn't have felt so rushed. 16 episodes are not enough to contain Soonkki's masterpiece.

I would love to see a revamp of Cheese in the Trap with longer episodes and the same cast.

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Shining because unconventional

A little lightful gem. Definitely unconventional, thus this is the main reason why I liked the idea behind this show and the show itself. A show which probably will be disliked by the majority who looks for the typical love story that a k-drama usually offers. And that I liked because of this being so atypical. But that was not the only reason.
Talking about the plot. Since this is not the classical love story we usually watch in a k-drama, things were definitely not going how is expectable in a standard love story. I found the writing true and intense, and I found the main leads appropriately suited for the characters they played. Even if the story can be liked or not, the characters can be liked or not. But as said, the key point of this story is the fact that it's not the typical love story, but something more adherent to actual feelings and personalities, even when disturbing. And this explains what can be found apparently bizarre or weird, mainly in what Seol does when dealing with Jung and In-ho.
Despite the story is well written, I actually felt disappointed by the ending. I found everyone getting their happy/bad ending or their redemptions, to include Seol. All but Jung: unknown. And that last second's (literally) happy ending disappointed me twice. Like if the story was eventually forced to show a potential happy ending (even if who's not Korean would find hard understanding who actually was the addressee of the messages: no sub no translation provided).
About the leads: I actually disliked Jung's character because I found him disturbing, creepy, and extremely toxic for his way to deal with wrong things and people doing wrong, manipulating the last ones till their humilation and destruction. I liked more In-ho, who is also a hothead (also a d1ckhead tbh): he uses his fists to solve problems, the violence is part of his way to express himself... But still: he looks more clear and genuine, and paradoxically less dangerous. To be honest: what can hurt more? A fist or a deep humiliation? Easy answer... So, again, both Jung and In-ho are truly in love for Seol, they try to did their best with her, but they both show toxic personalities, and despite the good intentions the outcome is (to be fine) questionable. Still, I found more and more dangerous and hurting Jung's personality, who's actually a sociopath. Simply, I prefer who is able to overreact showing his actual feelings, respect to whom overreacts wearing a mask, and manipulating and scheming. Both the actors were great, talented, and brilliant, personfying roles not easy to manage.
That said about male leads, talking about the shiny female leads, I adored Seol: Kim Go Eun was simply adorable in playing her controverse character. She has not a linear personality, she has a strong sense of duty and rationality as well as her approach to matters is unusual and sometimes harmful for herself: still I did not decide at the end if truly toxic as well, I mean toxic toward herself. Her tendence to justify and interiorize the actions of Jung is disturbing. Because his being toxic and manipulative trying to protect Seol, ends being harmful firstly to her. And what happened to her during the finale is a strong confirmation. Her ending is the only one not happy or redeeming: her life is sad, empty, she's clearly depressed, she keeps trying to keep in contact with Jung, despite he himself was the first admitting how harmful could be to her. And his having read the message at the end, honestly, I don't see it as an actual happy ending. As said above, Jung is the only one character for who's unclear if eventually able to redeem or not: will he hurt her again because he keeps being manipulative and toxic? Lee Sung Kyung, fantastic: she greatly played an In-ha who's a manipulative and a nihilist toxic (again) personality. Apart the beautifulness, she is really talented in characterizing, even when her character has an actual tragic nature masked by an apparent strenghtful temper.
I remained disappointed by the ending. I found everyone getting their happy/bad ending or their redemptions, to include Seol. All but Jung: unknown. And that last second's (literally) happy ending disappointed me twice. Like if the story was eventually forced to show a potential happy ending (even if who's not Korean would find hard understanding who actually was the addressee of the messages: no sub no translation provided).
In any case a show which deserves to be watched. Definitely.

P.S. The OST is beautiful

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Absolutely not.

My Letterboxd review with some minor tweaks (short because this show killed my will to live):

the webtoon did not deserve to be brutalized like this.

seol isn't unpopular in the webtoon lol idk what they're talking about here. and as much as i love seol's actress, this role wasn't right for her. baek inho (actor and character) served though honestly.

I would also like to add on (post-reviewing on Letterboxd) that the acting, as a whole, was good. People put work into this drama and I can tell and appreciate that. It's just that this show completely disregards the feeling and direction of the source material. If I wasn't such a big fan of the Webtoon, I doubt I would have finished this at all.

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Unresolved plot, yet satisfying

Cheese In The Trap Review
Genres: Unconventional, Quirky, Mind Games, Romance, Friendship and Family

Supporting characters play their parts very well, and they make friendship look great, “I’ve always got your back” cliche. The antagonistic characters also have a slightly sympathetic past, which helps in understanding why they are what they are.
The spotlight is on the FL& ML relationship, pretty obvious plot yet not your pink clouds and rosy path relationship.
ML is all about manipulating situations to his advantage. The mind games would be a treat to you if you like the darker side of things. But it isn’t something out of the blue, it’s what people do everyday, just in smaller proportions and frequency.

As you keep saying watching you will understand why FL chose ML, very weirdly FL finds warmth and solace within this relationship and I get it too (call it twisted?¿). She understands and lives within his insanity as she’s got a little bit of it as well. ML is also one for chivalrous gestures, helps, loves, protects the FL but in his own manipulative way which is also a very interesting dynamic. The second male lead and ML have a complicated relationship, it’s not complete animosity, there’s a hint of friendship and family in there, which is better than you think it will be.

FL has the "I can fix him" mindset, and every time ML does something messed up she first assures him, that she will not leave despite his doings in order to not make him anxious(which actually seems to help(by a tiny bit)), ML begins to bond and care for her more each time, which leads to him realizing his flaws only when FL is in harms way which is at the very end of the show. I would have liked to see his changed self handle situations the right way which will account for his character development, but unfortunately did not get to see any of it.

I think the story could have gone a different way in the last few episodes, the characters of the orphan siblings were not compensated in the best way, there was no real repentance of the ML towards them which was suppose to be major considering their past. ML's father's character should have been given more screen time to tie up his wrongdoings properly. All these unresolved issues made me question why at the end.

What was definitely satisfying was the FL's family, their story was definitely wrapped up nicely.

Overall, I liked it because it was a different point of view compared to most kdramas and the story allows each of us to have our own stance about it, cast was absolutely amazing, ending of each episode got me hoping and a little excited for the next one.

Let me know how your watch went ;)

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I've dropped this title near the end, because it was boring me, but not in a bad way.
The story is really well made, even if I am not a fan of Park Hae Jin acting, Park Seo Joon made me watch this drama till I was tired of it. The storyline is real, I can agree with many other people who declared that this drama, created his characters on the different mental illness, and that's a really beautiful thing of this show. I loved how each one is characterized ( ex: the jealous one, the lonely one, the possessive one, the insecure one, etc...).
But, nearby the end in this drama, everything started to get messy and confusing like they ran out of ideas and made, for me, difficult to follow, really sad sicne it had a really good potential since the start!
p.s. (I've just gone to read the spoiler just to end this drama once and for all)...

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I'm currently still watching this show,
but I'd like to put up a trigger warning for some people who are still thinking about starting it.
This drama includes a severe abusive relationship.

I started checking it out because the reviews for this drama were overall pretty good, but having been in an abusive relationship myself it pressed some serious triggers for me that I wished I would have known about before starting it.
I'm not completely sure whether or not I will end up dropping this series because the cast IS very strong,
but the relationship between Seol & Jeong just makes me incredibly uncomfortable.

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When people ask me if I recommend a drama or not i usually reply by encouraging them to watch it themselves and judge its quality. This review is just to inform the audience about the show's overall vibe from my perspective. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and here i will be simply stating mine.

For me "Cheese in the trap" is one of those dramas that belong in the "love it or hate it" category.

THINGS I LIKED:
The beginning of the show was indeed very interesting and totally got me hooked. This isn't an ordinary slice of life love story, but instead many cliches are being broken throughout the show. The unexpected things that kept happening in almost every episode somehow kept me intrigued. The characters were all well developed, it was exciting to see their secrets unravel and find out why they act the way they do. I love how unconventional the appearance of Hong Seol was, it was cool seeing another hairstyle other than the silky smooth perfect hair most female leads have in dramas. The actors were all very good and played their roles fairly well, even the support roles were acted out excellently. The OST was nothing special but it wasn't annoying to listen to either.

THINGS I DISLIKED:
The age difference between the female and male lead was very intimidating to me. I am not the type of person to say such thing, i honestly believe that love has no age, but hear me out on this one. Despite the characters being only 2 years apart in the drama (almost 10 years in real life) they have to use honorifics. That's okay with me. But even after dating? Hong Seol didn't get to call her boyfriend by his name and kept calling him Sunbae. I like honorific speech and i respect Korean culture but that was too much for me. It just made it seem like the couple wasn't close at all. It felt sketchy. Also i strongly disliked Park Hae-Jin's role. He played it excellently but i just couldn't stand Jung Yoo's personality at all. I know that he had a reason for acting like he did but for me that wasn't enough to justify everything as well as Hong Seol's choice. Which brings me to my next point. Hong Seol's decision to date Jung Yoo, a guy who was literally lying to her, couldn't trust her, kept neglecting her or getting mad and was cold towards her, instead of In-ho who always tried to cheer her up and was there to protect her is just pure nonsense in my eyes. I don't care if Jung Yoo is like that with everyone. I just find this kind of relationship to be unhealthy and would never do something like that myself even if i loved the person. Love is a beautiful thing, but there are boundaries between awkwardness and ignorance. Since this is a realistic story not set in some magical land or the outer space viewers should be able to relate to the characters especially the protagonist, something that i was unable to do. Finally, the ending left me completely unsatisfied and rather disappointed, the characters were pretty much left hanging. It would've been so much better if they had cut out some of the bar scenes to dedicate more time in showcasing the couple's relationship and work on the character development. It's too bad that such excellent actors were given roles that stayed unfinished until the very end of the show.

Regardless of what I mentioned in this review, i would advise everyone to watch this drama and reach their own conclusion. Who knows? You may really enjoy it.

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