I also really loved how relatable it is, and throughout the series, the overall message is that every love story may or may not have a good ending which is a very relatable message. The overall thing I hate with this drama is the second lead syndrome you get, it just breaks my heart. This series was truly a masterpiece though. The soundtrack is very memorable, and I am obsessed with this.
And lastly, the acting was amazing and everybody had chemistry. I really loved this series and I recommend it to anybody. I would definitely rewatch it infinite times if I could.
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This drama made me so addicted, although there are no daebbak moments for me I still love it. This drama will make u say, aaaaw I wish I had a friend like that (bora and eun taek are awesome).
I'll recommend this to to you if you're into romance, the story is good, one thing's for sure it made me smile.
cast? all of them are great, *thumbs up* the characters? it's either you'll love them, hate them or feel nothing at all. Each character has a story and its interesting. look forward to baek in ha! baek in ho okay good too! kekekek
rewatched value. lol. I watch it the second time around, like I said its addicting.
I love the music.
answers left undone. half way it did gave me some little bit of disappointment but if I look back in their story, their friendship, their conflicts and their love story and the addiction that they gave me I realized it is incomparable that's why I gave an overall score of 10.
ending? is it good, bad, awesome or horrible? secret I'll keep it to myself! hahahha!
this drama will give you two options: it's either you'll watch it until the end or drop it. I wonder which group are you. looking forward to your answer!^^
advice?
Don't watch it if you can't handle the disappointment, but there's a chance that u might not be disappointed at all, well it's still depends on you after all. :))
This drama is definitely my one great love, yoo jung and seol, jang!!
Although it's difficult watch it until the end.
-Park Hae Jin
ps: If there's one thing I wanna kill in here its the PD-nim
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This review may contain spoilers
A mixed bag
I’ll be honest, I almost dropped this drama so many times through my watch, but managed to keep my interest just enough for me to continue.This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this drama at all..I did, but I found it very frustrating frequently.
The main source of my frustration really came from Soel’s constant insistence to excuse Joeng’s toxic and very often manipulative behavior...often coming to the conclusion she has to attempt to understand him more etc.
Every time she’d find out about a situation he caused I’d think “okay, this’ll be the final straw..she’s gonna put her foot down” only to come to this conclusion.
I found myself being the most drawn to In-ho’s portion of the story... not just his relationship to Soel, but his entire journey from being a “delinquent” type starting over, to overcoming his fear of approaching the piano again...
I also found his conflicts much more engaging..dealing with his friendship and later love with Soel..his conflict with Jeong and In-ha (who is insufferable) his damaged hand and gang past.
I really believe he’s what kept me watching.
Definitely would’ve preferred a relationship with him and Soel, who I felt had much more chemistry.
This leads me to the ending which I really can’t say I’m fond of.
Soel and In-ho oddly kinda...dropped eachother? Him confessing really did completely ruin their friendship and it seemed like Soel..who seemed to value their relationship earlier, just didn’t seem to even care that he was leaving or keeping in contact...even the last mention of him seemed to make her uncomfortable...
A lot of the conflicts built up just seemed to dissipate at the end in an unsatisfying way..like suddenly the injured hand is no longer an issue..the gang is no longer an issue etc..it made this drama feel like it just suddenly...stopped? Not to even mention that she technically isn’t even with Jeong at the end (although it implies they’ll get back together)
Just a very messy ending all-around.
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An “ Cheesy” Drama With A Surprising Ending For Getting Out Of The “ Trap”..
Cheese In The Trap is based on the webtoon of the same name. The drama centralises upon hardworking university student Hong Seol ( Kim Go Eun), who takes a year out of education for a study break partly due to tensions arising between herself and fellow manipulative classmate Jeong ( Park Hae- Jin). After nearly a year, she returns back to school only to find more tension between Jeong and herself. With the support of her friends Jang Bo-ra ( Park Min- Ji) and Kwon Eun-taek ( Nam Joo Hyuk), Seol hopes to guide a sense of normality within her hectic life, however, the arrival of troublemakers Baek In-ho ( Seo Kang- Joon) and In- Ha ( Lee Sung- Kyung), the deceitful natures of her classmates , school life and a strange proposal from Jeong could threaten everything Jeong’s hope for normality and an easy school year.Before I begin my review, I must emphasise that my criticism does not come from like most drama reviewers, from the ending of the series. In fact, it was somewhat refreshing to break out of the escapist cliche of romance dramas in which the female lead and Male lead live happily ever after and never have to worry about anything ever again. Cheese In The Trap instead offered a reflection of reality in the series; a chance for Seol to escape her controlling and toxic relationship with Jeong and to learn a weary lesson of being cautious around those who ask too much , and for the other two main protagonists ( Jeong and In Ho), to continue onwards with their lives.
It may not have been the ending that we entirely wanted as viewers, but even after reading the original webtoon ending; it still rose to my attention that the drama series offered possibly the best outcome for Seol as an individual, rather than a plot device.
On the other hand, I’m not going to say that Cheese In The Trap was a either . Where my criticism really lies is with the events that lead up to the ending and more importantly, the cliche choices by the scriptwriters with dealing with the characters. First of all, I must comment that Kim Go Eun truly matched up to the expectations of Seol. Whilst Go Eun is memorable within her youthful looks in Goblin, Go Eun was perfectly cast not as you’d expect as a glamorous goddess , but your everyday student, something which was refreshingly portrayed by Go Eun’s stylist within her everyday clothing, her slightly roughed hair and Go Eun’s quiet mannerisms as well. Anyone who has experienced being like Seol as a hardworking , introverted or a fairly studious student in higher education at high school, college or university , can probably easily relate to the same experiences as Seol around fellow classmates and teachers .
Park Hae- Jin could seem a lacklustre at times within the show, something , which even before we got into the plot, dragged me into the gnawing suspicion that Hae- Jin had been typcasted again to play the brooding quiet type. Hae- Jin, however, did exceed my expectations at times within the show by his portrayal as Jeong; the cliche “ rich heir” ( thankfully was not induced too much in the plot, until later, however , it’s entire purpose did make me question why it hadn’t been picked up previously apart from dodgy scriptwriting), who is exceedingly disturbing and manipulative. Hae- Jin could truly make the hairs on the back of your neck stick up at time’s within his portrayal as Jeong, during his nearly sociopathic traits and manipulative nature. Undeniably, Jeong was a horrific character on all grounds especially over his control of Seol during their relationship, however, this did not take away the fact that he was additionally intriguing as a result of this.
Park Seo Joon was undeniably top-notch as In- Ho ; fairly parallel to Go Eun as Seol. He was able to portray In Ho with a surprising level of comical brilliance during his moments with Seol and his flirtatious teasing of her “ natural curls”, and levels of sincerity around his complex relationship with his sister and their abusive childhood at the hands of their aunt, Jeong’s actions and giving up the piano as a result. It was fair to say that In- Ho played upon the countless cliches of the “ nice second Male lead” ; yet he was also portrayed as an individual as well, something which was somewhat refreshing as a Korean drama. This is additionally where I point out one defence for the drama not allowing In - Ho and Seol to be together as many fans complained about within the ending of the series. Just as Jeong was manipulative, In- Ho carried a lot of emotional baggage especially in regards to what his sister In- Ha did to Seol at the ending of the series. Whilst I agree it would have been more touching for the either the drama writers to have induced more establishment of In- Ho’s feelings for Seol ( and vice versa) or simply written their relationship as a platonic friendship rather than beating around the bush, In- Ho’s relationship with Seol would have demeaning for both characters as individuals and their ability to move on with their lives, rather than stay weighted to their pasts.
This moves us onto our next female lead; Lee Sung- Kyung as In-Ha, the materialistic sister of In Ho and head over heels with a crush on Jeong. I’ve always admired Sung- Kyung as an actress after her ability to break out of the “ pretty girl role” in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo as the titular protagonist ( not forgetting the irony here that Joo- Hyuk is also in this drama) , however, I’m not going to hide that Sung- Kyung’s acting was unbearable at times within the show from overreacting and yelling moments . Of course, this is also on part of her character as well, who became questionably despicable over the course of the series. Whilst there’s no doubt that In- Ha has some moments of genuine emotional vulnerability such as her abuse at the hands of her aunt, her actions upon leeching on her brother, manipulating Seol and of course being able to walk on a light sentence despite her crimes in the series, seemed untrustworthy cruel by both the scriptwriters and the lacking lessons given to In- Ha’s characterisation. Although the show delivers a great casting selection and plot themes of relationships, education and youth problems ( including a refreshing portrayal of a gay couple), the show is often too lost certainly near the middle-point of the series upon the characters as plot devices rather than individuals and the drama between Seol and her classmates at times, grows to the point of stupidness especially in regards to some students such as Kim Sang-cheol ( Moon Ji- Yoon), who would have undeniably been a raise of concern by the teachers over some of his actions . Whilst this is naturally to add drama more than anything else, it did devalue a lot of the show as we soon became lost within tropes of trauma and romance which took away a lot of the possibility of how the drama could’ve built up this good ending without falling onto the cliches.
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You should start this show and decide for yourself if you think it's worth your time
This is one of those shows that people either loved or hated, and I lean more toward the camp of not liking it.Let me start with the cast. I thought all the actors were excellent and I've enjoyed most of these actors in other shows previously. I think that Kim Go Eun as Seol might have been the weakest link (she seemed pretty one-dimensional) but that may have been more due to the writing than to her acting abilities.
I could barely label this a romance, partially because there was so much other stuff going on, and the fact that Kim Go Eun and Park Hae Jin seemed so uncomfortable with one another. Hae Jin's character, Yoo Jung, was completely unlikeable throughout the show, so I spent a lot of time wondering that Seol saw in him. Did she think she could change him? Did she want to go against everyone else's advice? Every person that came into Yoo Jung's orbit suffered in some way. So, as I watched Seol trying to have a relationship with this guy, "run away" was playing in my mind.
I felt that Seol would have been a better match with In Ho (played very well by Seo Kung Joon), so even though I knew this wasn't the direction the writers were going in, I was disappointed.
I adored Lee Sung Kyun in Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo, and she played a completely different character here. She was wound a little too tight and you were never sure what she was going to do next.
Overall, I felt that the show was never able to fully realize its potential, because the writers didn't seem quite sure of what they were hoping to accomplish. Did they want to redeem You Jung? I know they were trying to portray accurate university life (though Park Hae Jin seemed entirely too old for this to be effective) and the foibles of the different characters, but I felt that the characters were SO odd that I couldn't warm up to them much.
And the ending? The obligatory time jump (three years!) and very vague and non-committal ending left me completely frustrated and dissatisfied.
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If you search for the drama's plot, you'll find that "it's about the delicate relationship between a female university student Hong Seol and her senior Yoo Jung." But it's actually more than that.
This drama is about life. It's about my life, your life... It's more than a drama or webtoon. It's realistic and really makes you think about everything.
It's about friendship, classmates, lovers. I'm happy that we could see different types of problematic relationships in families.
It teaches you that communication is the most important thing in one relationship.
It teaches that you can't always be good to people because they're going to use you.
It teaches you that revenge isn't always the right answer.
It teaches not to give up on your dreams or laugh at someone else's dream.
It teaches so many things and I'm sure that everyone will find an answer of personal questions because I found so many answers in this drama.
The cast was perfect for this drama, every actor had their own way to represent their character and they did a good job. The chemistry between Park Hae Jin and Kim Go Eun was just right but everyone was talking about the second lead Seo Kang Joon... and I can't judge! You'll fall in his trap so fast and you'll feel the pain.
The OST is really beautiful, fits perfectly. If I could choose a foreign song to describe this drama or Seol and Jung's relationship I would pick - A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera - Say Something.
What I like about this drama:
- the second lead - Good job, Seo Kang Joon! You stole my heart!
- mystery - I liked all the mystery around the main characters, it keeps you awake.
- the chemistry between Park Hae Jin and Kim Go Eun
- rich guy - poor girl - I really liked that they didn't even focus on this or make it a main problem of the drama.
- university environment
What I don't like about this drama:
- love triangle
I don't know why many people didn't like the ending, it was a very beautiful way to say "I still love you."
PS: I know 9/10 is really high but the drama was just what I wanted to see and feel the past months.
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From the moment Seo Kang Joon entered the story i knew i was going to have second lead syndrom. AND BOY how I SUFFERED. Baek In Ho was the only character i loved with all my heart. Everyone else pissed me off lol. The main male lead was...ummm...unique? The writers romanized his behavior as if he was some misunderstood tsundere character. But you know,i kept watching because i truly wanted to see the ending and i wasn't really hating 100% the plot of the drama but...BUT when i got to THE FREAKING ENDING. I wanted to punch my laptop screen and to rip my wig off. I know the writers wanted to do something different from other dramas and i appreciate that but it was actual trash. I've felt the disappointment in all my 206 bones.
Overall,everyone has different opinions. I'm not saying it was a bad drama because it wasn't but it was definitely not my style. #BaekInHoDeservedBetter
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There is no consistence. Is basically a cold sociopath who's not affectionate to anyone and lacks empathy: that good old cliche of a handsome rich twisted cold guy, (but here he goes beyond cold, since he's bit scary). And for no reasonable reason, in a matter of 1 episode he falls for her. Yeah, that cold twisted guy, just like magic +plum+ falls for her.An ordinary weirdo nerd. And just like that she falls for him, and they're done. They lack character development, like a consistent history and there's no way for us to tell actually how they have fallen in love for each other. After that, they struggle for her to accept his twisted ways. That goes the majority of the series, constantly on repeat. The girl fighting for accepting his twisted ways of doing things.
The way I see it, the fact that the drama didn't took much time to develop their relationship, and just took it for granted how they loved each other even though they were too different and there was no reason for such in a such short time, we don't have much time to build an affection and actually root for them to be together, so meanwhile watching their struggles, I actually didn't care much about it, like whatever break up already, I don't care.
I like to use other dramas that I loved to compare, how the relationship of them was built in block by block, and how a relationship that wasn't meant to be, can become cute. Dramas like Because This is my first life, for instance, have a similar idea, with a very different approach. That's when I guess this drama failed. What makes a good romance, for me is how little by little the relationship of two different and almost impossible persons can develop. I think this was the author's idea as well, but wasn't successful, since there were near to nothing development. Is just unrealistic how could they fall for each other.
If you you like good written plots, and a good history, forget it. You won't find it here as well. This is not a twisted surprising plot, with a clear villain to take down, or unfair things to be repaired. The whole history evolves around the romance, I've already written about. Other things is just side things, the main thing in this drama is the romance. This isn't a bad thing. Depends on what you like and what you wanna watch. That goes bad only if the romance itself is not good enough.
Also, if you don't like having second lead syndrome, don't watch it. I'm serious. The high point of this drama is the second lead. Actually thanks to him I could finish it, but if you are a person that doesn't like suffer wanting the second lead to become the main and end up with the girl, just skip it. There's no way one wouldn't fall in love with that second lead haha. I take it as bad writing you know, since we should be shipping the main couple. I always think when I have second lead syndrome, that writers shouldn't give second lead too much of space, so we wouldn't develop much affection to them, because at the ending, if you like the second lead more than the main, you will only get disappointed . Essentially you won't like the drama.
But I gotta say, i liked this drama only for Beak In Ho. <3
What can I say about this drama. This drama started good, but at some point it lost it. There's no sense of continuity, as if the writer wrote episode by episode, and didn't care much about the story as a hole.
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The drama started off so well leaving us so very confused about Yoo Jung's true nature and shined in the moments where we would see a glimmer of the true Yoo Jung with his scenes with Hong Seol. Again Seol was also another interesting character- to be frank she was just a pushover, someone who needed to learn to stand up for herself and say no to others. This is where the drama's real charm comes into place, all the characters are like people we encounter in real life whether that be pushover's, imitators, people misunderstood by society or those who are plain lazy, we as viewers can relate to what hong seol feels when she has to deal with these people.
Regarding the controversies and disappointments with the end episodes, as a self-diagnosed Baek In Ho (Seo Kang Joon) fangirl I had no problem with his increased screen time and focus on his problems. In all honestly there was never going to be an ending the writers could come up with which would make everyone happy for this drama especially considering the manhwa is still ongoing so I do think they did a great job. Instead the ending lets us viewers fill in the gaps the way we want to which I very much appreciated.
To anyone looking for a funny, relatable story that also tackles some of the most annoying types of people you could have ever met don't even hesitate to watch this drama it's amazing. Even better is that now that its over you van binge watch it without the pain of having to wait every week!
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The story line itself is unique as it is based on the web-toon, but I think the writers and staff did a great job turning it into a drama. The story itself had the love story romance and a little comedy, but the twist of a lot of the character's personalities also made it a thriller. I also thought the acting by all the cast was just so realistic and professional. I haven't heard of many of these actors and actresses before, but they are now people that I am going to look out for in future dramas.
The music behind the story also fit in so well. It's not the typical high note, out of this world vocal with an intense orchestra playing in the background, but it's arguably the opposite. It's soothing, calm vocals accompanied with the acoustic piano and guitar. You can also get the comedy feel of the quirkiness of the background music as well. The music was one of the things that set this drama apart from others and also a factor into why I love this drama.
When the drama first came out, I re-watched the first 4 episodes over and over again because I couldn't wait to see the next episode a week later. It was that good to me. This is a drama that I will definitely re-watch and recommend to everyone.
I would also suggest reading the web-toon, which isn't finished yet. I think you can understand the characters more through the web-toon. You can especially learn more about Yoo Jung's character specifically. It's always good to read the original.
Cheese in the Trap, Fighting! ^.^
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This review may contain spoilers
CITT is a pretty good drama. There are aspects that I like that deal with diverse relationships and personalities. I thought the way it is written and directed was well done. Although it has some of the typical story line, not all of the story is predictable. I like a lot of the characters, but it was hard for me to be emotionally invested in anyone except In Ha. Also, my problem is I didn't feel the chemistry between the female lead with either of the male leads. I didn't hate the ending like some people seemed to, but I wouldn't say it was the best I have ever seen. The acting is what kept me hooked. Park Hae Jin has a way of eliciting sympathy for his character, Yoo Jung. I thought he was totally misunderstood. The other actors are good also, but I think the stand out and steal the show actor is Lee Sung Kyung as In Ha. I love her and her character. Talking about someone who has some deep psychological scars. I never once felt sorry for her though. I felt like she was doing the best she could with the coping methods that she new. Yeah, she lied and schemed to be loved and to get all the things she wanted. I felt like Yoo Jung's father is the one that taught her to do that. He really is mostly to blame for his son and In Ha and In Ho's pain. Plus, if he had taught his son to talk about his problems and deal with things in a conventional manner, then Yoo Jung might be a different person. I hope that isn't to spoilerish.
The music is good.
I won't rewatch this.
If you like psychologically messed up characters, then this is the drama for you.
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