Cheese in the Trap

Cheese in the Trap

6.5/10

Cheese in the Trap

Genre:                                        Episodes: 16                                     Year: 2016

Romance

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Hong Seol is a university student who has grown up in a poor family, as her father often fails in developing new businesses. She works hard in her studies so that she can earn a scholarship, and works several part time jobs to earn money. Unlike Seol, her sunbae Yoo Jung comes from a very wealthy family. Jung is smart, athletic, and popular with all the students. However, Seol senses that there is something darker in Jung’s personality.

Cast:

Park Hae Jin (Yoo Jung)

Kim Go Eun (Hong Seol)

Seo Kang Joon (Baek In Ho)

Lee Sung Kyung (Baek In Ha)

Park Min Ji (Jang Bo Ra)

Nam Joo Hyuk (Kwon Eun Taek)

Kim Hee Chan (Hong Joon)

Moon Ji Yoon (Kim Sang Chul)

Ji Yoon Ho (Oh Young Gon)

General Thoughts:

Much like the title of the drama suggests- it’s a trap. A total bloody trap. While much of the series appears to be brilliantly crafted, unfortunately the production team take a stumble (down a hill and off a cliff into a ravine filled with angry fans holding torches and pitchforks) and lose it at the end. I never thought that any K-Drama ending could top ‘Big’, but I tell you- ‘Cheese in the Trap’ comes pretty darn close.

IT'S A TRAP

Which is such a shame. Because I don’t want to rant for ages about how unsatisfying that ending was, because there were significant parts of the drama that shone brilliantly and hinted at the makings of one of the better rom-coms out. But at the end of the day, the ending is the last experience we have with our characters and their stories- and a bitter taste is a bitter taste, no matter how sweet the prelude was.

Exactly how that ending made me feel. Though perhaps more violent.

There were massive amounts of controversy about the interpersonal relationships of the head PD and the actors, but I kept out of that until after I finished the series to keep my opinion from being manipulated. But after reading those interviews and rumours, suddenly a lot of things made sense. Anyway, I’ll try not to dwell on the controversy and the ending. I promise I’ll try. The series actually starts off really well. Hong Seol and Yoo Jung are both intriguing characters, who deviate from our normal hero and heroine cardboard cutouts. Both our lead characters have a bunch of flaws, and neither of them are oblivious to this fact. I think it’s the first rom-com drama I’ve watched where our leading man has had such a hint of darkness about him. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for Seol to be getting involved- and sometimes I didn’t even mind watching Yoo Jung get a little beat up (when he deserved it). Which is unexpected, but not unwanted. Likewise, Seoul seems to have a similar view of the world as Jung, but she acts on it in different ways- which set her apart from Jung, and made her seem less dangerous. The support characters were interesting as well. Nam Joo Hyuk, I’m sorry for implying that you couldn’t act when reviewing ‘School 2015: Who Are You’. You were delightful as the romantic lackey . The characters Baek In Ho and Baek In Ha were fascinating in their own right, but more so due to their complicated and hidden relationships with Yoo Jung.

Seo Kang Joon- you're super cute, but I super don't want to see you right now

However, towards the end, it did become alarming how much screen time these two were given- especially as it came at the expense of our main man. In Ho’s arc was interesting and enjoyable enough, but he didn’t fade into the background when he should have. I didn’t like In Ha’s character at all. I understood why she was there, and often appreciated the dramatic tension she brought to the story- but her character arc should have been much smaller than it was.

That chick was just a whole bucket of cray cray

I wasn’t a huge fan of the cliched car accident choice- but at least it was used as a tool to get In Ha away from our characters and off my screen for a while. Because I was well and truly sick of the b*tch at that point. Sadly, the imbalance of screen time between our main and support characters meant that Seol’s character suffered as well as Jung’s. While Seol was on screen (unlike poor Jung), she was reduced to an object that the boys could argue about, and much of her fiery character was lost. She reverted back to being a typical cardboard cutout heroine. Sigh. The relationship build up between Seol and Jung was wonderful to watch. Unlike most rom-coms, they jumped right into the romantic relationship, and didn’t waste too much time on the awkward pre-dating phase. Nice as the pre-dating phase is, it’s usually all we get in our K-Dramas. Diving into the romantic relationship early let our two main characters develop not only as individuals, but as a pair as well. It showed a side of relationships that aren't usually explored in K-Dramas at all. Their fighting and disagreements were never based on simple misunderstandings, but rather on fundamental aspects of each others’ characters that needed some adjustment. Each disagreement may have been triggered by a similar event (usually caused by Jung’s manipulation of those around him), but the characters always addressed it a different way each time.

Love him, love him- we all do

Seol didn’t always get angry at Jung and give him radio silence- but made an effort to communicate with him and understand him so that they could move forwards together- which is super rewarding to watch on screen. And then we were given that stupid ending. The relationship with Seol and In Ho was an interesting dynamic as well. Rather than meekly obeying her rich boyfriend’s demand, Seol basically told him to shove it, get over himself, and continued seeing her friend. Due to Seol and Jung’s relationship being solidified so early on, Second Lead Syndrome was dramatically reduced.

He knew what he was getting himself into

While In Ho was a cute, endearing character- Seol had been in a relationship almost all the time he had known her. So really, he had no one to blame for his unreturned feelings but himself. That’s what happens when you crush on a girl who’s head over heels for her own boyfriend. This preexisting boundary made it easier for the two characters to spend time together (in a friendship way)- because Seol was happily oblivious to In Ho’s growing feelings. As was he for a time. It also prevents Seol’s character from suffering the heavy blow of having to reject one of the two amazing men vying for her heart- because she already chose long ago, and everyone was aware. She never lead In Ho on or played with his feelings, and always considered how Jung would perceive the situation- she really was a phenomenal heroine. Having the bulk of the story told from Seol's perspective was an interesting take on the series, as it prevented us from getting too much insight into Jung’s character- was he really dark and dangerous, or was that just Seol’s bias being passed along to us?

Are you evil? Are you a bad dude?

The story was always interesting to follow. While the focus was mostly on the developments between Seol and Jung and how they grew together as a couple, it was the side-stories that aided this growth. While I find it hard to believe that so many assholes, stalkers and psychos would all come together in one school- it did up the intensity of the drama. The drama also chose to concentrate on how it was perceived victimisation that did the real damage- both to our main cast and the support cast. The writers did a brilliant job in allowing us to understand our crazies- but not too a point where we would side with them.

When everyone's a victim- no one is

There were also many beautiful parallels drawn between the thought processes of the smaller characters and our bigger characters. Similarly to Young Gon and Min Soo, In Ho and In Ha had developed a victim’s mentality- which prevented them from being able to understand Jung and how he was being damaged through their relationship. It was only once our characters learned to take responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming others that they were able to come to a point of understanding. The drama highlighted this further through Jung’s manipulation. Technically, Jung wasn’t actually doing anything wrong- it was just frowned upon. He simply manipulated a situation so that an individual’s past actions would catch up to them and impact their future. This created an interesting tension between Jung and Seol, because they both shared a similar mindset about people- particularly people that use others. It simply comes down to the fact that Jung had the power to do something about it, and Seol didn't. There was a brilliantly poetic scene between Jung and Seol, where Seol comments that she can’t criticise Jung’s actions because she knew what was gong on and did nothing to stop it. Jung tended to manipulate situations in order to screw over people who tried to use him (or Seol), whereas Seol tended to let people walk all over her and avoid conflict.

Ah, snoodling- my favourite form of self discovery

There’s a nice middle ground between the two extremes, and it was wonderful to watch our main couple help each other edge toward that middle ground. Discounting that hideous monstrosity of an ending, the drama was a delightful little watch about how two people developed an interest in each other, and worked hard to understand one another so that they could grow together.

What Was Great:

Opening Sequence:

It’s such a silly thing to love, but I really enjoyed the opening credits for the drama. It was appropriately quirky for the series, and didn’t shy away from the fact that it was based on a webtoon- but rather embraced it. Personally, I’ve never read the webtoon, but the opening sequence definitely gave off the feel that the characters were jumping off the pages to take part in the drama. It was cute. Super cute.

It's like the webtoon's come to life

Park Hae Jin:

Ohhh Park Hye Jin was brilliant. No matter how much he was shafted and ripped off by the production team, he was still brilliant. Yoo Jung in anyone else’s hands was likely to be a complete disaster- but Park Hye Jin handled him with an understanding and delicacy that did wonders for the representation of his character.

He's just so helplessly wonderful

It’s not a new idea to have our leading male character be shrouded in mystery- but it does run the risk of landing you with  a leading male who appears to lack the ability to emote. Park Hye Jin was able to act out Yoo Jung in such a way where it was obvious that he was choosing to hide his emotions, not that he didn’t have emotions at all. He showed just enough cracks in Jung’s constructed mask that we were given glimpses at what was hidden beneath. He presented Jung’s switching moods in a completely believable way- loving and protective in one scene, and violent and unsympathetic in the next. There were so many different facets to Jung’s character, and Park Hae Jin was able to navigate those choppy waters brilliantly in order to deliver a Yoo Jung that was appropriately realistic and true to the story, while still being massively entertaining to watch.

Character Setup:

I adored how mysteriously dark Yoo Jung was and I adored how cutely spazzy Seol was. She was a little nutty and paranoid- but considering she’d been stalked for a year we won’t hold that against her. Her paranoia is actually what makes Seol stand out from all the other K-Drama heroines. Where other girls would find something swoon-worthy and romantic- Seol found it creepy and intrusive.

Intimidating and paranoid- what a great combo

I still don’t really understand Jung’s character (which is fair enough considering that he didn’t really get explained and all his development happened off screen), but his initial setup was brilliant. Charming and charismatic, with a hint of something a lot darker below the surface. Yum. The relationship between our two leads was interesting right from the get-go. What rom-com hero spends a year of his life making our heroine’s life miserable? This one does. It’s just so random and unexpected that it’s fascinating.

The scene where every heart melted

The two originally not liking each other gave off a bit of a ‘Boys Over Flowers’ feel- but y’know…better. The scene were Jung becomes interested in Seol is just too cute for words. He’d always thought they were similar, but as she sleeps he covers her with a coat and she reaches out and grabs his hand. It’s the first real caring interaction Jung’s ever actually experienced. So of course he’s a gonner. And so are we. The whole show is a beautiful little representation on how bad feelings aren’t necessarily the worst thing. Bad relationships can be turned with a little bit of understanding. Jung was interested in both Seol and In Ho. They aggravated him, and he didn’t like them- but he was aware of them and acknowledged them, and eventually those relationships turned around (sort of). Sour emotions aren’t that bad- it’s indifference that’s the killer. All the characters who were treated with indifference were ultimately hurt the most. Take Min Soo and Young Gon. It’s Seol’s indifference towards them, and her unwillingness to try to understand and acknowledge them that hurts them the most. And eventually leads to both of them becoming full blown crazies. It’s the same with In Ha- Jung didn’t necessarily hate her, he just didn’t want anything to do with her. And that indifference is what sent In Ha off to crazy town. Quite literally.

Jung and Seol:

This leading couple is quite possibly one of my favourite pairings in K-Drama land ever. Which is why I was so bummed when the stupid PD killed their relationship. The two were so natural together, and progressed through all stages of their very realistic (except that he’s loaded) relationship for us to see.

Seol, you're a spaz and I love you

They start out as enemies before developing a shared interest in one another that gradually becomes warm feelings. Before you know it they’re dating, and it’s awkward as they try to control their feelings as they discover more about one another- because they actually don’t know each other well.

It's cute soup

As they begin to understand one another, their feelings grow, and often clash- resulting in arguments that are fascinating to watch as they battle with each other to reach a level of understanding. The authenticity of their romance comes in the form of their fighting. They’re not painted out as if they were always destined to be together (like in every other rom-com ever), but rather they’re two strangers who stood out to each other, and they thought they’d give it a crack. It’s their constant struggling with each other’s flaws and their desire to step closer to each other and change together that makes them such an endearing pair. 

What Wasn’t:

The End (Duh):

So basically 14 episodes of solid build up and wonderful characters, acting, relationships and plot all come crashing down in the space of two hours. I understood why In Ho needed his time in the limelight- he was Jung’s big conflict. In Ho was the one who had hurt Jung most and essentially turned him into the person he is. The problem came when In Ho didn’t back the hell out of the limelight- and our hero was left waiting in the shadows for whatever scrap of screen time fell his way.

Anyone else having 'Big' deja vu? 

I don’t even have a problem with Seol’s car accident- I would’ve been on board for anything that got In Ha out of the way- I was sick of watching that leech ooze up all the screen time. But the fact that basically all Jung and Seol’s progress was undone- that I have a problem with. After the time skip (yes there’s a time skip- shoot me now), Seol seems to revert back into the person she was before she met Jung.

And the cursing of thousands filled the air

People at her workplace are taking advantage of her the same way that people in her university were- and she’s not doing anything about it. Meanwhile Jung is…wait, what is Jung doing? I wouldn’t know because we don’t get shown anything. He briefly walks past Seol on the street and reads one of the emails she sent him. That’s it. I’m not even joking- trust me, I wish I was. Our marvellous, intriguing lead that we have been supporting all series long is not in our final wrap up. You’re telling me you’ll tie up all our other characters in nice pretty bows, but not our main couple?! You’ll give Baek In Ha a happy ending, but not Jung and Seol?! Well you can just f*ck right off then.

What even is this? I can't even.

Behind the Camera Shemozzle:

Korean celebrities are so contained and well spoken, that you know if one of them is actually saying things in their interviews that’s sh*t’s going down. When you have your leading actor apologising to the original webtoon author and apologising to the fans and questioning why the show was edited the way it was- you’ve got a problem.

I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want.
But I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you tell you you suck.

There were important scenes that explored Yoo Jung’s character that were completely edited out of the drama. Not only were they scenes of Jung as an adult, but also scenes of him as a child that would increase our understanding of his character. Based on these vicious (sorry I’m still mad about it) edits, as a viewer it was hard to have an accurate view on Jung’s character, and many of his actions ended up being confusing as they were never explained well. And I was horrified when I heard that key scenes that were Jung’s in the webtoon were given to In Ho in the drama. You can’t do that. You just can’t. It’s an insult to your audience (many of whom have read the webtoon), and it’s an insult to the original writer. Not to mention that poor Seo Kang Joon copped a lot of the flack for the increase in his character’s screen time. The ruthless edits and deviation from the original source material turned what could have been an amazing, stand-out drama into the mess it is. It satisfied no one. I’m glad that the producer, Lee Yoon Jung, had to apologise to the original webtoon writer, Soonkki. Now I’d like one, please.

Re-watch?

Absolutely bloody not. Which is a giant shame, because I loved so much of it- but it feels incomplete without an ending. The actors all did amazing jobs and the story (for the most part) was insightful and compelling. I may not watch the drama again, but I’m definitely going to read the webtoon. Actually, I’m so unsatisfied about the ending of this drama that I may not watch any more series that come from Lee Yoon Jung- I’m not that into having my emotions trampled all over.

There was so much good, but so much disappointment