The story for Cheese in the Trap was extremely interesting and brought so many unique spins, turns and ideas, even though it did diverge from the manhwa. However, I did have some problems with the story-line. First of all, like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Yoo Jung's relationship with Hong Seol didn't feel as strong as hers with Baek In Ho - it felt awkward and forced, and that's not how relationships should be like. Maybe to start with, but it should have gotten better after a few weeks. And no couple have that many arguments and disagreements in that short space of time. Secondly, all the issues with Son Min Soo, Oh Young Gon and Baek In Ha were dragged out too much in my opinion and should be dealt with better. More screen time should have been left for the main characters.
The acting was absolutely superb, I would not exchange a single actor for someone else. I was skeptical of Seo Kang Joon after hearing some complaints from other users, but I absolutely loved him and his acting - In Ho was my favourite character of the series. He's definitely on my list of actors to watch out for. I now also love Kim Go Eun and Nam Joo Hyuk so much.
The music is great to listen to. If you put the entire soundtrack on a playlist and listen through it, you'll most likely not skip any of the tracks. I absolutely love all of Part 4 from the OST, since acoustic tunes just serenade with me so well. The only problem I have with the soundtrack is that since the plot is the main standout of the series, the music is faded into the background.
I would definitely rewatch Cheese in the Trap any time.
Overall, despite my issues with the story, this drama is a definite watch for lovers of drama and psychological series'. It's perfect even.
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Could have been better!
I don’t know what happened with this drama? Why are there more scenes with the SKJ (2nd male lead) as compared with PHJ (male lead)? The first few episodes were intriguing that’s why I got hooked on it. However as the drama progresses, I’ve noticed that the story focuses more on Seo Kang-joon (Baek In-ho) rather than on Park Hae-jin (Yoo Jung). With the male lead’s fewer scenes, it was no surprise that audience had difficulty recognizing his character and its development. It would have been better if more scenes were given to the leads. The few romantic scenes between them were not enough to build a solid chemistry. I’ve read some BTS drama regarding CITT. I think this behind-the-scenes drama affected the quality of the show.This would have been a good drama if the characters were established properly. There should’ve been more scenes that showed the development of male lead character as well as the romantic scenes between the leads. Good ending for the support cast but not for the leads. I was disappointed with the ending. It’s ambiguous and it felt rushed. It just showed the past romantic scenes of the leads as fillers. A simple interaction between them will suffice to give audience a decent ending.
Acting was good. I find Jang Bo-ra and Kwon Eun-taek’s romance cute as well as their friendship with Hong Seol. Character devt for male lead is poor. Too much focus on the 2nd male lead. Few romantic scenes between the leads. Music is alright. Will not rewatch this.
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The characters really brought this story to ahead. If that was a good or bad thing, I don't know at this time. They all had flaws. There was no perfect character, in fact none of them were close to being perfect and I think that was by far the biggest challenge the writer had to make because you have all these characters with separate goals and motivations and it's hard to gel them into one coherent message or theme.
At the base, you have college students that are trying to get by and shape who and what they want to be. But then there are characters that have emotional baggage they've been carrying and haven't really expressed to others and if you combine that with all the external elements like family and love then things tend to get blurred.
Was the message that everyone should understand each other? That everyone shouldn't keep things bottled up inside so not to hurt others or that everyone should express themselves freely even if knowing it would turn out bad. There was really no answer and it was severely needed to give some sort of closure to the story given how absurdly abrupt it ended.
Overall, it needed a clear message and a clearer answer and because it didn't. You get mixed reviews and confusion and even anger because an audience watched for 16 hours and never got a pay off.
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However, after episode 9 or so, I watched this solely for Baek in Ho and his sister, Baek In Ha. I disliked Hong Seol, (and this is just my personal preference) but I cannot stand her being sweet, naive and innocent. The romance between Hong Seol and Yoo Jung had no chemistry, and I constantly felt like Yoo Jung was out of place, like he didn't belong in college because of his personality and the way he was portrayed. This might have been intentional because of his past and his original personality. He's a cold and strange character who only opens up to Hong Seol.
When the backstory of Yoo Jung was revealed, I was kind of disappointed. I had been expecting something great because of all the tension previous episodes had built up. It just made me dislike Yoo Jung and think of him as a guy with a lot of issues even more. The fact that Hong Seol never pushed him away and just proceeded to hug him after seeing him do something immoral really ticked me off. This couple didn't move me.
The acting was decent. Park Hae Jin pulled off his role perfectly, and I've never seen Kim Go Eun before, but even though I didn't like her character, she was played well. Seo Kang Joon captured my heart and Lee Sung Kyung portrayed Baek In Ha very well. At first, In Ha was annoying, but later on, I ended up liking her and In Ho more than Seol and Yoo Jung. In Ha was incredibly cute and childish and her character really added dynamic to the drama.
While there is a lot of controversy about the ending, I feel like it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, and I was pretty satisfied with how everything turned out. I do have to say that it was a little rushed, as some more time could have been spent in showcasing Yoo Jung's father's role in Yoo Jung's life.
Music could have been better. I barely noticed anything except for the selection of piano pieces. The OSTs were so lowkey that it didn't really make an impact. If I heard an OST being played, I probably wouldn't be able to identify it as a CIIT OST because all the songs were just typically chill to me.
Decent drama overall, but Hong Seol and Yoo Jung just weren't my cup of tea.
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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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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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Strong Start, Weak Finish
Cheese in the Trap was a drama that started off really strong for me...but ultimately fizzled out toward the halfway mark. I never read the webtoon so I went into this with zero context. CIIT is not the worst drama I have ever watched. Despite its low rating I don’t vehemently loathe everything about it.Going into this I knew the plot was going to be not that exciting since it’s main focus is around college students. Even though they tried to add drama with Seol’s classmates or the plot around Jung’s borderline sociopathic tendencies everything was grounded in reality. And I loved it. As a college student I definitely related to Seol and her struggles. It felt so good to watch a drama where college is the setting and they actually show the struggle of juggling classes, friendships, jobs, and everything else. Nothing was happening plot wise but I was unable to stop watching it. Which leads to my main issue with this whole entire drama: the romance.
I want to start out by saying this: the acting in this was amazing. Everyone gave it their all and it was flawless. However, the characters are what I have an issue with, more so than the messy plot. Seol was a somewhat relatable character (as was Eun Taek and Bo Ra) but no matter how much I tried to force myself I couldn’t root for Jung. In the webtoon I’m sure we got to learn more about his character but in CIIT he felt like a minor character. I was unable to feel anything more than annoyance with his character. His psyche is super fascinating but because the drama pushed the romance I kind of forgot how intriguing he was at the start. Kudos to Park Hae Jin because he played Jung very well.
As for the side characters I adored Baek In Ho. He’s not somehow better that Jung morally or perfect for Seol but he was interesting. He was fleshed out. I grew to love and root for his character early on. I know fans of the webtoon was complaining because In Ho got too much screen time but since he was my favorite character I was okay with it. That’s probably why I didn’t like Jung at all, if he was the lead he should of had more screen time so that the audience can give him a chance.
Baek In Ha was a truly complex and messed up character but once again I found her interesting. In my opinion, The Baek siblings stole the show from their very first scene. With dramas I never ask for perfect characters who never do anything wrong. I just want properly fleshed out characters. We had 16 hours to flesh out Seol and Jung’s relationship but it was not that believable to me. Again, this solely lies in the messy plot.
As for the controversial ending: I liked it. I won’t spoil it but I was okay with what happened because sometimes an open ending is better. It would of felt rushed if they tried to give every character their fairytale ending.
Anyways, Cheese in the Trap was just an okay drama for me. The only thing it had going for me is the side characters (such as Seol’s friends/family + the Baek siblings), the acting, and the emphasis on showing what a college life is actually like. This might be the first drama in awhile where I actively was rooting against the leads to not get together so...do with that what you will.
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I’m not a fan of the show, but the actors were great
I dropped this show twice before I just powered through it on my third try so I could feel like my review is legitimate.At least half of these actors are flat out sociopaths: they feel basically nothing for anybody outside of themselves and (sometimes) those they care about. The mental gymnastics to turn themselves into victims are astounding.
As far as the male lead is concerned: I’ve always been a big sucker for the stoic/angry male lead falls for the hardworking female but this guy has absolutely no redemption arc, he just stays shady. I feel bad for the FL over and over that she doesn’t get out of his web, she seems like she should be smart enough to.
The only redeeming points for this show are Hong Seol’s best friends because they are amazing, and the fact that many of the really bad people *eventually* do get them comeuppance in very satisfying ways.
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It's a trap!!!
Cheese in the trap.Don’t fall for it, it’s not just lactose-free cheese, it’s actually a bad, vegan imitation. (Please, excuse the wordplay but it definitely boils down my disdain).
How is it possible that so many deeply problematic people are gathered in one drama, is beyond me. Like, not your average behavioural issues or mistakes - to even help the plot move forward and create suspense - we’re talking about eerily disturbed people.
Warning: If you are a first-time Kdrama watcher, skip it and watch something else instead. Otherwise, give it a shot only if you’ve reached your limit and have nothing else to watch.
The questionable morals, principles and good/bad deeds will be very much intertwined throughout. It is a weird drama, that you will keep watching in hopes that all this will lead to some type of catharsis or deeper meaning or….somewhere, at least for the protagonists.
Certainly, it is a drama where second ML syndrome is unavoidable.. Seo Kang Joon is praise worthy for his acting skills, apart from the fact that he is extremely good-looking and a very likeable character, who has his flaws but surely, he is not disturbing.
Other than that, over the top acting from some actors or just plain boring from others. Was it the acting itself, the fact that the characters were so unlikable or the scenario/direction combo?
Bottom line, no-one really shines.
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WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? RUN!
Listen, everybody has their own preference and taste. But, in this case, I AM RIGHT when I say I rather sit nak*d on a hot grill than rewatch this drama. If I can travel back in time, I will use it to stop my past self from rewatching this. The fact that I wasted my precious time and energy to watch this is abysmal but it is what it is.WHY DO I HATE THE DRAMA?
1. The plot should've been that all the characters are in therapy rather than in college because of the fact that not one person in this damn drama is normal and that should be the first warning. At one point, the second fl attempted murder and almost killed the fl and it was brushed off just like that like???? Okay?!?!?!?! All the leads were unhinged, yes, including the second leads.
2. The ml was the worst male lead that exist in Kdrama. I don't remember much from him because I did everything in my power to forget about this drama but one thing that I remember is how creepy the main lead is. The gaslighting was tremendous in this one. And the beef between the male leads was so childish and main ml retaliation was shitty, it's insane.
All in all, if you disagree with me, you're wrong idc. Argue with a wall, no amount of explanation could make me rewatch this again. Take this as a warning and watch other kdrama (not Hwarang though), you cannot go any lower than this.
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I was really enticed with this drama up until about midway through the season...I think if it had been filmed later once the web toon had come to a conclusion it really would have been such an amazing storyline and drama. I really think that that was this drama's biggest downfall. It just seemed like they had lost their way about mid-way through as they began to shift the focus and main characters around. I don't know all of the drama and controversy that went on behind the scenes, or if there even was any.
I really liked how we were able to see the main female develop into a woman, but the ending completely spoiled it all...to say in the least I was disappointed.
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