Mousetrap

Fireworks only at the end of the day

It’s hard to sum up this series in a single sentence. It’s a good show, but it has plenty of flaws and filler that could have been avoided. Still, they don’t have a major negative impact on the overall experience, and judging by the reviews on this site, the series has definitely provoked some overly extreme reactions.

The premise was supposed to be simple, with a complex plot. What we got instead was a fairly complex premise and, unfortunately, a simple mystery, at least for 8 out of 10 episodes. Did this reversal of expectations make sense? To some extent, yes, as we get something of a reconstruction of a story about identity theft. However, the pacing suffers as a result. For 8 out of 10 episodes, there’s little sense that the finale is approaching, and viewers might start to feel like this game of cat and mouse is going to go on for 100 episodes.
Ultimately, the plot only really comes together in the final episodes, explaining what was actually going on. Even if some of the subplots ultimately didn’t make much sense.

Another important theme is the protagonist’s selective memory. Unfortunately, while I’m a fan of highly subjective storytelling, here it results in a rather straightforward narrative for most of the series, despite the complexity of the plot.

Some subplots could have been left out entirely. The series expanded the role of the police officer Sun Yong, giving him a bigger part and combining two webtoon storylines into one. Paradoxically, this made his role feel less significant. A strange creative choice.

On the positive side, the music is good, although admittedly not particularly varied. The acting is excellent, and the action scenes are decent, though they sometimes feature so many cuts that it becomes difficult to keep track of who’s even fighting whom.

Is it worth watching? Yes. It’s a decent series, but you have to keep in mind that it’s far from perfect. This isn’t a particularly cohesive mystery that keeps you hooked until the very end. The plot is pretty good, but that’s about it. If, by the end of a series, I’m left thinking “hmm, so what actually happened back there, and what was the point of it?” rather than “wow,” then perhaps the writing didn’t quite hit the mark.

I’m sure this was a difficult story to adapt and make sense of. They gave it a shot, and they only partially succeeded.

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This is my kind of show

The characters, you would've thought with so many characters they wouldn't get the screentime they deserved or they would've been underdeveloped but nope.
My favourite characters were Noja, the detective and Yu min.

Noja may have definitely done criminal acts throughout but he had principles. He may have only wanted his money but everyone learnt a few lessons along the way. The amount of time, I truly thought he was dead only for him to crawl his way out.
The main detective, weve all seen one in a drama that never listens to his superiors and end up doing most of the work for his time - he really did want to solve the case.
Yu min at first seemed to be the villian in all of this only to find out he wasn't, it was actually Je Mun Jae and he did all of this to get revenge on someone who destroyed his and the Min Yeong life.

The pacing was excellent with it being fast paced, full of tension and never knowing who to trust or even ehat to believe

However, there was too many flashbacks, I understand that was to help the audience understand what happened which led to the present but there was so many - at least half the drama was flashbacks.

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When a Brilliant Mystery Becomes Exhausting -- I survived it!!!

I have been looking forward to Mousetrap, which makes writing this review a little difficult. I wanted to love it. In fact, for the first four and a half episodes, I genuinely thought I was watching something special. The premise was fascinating, the atmosphere was unsettling, and the mystery immediately pulled me in. A man wakes up to discover someone has stolen not only his identity, but seemingly his entire existence. That is the kind of psychological thriller setup that instantly gets my attention. And then somewhere around the middle of Episode 5, I hit a wall.

I am not exaggerating when I say this drama took me four days to finish because I had to keep taking breaks. It wasn't because it was emotionally devastating or because it was so intense that I needed time to recover. I was exhausted trying to keep up. Every episode seemed to introduce another revelation, another stakeholder, another hidden connection, another identity, another layer of deception. Instead of feeling immersed, I often felt like I was struggling to hold onto the story. The strangest part is that I walked away wondering whether the drama failed me or whether I failed the drama.

The deeper Mousetrap goes, the less it becomes a mystery that unfolds naturally and the more it becomes a puzzle that constantly changes its own rules. Every time I felt like I understood what was happening, the show would reveal another hidden truth and force me to reevaluate everything I thought I knew. Then it would do it again. And again. By the end, I felt like I needed a flowchart.

The biggest source of my confusion was, unsurprisingly, Je Moon Jae himself. Or rather, the multiple versions of Je Moon Jae. We learn that Seo Yu Min had his life stolen and ultimately responds by taking over Moon Jae's identity. But then we discover Moon Jae himself is not exactly who we think he is. Then there is Park Sun Yong's connection to the entire situation. At a certain point, I found myself less invested in the emotional stakes and more concerned with remembering which version of Moon Jae was being discussed.

What fascinates me now, after sitting with the story, is that I think the confusion is partly the point. The more I think about it, the more I realize Mousetrap is not really about crime, identity theft, or even revenge. It is about identity itself. Every major character is trying to become someone else.

Moon Jae steals a name, a life, a future, and even another person's accomplishments. After being victimized, Yu Min responds by doing essentially the same thing and going a step further, turning himself into an identical Moon Jae. He doesn't simply want justice. He wants to become the person who destroyed him. What begins as revenge slowly transforms into obsession. This was one of the most tragic elements of the story for me. Yu Min becomes someone deserving of sympathy, but as he lets himself be consumed by the very darkness he set out to punish, he turns as monstrous as the man he hated.

Which brings me to what I think is the drama's central message: when you spend your life stealing identities, eventually you lose your own. Nobody in this story truly wins. The victim becomes an aggressor. The aggressor becomes a victim. The hunter becomes the hunted. The person chasing the imposter discovers he has been living as an imposter himself. The irony is almost suffocating.

As for the ending, I still don't know if I completely trust what the drama presents as truth. Just because Park Sun Yong and Noja reach a conclusion doesn't automatically mean it is the absolute truth. This series spends ten episodes teaching us not to trust appearances, narratives, memories, or identities. Why would the final explanation suddenly be unquestionable? That ambiguity is both one of the ending's strengths and one of my frustrations.

Performance-wise, the cast deserves a great deal of credit because they somehow manage to ground characters that could have easily become impossible to follow. The actors carry much of the emotional weight even when the narrative starts tying itself into knots. Ultimately, I admire Mousetrap more than I enjoyed it. It is ambitious, layered, and clearly the work of writers who were determined to create something more complex than a standard thriller. I genuinely respect that ambition. At the same time, there were moments when that complexity crossed over into exhaustion. Instead of building tension, the constant twists drained momentum. Instead of becoming more invested, I found myself becoming more detached.

I understand what the story was trying to say. I appreciate the themes of envy, identity, guilt, and revenge. I can recognize the craftsmanship behind the intricate web of lies and stolen lives. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved when it was over. Mousetrap is one of the most ambitious identity thrillers I have watched in recent years. It asks compelling questions about who we are, whether a stolen life can ever truly belong to the thief, and whether revenge inevitably transforms us into the very thing we hate. Unfortunately, for me, its increasingly convoluted web of identities, secrets, and interconnected subplots became more exhausting than engaging. By the end, I didn't care.

I didn't finish Mousetrap feeling satisfied. I finished it feeling like I had survived it. And honestly, I still can't decide whether that's exactly what the creators intended. If you watch this drama after reading this review, I would be curious to hear your thoughts.

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Fun thriller that needed a little more

I'd been waiting for Mousetrap to drop because I LOVE crime thrillers, and this one sounded especially unique! The idea of a stolen identity plot, where our main character has no way to prove his own identity, sounded SO cool to me, and I really loved the show at the beginning. As it continued, I felt that it either needed more time to flesh out everything they wanted, or that they needed to cut some things out and simplify it for the time they had for this show. Still, it was a relatively short and fun watch that kept me wanting to know what would happen next!

Je Munjae hasn't stepped foot outside his apartment for three years due to a panic disorder. His friend and accountant Suhyeon handles everything that needs to happen outside, including all of Munjae's finances and income from his novels. Munjae's life slowly begins to unravel when because of this "friend," he's locked out of his bank account, his apartment gets sold, and he's forced to go outside for the first time in three years. He soon discovers that there is a man identical to him, claiming to be the real Je Munjae, and the cops are trying to figure out which one of them is responsible for the murder of a woman, and who is the identity thief.

While I thought the plot of this one was super intriguing, and could easily look past some plotholes around the stolen identity/perfect plastic surgery to look identical/etc., I did find that some of the show was a bit frustrating. Especially towards the end, they are trying to convince you that maybe YOU as the viewer don't even know who is who, which I think they should have woven in earlier to make a more engaging story, instead of making the viewer feel like they were being lied to. Still, it was a good watch with phenomenal acting from the main actor. I also really enjoyed some of the action scenes and thought they were really well done. While it's not my favorite crime drama, it definitely had a bigger psychological thriller element to it that was very enjoyable!

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Get your flabbers gasted

It’s been a while since I’ve written a review, but I just HAD to write one for Mouse Trap because WOW. 😭

I genuinely enjoyed this show. I think it was really, really good. I got hooked within the first few seconds of the first episode. I’m not even going to lie, the storytelling and the way the series introduced everything were so good. It immediately pulled me in and had me wanting to know what was going on.

The characters were so well written and well played out. And can we talk about the duo, Je Mun Jae and Noja?! 😭 Those two were honestly one of the best duos I’ve seen. Their dynamic was EVERYTHING.

I also have to mention the cussing throughout the series because PLEASE. 😂 It made everything feel even more chaotic and entertaining. And the guys at the police station?? They were hilarious. I genuinely enjoyed every scene with them.

But WOW… this show had me in a chokehold. Every episode left me wanting more and wanting to find out the truth. It did get confusing at times, but at the same time, it wasn’t the kind of confusing that made me want to stop watching. If anything, it made me want to keep going because I needed answers.

And Je Mun Jae… 😭😭 Some people might think I’m crazy for loving that man, but GUYS, HE WAS LOST. I HAD TO SYMPATHIZE WITH HIM. 😭 Especially when he and Noja were running for their lives, he was just so cute and innocent to me. I couldn’t help it.

One piece of advice for anyone who wants to watch this: DO NOT TRY TO THINK AHEAD. 😂 Don’t sit there trying to figure everything out before it happens because chances are, what you think is going to happen is NOT what plays out. Just let the story take you wherever it wants to go.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mouse Trap. It kept me entertained, curious, stressed, confused, and desperate for answers all at the same time. 😂

And honestly… I NEED a part two because I refuse to believe Yu Su Min died in that sea. Nope. I’m not accepting it. 😭

Overall, really good series. Definitely one that had me hooked from beginning to end. ❤️

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I Was Rooting for the Wrong Person

My gosh! This was one of those stories that kept me staring at the screen like my eyes were glued to it. Finding out the main character’s real identity, especially after I had been rooting for him the whole time, honestly upset me a little. At the same time, the ending was strangely satisfying, because seeing him suffer the consequences of what he had actually done felt deserved.

After finishing the story, I also felt bad for No Ja. In the end, he got dragged into this whole mess while trying to help an impostor who had stolen someone else’s identity, and he even lost one of his close friends because of it.

Je Mun Jae’s story, especially the point where everything started to go wrong, was quite difficult to fully understand until the final episode. But once everything came together, it made much more sense.

Overall, it was a confusing, intense, and emotional ride at times, but definitely a very enjoyable one.

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The real is fake and fake is real.

It has been a while since Netflix produced such a sit at the edge of the seat drama.
The story is brilliant, the plot twist clever and above all, beautifully executed.
The cast has authentic raw feelings, the acting is so natural.
And please can we give the male lead his flowers for the double role, I failed to understand how I could hate one and pity the other yet they share the same face.
The ending for me, was peak literature. It was not a happy ending and perhaps everyone got what they deserve but it is not an ending you finish with a sigh of relief or contentment.
Kudos to the entire crew.

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A Revenge Thriller I Caught Myself In ?

Mousetrap is a really good drama and definitely one I’d recommend if you’re looking for a thriller with no unnecessary nonsense. The actors gave their best, and the performances keep you completely invested in the story.
What I loved most was the plot. Just when you think everything is finally over and you have figured it all out, another plot twist comes in and makes you question everything you just watched.
There were moments when I literally paused and thought, “Wait… what actually just happened?” 😭 Every connection, every character, and every little detail seems to have a story behind it.
If you enjoy revenge thrillers that keep you thinking and constantly questioning what’s really going on, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a watch. 🖤

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Cat & Mouse chase that starts strong, but becomes heavily predictable

A plot which follows an individual's identity being stolen and on a run to get his identity back from a person called 'The Rat'.
As a suspense thriller fan, I was intrigued to watch this show. The premise was strong and the trailer looked solid. However, when it came to execution, it really wasn't much impressive.

The story starts strong with initial couple of episodes. The tense atmosphere and the suspenseful elements made me hooked with this Cat & Mouse series. But with every passing episode, the plot became confusing and inconsistent, thus diminishing the viewing experience little by little.

The second half is sluggish and the story becomes predictable, long before it ends. Also, the overstretched episodes doesn't justify the product. The show could have been well-written and executed in 6-8 episodes, however it stretched itself more than it should have. The ending was predictable and not much convincing. The story kept me hooked, but the conclusion could have been much better.

Performance wise, the characters were fine. Not much exemplary standout act to be honest, but nothing much to complain about here. The character of Noja deserves a special praise and was easily the strongest character of the show. Too many subplots and side characters kinda put me off.

What I really liked about the show is it's visual style and catchy music. The editing, colors and the overall atmosphere brings the sense of unpredictability and suspense on the screen.

Overall, Mousetrap is an average suspense thriller, that starts strong but underwhelms towards the end. It tests your patience through it's runtime and with an ending that may not necessarily be for everyone.

My Rating : 3/5

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good story poorly executed

i think its a good story slightly poorly executed as if first few episodes did not know how the story would build the friend who is introduced makes absolutely no sense he does not question who is the duplicate of the two . the friends meetup when they looked the same how did the rat know who real moon jae was the officer that is . Noja had no role what so ever! he was only used by rat to probably kill moon jae when at the same time he did not wanted him to actually kill. Noja end up backing moon jae for what , money? no backstory for noja with the rat not much still gets tangled .
i do not write reviews but this story was so badly executed i had to.

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Caught in Its Own Trap

Overall, Mousetrap was an intriguing show that ultimately tied itself up in twists, knots, and a few plot holes by the end. I went from feeling for and rooting for the protagonist, Jae-moon Jae, to eventually finding myself supporting the “villain.” There were also a few things left open-ended that made certain relationships confusing.

I was surprised that a theory I had around Episode 4 actually turned out to be one of the main hooks of the story. While it was satisfying to see my theory confirmed, I was also slightly disappointed by how predictable it made the direction of the show.

Overall, I liked:
The characters
The pacing
The action sequences
The themes surrounding jealousy, envy, identity, and madness

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the play idea that if you choose to live like a 'rat', you shouldn’t be surprised when you can’t live in the open, always being chased, always hiding, buried in self-delusion and always looking over your shoulder.

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