Cheese in the Trap (2016) User Reviews

Good enough

[PennyReviews · 8/10 · 13 July 2016]

Cheese in the trap tells the story about a college student and her relationship with her senior who is not the guy he appears to be. Unlike other K dramas, the romance doesn't get all cheesy and cute, but stays within reasonable levels, most of the time anyway. Also the love triangle is well managed. The characters change throughout the series, and you grow to like them, then dislike them, then like them again. And that, I think, is the best part about this series and it makes it unique. Also, it keeps the interest high, as, unlike other dramas that the story concludes at about the 14th episode, cheese in the trap keeps it interesting till the end, with a nice final episode that doesn't stick with the patterns of tacky romance. And because of its originality, I think that Cheese in the trap is definitely one of the k dramas to watch.

All i can say is run girl, run.

[chilligrrl · 7/10 · 21 October 2019]

An interesting story about manipulation, mental health issues and abuse in many forms, whether it be domestic violence, bullying, intimidation, imitation or victimisation. If i was involved in even half of that i'd run a mile, let alone putting up with all of that at once. The ending at least for In-Ho was great as he finally got to follow his dream without the drama but still with a psycho sister who hadn't changed a bit, but Seol ended up in a mundane boring life (free of insane drama thankfully) but she deserved so much better such as with In-Ho who genuinely loved her and would have treated her properly. I gave this a 7, only because the acting was good and the talented piano playing was incredible and he's cute too. That ending though? Ugh.

Good acting and direction can't save sadistic writing.

[dojiijii · 6/10 · 18 September 2017]

The plot and resolution for this would have been acceptable for a movie, but for an entire TV series it's just too much. If you like watching the lead character make excuses for a psychopath boyfriend who ruins other people's lives for her you may like this; otherwise go watch something else. The writers must like bad things happening to good people, as that's the majority of what happens here. You can watch a few episodes to get an idea of what it's like, but after episode 4 or 5 it's pretty much all the same, with the ending providing no resolution or closure.

Good enough but disappointing ending

[hanalisss · 6/10 · 27 August 2020]

What can I say, the ending didn't make sense, she actually accepted his personality ( I never thought anything was wrong with him since he only hurt people deserving it) and then he just decides to leave her and thats it??? So frustrating when they don't wrap Up the drama nicely....

Started off with promise, but unfortunately, its potential was squandered by an unsatisfying ending and toxic character dynamics. Despite Kim Go-eun's stellar performance as the female lead, the drama struggled to overcome its shortcomings.

The secondary male syndrome was strong in this drama, with the second male lead often outshining the main lead in terms of likability and depth. This not only created a frustrating love triangle but also highlighted the missed opportunities to explore more nuanced character development.

But again the most disappointing aspect was the anticlimactic ending.

While it may have garnered attention for its unique premise, the overall execution left much to be desired, making it a drama that falls short of its potential.

This is the best show ever!!!!

[meghamsharma · 10/10 · 8 September 2017]

JUST DON'T TURN BACK BECAUSE YOU READ THE ENDING IS BAD, BECAUSE HONESTLY, ITS PERFECT. AND IT IS A HAPPY ENDING IF YOU'LL SEE THE COMPLETE ENDING. I don't know why did everyone said the ending was bad? I cried the whole episode literally! But I was totally satisfied. It was to realistic. As much as it was about Yu Jong and Seol's love, it was about the growth of their characters. Not just their but Baek In Ha and Baek In Ho too. The story was more realistic than anything that I have ever seen. Honestly, I was all tears the moment I realized he was going to leave her for her own sake but somewhere I understood him probably because I identify my nature with Seol way too much. Just like her, I had hope it will work out and he will come back. Till the very last moment I somehow managed to tell myself that it was fine even if they don't meet because they have grown up and has learnt so much and somehow I managed to put up a smile because of Bak In Ha but I truly broke down into tears the moment I heard "Seol-a" in the end. It felt like I got my boyfriend back. I don't why people think the ending isn't good and that it isn't solid enough because if you'll look at it in a different light, the second male lead had a strong character because his story is equally important and thus, the story isn't just a love story or a love triangle, it was about the growth of people who contained their anger, who contained their feelings and who felt alone and never told anyone. The story wasn't about "LOVE CONQUERS ALL" it was about "ACCEPT YOUR TRUE SELF".

I was so happy when Seol hugged Yoo Jong after that Sang Chul incident at the company when the guy had tears in his eyes that was so real. I kind of really think that this someone's real story because you can't nail such emotions so well. Like the way Yoo Jong behaved when Seol first bought gift for him, He was so surprised and touched that he couldn't understand how to react and was so taken aback in his own feelings and then when he hugged her it was just so pure. I really love this drama. I am so happy I got over my feeling of being scared of a sad ending an watched this.

Disturbing and dark

[leahcubed · 7/10 · 21 January 2020]

Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun) is a university student who wants to make it through college with as little drama as possible. That all changes when she notices that her Sunbae, senior, Yoo Jung (Park Hae-Jin) does things that are psychotic in nature. Those around her do not see it and she seems to be alone in noticing his dark actions. Ironically the fact that Hong Seol can see through him causes Yoo Jung to be strangely attacted to her. Yoo Jung is wealthy and used to those around him using him for his money.

I liked elements of this. I found the side romances a lot cuter than the main one. I like the friendships a lot. Now it's a bit of a spoiler. I found it hard to believe with him as cold and vindictive as he could be that someone with a personality that started out as sweet as Seol would find him attractive. The things he did would fall under a sociopath. I think they were trying to sell that someone with those attributes could change. I really liked the second guy. At first I thought I would be disappointed that she didn't end up with him but in the long run I decided she changed so much that she became a lot like the main male lead. I understood that he'd been hurt by those closest to him as a child but still could not excuse things like watching as his essentially younger brother was beat up and his hand injured. I know he said some things that weren't exactly nice but kids say things like that sometimes. And I was really shocked later on when he would do things to get back at somebody that was way beyond what they had actually deserved and Seol seemed OK with it. And after all of that for it to end not really knowing for sure if he ever came back into her life felt like a real waste of time. I mainly just felt sorry for the siblings and the way that they were used and the fact that the father never really loved them as children but was simply using them as playmates for his son. It was a very twisted story way too much for me to like it very much. I probably rate this a lot lower than some others because I'm not super sympathetic with people that treat other people poorly so I couldn't feel sympathy for some of the characters like I think they expected and that lessened my enjoyment a lot. I also got to where I did not like Seol a lot anymore because the way that she changed and became very cold towards the people in her life was very offputting to me it was almost as if they wanted you to believe she had become a sociopath herself. This is not one I would watch again nor recommend.

Best romantic drama ever

[shreyachugh · 10/10 · 25 June 2019]

I have seen so many korean shows, but this one is so different. It is funny at times, sometimes it's scary and at most times it is the sweetest drama ever. Till the last episode it kept me engaged. Kudos to the makers of the drama!

Romdram with an enexpected ending

[markapiec · 7/10 · 3 November 2020]

Everybody was talking about Park Hae jin's performance in Cheese in the trap so i finally gave it a go. From the beginning I felt sorry for the young people having to deal with such complex issues such as abuse, manipulation and bullying so early in their lives. The acting was very good, Hae jin has an amazing face and facial expressions (or their lack of) to portray characters with a lack of empathy, he was very well casted for this role. i dont think that romdrams suit him the most though, he seems a little awkward in rom scenes, action is definitely a better genre for him. Kim Go eun was also very good. In dramas we usually have 2 main leads, well here we had 3 because Baek In-ho role was certainly not just supporting. Watching this drama reminded me of my youth and Twillight dilemma (Edward or Jacob), i actually thought that In-ho would have been a better choice and fit for Seol. He trully loved her and would have made her happy. But humans are complicated by nature, what we think is right and what we feel are often 2 completely different things. As to the ending many people moan about, well there was no other way than for Soel and Jeung to break up, let's be honest, he was a cruel man manipulating and destroying other peoples lives and the least he needed to do is to reflect on his actions. And secondly, we could probably count on fingers of one hand how many times he made her happy or at least smile. Lovely Soel certainly deserved so much more.. i was happy to see that at the end things worked out for the siblings, although In-ha was a very very annoying character (and the actress should cast as a witch), i really wished them to find hapiness.

Overall this was ok to watch, a long winded at places, things are a bit repetitive and dont move the story anywhere, but thats why Netflix has a functionality to fast forward, right?

Not typical lovey dovey K-Drama

[NorthernLights-61832 · 9/10 · 15 June 2020]

Two words - Different and realistic. I could feel both the male and female leads. It's not the perfect relationship usually portrayed in Kdramas. But one which makes you think about what love actually is. Glad I gave it a watch! Absolutely loved the acting of male lead.

Sidestep the Trap

[mjkarlin · 6/10 · 22 April 2022]

I finally got round to watching this chestnut. I could simply complain about its endless recycling of irritating or in some cases unacceptable KDrama tropes, such as the Korean catering industry's stranglehold on scriptwriters and directors, the overflowing number of stock characters, the epidemic of men grabbing women by the wrist, and the countless instances of eavesdropping as a substitute for adequate plotting. A few plot holes weren't properly filled. There were a lot of complaints about the ending but it didn't bother me. (To be honest, I thought the heroine was well rid of the rather mono-faced and emotionally empty hero and the final ambiguity felt quite appropriate.)

But let's give those annoyances a rest and instead focus on the acting. I recently watched a YouTube video by a vlogger called BBali about actors whose acting, according to "netizens", got worse over time. Actually, all the episode showed was that netizens are mostly ignorant about acting, petty, and prejudiced, and (as well we know from a number of tragic episodes in the Korean entertainment industry) in quite a few cases cowardly anonymous bullies. But the video at least got me to think about acting in Korean shows. And this one really showcased some of the best and some not so great.

At the absolute top of this show is not the heroine, Kim Go Eun, or the hero, Park Hae-jin - more about them below - but rather the wonderful Lee Sung-kyung. She chose, or was directed, to play her character as an over-the-top, selfish, lazy young woman who mooches off everyone and behaves viciously, and ultimately half murderously, toward the heroine. She never for one moment shows any remorse for anything, nor a hint of self-awareness. In this performance, she never holds back and she is compulsively watchable. It's a bravura turn that completely outshines everyone around her. Lee has shown considerable range in her career and in this series her capabilities are on full display. (She's also a wonderful fashion plate and quite stunning to look at, even when she gets roughed up.)

Now to our leads. Kim Go-eun has a high reputation and she delivers a solid performance. She is portrayed as something of a mouse for much of the show, but it's much less annoying than one might think. Perhaps one can identify with the top of the class student from a modest background who has to endure the semi-bullying and jealousy of most of her classmates, who copes by ignoring it where she can and occasionally standing up for herself just enough to pay back the worst of the offenders. (Those offenders are completely shameless and blame her relentlessly when they get their rightful comeuppance.) Kim has the ability to express a range of emotions suitable to the scenes she plays and her admirable restraint, even in the face of serial offenders such as Lee's character, provide many acting highlights.

Much less interesting is Park Hae-jin. He's a good-looking young man but the problem is that he is given a character to play whose principal characteristics are suppressed emotions and a pathological inability to express his feelings, even when given numerous opportunities to do so by an obviously sympathetic and non-judgmental girlfriend. The result is an expressionless face that becomes tiresome long, long before the end of the series. My wife once said to me, "You don't have to be boring to portray boredom." And that's the issue. Park plays a complete lack of emotion with a complete lack of emotion.

The second lead, played by Seo Kang-joon, is a much more interesting character than Park, and so offers a fairer target for critical evaluation. His performance is solid, much better than his absolutely dreadful performance in When the Weather Is Fine, in which he and Park Min-young nearly made my screen go blank in an effort to mirror their characters' expressions. He is by turns witty, irritating, kind, troubled, loyal to his unendurable older sister (Lee). His actions make you want to turn away, but he is very watchable nonetheless.

The supporting cast is good enough. Perhaps one standout performance: No, not the slimy stalker played by Ji Yoon-ho, the only character who gets thoroughly punished for his endless efforts to bully and inflict misery on Kim for reasons not worth explaining. He could have taken lessons from Lee on how to play it full throttle. Rather, kudos to the late Moon Ji-yoon, who sadly passed away in early 2020 (COVID, perhaps?) at age 36. He plays a lazy overweight moocher who has an endless supply of excuses for his alcohol-fueled far niente way of living. Moon plays this role perfectly. The same year, he had a fun supporting role in the Lee Sung-kyung starrer Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo - how different the two of them were just a few months after Cheese in the Trap.

So, a snapshot of some well-known Korean actors and their supporting cast shows that they can take essentially average material and do well with it and, in Lee's case, can create a character that will be hard to forget.

I never review shows that I haven't watched all the way through. The desire to review this one kept me going but it shouldn't be at the top of anyone's list.

Not your typical Kdrama. Thought-provoking. Will play with your emotions. Not for shallow-minded audience.

[mayjlmella · 10/10 · 17 April 2020]

This is by far one of the most remarkable Kdramas for me. Park Hae-jin's character Yoon Jung is not your typical male lead- there's more than meets the eye. He's really not your typical prince on a white horse. He's different, but an interesting kind of different, and scary.

If you are looking for a drama that can introduce you to the so-called "playing with your thoughts and emotions", this drama is for you.

It's just kinda frustrating how it had to go through those controversies, especially with the ending. The storyline is the best. The actors are perfect. The scriptwriters did an awesome job. The ending is well-deserved by every character.

This drama is also very realistic. It can open your eyes to unwelcome realizations about college life, about adult life itself, about people's personalities, and most of all-- acceptance and understanding of human imperfections.

It's one of the best.

New story, disappointing ending

[itharmgh · 6/10 · 14 November 2023]

I would have given it an even lower rating if not for the new story which we don't usually see in kdramas.

Although the series was interesting to the last episode, I was not quite satisfied with it. I just don't understand how yoo jeong is likable, yes people didn't treat him well but the doesn't justify nor gives him the right to treat people the way he did. For example, getting inho beaten just because he heard him saying that he's "pathetic" when they were just KIDS, it's normal for kids to be saying mean stuff without thinking through it most of the time, but NO yoo jeong did not let that slide and was the reason inhos hand was broken which made him unable to pursue his passion anymore.

I agree what inho did was wrong but he did not deserve all that. It was just too much. And the same thing happened to many people after that.

I was surprised how the female was okay with his actions. She even forgave him for being the reason she was stalked because " he didn't think that the stalker would take it to far". It reached to a point where honestly I felt she was not a good person either. For example there was this girl who admired Seoul and just wanted to be her friend and be seen by her, but whenever she asked seol to hang out or eat together, Seoul would turn her down in a way or other than proceeds to act like the naive kind girl. Maybe seol and yoo jeong are suitable for each other after all.

THE SECOND MALE LEAD SYNDROME is REAL in this show, I honestly loved the dynamics between them more than that of the male lead, it seemed more natural and real. Not to mention inho was a great person

The ending was disappointing as well in which we did not even know if yoo jeong came back into Seouls boring life again.

Overall meh.

Eh..

[Nays-n-da-house · 4/10 · 1 July 2020]

I don't think so. I love the manhwa series. The main girl is likeable and relatable but in the drama... seriously?? Why though? I feel like they dumbed down Seoul. Yeah in the beginning she just let everyone pick on her and I remember her growing though. I'm only in the 3rd episode and I'm frustrated. The acting is good, though but I don't like how the characters are protested. I think the only spot on characters are Bora and ahyoung, but other than that, it's a no. I like how complex the main male lead is and every character is complex in the manhwa, but they changed the story around and I know when doing an adaptation the story should have differences, but to me it's too different idk. I'm not feeling it.

The truth

[qadeermalaika · 7/10 · 20 August 2021]

Roses are red Violets are blue SEO Kang Joon is the second lead But he's first for you.

Fantastic Show

[dominicaccampbell · 10/10 · 18 January 2018]

Frustrates me no end to see that the rating isn't higher for this show. I know the ending was not perfect but aside from that there are no complaints. The cast was awesome and so was the story. I would definitely recommend this show to any one who loves a good drama.

Good watch though despite the unsatisfactory ending..

[rookiewookie · 7/10 · 8 June 2021]

Screenplay, acting, plot were good.

Loved watching kim-go-eun's acting perfectly aloof, introverted,...

It was disheartening to see the star-crossed love still had a little road left In it's journey to Happy ending despite the bumps they had to endure to truly look through each other and find one another.

Also frustrated with few depressing reviews which think

• it was a perfect ending.

• the female lead still remaining a pushover at the cost of her self respect.

• lead Being misunderstood as the Psychopath, insecure, blah blah.... Instead of just different, for his defensive plots as a reaction against people who only take advantage of him for his pockets and power. When it's the second lead who is so full of himself, who approaches to get close to people around the lead only to annoy & hurt him.

• second-lead's love over lead's love. When infact it was the lead who goes above and beyond to actually help her realise to value herself and not let others take advantage.

• norrowminded definition of love that it can be beautiful and acceptable only if it's all lovy-dovy.

Ignore bad reviews,go give it a watch!

[shravanitubaji · 10/10 · 28 November 2020]

One of the best kdramas to watch,if you are a fan of kdramas then do give a watch, you won't regret because it is not a typical kdrama with Lovey dovey but leads do have a good chemistry. Well written and once you start watching it you will totally love it,many people found ending was ruined, but as i have said its not typical so you might found it different but otherwise it was soo good,just ignore the bad comments and watch it!

great

[Moviebility · 9/10 · 14 June 2017]

I love the story really and I find Hae-Jin's manipulative character very fascinating. Go-Eun's understanding character for Hae-Jin's is another story. I love their chemistry and the flow of the story. The ending is so disappointing though like that's it? I went all the way up here for that trashy ending? I am demanding for season 2 because I am a viewer seeking for satisfactory

I'm not a kdrama watcher but...

[frannybean · 9/10 · 27 December 2020]

My spouse is the kdrama fan, not me. I tend to find them a bit saccharine, corny, or over the top. That said, this was INCREDIBLE.

The character development was so nuanced and complex, watching the series was almost like reading a really good book. They don't explain everything, they leave some things for the audience to connect the dots on, and I really appreciated that.

My one complaint was the ending felt like I needed just a little more closure than I got, even though I understand, I think, why they did it the way they did. I just would have loved to see the look on her face when the one thing happened in that last moment.

Trash literally

[Giselle1710 · 2/10 · 8 September 2020]

I started the drama for Park Hae Jin but his character scared me off literally. Had such expectations but the writer did an awful job with hia character. Even rich spoiled brat characters r loved as well if they r actually well written but the writers just drowned this series. Worst K drama I have ever watched. Only good thing was Seo Kang Joon.

Where is series 2

[fionawilson234 · 10/10 · 1 September 2021]

If ever there should be a second series, this one was crying out for it! Everyone's stories needed another stage of conclusion. From Seol to Jeong's dad. Even ten years on could even include a few flashbacks to where series 1 left off.

I go aback to this series again and again. It needed more later.

Great script

[ellamelaharris · 10/10 · 12 October 2019]

This writers of this show are brilliant, I love the way they captured the characters stories, I really didn't want her to end up with either of them. Sometimes people come into your life to help you grow and you must not end up with them. Loved the show

SURPRISING TWISTS!

[bingv · 10/10 · 10 April 2020]

It may seem at first like a rich guy, poor girl usual story but it isn't. I was left hanging about the leading man's credibility. The unfolding of the truth of this character was set at a good pace, making the series exciting to watch.

Hero or villain?

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 21 August 2020]

Quite different from any series before. A kind girl falls into a strange relationship with a manipulative senior student. Although he has some justification for his actions his retaliation often comes across as cruel. The story gets quite upsetting in parts because the hero isn't a hero but more of a villain and I actually felt more for his victims than him. The way he exacts his punishments are quite chilling.

The cast handles their complex roles well. Park Hae Jin is a bit old looking for the main lead Jeong but he does look cold and unfeeling quite well. Kim Go Eun as Seol acts quite expressively - she is suited to this role because she is playing a kind but not beautiful girl. The troubled siblings In Ho and In Ha actually got my sympathies more. This is a good example of second lead syndrome. Seo Kang Joon acts well as the pianist In Ho and you really feel for his pain and troubles. His character was more likeable than the main lead. The sister In Ha is played by Lee Sung Kyung and really acts crazy quite frighteningly.

This is an eye opening show. The ending has been criticized for being open ended. But in a way it's good that it wasn't definite. Jeong was too flawed for their relationship to work and she did get hurt because of his actions. After all that happened a romantic happy ending would have been out of place.

It started off strong

[judy-a-h3 · 3/10 · 12 October 2019]

...then it just ended up sucking. Honestly, Jung was a complex character and it shows that he was taking baby steps to work through his issues, and also learn and grow with Seol. However, his character wasnt even in the ending. Jung breaks up with Seol after she gets out of the hospital, he disappears for 3 years while he leans who he is off screen. We dont even see Jung at all but only see that he respons to Seol's email three years later....what a stupid ending