Cheese In The Trap

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Cheese In The Trap 2016

Genre: Romance, Drama

Episodes: 16

Starring: Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Seo Kang-joon
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Plot Summary: Yoo-jung (Park Hae-jin) is every woman's dream. He is an intelligent college student and a perfect embodiment of the male species. However, beyond this facade, hides a cold, lonely and child-like Yoo-jung. He is unable to express his own true emotions.  As a child he hated the fact that his father thought of him as strange. And so, he did everything to hold his emotions back because he wants his father to think of him well. This other side of him is only visible to Hong-seol (Kim Go-eun).

Hong-seol is a returning student after a year long break from school brought by financial situation. Though her scholarship is a puzzle to her, she is just eager to resume her studies. At the school year party, Hong-seol is welcomed by her fellow students especially Bo-ra, who is best friend to her. Yoo-jung, fresh from mandatory military training resumes his studies as well and attends the said party. Everyone seems to be excited with Yoo-jung's arrival except Hong-seol, who had to endure an unpleasant experience with Yoo-jung that happened before he went to military. Hong-seol observes him from another table and she is not at all convinced of what everyone thinks of him. Something about him tells her that there is something off about Yoo-jung.

Hong-seol still thinks that Yoo-jung does not like her. His actions of late are an enigma she cannot quite fathom. She is puzzled, yet scared at the same time of the special attention she is getting from him. Hong-seol tries to rebuff his many advances but Yoo-jung continually buys her coffee or juice and most often than not, would invite her to a meal. With Yoo-jung's determination and persistence, they eventually become sweethearts, however, several people and circumstances would put a strain to their relationship especially to Hong-seol who is always the subject of bullying and peer pressure among the students outside her circle. Though Yoo-jung appears to be casual and nonchalant with the surrounding events, he does not forget and addresses each misdemeanor by manipulating circumstances to give the aggressor a dose of his own medicine. This is his way of protecting Hong-seol from further harm of some people who dislike her for some featherbrained reasons. Hong-seol is the only person in Yoo-jung's world who understands him. And she promises to be always by his side no matter where their love brings them. Both alien to love, the two manages to reconcile their differences and just love each other unconditionally.

Yoo-jung takes great pains from two people he used to consider as a brother and a sister - Baek In- ho and Baek In-ha. While In-ho (Seo Kang-joon) becomes a good friend, who falls in love later on to Hong-seol, In-ha (Lee Sung-kyung), on the other hand, breeds contempt as she covets Yoo-jung to herself. Her animosity has driven her to see Yoo-jung's father with her fabricated stories not just to destroy Hong-seol but also to spite Yoo-jung. Pushed to his limit, Yoo-jung devises a plan to debase In-ha in front of his father. Humiliated, In-ha loses her mind and takes her anger to Hong-seol by attacking the latter in broad daylight. Enraged, In-ha shoves Hong-seol hard on to the street and is hit by a fast approaching car. Hong-seol suffers from hemorrhage and a broken rib that damages some of her internal organs.  Yoo-jung's father visits the hospital to ensure best care and treatment are provided for but a tough conversation follows between father and son in the hospital.

Yoo-jung suffers so much from what happened to Hong-seol.  He takes the blame upon himself and never shows up in the hospital again until Hong-seol is discharged from confinement. Yoo-jung resigns from his dad's company and decides to leave Korea. For the first time, he opens up to his father and pours out his trapped emotions since childhood. Yoo-jung states that he never did try to understand the people around him since no one understands him anyway. And because of his fake victim mentality, he mistreats and judges them the way he wanted to without taking into consideration the scars it may leave the person. Scars which he now realizes as a scary thing. Though Yoo-jung breaks up with Hong-seol after her complete recovery, he says that he will come look for her when he already knows how to love her appropriately.

My Thoughts: I marathoned watching this drama! There is a good plot to share and the cast did an awesome performance to their role. Hae-jin, with his cold character is effective - though required to maintain a poker face and a reserved smile, his eye expression says it all. You can still see his disturbed emotions and love for Hong-seol through his eyes. Though Hong-seol's performance is that of an average, she was able to create chemistry with her lead actor. In-ho did a convincing character and he is just so cute and a great fitting to the role.  In-ha need not whine too much, her face and make up already made her a good antagonist of the drama. Her whining is too much and annoying. Now, here is the thing, I had been hoping for more scenes between the lead stars. I feel that Hong-seol and In-ho had more time together as opposed to Yoo-jung. There is a need for me to feel and experience more of cheesy romance from the leads - I find this frustrating. I pity so much Yoo-jung for having a tough time keeping up with his father in his childhood and, I think, he deserves to have 'real' good times and cheesy moments with Hong-seol. After all, it is only with her where he can really be himself. Had they developed this important piece to fit well to the romance side of the story, the drama could have taken itself to the next level. To be honest, I had been hoping for a satisfying ending to compensate the lack of cute, cheesy and heart titillating scenes but, sad to note, I waited in vain. Though the final cut shows indication of a positive future for the two, I would have appreciated more if they didn't have to leave the story to our imagination.

My Rating: 8.5/10

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Other Park Hae-jin's Drama/Movie: My Daughter, Seo-young