| Cheese in the Trap | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster featuring Hong Seol and Yoo Jung
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| Genre | Romance Drama |
| Based on | Cheese in the Trap by Soonkki |
| Written by | Kim Nam-hee Go Sun-hee |
| Directed by | Lee Yoon-jung |
| Starring | Park Hae-jin Kim Go-eun Seo Kang-joon Lee Sung-kyung |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language(s) | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Park Ho-sik Kang Hoon Kim Won-ju Yang Hwan-chul |
| Producer(s) | Kim Keo-hong Jung Se-ryung |
| Production company(s) | Eight Works Kross Pictures, Inc. PGood Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | tvN |
| Original release | 4 January – 1 March 2016 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Bubble Gum |
| Followed by | Pied Piper |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Cheese in the Trap (Hangul: 치즈인더트랩) is a webtoon that was later adapted at a South Korean television series starring Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Seo Kang-joon and Lee Sung-kyung. It aired on the cable network tvN on Mondays and Tuesdays for 16 episodes between 4 January–1 March 2016.[1] The series is based on the webtoon of the same name, serialized on Naver Webtoon from 2010–2016, although it featured an original ending since the webtoon had not been completed at the time of filming.
Synopsis
The drama focuses on the life and relationships of a group of university students, particularly the difficult relationship between Hong Seol (Kim Go-eun) and her sunbae, or her senior, Yoo Jung (Park Hae-jin).
Jung is the rich heir to Taerang Group and seemingly has a perfect life, but also displays psychopathic tendencies, which cause Seol to take time off school to get away from him. When she returns through a scholarship that was intended for Jung, he is unexpectedly nice to her and asks her on a date. They begin an awkward relationship which is further complicated by the arrival of Baek In-ho and his sister In-ha, childhood friends of Jung.
Cast
Main
- Yoo Jung (Park Hae-jin[2][3]), Seol's senior. He is intelligent and successful, but secretly harbors a dark side to his personality. He is sometimes cold or manipulative, and has trouble forming relationships with others because of his uncertainty that they are not using him for his money. However, he is attracted to Seol.
- Hong Seol (Kim Go-eun[4][5]), a hardworking college student who struggles to figure out Yoo Jung's true intentions, but sees an innocent side in him against the advice of his childhood friend Baek In-ho.
- Baek In-ho (Seo Kang-joon[6][7]), is a talented pianist who is adopted into Jung's wealthy family by his father. He and his sister come from a difficult background, but he is good-natured and finds it easy to get along with Seol, later developing feelings for her. He and Jung were friends as children, although they later develop a bitter rivalry as he believes that Jung was responsible for instigating a fight that damaged his hand, ending his dreams of becoming a concert pianist.
- Baek In-ha (Lee Sung-kyung[8]), In-ho's melodramatic and materialistic older sister. She was also adopted into Jung's family as a child, and is in love with Jung, although he does not reciprocate her feelings.
Supporting
Hong family
- Hong Joon (Kim Hee-chan), Seol's younger brother who returns to Korea from the United States.
- Hong Jin-tak (Ahn Gil-kang), Seol's father.
- Kim Young-hee (Yoon Bok-in), Seol's mother.
Yeon-yi university
- Jang Bo-ra (Park Min-ji), Seol's supportive best friend.
- Kwon Eun-taek (Nam Joo-hyuk[9]), Seol and Bo-ra's loyal friend, who is in love with Bo-ra.
- Oh Young-gon (Ji Yoon-ho), a delinquent who is obsessed with Seol.
- Son Min-soo (Yoon Ji-won), a shy classmate who gains confidence by assuming Seol's identity.
- Kim Sang-cheol (Moon Ji-yoon), a lazy senior in Seol's class.
- Lee Da-young (Kim Hye-ji), a girl in Seol's class who dates Young-gon.
- Nam Joo-yeon (Cha Joo-young), a girl who is obsessed with Jung at the beginning of the series.
- Kang Ah-young (Yoon Ye-joo), Seol's junior and Joon's love interest.
- Ha Jae-woo (Oh Hee-joon)
- Kim Kyung-hwan (Go Hyun)
- Min Do-hyun (Shin Joo-hwan)
- Heo Yoon-sub (Lee Woo-dong), Seol's boss at her university admin job.
- Professor Kang (Hwang Seok-jeong)
- Professor Han (Kim Jin-keun)
Others
- Yoo Young-soo (Son Byong-ho), Jung's father.
- Kong Joo-yong (Kim Ki-bang[10]), Seol's neighbour and Yoon-sub's boyfriend.
Production
The role of Hong Seol was initially offered to Bae Suzy,[11] but due to protest from fans of the original webtoon,[12] she declined the offer.[13]
Shooting began in September 2015,[14] and wrapped up filming in January 2016.[15]
Original soundtrack
The soundtrack of "Cheese in the Trap" was released in six parts.
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "어쩌면 좋아" ("Maybe") | Cosmos Hippie (우주히피) | 3:40 |
| 2. | "치즈인더트랩" ("Cheese In The Trap") | Twenty Years Old (스무살) | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Golden Coconut Club" (Sentimental Scenery Mix) | Tearliner | |
| 4. | "우리 소곤소곤" (Sentimental Scenery Mix) | Tearliner | |
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "I Am Love" | Tearliner ft. Yozoh (요조) | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Einfühlung" | Tearliner | 2:44 |
| 3. | "고양이와 낮잠" ("Taking A Nap With A Cat") | Tearliner | 1:08 |
| 4. | "따뜻한 겨울라떼" ("Warm Winter Latte") | Tearliner | 2:58 |
| 5. | "오늘도 맑음" ("Today Also Sunny") | Tearliner | 1:24 |
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "Such" | Kang Hyun Min ft. Jo Hyun Ah of Urban Zakapa | 4.22 |
| 2. | "말 없는 슬픔" ("Silent Sorrow") | 사람또사람 (People And People) | 3.46 |
| 3. | "사랑과 연애 어디쯤" ("Somewhere Between Love And Romance") | Tearliner | 2.05 |
| 4. | "이 길 지나 너" ("Passing This Road, To You") | Tearliner | 1.28 |
| 5. | "삼각김밥 사용법" ("How To Use A Triangle Kimbab") | Tearliner | 1.48 |
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "너와 나의 시간은" ("Our Time") | Vanilla Acoustic | 3.30 |
| 2. | "너를 채운다. 너를 지운다." ("Fill You. Erase You.") | Tearliner ft. 5urprise | 3.22 |
| 3. | "슈가파우더가 내리면" ("Sugar Powder Is Falling") | Tearliner | 1.26 |
| 4. | "오늘도 지각" ("Today Is Late Too") | 우지해 (Woo Ji Hye) | 1.20 |
| 5. | "그 남자의 꿈" ("That Man's Dream") | Tearliner | 3.11 |
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "Go (Korean ver.)" | 솔튼페이퍼 (SALTNPAPER) | 3.11 |
| 2. | "그냥 좋은데" ("I Like You") | 테테 (Tété) | 3.46 |
| 3. | "Go (English ver.)" | 솔튼페이퍼 (SALTNPAPER) | 3.11 |
| 4. | "The End is Near" | Tearliner | 2.53 |
| 5. | "방황하는 파도" (Wandering Wave) | Tearliner | 2.18 |
| 6. | "First Kiss" | 센티멘탈 시너리 (Sentimental Scenery) | 2.22 |
| Cheese in the Trap OST Part. 6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
| 1. | "조금만 더" ("A Little Bit More") | 스웨덴세탁소 (Sweden Laundry) | 2.53 |
| 2. | "사랑인가 봐요" ("Maybe It's Love") | Monkeyz | 3.43 |
| 3. | "장화 속 무당벌레" ("Lady Bug In Boots") | Tearliner | 2.20 |
| 4. | "밤의 편의점" ("Convenience Store At Night") | Tearliner | 1.37 |
Reception
Cheese in the Trap was a success in both South Korea and China.[16][17][18] It was sold to China for $125,000 per episode, becoming the most expensive cable series.[19] It won praise for its realistic depiction of the life of university students, but was criticized for diverging from the source webtoon by placing undue focus on the second male lead[20][21] and including an original ending "that was rushed and left many viewers baffled".[22]
Ratings
In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Episode | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGB Nielsen[23] | TNmS Ratings[24] | ||
| 1 | 4 January 2016 | 3.6% | 2.6% |
| 2 | 5 January 2016 | 4.8% | 2.9% |
| 3 | 11 January 2016 | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| 4 | 12 January 2016 | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| 5 | 18 January 2016 | 6.5% | 6.2% |
| 6 | 19 January 2016 | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| 7 | 25 January 2016 | 6.0% | 7.0% |
| 8 | 26 January 2016 | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| 9 | 1 February 2016 | 7.1% | 7.2% |
| 10 | 2 February 2016 | 6.6% | 7.6% |
| 11 | 15 February 2016 | 5.6% | 7.3% |
| 12 | 16 February 2016 | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| 13 | 22 February 2016 | 6.2% | 6.9% |
| 14 | 23 February 2016 | 6.5% | 7.2% |
| 15 | 29 February 2016 | 5.9% | 6.4% |
| 16 | 1 March 2016 | 6.9% | 7.5% |
| Average | 6.0% | 6.3% | |
Note: This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC & EBS).
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
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Best Actor[25] | Park Hae-jin | Won |
|
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Best New Actress (Television) | Kim Go-eun | Won | |
| Most Popular Actor (Television) | Park Hae-jin | Nominated | ||
| Most Popular Actor (Television) | Seo Kang-joon | Nominated | ||
| Most Popular Actress (Television) | Kim Go-eun | Nominated | ||
| Most Popular Actress (Television) | Lee Sung-kyung | Nominated | ||
|
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Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Park Hae-jin | Nominated | |
| Best New Actress | Kim Go-eun | Nominated | ||
|
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Excellence Award, Actor | Park Hae-jin | Nominated | |
| Best New Actress | Kim Go-eun | Nominated | ||
|
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Made in tvN, Actor in Drama | Seo Kang-joon | Nominated | |
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Best Artist Award, Actor | Park Hae-jin | Won | |
| Best Entertainer Award, Actor | Seo Kang-joon | Won |
International broadcast
Singapore – VV Drama
Malaysia – 8TV (Malaysia)
Thailand – True4U
Philippines – GMA Network- Southeast Asia – tvN
Film
As of August 2016, the series is in the process of being adapted into a film version, starring Park Hae-jin opposite with actress Oh Yeon-seo, which was released in March 2018.
References
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' to start Monday night". Kpop Herald.
- ^ Hong, Grace Danbi (20 May 2015). "Park Hae Jin Cast as Lead for Drama Cheese in the Trap". enewsWorld. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Ghim, Sora (20 May 2015). "Park Hae Jin Joins Cheese in the Trap". BNTNews. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Ko, Ji-seon (28 July 2015). "Kim Go-eun to star in Cheese in the Trap". K-pop Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Jin, Min-ji (29 July 2015). "Kim confirmed for Cheese". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ "Park Hae-jin, Seo Kang-joon also to star in 'Cheese'". The Korea Times.
- ^ "Seo Kang-joon and Lee Sung-kyung become siblings". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "Lee Sung Kyung Joins ′Cheese in the Trap′". enewsWorld. 2 September 2015.
- ^ Lee, Hye-won (3 August 2015). "Nam Joo-hyuk to appear in Cheese in the Trap". K-pop Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ "Kim Ki-bang to play homosexual character in 'Cheese in the Trap'". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "Suzy considered for the lead role in 'Cheese In The Trap'". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' fans think Suzy is a misfit". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "Suzy turns down offer for 'Cheese in the Trap'". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' reveals first teaser image". Kpop Herald.
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' wraps up filming". Kpop Herald.
- ^ Herald, The Korea. "TV series 'Cheese in the Trap' sets sights on new record". Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' attracts 1.9 billion views on Weibo". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ Baek, Byung-yeul. "Webtoons emerge as source for dramas, films". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ "'Cheese in the Trap' sold to China for record $2m". Kpop Herald.
- ^ Kwon, Ji-youn. "Park Hae-jin disappears from 'Cheese in the Trap'". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ Woo, Jae-yeon. "(Yonhap Interview) 'Cheese in the Trap' actor dismisses rumors of interfering with script". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ Jung, Eun-jin. "[Herald Review] 'Cheese in the Trap' caught in deluge of complaints". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "TNmS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNmS Ratings (in Korean). Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ Park, So-jung. "Actor Park Hae-jin named best actor at cable awards". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Cheese in the Trap at Eight Works (in Korean)
- Cheese in the Trap at Kross Pictures (in English)
- Cheese in the Trap on Facebook (in Korean)
- Cheese in the Trap at HanCinema
- Cheese in the Trap on IMDb
- Official Webtoon