SPOILERS.

Soooo... we're here! Cheese in the Trap had been this sevvy's obsession since last year when they announced Park Hae Jin will be, finally, playing lead. Of course, this means, that I came in to this story with a heavy Hae Jin bias because you know...

**coughs out blood

*clears throat.

Well, Hae Jin and his... um... damning good looks has got me since his earlier days as side guy to the more popular Lee Jong Suk in Dr. Stranger, but mostly I fell for his character there-- the vengeful, tortured Joon Jae who is unfortunately in love with his enemy's daughter.

And while, his storyline was pretty much, welll, a side story, Hae Jin delivered a scene stealing performance, at least for sevvy, where he shifts from good to bad, from neutral to passionate, from cool to hot. And as much as I love me some Jong Suk baby, Hae Jin just raises the bar with his subtlety in facial expressions and gestures. And fortunately, after the show, some directors agree. Enter the Bad Guys with Lee Jung Moon.

I think Dr. Stranger opened up doors for Hae Jin (or maybe one door) that leads to characters who tips the scale on the darker side, and while this might mean villain roles for others, there is definitely something about Hae Jin that asks for redemption. I say its his eyes. LOL In this role, I wasn't too in love with him, possibly because he was somewhat a wuss. (I am sorry Hae Jinnie.) But nonetheless, I really liked Hae Jin's acting (and his co-actors. ALSO JO DONG HYUK IS HOT. *cough*). I think he has the tortured soul down pat, and he can be ruthless and adorable all at the same time.

So encountering the announcement of his very first lead role, I was more than happy! I was ecstatic! He is after all my true to life oppar. He's already 34 and sometimes, especially in Korea, actors peak younger... Jong Suk was what? 23 when he got his big break? But Hae Jinnie took the longer route, suffering along the way with depression, and some haters... and yeah, I think the limelight was ready for him.

** I actually miss his forehead. In your internship, oppar, please some forehead, juseyo.

I read the webtoon just to have some background about the storyline. I was there for Hae Jin (my beautiful, beautiful Hae Jinne ;A;) but I finished the webtoon up to season three (over 140ish chapters) in a day... possibly missing sleeping cues along the way. Soonkki (the author) got me hooked. The art was not conventionally what I would have liked but it was the right kind of slice of life with dark psychological hints that I adored. Sure, it's romantic, but again, the philosophy of human behaviour. OwO

I loved the webtoon and while I ship Jung/Seol (hard). I was more concerned about how Jung would develop as a character, and if he was capable of change and this webtoon was translated up to season 3... and I am still not sure.

A lot of reviewers avoid the comparison between webtoon and the drama and I am not doing that for the sole reason that I cannot do it. As my experience with the webtoon actually layers my experience. Of course, this means that I have expectations, and while I am mostly not disapppointed, the changes the direction made is somewhat... not glaring per se, but very noticeable.

DIFFERENCE

1. In the webtoon, Jung is not a video game enthusiast, nor is he kind to animals. I think the drama is actually stressing his kindness, or playfulness or child-likeness. I don't really think Jung in the webtoon is all that likable. LOL

2. InHo and Jung's fight seems to be more sibling rivalry-ish in the drama, while it's again much darker in the webtoon. Jung's relationship with InHo in the webtoon was... lukewarm. InHo even says something to the colour of "He still smiles at us (meaning InHa) like a vending machine gives out coke." So Jung's affection is almost questionable.

3. The "She is like me." comment in drama leans toward "people use us" interpretation, while the drama it was more towards "we see the true nature of people, as users."

4. Jung took interest to Seol, in drama, after she took care of him (unconditionally). In contrast, the webtoon showed that Jung ultimately thought differently of her after she walked away from their argument/debate. I think the drama is saying that he liked her because she is good beyond recognition, while in the webtoon, it's the fact that she can give up that he liked (because he is someone he harbors grudges. I always felt that that was it that he appreciates. Her ability to grow from an experience. It's also a similarity, perhaps, because Jung has given up on a lot of people as well, which of course plays well with her physical impulse of clinging to him... and saying (in the recent chapter) "letting go is bad.")

There are other differences I can think off, but none I would say as pointedly.

Should you read the Webtoon? YES. I think the webtoon is like a book version of a movie. But rather than looking for additional details, I think the webtoon tells a subtly different story... I would say darker. The fluff is still there, but Jung is less cute... at least he is not cute in obvious ways.

Which do I like best? HAE JIN. Bahaha. I like the webtoon better. I don't really think it was drawn out as some people say it was. The underwear thief, the conflict with TA Huh, and that jealous girl Joo Yeon was much longer on the webtoon, but I think the emphasis of the elements were necessary and of course flushed out the main characters personality. While the drama chooses obvious tells like Hae Jin following her around (which is... kinda stalkerish in my opinion), the webtoon was more subtle in Jung's here or not interest. Not that I don't like the drama... I mean, one peson I spoke to says she prefers her stories short and sweet... and well I don't lol. I mean, short and sweet I can honestly say sounds a lot like superficial sugar... but Cheese in the Trap is black coffee to be relished in it's aroma and the background notes of the roast and region of the type. Yum. I DO LIKE the drama, Hae Jin visuals is never bad, and I don't think the drama is bad or anything, only... um, you know... superficial (in the sense that there's an iceberg underneath). I still like it, I just don't think the drama is better.

Other feelings about the drama.

a.) I don't like InHo as much as I did in the webtoon! Now don't get me wrong Seo Kang Jun is a sweetheart and I liked him and rooted for him in Cunning Single Lady, but his delivery of InHo is like every bad boy lead in every drama, I have seen. He is callous and misunderstood and secretly a classy pianist and I don't know. He seems so flat. And his early romantic interest in the drama is so... expected. I actually appreciated the slow progression of webtoon InHo's interest in Seol. InHo-Seol are primarily friends. So him being a pain in the doesn't offend me as some friendships are just rooted in just being pricks to each other. InHo's character was someone I enjoyed because he is such a brat, but if he is a romantic option from the very beginning... I get a bit pissy.

I like Jung, so his approached has me in jealousy knots. And drama InHo has such a strong second lead pull, it's almost... almost annoying. LOL

Because he SEEMS to be the nicer guy, viewers dismiss his intial motivations. He approached Seol to lich of her. He is a lower tier con man. (In the webtoon, he actually approached her because of her connection to Jung). He kept his advances because it pisses off Jung. So overall, InHo does not have a clean bill of conscience from the get go. The "better" man has anger issues and a tendency towards violence. Viewers only think he is better because his badness is transparent.

Jung approached Seol because he likes (or is interested). I think this a big thing for me. Jung is dishonest and deceptive in most things, but his motivations in getting close to Seol is surprisingly pure.

b.) Drama InHa is super short changed in the childhood flashback. Why did the drama leave out the fact that InHo was never beat up? He was treated as a gift to the household why InHa struggled with being called a leacher and mediocre? InHo was consistently, surprisingly cruel to her as they were growing up... and I don't know... I have some sympathies towards InHa, and while she is actually much scarier in the webtoon, she is less likable in the drama... which I think is a strange way to write her character. Drama InHa feels a lot like an after thought, like an unneccessary insert. I hope this changes.

c.) Unpopular opinion: I like Lee Sung Kyung. In Ha's actress I think is doing well. A lot of people is upset with her over the top acting, but I think there is no other way to act out InHa... as she is a person who is constantly acting. I think InHa is a really good deep character, and while she is mostly malicious, her scars are definitely deeper than InHo. InHo's problem is pretty straightforward, but InHa was practically raised to think that she is a leacher, without talent and ambition. I think her character is pretty tragic, and while Sung Kyung goes over the top, I think it's actually fitting because she is hiding a lot of deficiencies.

d.) Downplayed Follow Taste, Follow Looks Gang

Seol-Eun Taek-Bora is my friendship OTP, and I can't believe that it so low key in the show. I mean, sure, it's there but I don't see it enough to be satisfied.

Now, we come to the guessing game of the destination of the Cheese in the Trap journey, and while people always tell me to enjoy the trip, I am someone who gets tripped up if I don't get to the destination I want.

Hypothetical endings:

I am unfortunately Jung biased, and because Jung has some destructive tendencies which hinders his capacity to be content or happy, I am much more worried about him. (I am secretly wishing that InHa gets some positive resolutions too, but I don't know if that is asking too much.) Here are some... hypothesis (informed guessed)

a.) Jung actually learns healthy communication and loves unconditionally. I am softy and I admit to this being what I want to happen. Hahaha. I want a happy ending! TTATT That's so unlike me. I have been worried about Seol-Jung relationship since Young Gon issues unravelling and Jung's strange way of protecting Seol and following Seol's wishes (of staying away from her while she thinks). But Seol actually forgives him, and inadvertently encouraged Jung to express follow his feelings more (as he actually goes to see her without prompting). In many ways, I think Jung is emotionally growing in the relationship, and I don't really know how to feel about it. In this story, it was never outwardly told that Jung needed Seol, but he does, and it's almost heartbreaking to think that he isn't the healthiest choice for her. That what I am asking from Seol is patience and unconditional love while Jung is incapable of giving either. It's unbalanced and unfair, and I can't want anything else. LOL

b) Jung finally learns to give up or let go when he lets Seol go. This has been my cynical self's guess, and I feel like there has been foreshadowing about it. Will Jung grow to emotional maturity and think, "ah Seol isn't like me. She doesn't need me. I complicate her life." and leaves? This of course would severe any inclination that he has some attachment to Seol... I don't know.

Outside the pairing: WILL JUNG AND INHO MAKE UP?

In the webtoon, they are in for an actual full blown fist fight, and I think Jung needed that... I think his aggression towards InHo needs to physically manifest itself or else... well, he'll resort to his manipulative methods again, and we all know how that step is closer to him selling his seol and going all Venom on everyone. Hahaha.

Tell me what you think!