Well, I have said my goodbyes to seeing my Park Hae Jin every week, /teary, and though I very much agree with most of viewers that this adaptation could have gone much smoother, much better, I must say, I am not disappointed as most. I am okay with the vague, open-ended ending. Maybe because I read a lot (?) that I am okay with open-endedness, I mean, most endings that end happily ever after, are never all that is there. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess because the director or the writer couldn't ultimately give it a good end, they just left it hanging. The thing is people who watch k-dramas expect a neat short story and well, Cheese was never meant for a short format because the psychological nuances in the story are meant to sprawl rather slowly. The repetition of Jung's psychological tendencies is what makes it realistic, and though I do hate the "Seol got run over by a car scene" (because that is really nothing Cheese in the Trap narrative would have) I still always expected that Jung-Seol wouldn't have ended up together... as I expected Jung to have developed emotional endurance and learn to let his destructive tendencies and that includes separation from Seol who he has put in danger constantly since they were together. I didn't appreciate the sloppy story telling that Jung never got that across to viewers that his sacrifice when he said, "I want to be a person who can love you properly" is a really big character development that this story has been traversing to since episode one.

The question of does Jung truly love Seol was resolved pretty solidly, that yes he does, from the very beginning, which isn't true from the webtoons POV. Because Jung only wanted her because he thought she is like him and not in that sense that they were both taken advantage of, but they both knew that people are all a bunch of users... and while the message is somewhat similar, it's different. Jung in the drama was very much the push over victim who did everything on the sly, and Jung in the webtoon was much stronger who knew social nuances and manipulated everything behind the scene, and while he did regard himself being used, he wasn't the guy who would have his precious pen broken and not retaliate... he wouldn't be someone who would be so openly abused either. Jung in the webtoon had so much power, it was almost unimaginable that he would feel vicitimized.

Of course, the restrained chaebol is Hae Jin's reasoning for Jung's action and I do understand it, but it's such a sap show that's so typical in dramas... it's just not what the webtoon was going for. Jung in the webtoon was always demanded to be generous, so he had never acted on childhood selfishness which is natural to everyone, and he has never experienced unconditional love. Jung in the drama was bullied in high school, but Jung in the webtoon was popular to the point that he saw most people as wanting to leech off him. I know, it makes him sound terrible, and Jung W (I will shorthand Jung webtoon as such from here) never did have the childlikeness Jung D (Drama, you get the drill) had... but it was, I think, an important aspect of Jung... I think the drama softened Jung to make him an acceptable lead which made his sacrifice to let go of Seol, so... soft and floppy and no one buys it. Jung's character I believe is his darkness, and though I really do love him, and he really needed Seol to see that there is kindness and unconditional love and puppies and rainbows... I just do not see him and Seol have a functional, healthy relationship, so the separation was really a necessity on their part.

Which I guess, I should say, I am happy Seol/InHo didn't happen, because that would be such a cop out. Seol needed to be in love and unconditionally so, for the redemption of Jung's soul, and though that is such a load of BS in a real relationship, Jung had always been the central character even though Seol is telling the story, ultimately, I think the Cheese in the Trap is Seol, and the rat (the vermin) is Jung... and while the Cheese in the Trap is talking about the cheese, it's the rat presence is why the trap is laid. Is that analogy apt? LOL. It's not that I don't think Seol should move on, but she needed to express to Jung that love isn't replaceable and that romance is not a past time (which it is for a lot of relationship). It's a really heavy role, but I think that's what makes Seol a hero, not martyrship, but ultimately just a demonstration of the capacity of love. She could move on, but it shouldn't be Jung leaves, oh yay, In Ho, because that would mean she just used Jung to fulfill her needs for romance... which I think is shallow. I think in a sense, she could start dating after a year, but it wouldn't be In Ho because that would be a betrayal to Jung, and though that's romantic bull, it's still navigates back that Jung is the soul to save, unfortunately. And In Ho doesn't really need Seol to have emotional maturity even if he did seem like he did... so yeah....

I just wanted to say that, in terms of the ending, the problematic part of the open-endedness is the drama played Jung soft to the point that his leaving doesn't feel compelling.

I did frustratingly broke my heart when they broke up. LOL. I mean, maybe I cried a little. LOL. The scene was tender because Seol is being so consolling, telling him she's fine with everything, and he's firm with the break up because he needed to be a person who understand people and know what it means to love someone. I think the problematic thing about this series is that Jung has a lot of socipathic tendencies that no one wants to deal with, but there are functioning sociopaths in society and they are not all serial killers. I have read on this. LOL, I would reference you to a study about sociopathic empathy, I would but it's a science journal and you would need to pay so no need. But yes, sociopaths have the capacity for empathy, and they can cherish someone, but it takes them actual effort to do so. To them love is a learned emotion... I think however, no one really wants to deal with such a heavy diagnosis branded on a hero unless you are Sherlock Holmes, so Cheese ends up with a victimized hero who is kind of... just, you know, generally selfish. I think if Soonkki had the courage to say it, she should just say Jung is a sociopath which I heavily believe he is, and though some psychologists do not think Sherlock Holmes is sociopathic because he seem to care too much about Watson, but I read some articles saying that it was possible that Sherlock has learned to regard Watson as his possession and would be quite upset if he died... and he knows how to care, it just takes him time and effort to do so. And Jung is the same... at least, I think, but because he pretended to be normal, it makes him relatively more sinister, but I think he could, you know, be as compelling as Sherlock, albeit, a little less interesting because he'd be a business man. LOL

IN HA

I really wanted to talk about In Ha because I think her character was a little short changed in the drama, and though I thank the director for giving her resolution, I think it's the director's fault as well that nobody really cared. Except me. LOL

But In Ha is a product of domestic abuse, and I hate it when someone says but In Ho was too, because NO he wasn't. He wasn't beaten as a child because he was the golden piano kid who Jung's father adored and gave money to the household for. Their aunt only beats In Ha. In Ho only got hurt when he defends In Ha, and at one point, he stopped defending her. He did. He was a child too in his defense, but take that as a chance to empathize with In Ha's character. Imagine being beaten when you are 6-8 years old and your only ally abandons you. If you have never been defenseless and being beaten, I don't think you'd have the right visual because there is something about fear and loathing mixing together inside your head that messes a person up. I have an experience with domestic abuse and I think it's appalling when people say that In Ha should just die because she's crazy... but maybe because I am offended for the In Ha in me... hahaha. But yeah, she got beaten, and In Ho abandoned her for the first time. In Jung's household, In Ha was still continuously verbally abused by In Ho, calling her deluded, untalented and useless, now that maybe friendly banter from In Ho, but In Ha is an abused child who has little to no sense of self-worth. She was already messed up, and here is her brother telling her she is worthless. She is popular with men, which would appear to her as her only redeeming quality, so she clung to this until she is older, but that doesn't happen before In Ho abandoned her... again. That scene in the drama was one of my favorites to be honest, because you never see the Baek siblings affectionate, but when In Ha said, "Go. I forgot you were the type to abandon me." spoke volumes of how much she treated In Ho as family... I thought that was kind of sad.

The drama severes her father figure which was the only kindness she knew, so she blew a fuse and went haywire... and I did think she needed to get professional counselling, but Korea is a bit more conservative in terms of mental health treatments, so it was In Ho telling her that now he was grown up enough to love her, and she doesn't need to be alone... and though, I do think she needs more than that it was still a tender scene. I really liked that In Ha grew to be fond of her brother and being the unchanging blunt woman declaring him as a world recognized pianist... because that is her happy ending when she could love her brother, and he would love her too. I think the additional boyfriend who treats her well and let's her be engaged in art (which was her passion before In Ho killed that for her) again is healthy. I think In Ha really deserved her happy ending despite everyone hating her. Haha. But that's me and of course, my overlapping experience with the character so whatevs.

The drama, in conclusion, failed to develop fully, I really didn't quite like how the Seol-Bora-Taek gang is so downplayed. I really liked that. And Jung's ruthlessness was mellowed, and yeah... this could have been such a rich experience in terms of delving to psyche and experience. And I like how Seol is such an empath and she is so open and kind. I think this drama failed in so many levels, but it has it's triumphs (In Ha happy ending, hurrah!). Kim Go Eun proves to be an excellent actress (and I am going to look out for more of her projects. I haven't watched The Muse. I am going to), and Hae Jin is still quite a master of subtle characterization, I am still hoping that he gets a chance to be a lead in a drama/movie that would make him shine as much as I know he does. I still think that his strongest performance is still Jae Joon of Dr. Stranger, and that's unfortunate because that show was badly received, now this... ah... well, Hae Jinnie, I hope you get a good break soon,