Hiya, abandoned blog! (I might as well make this my trademark opening line)
Gosh. I have so many things to talk about Cheese In The Trap, the one special Kdrama that has just ended its run last week. And if you're as much a Korean drama aficionado as myself (again, I'm not sure who am I talking to), you know exactly why Cheese In The Trap prompts talks and discussion around the fandom. For me personally, watching Cheese In The Trap has been a roller coaster ride of emotion in the span of 16 episodes - from slight crush into full blown love which turns into bitter disappointment and then ends with resignation. And since I have so much to talk about, I think it'd be appropriate to split this post into several different section.
CiTT is a drama adaptation of one popular webtoon with the same title that has been running since 2010. When I first read the news about the adaptation from Dramabeans (where else?) last year, I remember being curious about the original source since the webtoon apparently has a rabid and protective fanbase that scrutinizes every casting possibilities that showed up ever since the news were out (for example, the news about Suzy, the idol from popular girl group Miss A, being in contention to become the female lead received negative reaction from the webtoon's fans, mostly saying she was not good enough. Long story short, Suzy turned down the role). The strong fan reaction made me wonder - where does all this love come from?
Out of curiosity, I ended up looking for ways to read the webtoon online and finally found one amazing site that translated the webtoon chapters until the middle of season 3 (the webtoon is currently still running and well into season four aka the final season. Unfortunately, since the webtoon's publisher has decided to move the entire content of CiTT to pay-per-view section, I no longer have any access to read the webtoon. The only option I do have is to wait for the official English release in Line Webtoon which takes forever and more. Gah). After reading the webtoon, I do understand why fans are being overly protective to the story that centers around the relationship between Hong Seol, the everyday college girl and Yoo Jung, her charming, seemingly perfect college senior (Sunbae in Korean) who ends up being her boyfriend later in the series. Despite the generic sounding premise, CiTT contains a dark twist that keeps the story interesting and intriguing at every turn (more on this later). It's no wonder that fans are being extremely critical over casting possibilities because both Hong Seol and Yoo Jung roles (and other roles in the series) requires actors and actresses with strong acting performance to able to tap into characters emotionally. The webtoon seriously upped my anticipation for the drama which went into the number one spot on my never ending to-watch list.
Long story short, the first episode then arrived and surprise : it was love at a first sight for me. Like, for real. For most dramas, I usually need to watch the first two or three episodes before making any judgment but this drama gave me so many feels within the first three minutes. It was the scene where Seol, the heroine, drunkenly pointed at Jung as the source of her troublesome college life. At the same time, music started playing in the background while Jung looked back at her, seemingly puzzled as to why she even pointed her finger at him and I was in love to both of them just like that. The chemistry between the two leads in that first scene alone is completely undeniable and it laid the ground for the rest of their interaction in the drama.
There were so many things to love in the drama. First, the characters are compelling - which is pretty much my soft spot because I find any stories with more than ordinary characters to be appealing. Much like its original source, every characters in the drama are not painted in the black and white manner. Everyone has its background, motive and desire that prompts them to pick their certain (despicable and questionable) choice of behavior. I especially can relate so much to Seol, the heroine, as she is the type of person who can't help but noticing, questioning and analyzing everything that happens around her. Sensitive, insightful and highly observant - these traits are exactly what lead her to be involved in a complicated romantic relationship with Jung. Kim Go Eun's potrayal of Hong Seol in the drama are superb with her naturalistic and subtle acting that hits all my emotional button in the right way. She makes Seol completely relatable and I guess, this is the very reason why she is one of the most wanted actress in Korean movie industry nowadays.
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| Kim Go Eun as Seol, in the scene where she sees "the real" Jung for the first time |
And Jung. Oh, Jung. How do I begin to describe thee?
I think Jung is best described as a deeply flawed human being who has no qualms on making a series of questionable and morally gray decisions. Strangely enough, I can't bring myself to hate him. Looking at Jung feels so much like looking at the dark clouds before the rain - there is this sense of foreboding knowing that the cloud has so many things brewing inside and yet, you just can't keep your eyes off it. It's such a weird feeling having something so dark looming above you menacingly and you kinda wait expectantly for whatever bad things (yes, plural) are going to happen. That's what it feels like watching every single scene with Jung inside. And Park Hae Jin does not disappoint with his brilliant performance as Yoo Jung. Any lesser actors would probably play out Jung in a cold and unapproachable manner but Park Hae Jin manages to instill nuances in his performance that makes his potrayal of Jung scarier yet empathetic. How's that even possible? I suppose, it's not really that surprising to see since Park Hae Jin's last role before CiTT was psychopathic genius serial murder in Bad Guys. Having watched both CiTT and Bad Guys, I think it's pretty safe to argue that Park Hae Jin does creepy really, really well.
But more than any interesting characters, the best thing about CiTT is definitely the unfolding relationship between the two lead characters who find themselves drawn to each other both because of their similarities and differences in life. I guess the most appropriate expression to describe their personality in relation to each other would be 'two sides of the same coin' - closely related but different at the same time. It's fascinating to watch both of them being wary of each other (especially Seol in the first half of the drama) and trying to figure out what's the deal with the other person is - all the while struggling to contain their feeling and undeniable attraction to each other. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with the right analogy to describe their connection with each other and found that the title of one of the drama soundtrack, Hide and Seek, is probably the most apt description for their intricate relationship - both of them are always hiding in plain sight and within reach, waiting to be found.
Those characters and their enthralling relationship, combined with enjoyable writing as well as strong and sentimental directorial hand, are reasons why CiTT quickly becomes my favorite drama of the year. The developing plot line in the drama is admittedly different than the one in the webtoon, but considering the fact that they are using a different medium that enables the story to move much faster, I'm highly satisfied with the end product. I'd even argue that the drama does better in the romantic department compared to the webtoon since as an audience, it was clear to see Jung's feeling towards Seol is more than just a mere short-lived infatuation (in the webtoon, I do have a hard time judging whether Jung is capable to have any sincere feeling for anyone), while staying true to the core of the original. Everything was doing so great for this drama - compliments came flooding in, rating climbed steadily, everyone in the cast were getting their time in the spotlight - until it reached the halfway mark.
Then something else happened.
Starting from episode 9, the drama suddenly took a sharp turn and became an unreliable narrator for their own story. For some unknown reason, the focus of the drama shifted to another character, Baek In Ho (Jung's ex-friend and rival for Seol's affection although everybody in their right mind can see that there is no competition there) and ultimately, turned the drama into just an ordinary love triangle drama. There is nothing wrong with such drama, but in the case of CiTT, it was truly unfortunate seeing how it started with a bang, complete with a few tweaks and twist to what appeared to be just another love story. Since the focus changed, the plot started to deviate more and more from the original source, sidelining the development of the beloved lead characters in favor of the secondary lead character who, arguably, is less interesting. And you know what's the worst part is? The change in the story line did not make the general story any better. The drama then just meandered along with no certain sense of purpose and it hurt my heart so much to see how once a perfect drama dissipated into something far less than perfection just like that.
And apparently, I was not the only one who felt the same way. The fandom was filled with disgruntlement and later uproar, demanding to know how the drama adaptation from their beloved webtoon turned into a mess. The backstage drama got totally out of hand when, just one week shy of the finale week, the webtoon author decided to publish personal statement on her blog, saying that the drama producers never consulted her after episode 6 and that she had absolutely no involvement in the drama production. She also mentioned how she wanted the drama to take a different approach from her webtoon for the ending but it was not really clear whether the producers heed her request afterwards. And then, right on the heel of the author's statement, Park Hae Jin also gave out interviews on media, voicing his confusion and displeasure on the current story line as well as the lack of development for Jung's character. The production team along with the director were soon under fire, accused of having some sort of underhanded transaction to benefit a certain actor. On the other side of the fandom, there are people who also questioned Park Hae Jin decision to come forward with his opinion which undeniably, turned the tide of public opinion in his favor and against the entire drama production team.
The finale week for the drama then came rolling in amidst fans' outcry, but the mess had already been done. The drama ended in an open ending, much to fans' disappointment. Truth to be told, I don't really have any problem with open ending per se as long as it's delivered in a satisfying and conclusive manner. In the case of CiTT, I can also see how it is appropriate for the drama because that's how relationship in real life - it's messy with no future happiness guaranteed. But this particular open ending in CiTT is clearly an evidence of lazy storytelling where both producers and writers no longer have any idea what to do with the story they have in hand. It's not necessarily terrible, it's just... meh. If only they had not wasted their precious time that they could have used to develop the main characters and major arcs for something that had no purpose whatsoever, the open ending might work to tie all the loose knot wonderfully. Instead, audience got an ending that felt forced and rushed at the same time, leading to what I'd like to call the massive table-flipping in the entire Kdrama fandom.
I don't really have a strong opinion about the behind the stage drama that happened during CiTT production (the conspiracy stories might or might not be true and Park Hae Jin's move to speak to media can be either smart or petty. Who cares?), but I couldn't help but being heartbroken over the drama that stole my attention so completely at the beginning. The possibility of what this drama could have been is endless and it saddens me how in reality, the drama just becomes no more than mediocre. It leaves me with a bitter after-taste but still keeps me up at night, wondering many ways this drama could end differently (including one where Jung and Seol finally have their big emotional reunion where they promise each other never to be separated ever again)
When all is said and done, I guess CiTT is just another kdrama that fails to live up its massive expectation and I (and also the rest of the kdrama fandom) should have just let it go and move on already. But this drama just hurts me more, so much more since I can still remember all the promise that this drama gave me in its first three minutes.
Oh well.
In the end, I do wish everyone involved in the drama a better luck in their next project especially Park Hae Jin and Kim Go Eun. I'll certainly keep an eye on them in the future.
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| Park Hae Jin as Yoo Jung, in the scene where he first realizes that Seol sees "the real" him |
But more than any interesting characters, the best thing about CiTT is definitely the unfolding relationship between the two lead characters who find themselves drawn to each other both because of their similarities and differences in life. I guess the most appropriate expression to describe their personality in relation to each other would be 'two sides of the same coin' - closely related but different at the same time. It's fascinating to watch both of them being wary of each other (especially Seol in the first half of the drama) and trying to figure out what's the deal with the other person is - all the while struggling to contain their feeling and undeniable attraction to each other. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with the right analogy to describe their connection with each other and found that the title of one of the drama soundtrack, Hide and Seek, is probably the most apt description for their intricate relationship - both of them are always hiding in plain sight and within reach, waiting to be found.
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| Too much feels!! |
Those characters and their enthralling relationship, combined with enjoyable writing as well as strong and sentimental directorial hand, are reasons why CiTT quickly becomes my favorite drama of the year. The developing plot line in the drama is admittedly different than the one in the webtoon, but considering the fact that they are using a different medium that enables the story to move much faster, I'm highly satisfied with the end product. I'd even argue that the drama does better in the romantic department compared to the webtoon since as an audience, it was clear to see Jung's feeling towards Seol is more than just a mere short-lived infatuation (in the webtoon, I do have a hard time judging whether Jung is capable to have any sincere feeling for anyone), while staying true to the core of the original. Everything was doing so great for this drama - compliments came flooding in, rating climbed steadily, everyone in the cast were getting their time in the spotlight - until it reached the halfway mark.
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| This scene still makes me giddy it's ridiculous |
Then something else happened.
Starting from episode 9, the drama suddenly took a sharp turn and became an unreliable narrator for their own story. For some unknown reason, the focus of the drama shifted to another character, Baek In Ho (Jung's ex-friend and rival for Seol's affection although everybody in their right mind can see that there is no competition there) and ultimately, turned the drama into just an ordinary love triangle drama. There is nothing wrong with such drama, but in the case of CiTT, it was truly unfortunate seeing how it started with a bang, complete with a few tweaks and twist to what appeared to be just another love story. Since the focus changed, the plot started to deviate more and more from the original source, sidelining the development of the beloved lead characters in favor of the secondary lead character who, arguably, is less interesting. And you know what's the worst part is? The change in the story line did not make the general story any better. The drama then just meandered along with no certain sense of purpose and it hurt my heart so much to see how once a perfect drama dissipated into something far less than perfection just like that.
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| WHY?!!!!! |
And apparently, I was not the only one who felt the same way. The fandom was filled with disgruntlement and later uproar, demanding to know how the drama adaptation from their beloved webtoon turned into a mess. The backstage drama got totally out of hand when, just one week shy of the finale week, the webtoon author decided to publish personal statement on her blog, saying that the drama producers never consulted her after episode 6 and that she had absolutely no involvement in the drama production. She also mentioned how she wanted the drama to take a different approach from her webtoon for the ending but it was not really clear whether the producers heed her request afterwards. And then, right on the heel of the author's statement, Park Hae Jin also gave out interviews on media, voicing his confusion and displeasure on the current story line as well as the lack of development for Jung's character. The production team along with the director were soon under fire, accused of having some sort of underhanded transaction to benefit a certain actor. On the other side of the fandom, there are people who also questioned Park Hae Jin decision to come forward with his opinion which undeniably, turned the tide of public opinion in his favor and against the entire drama production team.
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| Sunbae is not happy. |
The finale week for the drama then came rolling in amidst fans' outcry, but the mess had already been done. The drama ended in an open ending, much to fans' disappointment. Truth to be told, I don't really have any problem with open ending per se as long as it's delivered in a satisfying and conclusive manner. In the case of CiTT, I can also see how it is appropriate for the drama because that's how relationship in real life - it's messy with no future happiness guaranteed. But this particular open ending in CiTT is clearly an evidence of lazy storytelling where both producers and writers no longer have any idea what to do with the story they have in hand. It's not necessarily terrible, it's just... meh. If only they had not wasted their precious time that they could have used to develop the main characters and major arcs for something that had no purpose whatsoever, the open ending might work to tie all the loose knot wonderfully. Instead, audience got an ending that felt forced and rushed at the same time, leading to what I'd like to call the massive table-flipping in the entire Kdrama fandom.
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| I swear this is what happened across the fandom the night when the finale aired. Speaking of which, pictured in the scene is Baek In Ha, another character that I also think is underdeveloped and unfortunately, used only for comedy relief and the final hurdle for the lead characters. |
I don't really have a strong opinion about the behind the stage drama that happened during CiTT production (the conspiracy stories might or might not be true and Park Hae Jin's move to speak to media can be either smart or petty. Who cares?), but I couldn't help but being heartbroken over the drama that stole my attention so completely at the beginning. The possibility of what this drama could have been is endless and it saddens me how in reality, the drama just becomes no more than mediocre. It leaves me with a bitter after-taste but still keeps me up at night, wondering many ways this drama could end differently (including one where Jung and Seol finally have their big emotional reunion where they promise each other never to be separated ever again)
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| A reunion like this. Ah, the feels!! This is still too much for me!! |
When all is said and done, I guess CiTT is just another kdrama that fails to live up its massive expectation and I (and also the rest of the kdrama fandom) should have just let it go and move on already. But this drama just hurts me more, so much more since I can still remember all the promise that this drama gave me in its first three minutes.
Oh well.
In the end, I do wish everyone involved in the drama a better luck in their next project especially Park Hae Jin and Kim Go Eun. I'll certainly keep an eye on them in the future.
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| 설이랑선배화이팅! |
Cheers,
Si Mbak
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