Mar 6, 2019
At first glance, Cheese in the Trap looks like it is going to be just another run-of-the-mill love triangle slice of life story taking place in a school setting. That being said, it is an extremely well-written story that avoids cliche and definitely stands out of a crowd of other stories in a similar setting.
The art was good - if you aren't used to webtoons, it will seem different, but I felt that the quality was still comparable to what I expect in a well-written manga. There was an appropriate level of detail for a story that is focused more on the characters than
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the surroundings or action. For stories like this, it is the intensity and variety of expressions shown by the characters, and the ability of the artist to show what is happening between the characters with pictures rather than having to rely on words, that I use as a meter of how well drawn the manga/manhwa is. In this case, the artist does an excellent job of portraying visually expressive characters.
The story is clearly very well thought out. The whole manhwa is peppered with events and interactions between the characters that seem insignificant or out of the blue at time, but that are later explained and shown to be all interconnected. I have come across a lot of anime/manga where mysterious events are not explained until later on, but in such a way that the reader is left frustrated and confused in the meantime, or in a way that makes it obvious that the writer was struggling to tie up loose ends and plot holes. In contrast, it is very clear in this manhwa that any details that aren't immediately revealed to the reader have been left out for a specific reason, and the writer already knows in advance what those details will be. These details are mainly revealed by flashbacks (if you dislike a story that relies heavily on flashbacks, then I do NOT recommend that you read this manhwa), and after seeing these flashbacks, there is always a moment of "OH! So that is what/why such and such happened". It is also worth mentioning that the flashbacks are very clear to follow - I never struggled with recognizing when the story was showing the present time vs a flashback, and it was also easy to determine how far into the past the flashback was supposed to represent.
As well-executed as the story was, it is the characters that really shine in this manhwa. There are a couple of different reasons why I found the characters to be so exceptional:
-They are flawed. Both the antagonists and the protagonists have serious, realistic personality flaws, and because of this, they have more realistic interactions and struggles in their lives.
-They show significant character growth over time. As a result of the regular process of maturing, interactions with other characters, and specific events in their lives. Seol in particular is a fantastic example of character growth as she morphs from a weak-willed pushover who just wants to please the people around her to an independent woman who does not hesitate to stand up for herself. There are some instances where it is questionable as to whether or not the character growth is positive or negative (for example, there are some things that Seon does that are somewhat cruel or manipulative), but I find that to make her a more interesting character as she searches for the right balance in her personality.
-Family ties are an important and on-going part of who the main characters are. I come across a lot of manga (especially manga in the school/romance genre) where at least one of the characters have parents who are completely out of the picture, for one reason or another. To be honest, I find this to be a lazy writing style. Yes, it allows the story to focus more on the character's romantic relationship, but having the family present in the character's life allows for a more dynamic interaction, and also give another impetus for character growth. Seol, Jung, and Inho all have part of their family as an active part of their lives, and in all of their cases, their family interactions are a very important part of the direction that the story goes in.
-I am a sucker for a strong, dynamic, well-written female character, and Seol definitely becomes that over the course of this manhwa. Watching her grown into such a strong character was very enjoyable.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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