# Cheese in the Trap (2016)

> A poor, unpopular college student finds her quiet campus life upended when she is drawn into the orbit of a rich, brilliant, popular classmate who hides a different side of himself.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/57101

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 63 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, romance
- Created by: Lee Yoon-jung
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Seo Kang-joon, Park Min-ji, Nam Joo-hyuk, Lee Sung-kyung, Kim Hee-chan, Ji Yun-ho
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4741110/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, witty, playful, wistful, sincere

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, with its romantic comedy charm and lead performances drawing the most warmth.

## Synopsis

Cheese in the Trap (2016) is a South Korean campus romance series created by Lee Yoon-jung for tvN, a sixteen-episode run filmed as a single season. Kim Go-eun plays Hong Seol, a poor and unpopular college student who only wants to get through her studies unnoticed. Park Hae-jin plays Yoo Jeong, the rich, brilliant and well-liked senior whose polished public face hides a very different private self that only Hong Seol seems to see. Seo Kang-joon, Park Min-ji and Nam Joo-hyuk orbit the central pair as classmates and rivals, giving the campus a crowded web of crushes and gossip. The engine of the show is Hong Seol's attempt to keep her head down while Yoo Jeong keeps dragging her into his schemes, so each episode builds around new entanglements, awkward misunderstandings and the slow tightening of their bond. Set in a present-day Korean university, the series is playful and breezy, with flashes of sincerity and wistful longing beneath the teasing. Fans of Boys Over Flowers, Ouran High School Host Club and Nana will find resonance in its class-gap romance, secret-self charm and light comedic energy, a satisfying pick for viewers who want a warm, witty romance that rewards close attention to its shifting alliances.

## Shows like Cheese in the Trap

- [Fight For My Way (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61915)
- [Absolute Value of Romance (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1104929)
- [She Was Pretty (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56549)
- [Backstreet Rookie (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/83114)
- [At a Distance, Spring is Green (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/104805)
- [Shopaholic Louis (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/59206)
- [True Beauty (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/94101)
- [Crushology 101 (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/176903)
- [Crash Course in Romance (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/125527)
- [Love with Flaws (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/80400)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt