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When news of Total Variety Network (tvN) producing a K-drama adaptation of popular web cartoon Cheese in the Trap was first announced, both K-drama fans and fans of the web cartoon were ecstatic. The hype for the series continued to increase when it became known that Kim Go Eun, one of the most popular Korean actresses in K-movies, would be playing the female lead character, Hong Seol. This was actually a very big deal because Go Eun’s portrayal of Hong Seol would be the first time she has ever acted for a K-drama. Needless to say, such news helped influence Cheese in the Trap ‘s hype to the point it was considered one of the most-popular K-dramas of 2015 when it hasn’t even aired at the time.
Unfortunately, Cheese in the Trap became one of the most controversial K-dramas ever produced by tvN. One of the biggest problems about the K-drama is that it is based on a web cartoon that is still continuing its story. This means there is no definite conclusion. tvN wanted the K-drama adaptation to have an ending which is technically a norm with K-dramas in the first place. Needless to say, such a direction was not liked by fans of the web cartoon who tuned in to watch the K-drama adaptation. The finale was probably the last straw for them as it was met with so much animosity, the cast and crew had to “ take a vacation ” just to get away from the chaos.
As for the actors and actresses who starred in Cheese in the Trap , some are taking it in different ways. Park Hae Jin , the male main lead who played Yoo Jung, was very unsatisfied with the direction of his character for it did not follow the web cartoon. It might be possible that Hae Jin will never work with tvN ever again. Lee Sung Kyung wants to move away from her character Baek In Ha, something that was accomplished playing Jin Seo Woo in Doctors .
Summarized, it seems almost everyone wants to forget the K-drama adaptation of Cheese in the Trap . Kim Go Eun should probably be the most upset given the fact that K-drama was her debut in K-dramas, but surprisingly she is not. This can possibly be seen in the fact Go Eun is playing the female lead in the upcoming K-drama Goblin which is another series being produced by tvN.
For those who do not know what Goblin is all about, it is a fantasy series starring Gong Yoo ( Big , Dating Agency: Cyrano ) and Kim Go Eun ( Cheese in the Trap ). According to the synopsis of the K-drama’s plot, Kim Shim (Gong Yoo) is a goblin who is also a protector of souls. He lives with an amnesiac grim reaper named Wang Yeo (Lee Dong Wook) who is in charge of taking deceased souls. Together they see the dead off into the afterlife. However, things become a bit more complicated when Ji Eun Tak (Go Eun) comes into Kim Shim’s life and she falls in love with him. This is a good sign for Kim Shim because he needs a human bride to end his immortal life which is apparently something he wants to happen.
Though the plot sounds like it has the potential to be amazing, why would Kim Go Eun stick with tvN especially after the debacle with Cheese in the Trap ? It probably comes down to two things. First, Cheese in the Trap was technically very popular proven by the viewership ratings provided by both AGB Nielsen Korea and TNmS Media Korea . The nationwide averages for the K-drama are 6.0 percent for the former and 6.3 percent for the latter. For a series airing on a pay channel, that is very good. As a matter of fact, Cheese in the Trap did far better than the recently concluding The K2 .
Second, Kim Go Eun did win her first K-drama award for her portrayal of Hong Seol in Cheese in the Trap . During the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards , Go Eun won the Best New Actress for Television award.
The only other reason, though speculation, why Kim Go Eun would partake in another tvN K-drama is that tvN must be good to their actors and actresses. It is similar to the concept on why so many of the same actors and actresses are willing to work with popular American director Joss Whedon.
Goblin will air on Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. KST on tvN. It will take over the time slot previously occupied by The K2 . For those who do not have access to Korean pay channels, it will be available to watch for free, with ads, on DramaFever . No word if it will be available on Viki just yet though a fan channel is currently up just in case.
[Featured Image by Total Variety Network (tvN)]