Aengo, Official Art, Your Smile is a Trap, Webtoon.
Your Smile is a Trap – Information
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- Mention of SI, SH
- Bullying
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Your Smile is a Trap – Plot Summary
Your Smile is a Trap is a cute and silly webtoon about Kiyu Ahn, a high-schooler and idol trainee who takes an indefinite break from his training to return to school instead. He simply wants to live an ordinary life, and enjoy high school.
Unfortunately, this pretty protagonist has trouble making friends at the start, and even gets involved with the bully of his class! This romance webtoon is very cute, but also very funny with lots of silly misunderstandings and hilarious jokes, so you’ll have a great time reading it!
Why I Enjoyed Your Smile is a Trap
This webtoon is very lighthearted and silly. I caught myself laughing very often at how funny the characters are and how ridiculous some of the misunderstandings are.
Don’t get me wrong though, typically misunderstandings in mangas or manhwas are really annoying, but this is a rare case where they’re actually really good (because they’re so funny).
The author has a great talent for writing a hilarious and interesting story, and still somehow making it into a sweet romance at the same time!
Aengo, Official Art, Your Smile is a Trap, Naver.
The two main characters in Your Smile is a Trap have very different personalities: first there is the main protagonist, Kiyu, who’s a pretty, gentle, and rather timid boy.
The other main lead, Lily Cha, is a strong-minded and powerful girl. I love these character designs; typically authors switch these personality types in terms of gender (often there is a timid girl and strong boy) but it’s so nice to see the opposite!
Once the romance gets going in this series, it is incredibly cute and heartwarming. It is such an adorable representation of falling in love at a young age, and wanting to be with the other person as much as possible. It shows all the fun, embarrassing, and even awkward parts of dating for the first time.
The romance in Your Smile is a Trap is so full of sweetness!
It also is very wholesome since the overall message is positive, too. Although the story is still ongoing, I wanted to mention how satisfying the story feels as the main characters begin to solve their problems and are able to be themselves (and of course, fall in love).
I also love the “don’t judge a book by its cover” message in this story; although it is a little cliché, it’s still extremely cute and well done.
You’ll see how the characters are judged or how assumptions are made about them solely based on their looks, even when the readers know more about the characters than just their appearance! It makes you want to root for them more, and for the misunderstandings or assumptions to be fixed.
Aengo, Official Art, Your Smile is a Trap, Naver.
Another fun part of Your Smile is a Trap is the author’s notes; which are often added for some extra context. They help you decipher the characters’ true feelings and add a lot of humor to the story!
They are easy to tell apart from actual dialogue and other text, so no worries about getting confused. In my opinion, these notes actually add a lot more depth and humor to the webtoon.
Although the story is told primarily from Kiyu’s point of view, the author also occasionally lets us see the thoughts and feelings of other characters.
It’s cute to see their true feelings, and waiting in suspense for when they will be revealed. Just know that this webtoon is a slow burn romance, so you’ll have to be patient for romantic feelings to be revealed!
Overall, Your Smile is a Trap is a very cute romantic comedy about two students trying to navigate their classmates’ judgements, while attempting to make friends and survive school. They learn a lot about themselves and each other along the way! It’s a lighthearted read, with very lovable characters and a nice message.
Any Cons?
Although its very evident that the theme of this story is about judging by appearances and how that’s wrong to do, it doesn’t change the fact that so many of the side characters seem like bad people.
Many characters don’t even care to learn anything about Kiyu or try to welcome him as a transfer student until they find something to gain from him.
(Small spoiler warning here) It’s a bit annoying that some of the characters are sort of mean to him when they thought he was “ordinary,” and were still mean to him even when they find out his actual identity.
Even some side characters who show up often don’t have the kind of character growth they truly need. Everyone seems to have ulterior motives. Many people are actually like this and I think it is important to show that in the story, however I don’t think every character needs to be shallow like that. I’ve also never personally really liked the “crowd of students surrounds the popular kid” trope.
Lastly, those who are impatient readers may be a bit frustrated with this story. A lot of misunderstandings happen, and the romance takes a long time to get anywhere.
However, once the romance gets going, it is very rewarding and super sweet. If you’re looking for a lighthearted story to enjoy and have some laughs, Your Smile is a Trap will be a great option.
More In-Depth Review (Warning: Spoilers!)
There’s not a whole lot I want to go into about this story, but it does have an interesting way of portraying the overall message. I will say that because this is a webtoon, the the way the story is told is a bit extreme, but still gives off a good message of not judging others.
Firstly, the main protagonist Kiyu seems like someone who would “have it all,” since he is so gorgeous and was quickly accepted into a popular idol agency without an audition.
However, the truth reveals he simply accepted the offer to make his mother happy; not because he enjoyed idol training. It became clear later that the attention and popularity actually made him uncomfortable.
The jealousy and resentment of those around him simply rooted from the fact that they weren’t treated the way he was; and this made him feel guilty. Even though it doesn’t seem like Kiyu would be the kind of person to be ungrateful, that doesn’t stop people from hating on him.
On the other side of the coin, we have Lily, who is also judged harshly in Your Smile is a Trap. She and her father have strong appearances that look very intimidating.
Although they don’t do or say anything harmful to others, they are still perceived as bad people with bad intentions. The fear and misjudgment from those around them eventually lead to rumors, which worsen their reputation.
Overall, although these may seem like very story-like situations, it does highlight a real issue with people judging each other by appearances.
I think the author does a great job portraying the fact that people in society truly adhere to their personal biases, and quickly determine how they feel about someone solely based on appearances.
This story is actually a bit realistic, especially with how even the main characters judge each others’ appearances from the start!
However, I love that this story turns wholesome because they learn to put away their personal bias, hear the other person out, and judge each other based on their actual experiences together.
And even with this wholesome message, the author does a great job making the story fun and enjoyable. Not to mention, Lily and Kiyu are so adorable together!
Final Thoughts
This cute story is an easy read with a nice message behind it. It’s got a lot of fun humor, and some very lovable characters. This webtoon feels a bit like a slice-of-life with some slow romance and lots of running jokes!
It also is incredibly sweet and fluffy once the romance becomes more prominent in the story. Give Your Smile is a Trap a read and share your thoughts below!
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Aengo. Your Smile is a Trap. Webtoon, 2020. https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/your-smile-is-a-trap/list?title_no=2052. Naver.
