Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

I pushed my way through the entire series because there were some sweet moments that made it really worth watching, yet I still feel like I'm writing this review to criticize more than compliment.

But let's start with a compliment:

I enjoyed the lead female character. This kind of nice, independent, no-nonsense lead female character has been a rare item in the Korean drama industry. I'm saying she's strong as in not TOO comically strong or bratty as well. Eun Hawon character is really likable, and it's the only part that makes sense why this kind of reverse harem plot works. The boys in the house genuinely like her, and I accept it. Most of the Korean dramas that go for either this generic reverse harem plot or the strong lead girl plot usually fail to deliver them naturally. I grew fond of her the most and her character made me stick around.

Another good point that somehow kept me around was the sweet moments and the chemistry between the lead characters. I could feel that they really care for each other. Nothing was forced. The love story wasn't rushed. I enjoyed it. Sometimes the sub plots dragged on for too long and their sweet moments would restore my faith for this show.

Now onto the bad part:

From the title: Cinderella and Four Knights, there are no four knights at all. They're trying to sell that this is a reverse harem kind of story, with one lead girl and four lead guys and such, but it only lasted probably up to the first few episodes. The first few episodes promised you a love triangle which was cliche but still entertaining.

From somewhere early in the series, however, out of *four* knights: 1) one of them loses complete interest in the lead female and goes back to the second lead female he ditched long ago for unexplained reasons, 2) one of them grows to like the lead female yet takes care of the second lead female to an unreasonable extent, 3) one of them likes the lead female genuinely but, of course, the plot won't allow them to even meet and talk properly, 4) and the last one of them leaves the *knight* title ever so quickly and branches out to his own super cliche sub plot although he has so much potential in everything from acting to his looks to his chemistry with the lead female.

It felt so much like the writers lured us into such F4 - Boys Over Flowers kind of settings, then ditched us to an extremely cliche plot that revolved more around the second lead female – who I have to use the word "annoyingly boring" to describe. I like Son Naeun as a member of A Pink, but I believe her acting is very bad – or this character does not shine a light on her as an actress at all. Her character is an "I-only-look-at-you" kind of pitiful(?) girl, but somehow the story (or her acting) made her evil. I thought she was going to grow into a likable second female lead because she was one of a few second leads that don't act evil towards the lead female character. However, her damsel-in-distress situations only turned her into a "I don't care if I look evil, I just want to own one of these rich guys" kind of character.

She has the looks and she's from a well-raised background. She was also incredibly stubborn for (literally) unsaid reasons while she could just go out and have a happy life while forgetting these main guys. Plus, her interest in fashion design seemed useless. It played no part in the plot, and I wish writers would stop stereotyping fashion design major as a "high class" thing. Beautiful barbie-like female characters don't need to like fashion to look sophisticated. Try harder.

Likewise, I didn't enjoy the stereotypes in this story at all. Jung Ilwoo's character (Kang Jiwoon) was built around a quiet, rebellious guy with a troubled past, so they gave him a street-racer persona while in the story it was just him fidgeting with his toy cars from time to time. It didn't look cool and rebellious. It looked pathetic.

Ahn Jaehyun's character (Kang Hyunmin) – the playboy successor of Haneul Group – can he be even more cliche than this? I mean, playboy chaebols are fun to have in a story, but this characteristic of him progressed to nowhere. He was out with random girls for only 2 or 3 episodes at the beginning. At the same time, he's a supposed successor of their family business, but I see him lazing around inside the mansion the *entire* series. In fact, he doesn't seem very aloof. He has a heart, but they didn't make use of it at all.

Lee Jungshin's character (Kang Seowoo) is a musician. Why? There's no back story to his characteristics. He's popular and is a good singer and he's very nice. Rich and romantic, yet he seemed the most unattached to the entire chaebol family. Again, there's nothing bad about this, I just feel like this musician character is very stereotypical. And again, for a chaebol grandson who's *finally* nice and decent, he's out of the picture from the first half of the series. He likes the main girl alone, feels sad alone, and lets her go alone. His music plays almost no part in putting his character together with the main girl or other guys, and despite that, there's no explanation in why he fails to convey his love to the main girl at all. (Oh, wait, why? Because the writer doesn't want that. Then WHY did they even make his character up at all?)

I still forced my way through the end purely because of the lead female character. She was the only decent one in the entire series. The "missions" and "part-time job" that put her in these guys' mansion made me cringe though. And although she's naturally kindhearted, genuinely wanting the boys to reunite as a family was a bit odd, given that she hasn't been raised in a warm *family* as well.

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Let's be fair and judge the show for what it is, shall we? Cinderella and Four Knights is nothing but another typical rom-com with the once again typical Cinderella story (You don't say!). Well... the title already makes that very clear so what were you expecting? Clichés and repetition happen with all dramas and I don't get why this one would have to suffer because of them.

I started this because of Jung Il Woo. I've seen him for the first time in High End Crush (go watch that!) and fell in love with his natural acting and expressions so I can say I had no expectations about the show to be frustrated.
It was beautifully executed (apart from the slow motion scenes that had me rolling my eyes all the time) and everything that makes this overdramatic (imo) are the headcanons of the Cinderella concept - evil step-mother and step-sister, absent father, diseased mother and a helpless little princess... wait. Helpless? Not so much and that's what I love about Eun Ha Won. Despite of her heart being too good for her own good, she's positive instead of victimizing herself, she goes get it, she stands up for herself and doesn't get oversensitive over things. She hangs it in there alright.
As for the male leads, Seo Woo was kinda cute (never seen an idol with that much free time! lol), Hyun Min is adorable (typical spoiled and arrogant brat we love to not hate) and Ji Woon... ah... now that it's over I kinda wish I had him to myself. At first he really annoyed me but as soon as he started smiling I was sold. Guess that has Il Woo's to blame, though. But honestly, his character is kind, protective, righteous and also stands up for himself and though he has a strong sense of pride, he didn't let it get in the way of his relationship with Ha Won (like it usually goes).
The side characters are appealing too... all but Hye Ji. (And that annoying fangirl but I really can't stand Cho Hye Jung's face so I think that's completely biased, ignore that). Perhaps she would be appealing too if Naeun COULD act at all but she's worse than a paper doll. Very much like Korea's very own Kristen Stewart right there, lol. I'm beyond pissed because she seemed to be doing alright in Twenty Again but in this show... is she perhaps Jaehyun's fangirl? That's why she got so affected? I could understand that...
Jokes aside, I kept telling my cousin how Cinderella and The Four Knights was a guilty pleasure of mine. Not so guilty anymore now. The ending was spot on, it wasn't intense as the others use to be and everything got solved and worked on. I felt completely fulfilled by it. Then again, the show starts out great, I was hooked from the very first episode but it takes a displeasing U turn on the second half that had me postponing it for a bit but the ending completely made up for it so much I had to come here and write a review.
This show isn't anything exceptional, not at all. But people tend to compare shows is different categories and that's unacceptable! If I was to give it a grade based on everything I've watched so far it would get... what?... a 5, perhaps a 6. But that wouldn't be fair at all - or right, for that matter. Cinderella and The Four Knights is a ROM-COM and AS SUCH it did such a WONDERFUL job. It's funny, good paced, has some elements you wish weren't there (but that's a given) and the chemistry between the leads is A M A Z I N G to say the least. I was in love with their chemistry because... I don't know if it's Il Woo's fault again but he generally seems very relaxed in scene. And they look really playful together, it's almost as if I'm seeing through it, as if he's just being spontaneous and surprising So Dam with things his character wasn't supposed to do. It's like I can see them having fun BTS, you know? And that... I really love that because.... even if it's unprofessional, it makes everything look natural and convincing.
And their kiss scenes... ooooooh boy. I don't know about the previous ones (except the drunk smooches that were the cutest I've ever witnessed *-*) but those on the couple last episodes are BREATHTAKING! I was squealing like a fangirl wishing I was So Dam bc damn, lol. Love the attitude and the natural look they have unlike any other kiss in every drama I've watched so far - all of them. *sighs* I wish I could kiss Il Woo too. hahahahaha I'm so sorry, don't mind me. x_x

Anywayz... I would SO recommend this drama if you're into rom-coms. Nothing new for sure neither did it intend to be (I'm guessing that from the title lol), but totally worth watching. ^-^

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