Cinderella with Four Knights (2016)
Quick Take: Cinderella with Four Knights (2016), starring Park So-dam, Ahn Jae-hyun, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jung-shin, and Choi Min. 9.4/10. 16 70-minute episodes.
Synopsis: Eun Ha-won is a resourceful high school student working several part-time jobs to earn money for college. She is hired by the Chairman of a conglomerate to move in with his three grandsons, who are estranged from him and not on speaking teams with each other, either. The Chairman gives Ha-won specific missions. The first one is to get the three cousins to eat a meal together. The only rule is No Dating. If she dates any of the cousins, she will have to leave. Yeah, you can see where that’s going to go.
Review: Excellent casting makes up for the predictable plot. Park So-dam is brilliant as the feisty Ha-won, determined to keep smiling and persevere in spite of the considerable challenges life has thrown at her. The oldest cousin and heir, Kang Hyun-min, flirts with her but his heart is elsewhere. The middle cousin, Kang Seo-woo, is a Kpop celebrity and the kindest of the three. The youngest cousin, Kang Ji-woon, has been forced to move in with the other two, though he wants no part of any of them. The fourth “knight” is the Chairman’s secretary, Lee Yoon-sung, who watches over the house and tries to help Ha-won instill a sense of family in the three boys. The story involves several tragedies, a misplaced ring, a deceitful wife, a suspected-but-not-deceitful wife, plus — fairy tale tie-in — a wicked stepmother and stepsister, and a lost shoe. Lots of love, forgiveness, and redemption; no pumpkins or mice.
Recommended.
Rewatchable - 5, Compelling - 4, Plot/ Story/Writing - 10, Acting/Casting - 10, Production - 10, Bonus - 5. Bonus points for the sound track.
Notes:
Jung Il-woo
has been acting in films and television dramas since 2006. See him also in web drama High End Crush (2015) and Bossam: Steal the Fate (2021). Jung has had memory problems since a 2006 car accident. Childhood friend and fellow actor Lee Min-ho was also injured; their two friends in the front seat did not survive.
Park So-dam
achieved international fame for her role in Parasite (2019), which won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Picture. She has appeared in more films than television series, but see her also in A Beautiful Mind (2016) and Record of Youth (2020). In 2021, Park was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent surgery.
Ahn Jae-hyun
began his career as a model in 2009. After appearances in some variety shows and music videos, he was cast in My Love from the Star (2013). See him also in The Beauty Inside (2018) and Love with Flaws (2019). HIs career seems to be paused since his acrimonious divorce from actress Koo Hye-sun in 2019, except for a couple of reality show appearances in 2021.
Lee Jung-shin
is a South Korean musician, singer, rapper, and actor. He is the bassist of South Korean rock band CNBLUE. Besides his singing and songwriting credits, he is an award-winning photographer. See him also in My Sassy Girl (2017) and Sh**ting Stars (2022).