This review may contain spoilers
I liked watching it but I can't say that it's good
The story is good in theory. Clichéd? Yes. Unrealistic, even by K-Drama standards? Yes. But it's a fine story to have these characters interact with each other. However it's lacking substances and sense at times. Characters say things just because. Suggested feelings disappear suddenly (Hyun Min not being interesting in Ha Won suddenly was a total mind-f*ck for me. They set up another person to like, which is a mess of a plot by itself, but they have big relationship moments for the first quarter of the series before it's dropped). The title is misleading as there is no 4th Knight. None at all. It's a clever name but it makes no sense. It's not even hinted at as a possibility either. The family abuse plot is irritating for all the wrong reasons. I swear it was only there to draw further comparisons to the title name. One thing I do think is done well is Ji Woon's arc. Whether it be the main relationship with Ha Won or his struggle to accept that he is now apart of a rich family and has expecations to uphold, I thought that was something that you could bite on. The bastard child trying to reject his family instead of the opposite is an interesting plot. He and Ha Won work best out of the three potential guys too. Again, the Ha Won/Hyun Min plot is dropped in a jarring way to the point where the love triangle no longer exists past episode 5/6 but they went the right choice for who is more suitable. Seo Woo is a cool character. He's talented, smart, has good intentions but he does feel like a lost wheel and unnecessary as a whole. The plot is just riddled with problems. The characters are fine enough to keep you engaged for the whole runtime, even if they aren't given much depth. Oh well, at least we have Kim Yong Gun in his natural role as the malignant CEO Kang to keep some consistency.Was this review helpful to you?
✒ Eun Ha-Won & Those Shoes Kickstart A Family Royale °good tween show°
Cinderella and the Four Knights is a show that I watched early on in my Asian programming addiction (a gripping addiction that has taken me quite by surprise). I wasn't happy with it at the time, but I can see now, after watching dozens more shows, that it is geared towards a younger audience. There are better shows out there, but CAT4K is a perfectly acceptable way for tweens and teens to spend some downtime.Eun Ha-Won is an outstanding role model. She is cheated by her stepmother, so no school. She is hustling jobs to save up and make something of her life. She meets Kang Heoyon-min, who rents her for the evening to pose as his date. He has his reasons. One thing leads to another and soon she's working and residing in the Kang household which consists of grandpa (He's loaded), 3 grandsons (They are like princes), and a collection of staff, including secretary Lee. This family is in a rut, but Eun Ha-Won will soon shake things up so much it will never be the same again.
The plot is cute and simple. Most problems are wrapped up in a tidy package relatively effortlessly. The romance is sweet. The acting is VG, and the art design and sets are good. They had the elements for a better show, which is why it's so popular, but they skated in the second half, and the final couple episodes were downright bad.
They also just hadda trot out an overused Kdrama trope: WKEWY, or, We Knew Eachother When (We Were) Young (The "K" is silent; it's pronounced "Whey," which is what "WHY??" sounds like in Korean. It's MY word. I can do that😜). What a worn-out, 15th-hand, dried out plot point in which a couple, after connecting when they were kids, end up falling in love after years of separation. It's a tie in to a couple being “fated”, but is that important enough to wedge it in and toss out originality? Along with the word "cringey," let's put WKEWY to sleep for a hundred years. When WKEWY makes it into a show for no apparent reason, we must ask WHY?? would they do that?! Kids Show or not, there's more eye-rollers than Knights in CAT4K.
It is still good enough. They deal with the death of a childhood friend and a character who is riddled with guilt. It is a good opportunity to discuss these topics with your child, but it may be too much for some kids, so decide accordingly.
You May Like:
For the 10-14 age group, Part Time Idol, Strongest Delivery Man, D4DJ, The Miracle, Spark, Bodacious Space Pirates, Belle, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, One Piece, The Dragon Prince, Avatar The Last Airbender & Trollhunters are all good to excellent.
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Bad story line, bad acting
I am profoundly disappointed, the leading actors / actresses have talents but they performed so poorly in this "Cinderella and the Four Knights" K-Drama series. I only tolerate "Cinderella and the Four Knights" when High Schooler Eun Ha Won and Cousin Kang Ji Woon / Han Ji Woon characters are smiling, their smiles brighten the screen. However, there are no on-screen chemistry at all for all characters in this poorly written story. Cousin Kang Hyun Min character is the heir of Chairman Kang, but he does not even work and only lounges in the Sky House and dating / dumping girls. What a complete loser. I love the younger cousin Kang Seo Woo that is productive as a singer and composes songs. I am so disheartened when cousin Kang Ji Woon stops working as a mechanic and looks so idle for the rest of the series. Hoping to see these promising actors/actress with strong talent to be in well written K-dramas series next time.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Are you sure there were four khights?
When I was looking for a drama to watch, I noticed the title of this series several times, but because of the tacky name I didn't want to watch it. One boring day, following a mysterous motive for me, i decided to watch the first episode.When the heroine (Park So-dam as Eun Ha-won) was presented, I thought: "She must be really cool". From the begining she made me curious. She is a woman who can inspire with her will and good heart. The plot began to be more and more interesting when Kang's cousins and Eun Ha-won were brought together.
I have to admit that from the begining I have been supporting the main female character and Kang Hyun-min, from whom it all started. I liked very much the scences of the fans' hearts beating faster. I was a little disappointed when I saw that the love stories was supposed to look different. I have to admit that I missed some scenes because the threads of the grandfather and his new wife weren't interesting to me. In my view quite interesting was the plot related to Eun Ha-won's father. The viewer at one point was confused and nothing was obvious anymore.
As usual in drama, I was annoyed by the excess of buying things that are not used later. For example the scene of leaving three packages of ramen open distracted me a lot. There was too much shopping in the drama, too many moments when a man took the initiative. In this way the character of the heroine, which the drama director tried to emphasize at the beginning, was not so intriguing. I was glad that she didn't always react with great enthusiasm and above all she wanted to prove to herself and others that she was able to take care of herself.
Drama has good moments, but unfortunately, it also has a lot of broken patterns. Despite the title I don't consider het to be Cinderella, who was graciously saved by a horse on a white prince.
I realize that some fans had doubts about the title and wondered who was the fourth knight. In my opinion the secretary should not be the one, as the drama's producers intented. According to their logic, the knight should be a person who has a particular sympathy or interest in Eun Ha-won.
I thing the soundtrack is quite okay. I especially like the songs:
- "For You" (BTOB),
- "My Romeo" (Jessi),
- "I believe" (Younha),
If someone hasn't got hight expectations for drama and likes to look at decent acting, I can recommend this drama.
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Entre os pontos positivos, além da química maravilhosa entre Eun Ha-won e Ji-woon, destaca-se o carisma de alguns personagens secundários. O mordomo Lee Yoon-sung, por exemplo, traz maturidade e estabilidade à história, sendo quase um “porto seguro” em meio ao caos dos herdeiros. O avô também funciona como uma figura de autoridade interessante, dando peso à trama. Outro aspecto elogiado é o equilíbrio entre humor e emoção nos primeiros episódios, que conseguem prender o espectador e dar vontade de maratonar.
Porém, há vários pontos negativos apontados em reviews. O principal deles é o desenvolvimento inconsistente dos personagens secundários: Seo-woo, por exemplo, que tinha tudo para brilhar como músico carismático, acaba sendo deixado de lado e vira quase irrelevante perto do final. Além disso, a série repete alguns clichês excessivamente — como mal-entendidos forçados e triângulos amorosos desnecessários — o que faz a narrativa perder frescor. Outro ponto criticado foi a forma como os conflitos familiares, que prometiam ser profundos, acabaram sendo resolvidos de maneira apressada e pouco convincente.
O ritmo também é uma queixa recorrente: enquanto os primeiros episódios são ágeis e cheios de acontecimentos, a partir da metade a série começa a se alongar em dramas que não rendem tanto, tornando-se cansativa em alguns momentos. Essa “enrolação” na reta final fez com que muitos espectadores perdessem parte do encanto, já que parecia que os roteiristas estavam apenas empurrando a trama até o desfecho. Hye-ji, com sua expressão única e constante postura melancólica, foi outra personagem alvo de críticas — sua presença acabou trazendo mais frustração do que impacto positivo.
Mesmo com esses deslizes, o dorama conseguiu entregar um final bem amarrado. Embora seja clichê, a conclusão dá uma sensação de recompensa e fecha a história de forma satisfatória. Cinderella and the Four Knights é, portanto, um drama que encanta pelo romance central, pelos cenários luxuosos e pela leveza, mas que sofre com personagens mal aproveitados e problemas de ritmo. Ainda assim, vale a pena assistir se a ideia for se envolver em uma história doce, que mistura humor e emoção, mesmo que com algumas falhas no caminho.
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PRAISES. STOP HATING.
So the first episode wasn't that captivating but as it progresses it really gets better. The main couple was perfect, and yes, they are all knights BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY TREAT HER NOT BECAUSE THEY WOULD END UP PURSUING HER. anyways, sometimes it was a little too dramatic but hey! Is a drama. I can't wait to repeat this series again, it was funny, dramatic, and full of great ACTING. I was surprised by the main cast, they were all really good. The music too it fit well to the series. I see some people hating on the main character, which I forgot her real name but she was so charming and her couple too. 10/10Was this review helpful to you?
Cutesy
So, I really came here to say...I liked this story A WHOLE LOT better than CP (*mean mugs you obsessive lovers of that K-Drama*...I get it but...BOOO!). I actually was able to get through this one with ease, except for the excessive flashbacks. There were annoying parts with the second FL's obsessive trope, something that I hate! However, I pretty much enjoyed this and now I have the earworm of, "YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME!!"So...I must go now and drown that out with some Bey or Kendrick! *waves*
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I confess: I am a sucker for Cinderella stories.
Cinderella and the four knights was my first KDrama ever, and because of that is holds a special place in my heart.It is very cringe and full of clichés, but definitely a feelgood drama.
Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam) lives with her stepmother and stepsister in her father's house. Her father is often away because of his job and does not notice that the step-family does not treat Eun Ha Won well. Eun Ha Won is still a high school students but works several part-time jobs, because she wants to attend university after graduation. She comes home late and lives on the balcony at their home. All these circumstances made her a tough girl, who is not afraid to speak up and help other people.
Kang Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyun) is one of the heirs of a huge business. He does not know how to behave and dates one girl after another. He has two cousins, one being a musician and another one being an orphan. Their fathers all died when they were younger, and they use this as excuse of being a$$holes.
As their grandfather gets married again, Kang Hyun Min wants to set a statement and when he meets Eun Ha Won in a club, he pays her for attending the wedding with him. At the wedding, he is not polite and Eun Ha Won speaks up about his bad behavior, which impresses the grandfather. Later, he contacts her to employ her as a babysitter for the three boys, who all live in one major mansion together.
Eun Ha Won really has to go through a lot of stuff during the series, which makes the audience root for her loveable and kind character. Also, the boys will grow closer to your heart as time develops.
The drama has many flashbacks and these weird time stands still moments :D, while the behavior of the characters is similar to a bad fan fiction. It is like a car crash, you can not look away even tho it is cringing.
So if you want to get yourself a portion of sugar. Go ahead, I definitely recommend.
You must take into account tho that 2016 was also some years ago already, so production and styling wise there are some fopas.
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Mild, fluffy drama with NO second lead syndrome
Mild, fluffy drama with NO second lead syndrome .The mean characters are cruel but not scary & are redeemed by the end (which I take issue with ). One thing that really disappointed me though was how harshly mean a father was to his daughter. Second lead female was tediously moody, needy & weepy through out the whole drama. Main couple were sucked into the lying & "breaking up with you " (for your won good)trope which was annoying.
I found the female lead's character to be exhaustingly noble & painfully nice.
The OST is not great & there is slot of song repetition [needed more song variety]. I will rewatch it again because romantic dramas that are light on the drama are rare
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Cinderella and Four Knights « The Magical Effect of a Woman »
Cinderella and the Four Knights was such a fun and easy watch. On the surface, it’s more of a fluff piece where we just get to enjoy watching the poor Cinderella girl get to live in a fancy house and draw the affections of multiple handsome guys. And all of that was definitely fun!But it’s also a story of people finding happiness by coming to terms with who they are and reconciling past hurts in order to finally become a family. One girl is tasked with helping this fractured family come together. And while she helps them, she also goes on her own journey.
Park So Dam was fantastic as our leading lady Eun Ha Won. She is the absolute perfect mixture of sweet, cheerful, and strong. She takes no grief from any of the guys and can completely hold her own in any situation.
And Park So Dam is absolutely beautiful and adorable in this role. Her smile just completely lights up every scene, and I always can’t help but smile right along with her.
I also give a lot of credit to Park So Dam for having this effortless chemistry with all of the guys. She just comes off so natural and comfortable with each guy that it really helped bring out the best in each of them.
Jung Il Woo was very solid in the role of Kang Ji Woon. This role is very different from other roles I have seen him in. His characters are frequently loud, unique, and overly confident. Whereas Ji Woon is really a very normal character.
He’s that quiet, tortured, rebel who really needs some happiness in life. It took a while for him to really begin opening up, but it was great to see. I really enjoyed Jung Il Woo in this, and it’s definitely my favorite character of his.
We have Ahn Jae Hyun in the second lead role of Kang Hyun Min. He’s the cocky playboy of the group, and he’s the one who gets Ha Won involved with his family. I always find Ahn Jae Hyun a bit stiff and awkward, but I think his interactions with Park So Dam helped make him pleasant enough to watch since he got to spend a lot of time with her in the beginning.
Lee Jung Shin plays Kang Seo Woo. He’s the sweet and fun one of the group. As a popular singer, he keeps busy. It doesn’t take long for him to fall for Ha Won, and the two of them certainly had a cute dynamic.
Lee Yoon Sung (Choi Min Sung) is our resident bodyguard. He has a hard time letting loose and having fun, but Ha Won is even able to bring out that side of him a time or two. He is very loyal to the Kang family, and does his best to look after them.
Son Na Eun plays the other woman in our main love square, Park Hye Ji. Ji Woon has had feelings for her for a long while, but she only has eyes for Hyun Min who doesn’t seem to look at her as more than a friend. She added an interesting dynamic to the group for sure.
Ji Woon and Ha Won ended up being a completely adorable couple! There was just so much cute! I thought Jung Il Woo and Park So Dam had this wonderful and easy going chemistry between them, and I just couldn’t get enough of it.
I also really loved the progression of Ji Woon and Ha Won’s relationship. It had this very natural flow to it that took its time from moving from bickering to friendship and finally to romantic love.
Watching Ji Woon open up to Ha Won and start to feel some happiness in his life was such a joy to see. And these two had some fantastic couple moments! The big confession of feelings by Ji Woon is one of my favorites I have seen in a drama. It was such a sweeping romantic moment that gave me so many feels. I really loved this couple!
I really enjoyed that the drama had an actual love square. I loved the dynamics between the two couples as they all had to work out their feelings for each other. It made for a complex and interesting romantic entanglement.
Cinderella and the Four Knights also has a wonderful soundtrack that was utilized very well. I immensely enjoyed all of the songs and was so glad that they played them all frequently. It really helped set up a fun, romantic, and heartwarming atmosphere.
Cinderella and the Four Knights is just a good solid drama. It was tons of fun with a lot of heart. Park So Dam was the absolute perfect female lead, and Jung Il Woo really gave a wonderful performance as we slowly watched his character grow. And with one of the cutest couples around Dramaland, I was never short on smiles. All in all, Cinderella and the Four Knights was a joy and has left me with a lot of good memories.
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A Fun Romance to Watch
So this is the first KDrama and Asian drama I ever watched and it started me on all the others I have since watched over the last few months.I liked it. I thought it was paced just right and liked most of the characters. Ha Won is the heroine working hard to get enough money to pay for college and trying to be a good person. Going to live with 3 rich , spoiled heirs seemed like the easy way to make the money she so desperately needs. First is the arrogant Hyun Min who has always been the favored hei; then there is the youngest heir, Seo Woo who is also a music star; next is outcast heir, Ji Woon (my favorite - girls love a bad boy!).
This is another one of those stories where you know 2 people are going to fall in love but there will be obstacles to keep them apart and them fighting to stay apart all the while pining for each other. But who cares? I watch because I love romance and the fantasy of it all.
I loved Secretary Lee and he was so damn cute . The cast is really good looking but that's also part of the fantasy.
I loved the soundtrack. It's really good. I would rewatch for certain scenes like the first time Hyun Min sees Ha Won, the wedding scene and the time they all went on vacation. I also really loved most scenes with Ha Won and Ji Woon.
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