Cinderella at 2 AM

Rom-Com or Rom-Don't?

After watching this quirky rom-com, it’s clear that it heavily relies on familiar clichés. If you’re not into the genre, you might want to pass—think of it as the fast-food version of romantic comedies, missing the depth of a well-crafted drama.

The plot is straightforward, featuring the classic tale of a working-class girl meeting her Prince Charming in a modern setting. However, the dialogue falls flat, and the love rivalry between the male lead and the supporting character, who has a one-sided crush, lacks excitement. Plus, those two coworkers can get pretty annoying—how does someone so self-centered and gossipy fit into a PR team at a big company?

The breakup between the leads drags on longer than necessary, and while the female lead starts off as smart and independent, she quickly becomes rather dull. As a viewer, I found myself caring less and less.

Interestingly, the most compelling character is the male lead's brother, who genuinely cares for his sibling and navigates his arranged marriage with a heart of gold. The mother also adds a unique touch; she’s not your typical “evil step-mom” or “evil mother-in-law.” Instead, she's a realistic woman balancing the roles of mom, dad, and a company chair.

With the right expectations, this drama can be an okay watch, even if it’s not one you’ll feel compelled to revisit.

Read More

Not a very likable female lead character. Has some unique aspects so worth the watch for that.

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romance drama with 10, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

This is a story told after the initial romance occurs with the main couple and we, as the viewer, start the story when our Cinderella decides to break up with the man of her dreams.  Ha Yoon-seo (Shin Hyun-been) is practical to a fault. When she rescued her brother and herself from a physically and emotionally abusive environment, she had to grow up and take responsibility at a very young age. She worked long hard hours to put herself and her brother through school and then worked her way up in her career to be a Team Leader/Manager at a major company.  While romance has never been her primary goal in life, she falls in love with a young man on her team, Seo Joo-won (Moon Sang-min), who she at first believes is simply an office worker.  When she finds out her boyfriend of a year and a half is actually the chaebol son of the chairwoman of her company, she decides the best course of action is just to end it.  So when she receives an offer of money from Joo-won's mother Kim Sun-joo (Jin Hee-kyung) to break up with and stay away from her son, Yoon-seo takes it.  The hard knocks of a difficult life have led Yoon-seo to believe there are no fairy tale endings.  Cinderella may be happy up to midnight but what happens later, say 2 AM, when the harsh reality that she was not raised to be a Princess will set in.  But, Joo-won believes in their love and isn't giving up easily. 

Review

I am not a fan of stories told in reverse and their romance was mostly told in flashbacks.  We start with the main part of their romance having already occured.  I could get past that if the story was compelling enough for me to overcome my dislike of stories told in that manner but, for me, this one did not.  A lot of reviewers have the criticism that this drags in spots and I had that experience as well.  Still it is not horrible and I think if you are a fan of the romance genre you would want to watch it.  But, for many, I don't think it would be one to watch again and again.

Spoilers

It ends happy with all the major plot points wrapped up. 

I found Yoon-seo an unlikable character for the majority of the show.  Breaking up with someone in the height of your relationship when everything seems to be going well is very hurtful.  And her "easing out" actually made it worse.  She says later, and I thought it all along, the way she did it had little to do with him and was more so she did not get hurt.  It was odd to have such a tragic character, that had gone through so much emotional hurt, be so cold to everyone around her.  Her push pull behavior was so frustrating.  I don't know how many times I was like just knock it off already.  You are just torturing him and yourself at this point.  Quit being a coward.  It's a relatively short series but I spent a significant portion of it so frustrated with the main character.  It almost made me stop watching it, but I was interested in the second couple enough to continue or I would not have stuck around for the final episodes where it became more interesting again.  My thinking on who she was and what she did completely changed in finding out the details of her childhood.  Knowing the full details of her past explained so much about why she acted as she did.  I would not want a mean mother-in-law if I escaped abuse as a child. I understood her a little more but it wasn't until almost the end of the series. I hoped I would like her more and I did a little but felt frustrated with her to the end when she didn't find any time to help him with the wedding preparations and it hurt his feelings.  She is with someone who is sweet and sensitive and her cold personality would likely continually hurt him.  So it was disappointing that basically she is still doing it. 

While the first half of the series nearly ruined it for me, the last half saved it.  I loved the second couple that had an arranged marriage, initially thought of themselves as business partners but fell in love anyway.  Seo Si-Won (Yoon Park) perfectly played the doting older brother.  His "freedom" in his boxer shorts provided a lot of comedic moments.  It was also amusing that he could be so spot on with his younger brother in terms of how to win Yoon-seo but so clueless in his own life.  There was a point in the series where I looked forward to the parts with Siwon and his wife, Lee Min-Jin (Sojin) far more than I did the main couple. 

I thought the 2nd guy, Leo Seong-Min (Lee Hyun-woo) was the perfect foil for the icy Yoon-seo.  And I loved that they all became friends in the end and that he loved her enough to let go of his chance and help her find her way back to Juwon. 

The character growth that allowed the three Ju-won, Si-won and their mother Sun-joo to come together with the two new family additions, Min-jin and Yun-seo was heart-warming.  And the fact that it turned out to be "Cinderella" who had a hand in weaving them all together was a full circle feel good scenario.

This is a highly flawed series with a weak start and middle but that ends strong enough to save the series a bit.  The late portion of the series is really what makes it worth the watch. 

#CinderellaAt2AM  #ShinHyunBeen  #MoonSangMin  #JinHeeKyung #YoonPark  #Sojin

Read More

good writing, smart & funny telling of the usual age gap/wage gap office romance

Ha Yoonseo is a well respected department manager at a credit card company who left an abusive home at a young age with her younger brother. She fought to put herself through school and rise up in her career while taking care of her little brother. Seo Joowon is the youngest scion of the chaebol famiy that owns the company, but begins his destiny by entering anonymously into a lower level position, under the direct supervision of Yoonseo. Not until a year and a half of them dating does she discover his true identity & this is where the story begins.

At 10 episodes, Cinderella at 2 AM is a shorter series but it's just right. C2AM is an age gap/wage gap romance that turns out to be a more refreshingly honest look at the relationship & the forces, both internal & external, working against it. In the process, however, the age gap never becomes an issue, either in the story or the acting. After seeing a lot of disastrous chemistry between jie/di casting in other shows, the 2 leads of C2AM, separated by 14 yrs, do the best job I've seen of making their interactions seem more natural, not only in supervisor/subordinate roles which they alternate, but also as lovers.

The cast delivers with good comic timing and the 2nd leads provide a good contrasting relationship of an arranged business marriage between 2 people who agree to live their separate lives as soon as they leave the altar. In spite of the usual tropes of love triangles & jealously set ups, there were no cringe moments. Instead there were a lot of very funny moments, as well as heart felt drama, which is a strength of the writing for this show. Infused is the Cinderella fairy tale, as Yoonseo struggles with the effort to build up what she believes is her fantasy of being strong, capable, & deserving of happiness, while fearing that it will all disappear after midnight if Joowon & his family discover her difficult past.

So while I was expecting another silly w/age gap romance with awkward leads, I was suprised to find myself really enjoying this show. The dialogue was mature, with each character reflecting on their behaviors, on how their desires/beliefs conflicted & affected others. Even the evil mother-in-law comes around. As all relationships involve push & pull, gains & loss; how you view something as a sacrifice vs a benefit depends on how you see. Straight up emotions transcend socio-economic status.

All in all, C2AM was a great little show, and easily bingeable.

Read More

It was good

I think the FL is good and the ML idk why people are so against the ML. Let's be real what the FL did is correct because the ML mother is the chairwoman she can black list FL from having a job hell can be fired overnight. ML never once actually suffered in his life. If he leaves his wealth he can turn dark and take out his anger on FL because the stuff he wants to buy is expensive and he can't afford it. He wouldn't be able to go a day without his wealth. FL is also right about saying they come from different worlds because the people in high society will definitely call her a gold digger or insult her behind the back. Why should she go to his words that will only shun and humiliate her. Why must she change so much so that she will not recognize herself just because she wants to be recognized by that high society also pretty sure whatever she does the chairwoman will not like her. The FL is down to earth. Furthermore, some love fades with time. also that trip on the step in the 1st episode is stupid the writers could have done that way better.

The ML isn't wrong for clinging to FL because he knows her character very well and what type of person she is.

Moving on to the side characters i absolutely love them all, especially 2 of the side characters that work in the office Bae Jang Hui(Lee Kyu Sung) and No Ye Yeong (Kim Gyu Nam) their overthinking got me LMAO a lot in this drama.

Also, ML knows that FL isn't a gold digger he knows what she says isn't wrong but it's also not right because she is only seeing the negative way of how their relationship will end and he wants her to see that their relationship will never end. I also don't know why you all saying ML has no pride for running after the FL. Hell, I don't see anything wrong with what he did. Let's be real FL is the type of woman who can suffer heartbreak her whole life but never return back to ML if he didn't cling to her because like I said FL is strong woman.

I'm 100% sure if we had switched the ML and FL roles none of u all would have a problem because u all are brainwashed into thinking that women should only be the 1 running after a man and not have a career that's the way is seems by how all u all so objectives about ML running after the FL.


I personally like strong FL and ML and let me just say it both the ML and FL in this drama are strong.I also don't know why some of you saying FL is cold she isn't so stop being an asshole. I'm glad I gave this drama a try before believing what the comment and review say you all are shallow people. FURTHERMORE, HE TRYING TO SAY "YOU LIKE MONEY SO JUST BE WITH ME" BECAUSE SHE LIED SHE DOESN'T LIKE MONEY SHE LIKES MONEY IF SHE WORK HARD FOR THAT MONEY SHE GETS. Also the money that she took from the CHAIRWOMAN pretty sure if she didn't the chairwoman wouldn't have left her alone.

Bro I can't with Bae Jang Hui(Lee Kyu Sung) when he trying to imagine how the ML and FL dated talking out all the fantasies loud in front of the brother is just hilarious.

If u all have watched the drama I'm assuming u watched ep5 where she also pointed out that it makes her uncomfortable to see the guy struggle financially because of her because he's doing it for her when she didn't ask him to do some things like that

Read More

a realistic cinderella story with a bit of fairytale

honestly this drama is so up my alley i will eat it up every time. i always like it when the male lead is a bit more clingier than the female lead. and they did it so well here. moon sang-min is made for roles like this.
they made the rich guy poor girl trope as realistic as possible, with a unique twist of the girl actually taking the money. it was refreshing to see something different. there isn't much plot after that, just fluff.
the female lead was a good character with a great backstory. her journey with her struggles from her childhood and how it shaped her to be the logical and caring adult she is. the plot line with her brother was also done well.
i did not like the mother but they truly did give her a good character arc with it being as realistic as possible while also having a fairytale ending.
i did not like the brother and his wife's relationship. it felt a bit forced for me. the brother was supposed to the comedic relief so that affected the romance for me. still they were cute.
THE OSTS OF THE DRAMA???? so good!! it fit the vibes so well and are generally good songs, they are on repeat in my playlists.
definitely enjoyed this one, so if u are someone who wants a quick series to swoon over, this is it.

Read More

The most incredibly forgetful "Cinderella" story

I'm absolutely amazed the actors chose to participate in this project. The writing is just so juvenile and cringeworthy, as if they hired someone straight out of junior high. Even a high schooler could write something at least more compelling. There's also zero chemistry between the leads, and again, zero chemistry among their fictional characters. When they finally get together and she calls him "honey", I cringed at the name. They acted and seemed more like brother and sister than an actual couple. Only in the flashbacks do they seem normal and sane. I understand the ML is young, but I'm just astonished he's getting lead roles when his acting skills are still in their infancy. I will say this, though, he is damn tall and handsome. But that's about it.

To be fair, though, out of all the dramas I've watched, ironically, this one has the best two lines put together. "Gosh, I thought I was a prince. Turns out, I'm the fairy." I legit cracked up at that delivery. I also loved the upbringing storyline, but they never explored that further. How did she manage to raise her brother alone when she was barely 13 or so when she escaped her father? How did she legally escape? None of these things are answered. Her little brother also had the best character growth, but we never again saw the consequences of his fight at school. It's like the writers shelved coherence for nonsequential plots. I honestly have no idea why the ML had an older brother. I admit his acting was miles better than the ML, but his character and his wife's character really weren't needed at all.

So is this the worst Cinderella drama? No, the story really just has the Cinderealla name in the title and nothing more. The drama plays it safe, far too safe, and requires zero input. At best, it's background noise or a drama where you can just shut your brain off with little to no expectations. Watch if you have absolutely nothing else to watch, if you must.

Read More

Nice one

I didn't like the first episode because it had a kind of dull start. However, as the story progressed, it kept me captivated. I liked the relationship between the siblings on both sides, the male and female protagonists. There were a few light moments too, though the drama was a kind of melodrama. By light moments, I mean a kind of funniness in them. I liked the elder brother's role and the way he supported his younger brother. It was a good, cute, and light love story. The acting was good. Both the first and second leads were fantastic.

All the songs were good. Especially, I am your boyfriend.

Read More

Modern K-inderella story.

Modern Kinderella
This was a bit bumpy to start, in establishing the FL and ML and controlling mom / chairwoman charater / plots in the first 2 episodes. But our established team of sibbling supports continued to grow and enrich the show with every episode. I truly found myself replaying many scenes through out the series for both laughs and cries. Especially the antics of the Cheibol brothers. *Love the older brother & Sister-In_Law.

I love that our Cheibol (ML) stayed true to his charater, love and dream for her & him.
I found it enjoyable to see our Cinderella (FL) discovers her self-value and pushes ahead towards her Love... (eventualy).
She does have a lot of past trauma to heal from... but thankful to how the director & Screen writer delt with that part for her charater. Not as much PTSD to destroy the key charaters.

Definietly worth a watch or binge if you have time for 10 episodes.
Love the supporting siblings and sibling rivalry mixed in too! <3

Read More

A pure rom-com

As a romantic comedy this drama does the job; it's funny and light-hearted overall, but touching when it counts, and it manages to use common kdrama tropes without making them feel tired or too dramatic.

The first few episodes are done extremely well, setting up the story and giving the characters a good starting point. The leads are very convincing as exes, and I loved seeing how cute they were in the flashbacks of their relationship. The second lead couple has a slower start, but it's promising and it's fun once it gets started. Individually the ML and especially the FL are given really touching backstories, and I love that the drama paid just as much attention to the family theme as it did the romance.

As the drama goes on, however, it feels like it doesn't go much deeper than the initial set up. The push and pull between the leads continues in the same way without revealing much more depth to their relationship beyond them enjoying spending time together in their vacuum. The second ship is still fun though, which is all I really asked of them.

Ultimately, it's a fun drama, but even though it's just 12 episodes it still feels longer than necessary.

Read More