KDrama to Watch: Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Grade: B+

16 episodes, about 1 hour each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Eun Ha-won is determined to save up enough money for college, just as her mother hoped. Ha-won's step-mother and step-sister do not make it easy for her though, treating her like Cinderella, and Ha-won's dad is rarely around to see the abuse. On top of that, Ha-won finds out her dad has not been paying the crematorium fees for her mother's remains, so Ha-won gives up her tuition to catch up on back rent. Then one night Ha-won makes a delivery for one of her part-time jobs, and a third-generation chaebol catches sight of the fiery young lady. Kang Hyun-min convinces Ha-won to play his date, for a good chunk of change – at his powerful conglomerate CEO grandfather's fifth wedding! What happens when the grandfather sees Ha-won disciplining his grandson for his disrespect at the festivities? How will she handle the grandfather's demands that she bring his grandsons together, in exchange for tuition money?Will the forbidden romantic feelings developing between Ha-won and the grandsons cause her to lose everything?

*Fun premise, good cinematography and music; a solid kdrama overall. Park So-dam doesn't look like the typical kdrama main female lead, but she is still super cute with her pixie cut. There are a few good heated romantic tension moments throughout, but several of the characters engage in the “selfless sacrifice” trope, which is a bit annoying. Still, it has a nice ending that wraps up for almost everyone, including some redemption for the antagonists. Worth watching at least once.*