K-Dramarama: Cinderella and the Four Knights

Cinderella and the Four Knights holds a special place in my heart: it's the first K-drama I ever watched. I picked it on a whim. I wanted to hear Korean used in something closer to real life than K-pop and I needed something kid appropriate, since I had an eight year old who was definitely not paying attention to me, but might at any moment. I wasn't even sure Netflix would have much to choose from (actually, they have a pretty good selection). The rating was right and something with Cinderella in the title seemed like it might be alright if the kiddo decided to join me.

Image via Netflix

It was absolutely ok for the kiddo, but she wanted me to read all the subtitles to her and lost interest pretty quickly when i would not. I think this was probably a pretty good choice for my first K-drama. It kept me involved without being too emotionally draining (that came with more shows). And this has everything: Orphans! Bad parenting! Handsome, broody ,rich boys with fancy cars!

The story centers on Eun Ha Won, a hard working and bright high school senior. After her mother died tragically, her father remarried. Enter the wicked stepmother and her vapid, lazy daughter, Yu Na. Together, the two of them fritter all of Ha Won's college money, forcing her to work a series of part-time jobs to save for college tuition.

Circumstances throw her in the path of the wealthy Kang cousins: Ji Woon, Hyun Min and Seo Woo. She is ultimately hired by their grandfather Chairman Kang to try to help the cousins bond. The knights are rounded out by Assistant Lee, the Chairman's assistant an who serves as something of a bodyguard/wrangler for the cousins.They are also joined by Park Hye Ji, who was apparently hired because she looks great when she cries, because this character does so. Constantly.

This show was my introduction to a bunch common K-drama tropes that would become familiar to me: characters who have met before and don't remember (and are thus fated to be together), disapproving parents, or in this case a grandparent, enemies to lovers, skeletons in the closet, love triangles, chaebol heirs. It certainly doesn't stop there, but let's just say it's a significant amount. If it's something that interests you, TV Tropes has a good overview.

Overall I found this to be surprisingly addictive. It's not the usual kind of show I would watch, but it had me right from the start. The characters are interesting and in some cases downright charming. Seo Woo is the best example of this. He is played by Lee Jung Shin, bassist in the group CNBlue. He's the sweetest of the Kang cousins and by far the one the neglected the most by the plot.

And speaking of K-pop, the main theme heard at the end of each show is For You by BTOB, one of my favorite groups and the subject of my first music post next week. K-pop idols are another common feature in K-drama.

You can stream the show on Netflix or for free on the Roku Channel, tubi and Viki.