Cast lineup confirmed for youth romance Cinderella and the Four Knights

61 January 22, 2016May 26, 2016

Cast lineup confirmed for youth romance Cinderella and the Four Knights

by girlfriday

Jung Il-woo, Park So-dam, Ahn Jae-hyun
Sohn Na-eun, Lee Jung-shin, Choi Min

With a few more additions, the main cast members have been secured for the new teen romance drama Cinderella and the Four Knights, the series formerly called You’re the First that was courting Jung Il-woo (Records of a Night Watchman), Ahn Jae-hyun (Blood), and breakout actress Park So-dam (Because It’s the First Time) to star. I’m glad that they returned to the original title of the novella that it’s based on, because why hide that it’s a Cinderella fantasy and lose the descriptive title?

Park So-dam has been cast as the heroine, a smart, athletic high school student who works multiple jobs and has a terrible home life because of her new stepmother and stepsister. She does a good deed and is given an unusual offer by a chaebol chairman to come live at his giant mansion and work an enormously well-paying part-time job. She wants to become a vet and is scraping by as it is to build up her college fund, so she takes the job and moves into this house, where she’ll live with his three grandsons and one bodyguard who looks out for them.

The three chaebol heirs are cousins, all beautiful and all used to doing whatever they please. Eldest is Ahn Jae-hyun, a carefree playboy who’s lived his whole life with all of the money, all of the love, and all of life’s advantages at his feet. He sounds like your standard chaebol prince, and he’s described as a smooth player, but one who isn’t hateful. Naturally he and Jung Il-woo will be at odds over girls (yes, plural).

Middle cousin is CNBLUE’s Lee Jung-shin (Temptation), a singer-songwriter and top star. He’s a sweet, playful guy with a “church oppa” image who’s nice to the heroine. I’d wager he’s the only nice one, at least in the beginning.

And the youngest cousin is Jung Il-woo, a wild child rebel who’s actually extremely lonely and sensitive on the inside. Aren’t they all. His backstory includes a reversal of fates, in which he went from a life of extreme poverty to a life as chaebol royalty. He does have a softer side under that coarse rebel exterior, and tends to the garden and likes animals.

Apink’s Sohn Na-eun (Twenty Again) has joined the cast as the other girl in the main love square: Jung Il-woo likes her, but she’s liked Ahn Jae-hyun since they were kids, so in order to get close to her crush, she’ll use Jung Il-woo. And give the rebel more cause for angst? That’s just cruel! I didn’t like her character very much in Twenty Again, but this one doesn’t sound any better, sadly.

Last but not least, there’s a bodyguard who also lives in the house, played by Choi Min (Riders, Yong-pal). He’s both secretary to the chairman and bodyguard to the heroine, why I don’t know, and he’ll be a Daddy Long Legs type who’s warm and always protects her. Really, you had me at Jung Il-woo and Park So-dam, but a coming-of-age Cinderella fantasy about making your own family with four beautiful boys sounds pretty freaking adorable.

Cinderella and the Four Knights will be a 16-episode drama that’s 100% pre-produced by HB Entertainment (You From Another Star, Punch, Yong-pal). It hopes to air sometime this year, and is still looking for a broadcaster.

Via Sports Chosun

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1 pigsnout

January 22, 2016 at 3:26 AM

for Park So Dam's sake, I hope this project is better than the last few dramas Jung Il Woo chose.

Now his picking a project is almost a guarantee it will be bad or boring.

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rinoak

January 22, 2016 at 7:50 AM

Have you seen his latest web drama? It's called High End Crush and it's actually really cute! And, clocking in at just over five hours, it's a quick, light watch too.

I like Jung Il Woo best when in a rom-com and we all know he'll get the girl in the end so this sounds like my kinda thing.

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crystal

January 22, 2016 at 11:26 AM

I'll always give Jung Il Woo's projects a chance. I've liked him since Flower Boys Ramen Shop and 49 days.

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Sam

February 1, 2016 at 4:04 PM

Thought his last drama, The Nightman's Journal, was good.

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2 Sandra

January 22, 2016 at 3:30 AM

chaebol..chaebol...chaebol...

Boring...boring..boring...

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3 whilethemusiclasts

January 22, 2016 at 3:41 AM

LOL at Jungshin being older than Jung Il-woo. ^^

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madcity

January 22, 2016 at 9:20 AM

Right? Does it seem like the age order for the three is backward?

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skelly

January 22, 2016 at 5:28 PM

Yes. Cray. Especially since as the oldest, AJH will have a lot of dialogue and plot to carry - honestly, why is anyone giving this guy anything but cute supporting roles? He is Not Good, to be kind, and after the unholy stink of Blood you'd think they'd be more cautious about giving this guy a lot to do. His looks are bland, his acting is as wooden as Oh Ji Ho. Doubt I will watch.

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4 katherine

January 22, 2016 at 3:42 AM

will goes to SBS

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godieagelimit

January 22, 2016 at 7:09 PM

hahahaha yep. SBS was my gut reaction to this.
The Heirs and Secret Garden with a Cinderella twist.

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5 lordseungri

January 22, 2016 at 3:44 AM

Well I love PSD and JIW so let's see how this turns out

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6 Wen

January 22, 2016 at 3:47 AM

Good leads, but there're Ahn Jaehyun + 2 idols... just why :'(

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7 lolcoolcat123

January 22, 2016 at 4:04 AM

I kind of like the sound of this drama. Okay maybe I'm just going to watch it for park so dam and Jung il woo but still! Also whats with all the new dramas being 100% pre-produced nowadays? I like it though, at least it wont end up being cut short or extended (hopefully because that's just a call for disaster.....seriously!!) and the story-line wont change according to the netizens!! (like what happened to The Producers).

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8 sunnyl

January 22, 2016 at 4:13 AM

I love Choi Min! (He would've made good Jung-hwan too, I think)

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9 marsinblue

January 22, 2016 at 4:19 AM

This sounds nice.
I'm surprised how teen dramas in the past few years haven't quite lived up to the magic of earlier works e.g. Goong, You're Beautiful, Dream High .

Don't get me wrong, there's been amazing dramas focussed on youth - the Reply series, School 2013, Angry Mom ..., but I'm more thinking about those light-weight, bubbly-to-angsty teen dramas that are not in it for the script-writing awards but more for creating that memorable universe and characters and that people still go back to watch / recommend nowadays. Attempts like 'To the beautiful you', 'Pretty man', 'School 2015', Korean 'Nodame', 'Sassy Go go' were good to varying degrees but they all fell more or less short of the magic/hype/mania of earlier days...

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pigsnout

January 22, 2016 at 4:35 AM

I think some of that view is just nostalgia..... Reply 1997, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, School 2013, Angry Mom or even Sassy Go Go are actually much better dramas than some of the older popular ones, especially when you look at the story/acting, like Goong and Dream High.

I feel like we are just not that easily pleased by just pretty eye candy any more, we got standards as viewers.

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marsinblue

January 22, 2016 at 5:25 AM

I agree Reply 1997, School 2013 and Angry Mom are better and even outstanding dramas, which is why I explicitly set them apart in my comment because I think they are on another level of scrip-writing, character depth and development, etc. Also, they were never penciled to have as audience just the standard young viewers but rather families.

But as for those dramas catered specifically towards the young like Sassy Go go, SUFBB, Flower boy Next Door and so on, I did like them but they still seem to fall short from the magic of "You're beautiful". But yes you're right, it could well be nostalgia kicking in! I often see that people are biased towards older dramas or the 1st version of a drama they've seen, which makes sense.

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pigsnout

January 22, 2016 at 5:43 AM

I even think some of the youth dramas these days are better than the earlier ones.... Sassy Go Go especially is not in the same class as Pretty Man, To the Beautiful You, K-Nodame or even School 2015. And I like some of the old dramas but going back to them, I find the acting horrible or the story dragging. It becomes really obvious once you start watching more kdramas and can tell good acting from bad.

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10 kanz

January 22, 2016 at 4:19 AM

Can I volunteer to live in the house too? Become their maid/servant/secretary/anything? Oh boys!
Though it reminds me a bit of Boys Before Flowers F4.

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11 wackycashew

January 22, 2016 at 4:20 AM

I like this cast and the premise of the plot. So, I'll probably check it out. Gotta LOL that Jungshin gets to play an older cousin than JIW. XD

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12 Sam

January 22, 2016 at 4:22 AM

I'm in! :) It sounds fun to me....just hope it doesn't fizzle out at the end. I'll be looking forward to watching it!
Thank you for the info and update.

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13 Mareina

January 22, 2016 at 4:28 AM

This setup reminds me of Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge/Perfect Girl Evolution, altough the heroine is probably pretty much the opposite. I do love those kinds of stories, so I'm happily looking forward to this one ^_^

I can't believe Jung Il Woo is up to play the youngest. He looks older than Ahn Jae Hyun, even if they're the same age!

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14 Nahldia9

January 22, 2016 at 4:35 AM

This sounds just like an anime I watched last year. Hopefully JungII Woo will fall for the other girl. I hope it's a twist to the story so it's not so typical and boring

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15 Cafe

January 22, 2016 at 4:37 AM

Jung il woo the youngest????!!! I DO really hope that this drama turns out well, I would like to see a light highschool romance, but.... Jung il woo the youngest??? He seems older than at least his other two "brothers".

This and the fact that him (who picks terrible dramas and has a so-so acting) and Ahn Jae-hyun (cutie who can't act for save his life), I'm fearing this would be a utter flop.

I really hope this works.

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Waiting

January 22, 2016 at 8:34 AM

Cafe,

Thought the same...strange that JIW was the youngest and perhaps a strange choice of projects.

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16 dramamama

January 22, 2016 at 4:39 AM

Il-Woo is the youngest? Seriously? I know the she lines in kdrama land are sometimes blurry, but he looks the oldest.

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17 Danielle Diokno

January 22, 2016 at 4:50 AM

I think Naeun will be great in this drama. But it is gonna be hard since it is very different from her real personality. No need to bash something you havent seen yet PEOPLE!!!! Hmph.... You guys are so rude.

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pigsnout

January 22, 2016 at 5:48 AM

Grow up. She has acted before and never shown a good performance, of course people are going to think she is bad at acting based on what they already saw.

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dumb

January 22, 2016 at 5:16 PM

she has acted so many times before in movie and drama but no improvement. what do u expect everyone to say?

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18 MikeyC

January 22, 2016 at 4:56 AM

Damn he is working non stop. cnblue, cheese in the trap, now this drama.

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neehr

January 22, 2016 at 7:56 AM

Ahmmn, if you're talking about CN Blue's Lee Jung Shin being in Cheese in the Trap you're actually mistaken.. That's Nam Joo hyuk in CITT, though they are famous as doppelgänger..

Anyway excited for this Park Sodam-Jung Ilwoo-Naeun, count me in!!!

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19 Kei

January 22, 2016 at 5:30 AM

This reminds me of a novel and after I saw the title once again, I was shocked that this is really the adaptation of that novel!The novel was overall pretty cute, so I kinda anticipated this a lot c:

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20 fab

January 22, 2016 at 5:38 AM

So JIW is Cha Chi-soooo again?! Can't let that go unnoticed. And thumbs up to all the "pre-produced" shows!

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21 Hwari

January 22, 2016 at 5:49 AM

So this is the first project of JIW since joined the new agency. Does it mean his company used the package 1+1 with Ahn Jae Hyun... just wondering..

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22 Mia

January 22, 2016 at 6:18 AM

I was looking forward to this, but Ahn Jae Hyun and chaebol sounds like two terrible setbacks to this whole project. I need Jung Il Woo to hook up with Kim Soo Hyun's management team - KSH seems like he has an eye for picking good dramas.

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23 Kris

January 22, 2016 at 6:34 AM

Can't wait for this!

I can't imagine yet Ahn Jae Hyun taking this role but I'm pretty much excited ^_^

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24 JuDa

January 22, 2016 at 6:48 AM

the only times Jung Il Woo dramas worth watching is when he became the 2nd male lead..Really feel bad for him..

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25 CC

January 22, 2016 at 7:41 AM

Sounds very familiar, have I seen this one before? LOL I'm going to watch because Iam all for a cinderella story but this does remind me of a Taiwanese drama "Romantic Princess". Oh well I like the two main male actors and I really want to see them again. Bring it on!!

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26 whatis

January 22, 2016 at 7:57 AM

Like the cast as individuals... but man this description cannot get more cliche!! whaaaattttt. I hope there's some twists here... don't really want a cinderella/candy type of situation.

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27 mindy

January 22, 2016 at 8:10 AM

Oh my god this sounds exactly what I thought of as a typical Asian drama when I first started watching dramas. I have a bad feeling about it but you never know, sometimes these kinds of dramas surprise you.

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28 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials

January 22, 2016 at 8:28 AM

I'll be honest - I don't like Jung Il-woo, and 'Because It's the First Time' ruined any chances of me liking Park So-dam. I really hope this can change my mind about them!

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29 genuinecity

January 22, 2016 at 8:36 AM

Wow, what an offer! An excellent-paying job AND I get to live in a mansion with handsome fellas? Sign me up!

I was thinking that it's probably not going to be smooth sailing for our heroine as far as how the chaebols might treat her, but then again, only Jung Il-woo's character is supposed to be rough and cold, right? The rest of the characters' descriptions informs us that the rest will be nice(r), so that's reassuring. I'm not that excited about the casting (besides the leads), but what can you do? Sohn Na-eun's character description sounds awful and ugh, I hate characters like that--"I don't like you, but I'm gonna keep stringing you along until I get what I want." Those characters are always so spiteful and annoying. Please don't go there, show! But since you are going there, give us a twist and make her likable at least.

On another note, I'm hoping for relationships and friendships to blossom and they all become best pals who protects and cares for each other.

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30 korini

January 22, 2016 at 8:53 AM

I'm writing it shyly and down here so none will read but... How many chances are to be given in a capitalistic business bearing the name "industry"? How many strikes do you need to have in order not to be given a "second chance"? I can't fathom how experienced and talented actors are abolished just 'cause they're changing agencies and Ahn Jae-hyun, as for instance here, gets to have a do over. And it's not just this boy. The list is endless. Some girls who after three mediocre or unsuccessful (rating wise or artistacally) projects are still considered for lead parts in major dramas. "Well, she/he wasn't thaaattt bad", "The project was a mess", "It wasn't his/her fault" and the amazing "She/He is so popular". If he or she is so popular, how come he/she doesn't have a faithful, secured audience?
I do get the necessity of "new" faces or proteges of the system and yet, I'm still astounded.

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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

January 22, 2016 at 1:49 PM

hear, hear.

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fay17

January 23, 2016 at 5:50 AM

I did not find ahn jae hyun's acting so much appalling.I thought his acting was okay,not strong or excellent,but just okay and not cringe worthy.At least he's lot better than nam joo hyuk who gets to be casted in dramas after dramas.And tbh I think any drama's/actor's success/failure has as much to do with the drama itself/or the production/story.Can't just bash the actor.NJH was bad in school,because his role was kind of messy and not believable at some point.Ultimately they try hard too I guess,and as much as we bash them,at the end the whole task of acting itself is quite hard.

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31 Battle Angel

January 22, 2016 at 9:30 AM

I thought Jung Ill woo was gonna be the bodyguard that wins the main girls heart or something! BUT OMG he's not only going to be supposedly younger than Ahn Jae-hyun.. But he's gonna be the YOUNGEST?! How is that visually gonna make sense? He has a baby face but let's not go crazy here. I hope it's bad info or they change it up cuz although I can usually suspend reality when watching dramas...it is gonna be a big stretch. I was really looking forward to this since it sounded like a J-Drama I liked but now... I'll be going in nervous. Sigh.

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32 Pink panda

January 22, 2016 at 9:59 AM

What??? I thought it will be web drama not miniseries.... Omg it's sound really boring... Why did park so dam take it when she's on her peek..??? And ahn jae hyun!???? I honestly already lost any hope since the story and the male leads were annouced.... I bet this drama will air on kbs and have very low rating... Maybe a little higher through PSD and JIW 's power..

And the last thing... I hope this drama will be naeun unnie stepping stone. I like how unnie always trying to improve herself with small role... And hopefully she will be a better actress... Cause even as her fan, i find her acting so awkward.... Unnie fighting

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33 vanilla_latte

January 22, 2016 at 12:04 PM

JIW is cute, but he should play the oldest. I think it may be awkward when it plays out. That being said, it sounds like a cute and fun drama and I will check out at least a few episodes before making judgement.

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34 snow1081

January 22, 2016 at 12:35 PM

I thought there's a news floating somewhere that says this one is going to be a web drama no?? Maybe just a rumour...

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35 kai

January 22, 2016 at 2:09 PM

Pretty boys and a Cinderella story... I will watch it! When cliches are done right, the end product is an addictive watch.

Also happy to see more of Choi Min, since noticing him in Yong-Pal in a small yet memorable role. Nice to see him getting more work.

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36 Dakchigo

January 22, 2016 at 4:03 PM

I hated Choi Min's uber-jerkass douchebag character in "My Dear Cat." :( But that's probably the character.

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37 Quiet Thought

January 22, 2016 at 9:09 PM

My key question on this drama is, will the heroine continue to be her own person and control her own life, or will she be slapped into line by the script and become a housepet for the male leads, like in Boys Over Flowers and several other dramas over the past few years?

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38 NiaIpeh

January 22, 2016 at 9:14 PM

Chaebol Chaebol Chaebol.. People's said it's boring, but in the end they'll still watch it and make buzz here & there.. Especially this one has flower the boys that makes female viewers explode to the moon

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39 Belle

January 22, 2016 at 9:37 PM

Please let's not forget that the leads and sub-leads are actors playing their individual characters. Whether one is older than the other or one is looking younger than the other do not mean that they couldn't be believable. They are actors playing the part and getting paid for it.

Just saying...

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40 Aramis

January 23, 2016 at 12:06 PM

JLW the youngest?but Jung shin is just 25! How can he be older than Jung I'll woo.
Jung shin is a really good actor. Can't wait for this drama. He plays the roll similar to his real life.?

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41 owl 🦉 🫰

January 23, 2016 at 7:02 PM

pre produced and looking for a broadcaster - that sounds backwards, hope it gets picked up (if I'm understanding the set up correctly).

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42 Zm

January 24, 2016 at 3:26 AM

Meanwhile, me raving at Jungshin's casting. HAHAHA

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Ana

January 26, 2016 at 9:30 AM

Me too. I just opened this to see what's new in dramaland and when I saw Jungshin I started jumping up and down with excitement. I'm definitely watching it.

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43 Viki

January 24, 2016 at 5:03 PM

I know Ahn Jae Hyun and Jung Il Woo are the same age...but how can they put Jungshin in the middle? Lol. Oh well, this sounds cute...kinda reminds me of my fave Jdorama Atashinchi no Danshi with Horikita Maki...where the main girl ends up "working" in a rich person's house and all these sons starts falling for her.