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Cinderella and the Four Knights: Episode 1

Cinderella and the Four Knights, tvN’s pre-produced modern spin on the classic fairytale, faced some production complications and network uncertainty early on, but premiered without a hitch. There’s no bibbidi-bobbidi-boo in this, but that’s quite alright because this contemporary Cinderella doesn’t need magic or a fairy godmother to save herself. In fact, she may end up doing most of the saving for the unlikeliest of people.

 
EPISODE 1 RECAP

Over a brightly animated storybook sequence, a cheerful female voice narrates a familiar tale: “Once upon a time, there was a kind, beautiful girl named Cinderella. She was always tormented by her stepmother and stepsisters. But one fateful day, she met a wonderful prince and lived happily—”

The animation shatters. “…ever after. Bullshit!

We’re back to reality as EUN HA-WON (Park So-dam) works an espresso machine. “Cinderella’s nowadays don’t have time to meet princes because of their damned part-time jobs!” she narrates. It’s part-time jobs galore for Ha-won, who works as a waitress, cashier, dog-walker, etc.

The narration continues, “Moreover, ‘princes’ nowadays are just huge douchebags!” Enter a douchebag flanked by two women, who kicks a fork away just as Ha-won’s about to pick it up. “They’ve got a Casanova complex and are so damn haughty. I wish someone would tell them to drop their high and mighty act!”

The Cinderella book gets tossed aside, and we see Ha-won at another job, babysitting. She ends the story with a lesson: “And that’s why you mustn’t wait around for some stupid prince, but rely on yourself to survive instead. Got that?” The children concur, and Ha-won flings a rolled-up diaper which lands on the book, heh. Poo-poo to fairytales!

Ha-won is all smiles riding on her moped. She admires the view of college boys playing basketball on the courts before she delivers their pizza to them. Next month, she’ll be in college too, and she can’t wait.

Ha-won witnesses a man in front of her dismount his motorcycle and beat four guys to a pulp before reclaiming a purse. His face obscured by his helmet, Ha-won immediately suspects he’s a delinquent, and follows him for several miles.

Just when she thinks she’s lost him, she spots him returning the purse to a grateful woman. She offers to repay him, but he zooms off on his motorcycle. The woman’s left swooning and expresses to Ha-won that she may have found her Prince Charming thanks to her glass slipper, aka her purse. Ha-won scoffs at the metaphor, but is glad to know that decent guys still exist.

PARK HYE-JI (Sohn Na-eun) waits for someone in a hotel lobby. KANG HYUN-MIN (Ahn Jae-hyun) appears with arm candy, and Hye-ji calls him out for dating her friend. He’s not ashamed, however, and responds with this: “To me, there are only two kinds of women in this world. One, girls whom I’ve already dated. And two, girls I’ll date later.” Alrighty then!

KANG JI-WOON (Jung Il-woo), the “Prince Charming” from earlier arrives, and Hyun-min decides to push his buttons. Hyun-min wonders why Ji-woon is hanging around this hotel when he’s not interested in the Haneul Group family business.

Unfazed, Ji-woon retorts that he may become the company heir, which causes Hyun-min to scoff. Hyun-min warns him to know his place and calls him trash, provoking Ji-woon to grab him by the collar and threaten him, even though he’s the older hyung. Hyun-min marvels at his audacity.

Ji-woon denies his relation to someone like Hyun-min, and Hyun-min finally leaves. Hye-ji advises Ji-woon to avoid his cousin, and he suggests she follow her own advice, since she has such terrible taste in men.

After ending her shift at the convenience store, Ha-won gladly collects all the food that expired today, much to her boss’s disgust. She comes home to a stepmother and stepsister noshing on fried chicken. They barely acknowledge her, but they do remember to reprimand her.

Ha-won apologizes, and stepsister CHOI YOO-NA chirps that Ha-won’s uselessness originated from her dead mother. Ha-won hears all this, but puts on a smile before entering her cramped sunroom/bedroom.

Her desk is covered with job listings from newspapers and ads. In between bites of just-expired hot dog, she makes plans to nab another part-time job to meet her financial goal of four million won (roughly $4,000), which will cover her college tuition. She’s very close, and she squeals in excitement.

The next day, we see Ji-woon, Hyun-min, and KANG SEO-WOO (Lee Jung-shin) driving their respective sports cars. The cousins receive a text from their grandpa’s bodyguard LEE YOON-SUNG (Choi Min), ordering all three of them to arrive home at 6 p.m. sharp for news regarding their grandpa, the CEO of Haneul Group. In order to get the sparring cousins to comply, Bodyguard Lee threatens to never reveal Ji-woon’s birth story or freeze Hyun-min’s credit card.

The threats work, and all three cousins pull into their luxurious residence promptly. They enter together, their long strides slowed down for full flower boy effect.

Bodyguard Lee awaits, and they inquire about Grandpa. Turns out Grandpa’s getting married! This is rather anticlimactic news since this isn’t Grandpa’s first (or second, or third) marriage. None of them want to attend, but Bodyguard Lee asserts that all three “brothers” must be there, prompting Ji-woon and Hyun-min to snap in unison, “Who are you calling brothers?!”

As if having a random cousin wasn’t enough, Hyun-min jokes that he’ll now have a new grandma the same age as his mother. Ji-woon exits, and Bodyguard Lee calls after him, using his full name, “Kang Ji-woon,” causing Ji-woon to turn back and clarify that he’s Han Ji-woon. Seo-woo exits next since he’s got a packed schedule. Bodyguard Lee urges Hyun-min to attend, and he says he will; it’s Grandpa’s fifth wedding after all.

Bodyguard Lee is reminded of the day Ji-woon first stepped foot here. That day, Ji-woon was a bit thrown by his new “home,” and Hyun-min mistook him for the new cleaning guy. When Hyun-min was informed that Ji-woon was his cousin, he pointedly wondered how great and precious Ji-woon was to have been kept hidden all this time.

Ji-woon answers that he lived in an orphanage after his mother passed away ten years ago, and adds that he’s a high school dropout. This answer pleases Hyun-min; he comments that Grandpa is an interesting geezer who must have a hobby of discovering new grandsons. After all, not too long ago, he plucked a busker off the streets and into their home. Bodyguard Lee had futilely reassured Ji-woon that he’d get used to things around here.

At Haneul HQ, a long line of board members wait their turn to speak to Grandpa Kang. One employee comments on the release of scandalous articles about Haneul Group, Grandpa Kang’s upcoming marriage, and his grandsons, which have begun to tarnish the company’s image. Grandpa Kang replies that his worries are unnecessary, because he took over that publication yesterday.

Later that day, Bodyguard Lee informs Grandpa Kang that his grandsons probably won’t attend his wedding. Grandpa Kang laments that none of them understand how he feels; he can’t maintain the company on his own for much longer and needs to find a successor soon.

Grandpa Kang states that by watching them live together and duke it out among themselves, the most qualified will inevitably stand above the rest. He emphasizes to Bodyguard Lee that all three of them must show their faces at his wedding since all eyes will be on them that day. Moreover, letting them off the hook so easily will only ruin their personalities.

Ji-woon is working at an auto body shop when he overhears a fussy customer bullying his coworker. Turns out the customer is some blogger threatening to post scathing reviews online. Ji-woon hops into a car and rams right into the customer’s vehicle. He declares that he’ll pay for the repairs of both cars in exchange for an apology and the promise that the customer will never return.

Meanwhile, at a broadcasting station, people are frantic because they’re unable to locate Seo-woo, who’s nonchalantly strumming his guitar on the staircase and ignoring all incoming phone calls, even ones from his manager.

Hyun-min’s at a cafe when another one of his girlfriends arrives and yells at him for dumping her via text. Unperturbed, he finds nothing wrong with it, since he included emojis. She exclaims that she was “his woman,” to which Hyun-min answers, “Because all the women in this world are my women.” Pshh.

She furiously grabs a glass, and Hyun-min flinches momentarily before relaxing when she ends up just drinking from it. She asks him whether it’s true that he grants ex-girlfriends one wish after dumping them. He grins and affirms its verity. Cut to the girl driving off in Hyun-min’s sports car.

Grandpa walks through the doors of his home with his arm around his young fiancée, JI HWA-JA. He playfully teases her and loves her naiveté. But in another room, Hwa-ja deviously utters through the phone that she’s got a plan up her sleeve, and she’s not at all concerned about the grandsons.

Hyun-min’s at the club with his two buddies, complaining about his grandpa’s wedding tomorrow. He brilliantly decides to crash the wedding and bring the first girl that walks through the club’s doors as his date — the crazier the girl, the better.

Hyun-min focuses on the doors, and a small figure in a wet poncho enters, clutching a bag of pizza boxes. It’s none other than Ha-won, who came to deliver pizza. Hyun-min’s friends snicker from a distance, but Hyun-min watches her, intrigued.

Two jerks taunt her because their “special request” for the “prettiest delivery girl” was not fulfilled. Ha-won calmly explains the actual purpose of special requests, but the guys don’t listen and continue to call her “ugly.” Ha-won ignores them and asks how they’ll be paying, but one jerk throws the pizza boxes to the ground and food spills out. He sneers that he’s lost his appetite because he’s so livid about his incorrect order.

Ha-won advises them to pay up while she still considers them customers, but they refuse to take the “damn delivery vermin” seriously. Hyun-min prepares to intervene with his wallet.

Suddenly, a jerk soars through the air after receiving a flying punch from Ha-won. You go, girl! Jerk #2 hurries to Ha-won and offers his credit card, practically begging her to take it, heh. Ha-won demands an apology, and she gets it immediately from the jerk still reeling from her stunt.

Ha-won: “There are so many delivery people in this country on motorbikes at this hour of the night for the sake of customers! And yet, you dare call us ‘delivery vermin?’ How dare you compare us to insects!”

Preach, woman! And with that, Ha-won leaves after apologizing for the commotion. Hyun-min is smitten, and he snaps photos of her license plate to seek her out.

Back at home, Stepmother finds out that Yoo-na received yet another college rejection from her last possible school. Stepmother’s beside herself since she spent a fortune on Yoo-na’s test prep in order for her to bump into Hyun-min, which never happened. College was the other alternative, and now there are none.

Ha-won arrives, and Stepmother chides her for still wearing her high school uniform when she’s nearing graduation. Ha-won asks if she can briefly use the laptop. Yoo-na and Stepmother are incredulous to hear that Ha-won applied for college. Ha-won wants to fulfill her mother’s wish and become a teacher. Stepmother and stepsister doubt her abilities, but are stunned to see that Ha-won was accepted.

They try to devalue her accomplishment by reminding her that she’ll need money to attend, and Ha-won answers that she’s got enough saved up to afford the initial deposit; she’ll pay off the rest while working part-time in between classes.

Ha-won unleashes her elation out of their earshot and smooches her locket, proudly announcing to her mom that she’s going to be a college student.

Grandpa Kang and Bodyguard Lee walk through a sprawling mansion and call for Butler Kim repeatedly. The house is a mess, and it seems no one’s home until a piece of duct tape falls from above; they look up and see powerless Butler Kim duct taped to the ceiling.

They rescue Butler Kim, who resigns immediately and calls his grandsons devils. Grandpa can’t believe that even after a year of living together, his grandsons still wreak havoc. A new butler will need to be hired, but Grandpa wonders if there’s anyone out there that could beat some sense into his errant grandchildren.

Ha-won sits behind the counter at the convenience store and squeals; she’s finally reached her goal of four million won. A customer approaches to buy an ice cream cone, and it’s Hyun-min. She tells him that he gets an extra cone for free, but since he just wants one, he gives it to Ha-won and strikes up a conversation.

She devours it quickly, and Hyun-min asks her for a favor — to give him three hours of her time from 9 p.m. to midnight tonight. Ha-won dismisses him, so he says he’ll pay for her time. He offers her one million won (roughly $1000).

He brags that he has lots of money, and Ha-won replies that people who say that are the least trustworthy. But he has no qualms about buying people with money, so Ha-won asks him to prove he has the means to buy her time.

Cut to the convenience store wiped clean, all shelves empty. What! Did he just buy everything in the entire store? Ha-won’s at a loss for words as Hyun-min places two fat stacks of cash on the counter. He jots down his number on her arm and instructs her to call him.

Hye-ji scours the textile market until she finds the perfect fabric, striking a deal with a shopkeeper to rearrange his fabric display in exchange for his allowing her to buy his fabric.

That evening, Ji-woon revisits the auto shop and greets his coworker who hasn’t had dinner yet. He decides to go buy some meals at the convenience store and asks Ha-won to heat up all of them. But when he realized he’s missing his wallet, he goes back to the shop to get it.

Back at the auto shop, one of the workers gossips about how poorly Ji-woon treats them, always opting for fast food and not sharing his newfound fortune with any of them. The older mechanic scolds him for wanting to use Ji-woon’s money to settle his own financial problems and reminds him that Ji-woon wants to be treated just as he was before he came into wealth.

Ji-woon quietly walks away after overhearing their entire conversation. He’s so distracted that he walks right past the convenience store just as Ha-won’s heating up his meals. She runs out to remind him that he still needs to pay. Ji-woon wasn’t able to retrieve his wallet so he offers to pay her tomorrow; he solemnly assures her that since he’s so wealthy, scamming her wouldn’t be necessary. He offers his watch as collateral, but she merely leaves with a harrumph and orders him to pay up tomorrow.

Hye-ji receives a call from Ji-woon while she’s working on her bespoke dress; he happens to be right outside her studio. Ji-woon tells her that Hyun-min might be bringing a girl to Grandpa’s wedding, but she doesn’t seem too concerned since he’s quite the Casanova. She accidentally pricks herself, and Ji-woon rushes to her aid.

In her cramped room, Ha-won texts her father whom she hasn’t seen in six months. She asks him when he’ll be coming home; tomorrow’s the anniversary of her mother’s death.

The next day, Ha-won clutches a bundle of white roses on the bus ride to the columbarium. Outside her window, Ji-woon rides his motorcycle, en route to somewhere.

When Ha-won arrives at the columbarium, she’s shocked to find her mother’s urn missing and the slot completely empty. A worker there explains that payments on that slot are five years overdue and that he couldn’t get in touch with the guardian either. As a result, her mother’s urn is now in storage.

Ha-won is visibly upset and is alarmed to learn that five million won is owed in overdue fees. Just then, Ji-woon arrives to pay his respects to his deceased mother. Ha-won glances at Ji-woon, but it’s unclear whether she recognizes him or not.

Ji-woon walks out and observes Ha-won get on her knees and tearfully beg the employee to move her mother’s urn out of storage. He remembers her as the convenience store clerk from the day before, and notices the white rose bouquet that she was unable to leave for her mother. He appears to feel for her, but leaves without a word.

A flashback reveals a young Ha-won telling her mother that white roses are supposed to be given to people you respect. Her mother envelops her in a hug and wishes for Ha-won to become a well-respected teacher.

While waiting at a bus stop, Ha-won addresses her mother aloud, desperately trying to rationalize her choosing college over paying for her mother’s space at the columbarium: “I’m your daughter who you’re proud of, so I can go to college, right?” She immediately regrets saying that and cries, missing her mom.

Back at her little workspace, Hye-ji proudly holds up her finished dress and shows it to Ji-woon. She’ll be wearing it to Grandpa’s wedding, which Ji-woon has no intention of attending. He asks if it bothers her that Hyun-min’s bringing a date, but she deflects and asks if he’d go with her. Ji-woon doesn’t budge, and lightly admonishes her for bringing up a favor she knew he couldn’t do for her and for making him feel guilty.

At the Han River, Ha-won looks at her bouquet and convinces herself that she just needs ten thousand won. A white limo pulls up in front of her, and Hyun-min emerges with a smirk. She asks if his offer’s still valid, and he confirms that it is. Ha-won requests that he pay her in cash, and he agrees to do so, but only if he gets a little something in return.

Hyun-min wants her to act as his fiancée for three hours, much to her confusion. She asks him why, and he answers that his grandpa is ill and desperately wants to see him tied down before he dies. He fakes getting choked up and remarks that one of his relatives is getting married tonight, and it’s also Grandpa’s only day out of the hospital.

The sob story works on Ha-won, although she still feels iffy about participating in his lie. She warns that if he tries to pull any fast ones on her, she won’t stand for it, as indicated by her raised fist. The two reveal their names, shake on it, and hop into the limo. Hyun-min tries to get cozy with Ha-won, but he doesn’t get very far. She sits away from him and whips out her fist again, warning him that it’s all over once the clock strikes midnight.

Screaming girls and swarms of reporters have gathered at the wedding venue, itching to see who arrives. According to the media, the biggest question of the night is whether or not all three Kang cousins, who’ve hitherto never been seen together in one place, will show up tonight. And after tonight there will only be two kinds of people — those who were invited to the wedding and those who weren’t.

“Lady Killer” Hyun-min’s the first to arrive and the school girls go wild, but are puzzled by the random girl he’s got his arm around. Seo-woo, mega star and youngest of the cousins pulls up next, and he good-naturedly waves to the crowds. Ji-woon’s the only one missing, but we see that he’s riding his motorcycle. To the wedding, perhaps?

Hyun-min and Ha-won enter the building, and a dazzling array of designer shoes, accessories, and a lacy white dress are all laid out for her. Hye-ji pays a visit, curious about his date, but he firmly tells her to mind her own business and stop obsessing over him.

While holding the lacy dress in front of the mirror after placing her phone down on the bed, Ha-won considers quitting momentarily, but then thinks of Hyun-min’s poor grandpa. She’s unaware that Seo-woo’s in the room, sitting against the bed.

Seo-woo hears her chattering and is amused by her presence; he’s careful to grab his phone and conceal himself when she changes into her dress. Ha-won steps out in her white gown, and Hyun-min helps her into a pair of coral heels to complete the look. After hair and makeup, she’s looking positively elegant.

Hwa-ja, the bride, takes a hold of the bouquet and reminds herself that she’s already halfway there with this wedding; everything’s going as planned.

The spotlight’s on Grandpa Kang and Hwa-ja as they emerge at the top of the staircase to begin the wedding ceremony. Meanwhile, Hyun-min and Ha-won prepare to make their surprise appearance. Speaking of surprise appearances, Ji-woon arrives outside the wedding hall, looking rather conflicted about showing up.

As Grandpa and Hwa-ja make their way down to the stage, Hyun-min and Ha-won do the same on the opposite end of the staircase, mirroring each other. The attendees murmur upon seeing two parallel couples on either side of the hall.

Ha-won immediately senses that something’s awry, and calls Hyun-min crazy when he informs her that they’re doing a wedding march; this is not what she signed up for. Hyun-min reassures her that it’s only a slight variation from the original plan, but when she doesn’t stop fretting, he swoops her up and carries her down to the stage.

The two couples face each other; Grandpa and Hwa-ja are none too pleased. Hyun-min announces to Grandpa that he brought his fiancée as his wedding present. Hwa-ja’s unimpressed by Ha-won when she turns out to be a mere high school senior, but Hyun-min returns the focus to the main couple by calling Hwa-ja “Grandpa’s fifth wife.”

Ha-won sincerely apologizes for ruining Grandpa’s special day, much to Hyun-min’s ire. She urges him to apologize, but he refuses to do so, leaving her no choice but to twist his arm and force him on his knees. She pushes his head down, and whips out her fist again to make him comply. Ji-woon watches from afar.

Ha-won tries to leave the venue, but Hyun-min notes that her time isn’t up yet. He introduces her to Seo-woo as his real fiancée. Hye-ji’s friend stands up and yells at Hyun-min for being so cruel to Hye-ji, but Hyun-min replies that he never had any sort of relationship with Hye-ji.

Hye-ji walks over to Ha-won and introduces herself as Hyun-min’s childhood friend and extends her hand, but Ji-woon steps in and furiously grabs it. He questions whether or not she has any pride behaving like this.

Ji-woon turns to Ha-won and demands to know whether she came all this way just for money. She doesn’t answer, and Ji-woon takes out a wad of fifty thousand won bills from his wallet and thrusts it in front of her face before letting the bills flutter to the ground.

 
COMMENTS

There may be four handsome “knights” in this house, but so far, I find myself drawn to Cinderella, aka Ha-won the most. Sure, she’s playing the quintessential Candy heroine, but I love her intelligence, indomitable spirit, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon martial arts prowess. Ha-won may get downtrodden, but not for very long. This girl can fight, and she fights back. She’s a feisty Cinderella who’s aware of her self-worth, and I love it!

Oftentimes, dramas tend to hit the Candy heroine with a boatload of misfortune and suffering right off the bat in order for us to pity her and give the male lead the opportunity to swoop in and save her valiantly with his wealth and pretty face. But this time around, such was not the case, which I really appreciated. There were more instances of Ha-won defending herself, calling the shots, and kicking some serious derrieres than there were of Ha-won woe-is-me-ing, which made her failed visit to see her mother all the more poignant; her tearful reaction felt natural and completely warranted.

I love that she spoke up in the middle of the wedding and forced Hyun-min onto his knees. Other Candy’s would’ve protested but ultimately not have taken any action, but I’m glad she defied Hyun-min in front of everyone and walked out. Frustrating Candy’s are the worst, but Ha-won is not like that, and I hope her spunk never gets extinguished. As we all know, Cinderella was able to live happily ever after thanks to Prince Charming, but I like how this is reversed here. Thanks to our Ha-won, it seems the Kang cousins will have a happy ending of their own in which they’ll learn to appreciate one another and live in harmony rather than excess. That’s my prediction thus far. I’m sure she’ll fall in love with one of them, but that’ll be much later down the line.

In terms of acting, none of the four knights’ characterizations were anything new or unseen, but I wasn’t exactly disappointed or bothered by their standard portrayals. No one stood out as particularly amazing or terrible in his role, and it seemed like Jung Il-woo, Ahn Jae-hyun, Lee Jung-shin, and Choi Min were all performing on the same wavelength. I have no problem with this since there’s nothing worse than inconsistent performances mixed with stellar ones, resulting in a mediocre show overall. And consider me a Park So-dam fan! I love the crystal clarity of her voice, and I find her to be incredibly endearing and brimming with charm. She emotes well, and her depiction of Ha-won feels assured and natural.

The stepmother and stepsister weren’t over-the-top evil (yet), and I actually really liked that. They just came across as lazy individuals who aren’t the brightest bulbs in the chandelier and have zero regard for Ha-won. They take her for granted, neglect to provide her with anything, and hardly see her as a family member since Yoo-na bristles at being referred to as “Unni.” The real evil seems to lie with Hwa-ja, so perhaps the villain will be an evil, young grandmother. I’m guessing she’s after the Haneul Group fortune, and I’m curious to see how she’ll manipulate her new family to get what she wants.

If there’s one character I don’t quite care for, it’s Hye-ji. She clearly has a thing for Hyun-min, even though the feelings aren’t mutual. I wonder if there was a particular event that ruined their childhood friendship since Hyun-min dislikes her immensely, but I guess if a woman continues to pine for you despite numerous and unmistakeable rejections, Hyun-min’s aversion makes sense. So far, Hye-ji hasn’t done anything wrong, but I just don’t buy her innocent, nice-girl demeanor since she represses her feelings of anger and suspicion. Ji-woon seems the most comfortable around her which is troubling; I’m sure Hye-ji realizes this and will use him to snag Hyun-min. Ji-woon does not need more heartache!

This first episode was definitely an easy watch. There were no lulls, and the pace was moderate throughout. The setup was well executed albeit conventional, but all in all it was a breezy, fun, and safe first episode. At times, I found the use of slo-mo to be a bit excessive and misplaced. I understand the effect when the cousins emerge from their flashy cars and enter the house together, looking all stoic and sleek. But using that same effect on Hye-ji when she’s just looking for fabric? Unnecessary and distracting. One other minor thing that bothered me was Ha-won’s flashback when she handed her mother an empty bouquet while informing her that white roses should be given to people she respects. I didn’t see any white roses. Did you? Were they imaginary white roses?

Flower mystery aside, I’m all for a strong heroine who will try and whip grown men into chivalrous knights. Or at the very least, mature, well-meaning gentlemen.

 
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I agree with your comments. I am so drawn to this drama and everyone seems equally okay in my eyes and heart. Can't wait for what's more.

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You guys picked another show. Thanks Everyone.

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I found it boring and nothing new like it was a drama from 5 years ago.

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I did too. I ff a lot but the second episode made it into more of a popcorn watch then a boredom thing. I wish the leads were hotter.

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Ha, so I'm not the only one who isn't an AJH or JIW fangirl? *high five chingu* ?

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Not a fan of the male leads either.

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More like from 10 years ago for me...

<This first episode was definitely an easy watch.

I so did not find it an easy watch... because I was bored and I was cringing. Managed 15 minutes and had to stop. Tried the final 15 minutes later because said I should, but it made no difference.

I'll leave this one to the ones that enjoy it.

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alua ~

Five minutes for the wife and I. Not our cup of tea.

For me, I'm grateful that the subs for Let Me Call You Father In Law have resumed.

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I might have to do the same - Jung Il-woo's vaunted charm does nothing for me, and I just kept getting bored by everyone except Park So-dam (and Ahn Jae-hyun, when they shared scenes).

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This show is like junk food. It's not good for your health, but people still like it anyway. LOL.

The first two episodes feel like an unpolished draft for me. The plot was there... but they have no depth and left no impact to me. The bad directing doesn't help either.

I'm still gonna give this show a try until E04. If there's no improvement I'll drop it.

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Okay.....let me say this:

To all the veteran kdrama beanies, this type of show should be something we're all familiar with. This is not a show where we're supposed to crack our heads, hold our breath, wipe our tears and mend our hearts. It's a cotton candy-unicorn-rainbow glitter-flower boy show meant to just give its viewers a good laugh and hopefully still be able to appreciate all the drama tropes that made you the veteran beanie you are now.

If you're tired of seeing overplayed, overused, over-the-top storylines, characters and tropes, then maybe this isn't a show for you. Networks tend to go back to shows like these because it has a proven formula: tweens and tweens at heart will always go for this type of show.

So my take is, enjoy it if you want. The actors seem like they're trying to find their footing and chemistry so hopefully that will show in the next couple of episodes. Predictably, the shows plot is a given. Yes, it's got cringe worthy moments but shows like this are really the ones that you go back to if you find yourself craving for some extra cheesiness. Popcorns an option. ^_^

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Yes totally agree! I come to watch this so I can escape to my shoujo dream if it actually came to life. I'm waiting to see how many cliches and laughs this drama can give me while adding their own twists. Low expectations but just a nice sweet break from reality.

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@Yoyo

Spot on. Couldn't have said it better. Enjoy some fluffs. It's good to clear the head and light up the heart. :)

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OMG I totally agree about feeling like it was from 5 years ago... it just had this feel of being older, not ancient but nothing fresh or new. I'll still watch at least the next few eps because it wasn't awful, but compared to the other currently airing drama I'm watching (W), it just seems laughably predictable.

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Thanks for the recap. Quick question, isn't 손나은 romanization supposed to be Son Na-Eun not Sohn Na-Eun? I notice Dramabeans always use her name with additional H?I wonder why?

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Actually there are several types of romanization for hangul. Dramabeans team just pick the one that would sound the most similar to the actual sound in korean. The word "손" when said by an english-speaking person would sound more like "Sohn" rather than the "Son" word in english. Some people still use "Son" though, that's why it can be confusing at times. It happens to other vowel/consonant sounds too. But if you are familiar with hangul, it shouldn't be a problem.

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Pronunciation. Without the extra h, it would read like the English word "son", which is not how the surname is pronounced.

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Hmm. Her surname is the same with Son Dambi (손담비) and I saw Son Dambi articles in dramabeans writtten as "Son Dambi". Just seems weird for me coz never saw her name written that way in other English language articles lol. I guess it also can be both ways?

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Yes, it can be both ways. Sometimes it's a matter of preference, as hangul romanisation is not fixed in stone. For example, Son Hyun-joo can be Son Hyeon-ju as well. As a surname, Son can be romanised as Sohn and Shon.

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Just like vkook stated above, there are several types of romanization for hangeul. Another example is surname "Lee" is actually just "이" (pronounced "yi") but romanized as "Lee" in "Lee Minho", "Yi" in "Yiruma", or "Rhee".
안 could be 'Ahn' in Ahn Jaehyun and 'An' in Tony An, 최 could be "Choi" and "Chwe", 정 could be "Jung" and "Jeong" and "Chung", 임 could be "Im" and "Lim", sometimes it regards to how the persons themselves pronounce it personally.

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Park So-dam isn't getting enough praise for her role in this drama. I know it just began but all the praise seems to be for the boys and for the second female lead, who I personally found "meh" (hopefully it'll change). I didn't love the first episodes but I'll keep watching for Park So-dam. It's her first drama I check out but she definitely won me over.

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You should check Beautiful Mind too. PSD did a good job in there too.

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Second female lead got the praise? Really? Heol. I found her just bland and annoying in this eps tho ?? . Cant feel any sympathy for her.

I cheer for Eun Hawon's happiness. ? Btw, I think Park Sodam and Ahn Jaehyun have a good chemistry. Too bad that she will end up with Jung Ilwoo's character. I'm a 'lil disappointed with the way Jiwoon treats Hawon. Wish she wouldn't give her heart easily for him. ?

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Yes I thought that was crazy too that the second lead got so much praise but turns out she's an idol so I guess she has a huge fanbase. That makes sense.
She didn't impress me at all and I have nothing against idol-actors, I recognize they can be really good. Take Eun-ji for example (who by the way is from the same group as Na-eun, the second lead here).
It might be the character's fault so I'll wait to see if she'll get more interesting. For now I'm totally turned off by the "romance" she is supposed to have with Ahn Jae-hyun's character. He has way more chemistry with Park So-Dam (who has awesome chemistry with Jung Il-woo's character too, by the way).
So yeah, Park So-dam all the way! I'm glad she's the lead.

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If the praises the second lead got was from her fanbase well that's just a bit sad. I understand they love her but they should be objective. She could be a great singer/dancer and an average actress. Doesn't mean she's bad, just that she's not perfect

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Don't expect much. I've seen Na Eun in other dramas and she's honestly pretty awful. The worst moment for me in Cinderella so far was when she was crying and all I could think was "stop trying to look pretty while crying dammit!" I have nothing against her personally and actually like many idols actors but she just has no business acting in my opinion.

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I completely agree with everything you said. The second lead girl was just so-so in my opinion, nothing bad but nothing great neither.
And I also love the chemistry between Park So Dam and Ahn Jae Hyeon. I don't think she has much chemistry nor spark with Jung Il Woo so rooting for them is kinda hard

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honestly Jung Il Woo looked like he was sleep walking through most of the episode lol. He either looked on the verge of crying and then his scenes/personality lacked spark or bite. i mean he's suppoed to be a Bad Boy but he seems more like a droopy boy who just reallyyyy needs a hug lol. plus he seems quite a bit older than ajh so him calling AJH "hyung" made me crack up so bad. likewise all the male poturing he did with ahj right out of the gate was more funny than tense. it shoulda been played more humorously (a bit like the clashes between lead and secondary lead in Protect the Boss and HS King of Savvy) instead it was played straight by the drama and JIW, and there was just zero tension for me. plus the fact that AHJ's chara, while obnoxious af, has said before he's not into using his fists (i highly doubt he can fight at all tbh), JIW constant getting in his face with the threat violence (but again not played in a funny way highlighting how childish it is) makes him come off really badly. idk the tonal whiplash is wild, its like JIW is acting in a totally different drama from everyone else???
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As for AHJ, I find him very fun to watch so far but his character type has been done to DEATH alrdy in many other dramas. Dramas both better and worse than this one by actors better/more experience than AHJ. So I'm frankly happy he's not the lead. He cant really carry a lead role either imo, he's obv more comfortable being given less responsibility (and a silly character to play).
Plus PSD actually marrying/ending up with him etc would would go against the whole not needing a prince theme. At least JIW's spent most of his life without wealth and i can see him leaving behind his fortune (and chaebol title) fairly easily instead of PSD marrying into his rich ass "family". ofc the opposite could happen too lol. I'm not full speed ahead on the main couple just yet but at least the few times JIW wasnt a total non entity to me was in his few scenes with PSD. her peppy energy might be what helps. honestly i kept wondering "is he gonna be ok?". is it just me???

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Great analysis! I didn't feel like JIW was being much of a bad boy in the first 2 episodes and I generally like this actor, it's just that here his character is just... lacking on something and I think you're right, that his scenes don't show much spark or bite like you would expect. And I agree about the tension, especially when comparing with other dramas. The tension here feel a bit unreal or like an elementary school fight (ok I might be a bit mean here).

I think you're right in terms of character it would make more sense for PSD to end with JIW because they have much more in common. Plus it would be a change in dramaland (yes he's rich but he was educated in a non-wealthy environment) and it fits with the drama and PSD's character as well. I just want a little more from JIW so that I can fully root for him to end up with PSD.

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I disagree.

This drama just confirmed my allergy to Ahn Jae Hyun. I don't know what it is about the guy, but I can't stand him. Jung Il Woo, on the other hand, I quite like, but he picks terrible dramas lately. I have no opinion of Park So Dam whatsoever. Her character is likeable enough, but her performance isn't anything special. Twenty other actresses could have done the same with her role.

The drama itself is pretty breezy, familiar popcorn fun. It gives me some Boys Over Flowers vibes, and I'm a sucker for Cinderella stories anyway. I'll probably stick with Drama for now, until Scarlet Heart or Jealousy Incarnate gives me something better to watch.

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You said everything that's on my mind.

I love Park So-dam and Ahn Jae-hyun the most in this drama. Ahn Jae-hyun totally shipped the second lead syndrome the moment he and Park So-dam shared the screen.

I'll accept everything just don't let the him end up with the other girl. Please.

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Aaaahh! I'm with you guys here!!

Totally agree on chemistry between So-Dam and Jae-hyun! It's amazing and sparkling.

I'm starting to suffer from second lead syndrome again.

Argh, shipping is always guilty pleasure, but with k-dramas and second leads you can get too hurt;))

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Totally agree!! Loving the scenes with PSD and AJH!! Great chemistry and I can already see the bickering ahead. JIW, not so much. Plus, I find his character is being a jerk so far to HW and she doesn't deserve such treatment.

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YESSS!!
He's the scene-stealer here! I think because they're definitely the open books. We can easily know what kind of person they are and how they react to things. Meanwhile other chars *cough-jiwoon-and-hyeji-cough* are mysteriously dramatic.

I'm definitely in 2nd lead syndrome again, he's just unreal, a childish jerk, and narcissist. It feels so guilty rooting for him, but I do, and yes, I don't want him to get another girl except for Hawon. :(

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Second lead getting praise remember me of Wild Romance with Lee Dong Wook, Lee Si Young and Jessica from SNSD.

I hated that they focus on Jessica and Dong Wook because she was popular when the main girl was Si Young. The whole drama was spent on them when the other girl was just there sad seeing them together. There was no romance until de the end.
Jessica irritated me so much, she was awful on that drama, her character was annoying.
Actually everyone was annoying, that drama was horrible HAHAHA.

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Really?? Second female lead got praise? For doing what? LOL Her role and acting did nothing for me and I had so many other things to comment on that I had no room to include her in my comment for this ep. She's there to serve the second lead purpose to be clingy to the guy and probably be mean to HW later. That's about it.

One thing I'm curious about though is how come she is so close to JW? She's childhood friends with HM, but at most, she's only known JW for one year, no? Cuz JW has only been with the Kangs for one year... I found that odd since it's as if she is also childhood friends with JW.

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I don't understand that either - I barely noticed the 2nd female lead, and was not even sure that she WAS the lead until 2nd episode.

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Oh really? I'm suprised too, maybe it is mostly her fans? She is an idol actor. Yea the first episode didn't really give much background for JW and the 2nd female lead, it's weird how close they already seem.

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Second lead getting praise remember me of Wild Romance with Lee Dong Wook, Lee Si Young and Jessica from SNSD.

I hated that they focus on Jessica and Dong Wook because she was popular when the main girl was Si Young. The whole drama was spent on them when the other girl was just there sad seeing them together. There was no romance until de the end.
Jessica irritated me so much, she was awful on that drama, her character was annoying.
Actually everyone was annoying, that drama was horrible HAHAHA.

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Really happy you guys picked it up! This drama is a perfect feel good drama that isnt too serious.. for now

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Agreed, super happy it is being picked up for recaps!

So far I think it is super cute. Not sure why there are so many complaints that it is a story that has been done before when it outright says it is a Cinderella story in the title. I mean, that is like complaining that Rich Man, Poor Girl is about a rich man and a poor girl.

I'm hoping it is like Atashi no Uchi no Danshi with less insanity (because that show really WAS insane):)

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Yeah, kind of like complaining about how the chocolate ice cream you bought tastes like chocolate :P

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You said it right, the writer warned the audience with literally 'Cinderella' title. Only few writers actually mentioned the inspiration came from, despite the fact that we would all know how the story goes based the title itself.

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I agree I think Hye Ji is going to be the typical second lead which is sad, I wish they would do more with her character. Obvioulsy all the boys can't end up with Ha won, Hye Ji would be a nice character to help Ha won with her mission to change the boys for the better. She obviously has history with them and knows their stories it would be a big help for Ha won to have someone on her side. I hate the typical trope of the woman who lays claim on a man and will go on a vengeful crusade if any girl even looks at him, because he's hers!! Just because you like him doesn't make him your's, you can't force someone to love you. He is very clear about his feelings and intent, he doesn't like her. I cringed as she whined about him dating her friend and later about him having a date. Why should we feel sorry for her when he did nothing wrong to her? She's not his girlfriend. ~~ rant over haha I just hate this trope and its used so much. (same as Uncontrollably fondly Jung eun and Ji Tae)

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Yes, I agree with you regarding the overused trope. When you express your feelings and they are not reciprocated....move on. And I'm equal opportunity; the Park Hae Jin character on MLFAS drove me crazy as well.

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I didn't watch that drama but I also disliked BOF for the same reason. I never understood why we should feel sorry for GP when she very clearly said she didn't like him and wouldn't date him, but because he decided she was his , he owned her ? that's nuts. I just seem to see it used more with female characters in asian dramas then males. I can't count how many times I have heard the line " I will love enough for both of us, so it's okay if you don't love me ". OMG cringe!!! haha That's nuts, you may not need crazy passionate love but at least find someone who doesn't flinch every time you try to be affectionate.

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Hye Ji using the damsel in distress trope is something I'm not buying into. She's leeching onto the past hoping to reap something off of it and mooching off poor disturbed noble idiot named Ji-woon just because she can't get Hyun-min to like her (again).

Since I got peeved by her character, I actually will commend the actress playing the part because she convinced me to get annoyed by her antics as helpless Hye Ji.

Hye Ji will most likely continue to annoy me but hopefully they get to utilize her character as someone that will assist our heroine accomplish her mission.

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I signed up on this drama solely for JIW. But AJH's playboy portayal stole my heart... ☺️?☺️

Thanks for the recap, Chickachunga!

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Maybe I'm just in a drama dry spell (or have wayy too much time on my hands), but I found this surprisingly watchable considering the rather trite premise! Will keep watching. :)

I liked Park So-dam's character a lot and I'm desperately hoping she keeps her spirit up throughout the series, and it's not something she loses along the way.

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I agree. It's either the fact that I'm watching too many dramas right now or this show is actually reminding me why I felt in love with kdramas at first sight.
Keep up they good work with the recaps. Thank you very kamsa!

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Same here. After a series of darker dramas, it is time for some total fluff and feel-good drama.

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Apart from the overuse of slow-mo, the other thing i found distracting was the music. There's way too much music!!

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I didn't like it one bit. The second episode is way more cringeworthy. AhJ is the only saving grace of this drama. JW has so much potential and all he has to do is look exasperated and grumpy. Why do all three have to arrived at the same time and walk with heavy shoulders. I have a feeling the director likes symmetry too much

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LOL, Ahn Jae Hyun is so horrible in acting. Park Sodam is the one with acting and face to save this drama.

Ahn Jae Hyun may be horrible in acting, but his character is at the extent of interest compared to other characters. Despite him being a total asshole.

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Ahn Jaehyun might be not great, but this definitely shows improvement. I think because of his looks, dramas/film makers often (or mostly) cast him as this rich stone-cold guy.

But for me the best he's done is this and Man from Another Star, which leads to his ultimate character: the brat kid.

and judging from 'New Journey to the West' is this, he seems too perfect but actually very flawed and innocently ignorant.

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I think you are taking this way to seriously. For me this is the parody of all parodies on past Candy Girl/Cinderella type shows, exaggerated to the max.

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I was ill this weekend and ended up watching the first two episodes. What can I say? Loved it! Even though I feel at least ten years too old to be into this, it was way more enjoyable than I had anticipated.

Mr. Playboy is definitely my favorite so far, but I also like Mr. Singer's sweetness and Mr. Biker's looks (he keeps reminding me of Cha Do-hyun from Kill Me, Heal Me for some odd reason). Not much to say about Mr. Assistant, hopefully that'll change soon.

The best thing about the show, however, was clearly Ha-won. I really hope she kicks some more ass(es) in the upcoming episodes.

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LOL, I call Mr. Assistant the 'Botox guy' because he's so robotic and never express one bit.

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Hahah yes he is so robotic! Kinda seemed to be semi permanently angry as well at most things. He's just got that look of I'm-so-sick-of-these-brats, whenever he sees the grandsons.

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Ahahaha I kept forgetting g his real name, but I think Botox Guy will stick with me.

It was cracking me up that he kept appearing in scenes out of nowhere just to drop some sort of bomb on the other guys: [Enter Botox Guy] "Grandpa cancelled your credit cards. Yes, you're broke now." [Exits stage left]

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The general consensus seem to be people either hate it or find it tolerable. Well im enjoying it so im gonna continue watching it unless i dont find it as enjoyable as before, which is how drama watching should be- you enjoy it, watch it. Don't, then stop. Simple. I dont understand why some people have to be such party poopers.

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I was prepared to root for Jung Il-woo, but found myself drawn to Ahn Jae-hyun. The Jung Il-woo character frustrated me with his ridiculous fawning over the Sohn Na-eun character. (Don't even get me started on that girl.) And what on earth is with Sohn Na Eun's face here? She looks bloated and weird. A surfeit of surgery?

I had high expectations of Park So-dam because people seem to compare her (rightly or not) to Kim Go-eun. I'm sorry to say that my expectations were dashed. Now I know how people feel when they complain about Suzy in "Uncontrollably Fond," haha.

I watched both Episodes 1 and 2; I wasn't impressed by 1 but watched 2 anyway because there was nothing else to do. I thought the writing and the pace were very uneven. And Jung Il-woo brings an odd sort of veteran energy to his role that's out of step with everyone else's. But I really like Ahn Jae-hyun here. I might keep watching just for him.

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Will only comment on one thing:

I agree with what you said about JIW standing out as a veteran. He's like saying 'yup been there, done that, so come at me, Show'. And he's still hot zomg I cannot. ???????❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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I Agree with you regarding episode and Hyun min

If Same face in all conditions is the criteria then all must hail Su Ji.

Jung Il-Woo's character suffered bad script-writing. Writer's main purpose was to bring everyone in the sky mansion and as it's done in 2nd episode audience can only hope for better writing and Editing. Director is solely dependent on Writer to make up a coherent story.

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It's like BOF all over again and I love it! With so many brilliant shows needing so much concentration in case you miss sth important to the plot this one is just there to be enjoyed, no stess. Bring it on!

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totally agree. BOF was first thing that came to my mind.

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It's definitely BOF 2.0! Now they're just college students, and they get to share a house together!

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If Damsel-in-distress is too annoying of a trait and overused then highly efficient and violent girls are equally overused tropes. Just because Kdramas depend on 1 trope more doesn't make other trope any better.
Just because main customerline aka audience is female gender doesn't make fiery and haughty heroine any more appealing at all.

A girls who knows to fight and talks back doesn't make her strong female character and in the same way a girl crying straight for 16 episodes is no criteria to admonish her as a weak character. Sigh.

I like Ha Won but i usually hate both of the above mentioned tropes.

Anyone ever watched Kuuderes. They are one of most awesome female characters you can vouch for.

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I agree the troupes are overused however, the test for any character portrayal is 'annoyance' and this largely rests on the delivery by the actress.

A shakespearan character can be delivered in multiple ways by different actresses. Similarly a candy girl can also be moulded and delivered in multiple ways.

PSD reminds me of Ha Ji won. She can do badass but still be vulnerable without being annoying.

Dont blame the troupes blame the players..

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I said nothing against Park So Dam aka Ha Ji Won. I just complained the extreme portrayal of character traits. Here Troupes and its users are at fault - The Writer.

It always is all about how an actor perceives a character. That understanding influences their acting. I always believed a character makes an actor so i think writer did pretty bad job in defining or conceptualising the characters

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hmm idk about Kuuderes, they are cold but only show little portion of their heart since they showed it as weakness,
so.. idk anyone that looked like kuuderes here

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kdrama world doesn't know the awesomeness of Kuuderes though i have always seen few Yandere traits in 2nd female leads.

None is Kuudere in this show nor Hye Ji is damsel in distress.

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You are right in terms of tropes being used too extreme. Strong female character shouldn't be defined by her martial art skills, but her emotional strength and her flaws.

Because of the bad editing skills, this drama doesn't have the capacity to show linear story. However, episode 2 has slightly better editing. I think Eun Ga Won is better and more interesting character than the boys due to acting and rounding out character. She shows the emotional strength when she was facing her family, not deterred by their bullying.

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The "bad ass" girl is often overused, but what usually kills it for me is that nearly every time those bad ass girls turn into whimpering damsels in distress within 3-4 episode. IMO, that is what happened in Doctors, and one reason why I gave up on the show. The shows quite often don't keep their promise of a "real" self-confident girl. I am hoping that does not happen here, because so far I am liking the show.

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+1

Another example, Ha Ji Won's Gil Ra Im character in "Secret Garden".

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A girl who knows to fight and talks back doesn’t make her strong female character

Bingo. I'm tired of the 'girl beats up two people in one episode' trope being used yet again to signal that ~this heroine is strong~ and supposedly nothing like the other zillion Candy types that came before her (who may also have been physically strong, had money worries and multiple jobs, and fell for rich dudes. I mean, fluff can be enjoyable. But this is just lazy.

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I am not so sure - I am expecting a twist in this plot.. for no other reason than I think there should be a twist :D

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Oh the twist will be that Ha-won will be the actual daughter/grand-daughter of the rich grandfather:D

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To be honest? I'm not fond of the kuudere type of girl. Most kuuderes I've seen (mostly in cartoons - haven't watched that much kdramas to see if they portray it differently) are either too cold or too bland for me to like and when they do show their kind side it just feels too out-of-character for them.

Don't get me wrong - the violent, tsundere type of character is overdone, too. Kuudere isn't my least favorite either (I'm looking at you, non-actiony yanderes), but unless there's one that really wows me outside of their coldness or something it's not that impressive in my opinion.

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Kuuderes demand extensive character development and smart writing which mostly is absent in kdrama world. Tsundere is overabused in all of asian fiction.

This is why Oregairu light novel is my favourite because it has the main female lead showing most traits of kuudere beautifully.

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I haven't read the light novel, but I will agree that Yukino is a kuudere done right (even though I know plenty of people who have her as their least favorite kuudere - oh well...). However, she's probably one of the only few kuuderes I like. The development I've seen for some kuuderes just seems so farfetched, and even leaves some large plotholes in the story. Angel Beats is a prime example of this (sorry, I know it's super popular!) with Kanade, but I won't spoil.

Then again, I do notice that I dislike a lot of the popular kuuderes. Maybe the popularity is playing a tiny part as well?

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It's just nice to have a drama that's light, funny and predictable. It's the perfect in between show that makes me take a break from the heavy-mind numbing-plot twisted-heart wrenching-sob worthy dramas I watch during weekdays.

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That sums this show up perfectly!! I light show that doesn't require actual brain power or concentration. It would be the perfect show to play in the background while you clean (except for the whole 'I don't speak Korean, so I gotta sit still and read the subtitles' thing). Fluff at its best + Jung Il Woo = yes! And who knows, this show could surprise us and dazzle us with its amazing writing and storyline. One can hope...

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One of the main reasons I'm enjoying this show! Besides liking the cast, I need something that won't stress my mind. LOL

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Butler Kim plastered to the ceiling was hilarious!!!

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How did he end up there to begin with? It must have been tough to put him there

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A butt load of green duct tape and the ingenuity of a spoiled third generation chaebol.

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I think that was PPL for duct tape. Look, you can get it in bright green instead of the drab gray color! And it's so strong you can tape a butler to your ceiling!

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But it must be physically draining to do that no? I mean, you need to hold him while climbing up to reach the ceiling AND then you need to tape him. And let's not talk about the butler struggling to break free...

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I think they "mummy" wrapped him with duct tape before plastering him on the ceiling, less movement that way.

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LOL, it sounds like you're speaking from experience, @Yoyo.

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Wow @Yoyo I haven't thought of that. Thabk you for sharing great tips. Now if anybody tries to mess with me, I'll know what to do

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well, since the two grandsons are above 186 cm / 6'2... their height itself is very handy.

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I looove jung il woo and adore park so dam. she looks so lovely here. but I dont like this kind of story. So good luck to them. I hope it got good rating.
anyway, no one comment about Haneul Grup. The Haneul Grup owner is Kang Family right ??
So... Kang Haneul??

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LOL! What a relation's you've drawn here. Now I can't undo the thought of KHN gracing this drama... ^^

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Haha that's my exact same thought too!

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I'm loving it! Park So Dam is all kinds of awesome and there is a satisfying amount of pretty on my screen. I can't wait for the forced co-habitation to begin.

Ji Woon is so assy to Ha Won, I really hope he falls for her first and has to suffer for his behaviour now. Okay there have been flashes of niceness but he was really vile to her, no matter what his assumptions about what she'll do for money.

Hyun Min is charming enough for me to not entirely mind his player ways. I enjoy is frank-ness.

Looking forward to more Secretary too.

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Jung Il Woo though ... yum

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Yay! You guys are recapping this! Haha.

Count me in for some fluffy fun, and a kick ass heroine to boot! I'm definitely here for Park so Dam and I couldn't care less if she doesn't end up with anyone. Haha. *prays very hard she doesn't lose her spunk* please writer please please please ? A girl can fall in love and still be sassy and kick ass you know? They aren't mutually exclusive.

I may upset people but I really thought that Anh Jae Hyun was the lead male! ? I unfortunately am not feeling it with the super emo Jung II-woo who is fawning over Sohn Na Eun, plus really moody. And I really don't like his frazzled noodle orangey hair. (Don't kill me!) Though I suppose there are many more episodes to change my mind. Hopefully this won't be the start of second lead syndrome ?

Let's kick some spoilt chaebol butt PSD! Fighting!

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Looking at the screenshots again I take it back- Jung II woo's hair doesn't look that bad. I don't know why I had this idea it was kinda frazzled looking. Hopefully his character too will grow on me in the coming episodes!

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+1

This drama really gives a BBF vibe... I too think Ahn Jae Hyun more interesting and has wonderful chemistry with Park So Dam.
I don't like JIL character.. Maybe because he is such a jerk!! He knows about PSD's reason for needing the money and he is still pulling that stunt (throwing money). That's a real ass imo! At least Go Jung Pyo was raised as a rich spoilt child and absolutely didn't have any idea about how it feels for being poor... I hope ep 3 redeems his behavior or I might have the worst case of SL syndrome ??

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It's ok, I think we have company if we fall into second lead syndrome! lol.

I fully agree with you that JIL actions are even more unexplainable given that he had a humble/normal upbringing. You would think that since he knows Ha Won also has a deceased relative, plus she is working hard to earn money, that he would be more sympathetic instead of throwing money at her. Or perhaps he thinks she is a money grabber? and right now he hates the fact that people are being manipulated by money so he by default hates her?

I think I am giving his character too much credit and thinking too much for this show. XD

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Totally suffering SL syndrome. JIL is entirely too moody and jerky and though I get it, his mysterious character is hard to relate with. I get the broody Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights characterization but after a while, this type of character is tiresome. AJH's character is a shameless playboy, there's something intriguing about him... although I'm sure there's a boatload of drama brewing with the second female lead. (Not looking forward to seeing her on screen).

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Hmm, I actually like JIL's character here, but if it comes right down to it, I have 4th lead syndrome -- the personal assistant is sane and stable and smart and very, very good-looking.

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I'm in the same boat! I am shipping AJH with PSD cuz JIW's character is turning me off (and yes, that distracting hair)! I like the main cast all equally, and that's why I'm tuning in, so it's definitely the characterization. Let's hope JIW has more to work with in the upcoming ep's! I like that HM is a playboy and fully acknowledges it, being unapologetic and straightforward. JW, on the other hand, is just being a jerk.

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That moment you came into the show for the main OTP but the Playboy draws you in. :(

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Yes! Same. And usually I don't like the playboy. What on earth is happening to me?

I didn't know which "prince" was the OTP and after episode 1 and 2 I really did think it was Jae Hyun's character. ?

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Haha... AJH's character does give off that feeling he's the lead. XD

And is it just me or does AJH look younger than JIW; hence, him being the hyung in this show rather amuses me. (Though in real life AJH is older than JIW by two months. XD)

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It's only after reading all these comments from the beanies that I realise AJH isn't the lead, noooo so far he's the only one really captivating me.

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it is his self-praise and self assurance that he is awesome at some moment,
I know, it's hard to not notice how handsome you are...

(^_-)-☆

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Same here! His lines and actions are so over-the-top but incredibly enjoyable (and AJH seems to be having a blast with the role!).

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Reminds me with the behind-the-scene video of him and Park Sodam and that she told him not to try to be a comedian because he's making things too funny.

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*cries along*
I'm watching this for Ahn Jaehyun, with knowledge that he's not the second lead or anything to rooted any relationship he would have with the main girl. But as soon as he interacts with Park Sodam, it hits home...

But then again, it's very vague that I consider him as the 'prince charming' since any Cinderella equivalent here involves him. He's the one who took her to the ball until midnight, and so on in ep 2.

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The acting saves this drama. PSD and JIL have fleshed out their characters nicely and bring the 'heart' to the show although JIW might be too old/experienced/veteran for this kind of role. Despite the cheese I found myself caring about HW character and PSD really milked her scenes and the soundtrack helped.

I dont mind that its a coming of age candy story but I hate predidictability. I can already tell that she will end up with JIL character. There must be some be some element of mystery/suspense/thrill to make a 'drama' otherwise its just a daytime soap.

AJH seems to be enjoying himself. An actor enjoying himself in his role always comes across. Love the wrongness chemistry with PSD.

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I don't think this show is as predictable as many think. I think she will end up with none of them - or put another way, none of them will end up with her.

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I want to be the intellectual type and only like shows like Signal and Liar Game and Police Squad 38, but dang this show has me suckered in! I know what to expect and what is going to happen, but I can't stop watching. So the intellectual me says mathematically that "

Cinderella and the 4 Knights = Boys Over Flowers x You're Beautiful

It's all the tropes = Angsty chaebol + Play Boy chaebol fighting over hardworking candy girl, with comically horrible villains

Add in : swoony body guard, music star boy (Seo Woo = Jeremy - Jolie the Dog), rich controlling patriarch with all the power, and new mystery wife with hidden agenda

Put all the prettiness in the same magnificent, unbelievable dream mansion for cohabitation hijinks and hey presto, I am hooked and want to watch more.

BTW Grandpa = Colonel Sanders (I can't unsee it once I saw it and you won't be able to either!) Seriously the best PPI ever, unless you can get any of the other characters to look like a subway lol!!!

Looking forward to the episodes to come, thanks for recapping!

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OMG, COL. SANDERS!!! I couldn't put my finger on why I was laughing like a hyena during the wedding scene before tgey met at the altar, but now I do. Thanks! Pwahahahaha!

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The title is Cinderella who obviously Ha Won but there's no The Prince, just the supposedly knight...
In the tale version (as I remember) Cinderella changed the knight heart to spare her so she can run away from the evil mom.

So is this story try to depicted that?
The Cinderella that changed the knight's heart and not the Cinderella that charmed The Prince, let's be real, no one is charming enough at this point.

wait a main, that one is Snow White !!
so does Cinderella story has the knight? she supposed to go to the ball alone with the fairy and meet the prince there,

hmm ...
anyway, I like ha won so much, she is realistic, have a sad story but she's not a crybaby, she just awesome with enough strength to live,
for the 10 part time job, she almost graduated so she doesn't have to go to school.

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Snow white seduced the seven dwarfs and fell into an ageless sleep after biting the poisoned apple from stepmother.

Cinderella charmed the Prince. We dont know who the prince is yet because grandpa has not appointed anyone yet as the official heir.

Thats my take.

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right about the prince and snow white,

I stil hope they'll make something poison apple-inspired. Like apple bracelet/necklaces

and oh the cinderella willingly abandoned her shoes after the ball, hahahaha

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Lol at Snow White seducing the seven dwarfs.

Of the 4 knights, I'd choose the stern faced chairman's assistant.. He's like most chaebol-ish of them all...

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I think she is Cinderella but like you said, no prince.
NO ONE is prince-like at the moment.

but if you take it as Prince Charming then surely Player is the most charming at the moment. haha.

Man I can't believe I may have unwittingly fallen into second lead syndrome! :O

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he indeed has his own charm,
he offer her kindly without any background misunderstanding and she accept it willingly.

He is a playboy but he and other girl he meet knew he is like that,
kinda funny but I have this worry that he may end up with hye ji,
ha won suit hin more at tge moment.

SLS knocked the door and I am willingly accept him.. ^^

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Thanks for the recap.

The second lead female isn't so bad and her acting is sympathetic. It's refreshing to see that in drama nowadays, the second lead is a textured individual with strong points and flaws and not a one dimensional caricature villain. Here's looking at you Doctor Crush, Oh Hae Young Again, Goodbye Mr Black. We don't yet realize her back story yet, so I will reserve my judgement until half way into the drama if and when she does something overtly evil. For all we know she may be a genuinely sincere, sweet person and AJH's character, a bit of a jerk.

I didn't care for JIW's fried hair either (maybe he's trying to convey he's too poor to get a decent perm job? His intensity is a bit jarring though, at odds with the mood of the show.

Love PSD! I became a fan of hers in BM and have loved watching her performance since then. I love that she's a kickass heroine who has a hard life. But I hope they make her kickass until the end. Dramas usually make their heroines start out spunky and feisty and then lose it halfway through the drama cycle and turn to mush, spineless and without a backbone. Hope this isn't the case with this drama.

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"..heroines start out spunky and feisty and then lose it halfway through the drama cycle and turn to mush, spineless and without a backbone. Hope this isn’t the case with this drama...".

That echoes my thoughts exactly. If they keep up her role as being a real kick-ass heroine I think the show will do OK. So far I have not seen any signs of mush, but then have only seen 2 episodes. Doctors started out the same way - first two episodes were good, after that.. meh.

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The headache I had while watching the first episode is real. But I'm still going to continue watching it anyway, 'cause I'm a masochist. The prettiness is too blinding that I can't let go.

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i've second lead actor (note: actor) syndrome

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Happy to see Park So-dam getting some love here! She was lovely in Beautiful Mind, and I'm glad she's kicking some chaebol ass in Cinderella.

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Nice & fluffy, my kind of drama, love it, but why is JIW so overly emo here? Like he is in a different drama.

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I feel the same way, he feels belong in a diff setting,
he even looked more depress than ha won at his sad scene,
it's good acting but it a bit weird when the overall tone isn't like that.

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Money, friendship, family (albeit a bit of a strange family), girl (ok, he got to work on it..) are all there, yet he was like 'I am determined to be not happy' kind of state... I believe I'm missing something there perhaps..

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Jung Il-woo/ where is your 1 million dollar smile...?

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I LOVE it when Ha-won shoved Hyun-min's head down to apologize. Grandpa was just awed seeing a girl do that to his errant grandson :D.

Hyun-min is actually my favorite knight at the moment, and yes I like a badass Cinderella, too. Thanks for the recap !

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Wow.i don't remember reading about this drama.it was the title that drew me in.Ha Won is a strong character.i hope she retains this till the end of the series.

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It's cringeworthy cheesy and predictable and I LOVE IT!!!?

I also feel/see the BoF vibe that it gives off, but thankfully minus the endless repeats of "Almost Paradise" which still haunts me to this day.

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This drama is indeed full of tropes, cliches, and just predictable plot all over but it works and I'm really enjoying the drama. What I'm most excited about is the relationship development that is sure to happen between the cousins/brothers. They're all eventually going to live under the same roof so that should be interesting to watch. I know this is a typical Kdrama and our heroine will be saved multiple times but I can't wait to see her not needing saving. I really love her spunk and seeing the boys being saved by her instead would be fantastic. Our Ji-Woon is more than likely our "prince charming". Hopefully, they mix things up a little and make things less predictable. Thank you for recapping this drama! Looking forward to the next episode.

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Plot is paper thin but we have a spunky heroine and cute boys! Count me in anyway! PSD rocks in this role.

Like many others, I'm drawn to AJH's playboy character a lot more. He's conceited but charming af.

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Thanks for the recap from my fav site. PSD is perfect for her character. She is so awesome, it is wonderful watching CATFK just for her. But what can i say, SLS came and conquered me with his beautiful smile and suspiciously deep emotions hidden behind carefree attitude.

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I thought others would compare this drama to BOF too lol. But in my opinion, I like this better so far than BOF. Im just so curious how the bodyguard guy will fit into the story of no-dating allowed story. Like will he fall in love with the Cinderella? That's something I can't really get a grip of.

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Yh,i like it better than BOF.I hope she is much better dresser than jan di ah

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I don't actually see the similarity with BOF except the numbers and chaebol,
BoF is all about nice naive girl and 4 of giant corporation successor (or son of famous people), they meet in the scholl and entangled to each otyer life.

Cinderella is about cinderella-like girl (her family matter) and the giant company successors, she agree to work in their house to help them and get a payment,

I don't want to sounds like defensive (someone has said that to this argument in other place) but it just doesn't look like similar drama story wise.

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Yay, DB is picking this up! Thanks, chickachunga!

I think I was the most excited when I saw Kyudong from Monstar as one of Player's minions. So glad to see him!

I take it from these comments and previous that people either 1) love this drama, 2) hate this drama, 3) hate this drama but can't stop watching anyway. I love this drama, it's cheesy and juvenile and throwback and predictable, but it's funny (laughed so hard at the butler on the ceiling) and the people and cars are pretty, and that's good enough for me. :-)

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Thanks for the recap, chickachunga! So happy this series is being recapped! ^^ Been waiting to see if something will turn up at DB and voilà!

I agree that this is a light, breezy watch and I quite like it as a result. It doesn't require a lot of brainpower to appreciate, which works great amidst the other shows I'm watching.

How awesome is PSD as HW!! I love spunky heroines and glad that she is kicking butt while standing up for herself. Not only those jerks at the party, but to JW and HM as well!! She's definitely got me on her side!! I loved how she didn't stand for any of HM's nonsense and even made him apologize to Grandpa. No wonder Grandpa took notice. He knows when there is someone different who can tame his boys.

Apology seems to be the key theme in this ep and I found it interesting that while JW valued apology when that guy showed up at the auto shop, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to HW. The not-paying-for-food really struck out at me because it was followed by JW witnessing HW getting down to her knees to beg for her mom's urn to be brought out of storage. He literally saw what it means to let go of your pride when you truly, sincerely need to ask someone for a favour. So, HW walks her talk. Now, I know he was kinda out of it after hearing what his friend said about him at the auto shop and didn't apologize. But since HW get him the benefit of the doubt for paying the next day instead, I thought he would actually be generous enough to help her out with the urn, especially since he should be quite familiar with how it feels to be poor and looked down upon based on how he was an orphan and all. I don't mean for him to give her the money for free. But he could loan her the amount and owe her less for the food.

For the end scene, I thought JW was being a real jerk! He knew exactly why HW would need money--for her mom's urn--and had a legit reason to accept HM's offer. She is not some gold digger after the Kangs' cash. So, I thought it was really mean and quite a slap in the face for HW to be on the receiving end of that scathing remark. I would've been in tears as well.

Overall, I like the typical flower boy scenes plus the comedy (butler duct taped to ceiling) along with HW's struggles. It's a great story so far (familiar yet different) and I agree that all the guys are about the same acting wise. Cinderella is definitely the main draw so far and I'm gonna keep watching while rooting for her. As for the white flowers, maybe she couldn't afford to buy them as a kid? But I felt her internal struggle debating between college funds to carry out her mom's dream of her being a teacher vs. retrieving her mom's urn.

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I was really disappointed with this drama. I wait for more jung il woo but why the secobd lead ? Urgh.... really annoying.. ???

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Yes, this series is getting recapped! Thanks a ton, chickachunga~

I'm loving Ha Won so far. It's awesome to see female leads kick tons of ass (hey, that's how I fell in love with Hye Jung) and Ha Won's enjoyable to watch with all of her actions. Heck, when that guy at the party was bullying her I was constantly thinking "Punch him!" and she DID! With a hilarious flying pose no less!

Also a tiny thing but whenever she showed the fist to Hyun Min I thought she was threatening to do an uppercut to him instead of just a punch. That made me laugh too hard, what is wrong with me...

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I'm glad this is getting recapped! Strangely I didn't realised I'd love this as much as I do now. I love Cinderella stories/adaptions so I consider this to be one of them. The only gripe I had with this before it aired was Ahn Jae Hyun (especially after seeing him in Blood), but surprisingly he's nailing his role here and I'm loving his character. I know Jung Il Woo is the leading man here so I'm looking forward to seeing how his character unfolds. :)

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Chikachunga, I think some of the issues who pointed out in your comments stem from problems in the production. The excessive use of slo-mo, for example, is a trick editors use when there just isn't enough filmed scenes to pad out the show's runtime. (Frequent and unnecessary flashbacks is another trick used to do the same sort of thing.)

I know that there were production troubles behind the scenes, but I'd have hoped that, with this show being entirely pre-produced, the production team would have had time to straighten out any major issues via the powers of good editing. However, the fact that the first episode is already showing signs of production problems doesn't make me all that confident about what later episodes have in store.

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"I love the crystal clarity of her voice," - This. I think she is the only second person I was impressed with the clarity of voice(or pronunciation) after Park Jin-hee from Memory.

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