https://youtu.be/4l0t19IfZa0
Ever since it started airing last month, Cinderella and Four Knights has developed a devoted following among K-drama fans, especially those who have a preference for “Flower Boys.” The K-drama is especially popular among fans of the 2009 hit K-drama Boys Over Flowers since it follows a similar direction, given that both series are based off the shõjo manga series which the 2009 K-drama is named after.
Nevertheless, Cinderella and Four Knights had ample opportunity to be unique instead of a cookie-cutter rehash of other K-dramas based off the Boys Over Flowers manga. Said opportunity was made available by pairing Eun Ha Won with the “fourth knight” Lee Yoon Sung , the general secretary of Sky Group. Many K-drama fans, of course, had their criticisms to such a pairing, but they could not use the fact he wasn’t a Kang Grandson especially if the theory that he is Chairman Kang’s wife’s son is proven true.
Right now, Cinderella and Four Knights is halfway done, and it seems their latest episode established the love lines and its conflicts. So did your shipped couple in the K-drama get paired?
Before continuing, it must be stressed there are spoilers for Episode 8 in this article. Unless you do not mind spoilers or if you’ve already watched the episode, skip down to the third-to-the-last paragraph.
In the eighth episode, Eun Ha Won (played by Kim So Dam) is rewarded with a vacation for getting all three Kang Grandsons (Jung Il Woo, ahn Jae Hyun, and Lee Jung Shin) to visit their fathers on their Death Anniversary. She takes the Kang Grandsons, Lee Yoon Sun (Choi Min Sung), Park Hye Ji (Naeun) and Hong Ja Young (Jo Hye Jung) to a vacation home, one the Kang Grandsons are familiar with. With three girls and four guys staying under the same vacation house without Chairman Kang’s eyes leering, it was evident relationships would be established.
So without delay, here are the established love lines that seem to have been solidified. With each love line, their opposing conflict will also be included.
The first love line established was the one everyone saw coming, even the ones who fell hard for Second Lead Syndrome. The eighth episode ended with Eun Ha Won and Kang Ji Woon establishing their love line through a series of drunken kisses (video attached above).
In all fairness, there was a lot of foreshadowing in the seventh and eighth episode leading up to Eun Ha Won and Kang Ji Woon getting together over the other “knights.” In the seventh episode, it was Ji Woon who found Ha Won after she left the Sky House believing she failed her last mission. Also in the seventh episode, their spending time together, especially in the convenience store, helped lay the foundation for a relationship.
The eighth episode, however, had major setups for the two to come together, though, one being quite comedic. The horseback riding scene along with Kang Ji Woon being given a wish if he found Eun Ha Won’s lost pendant started it. The comedic scenario of Ji Woon “walking in” on Ha Won showering was the catalyst that dropped inhibitions as Ha Won tried to “wash down” the situation with a drink of milk but instead drinks a whole bottle of rice wine. At the barbecue, it gets even more interesting as everyone is drunk and opening up honestly to each other.
At the very end of the episode, only Eun Ha Won and Kang Ji Woon are left at the barbecue, fully plastered on booze. Eventually, they open up and drunkenly kiss multiple times in an adorable way that would make most K-drama fans hearts’ flutter.
Eun Ha Won and Kang Ji Woon’s love line isn’t the only one established. Kang Hyun Min and Park Hye Ji still have some feeling for each other too. Apparently, the vacation house everyone is staying in is a familiar place for the Kang Grandsons and Hye Ji. There is a bench where Hyun Min and Hye Ji immortalized their love through an etching, kind of like how couples etch their love for one another on trees.
Park Hye Ji tries to use that icon from their past to rekindle their love and show Kang Hyun Min she still cares. For a moment, it works as they both sit on the bench, Hye Ji leans in to kiss Hyun Min and Hyun Min reciprocates. Hyun Min, however, stops it from going any further. This scene, in general, is powerful because it shows that Hyun Min is a “Playboy” because of something that happened in their past, something that has caused him to look on their relationship with disdain. In short, Kang Hyun Min did not pursue Eun Ha Won because she loved her, but because of the state he is in from said situation with Park Hye Ji.
Unfortunately, Park Hye Ji has given up on trying to mend Kang Hyun Min’s heart and says she wants to “fall in love with other boys.” The conflict arises when that other boy she wants to fall in love with is Kang Ji Hoon. This revelation actually overturns what K-drama fans believed about Ji Hoon and Hye Ji. Throughout the first half of Cinderella and Four Knights , it looked as if Ji Hoon was pursuing Hye Ji. In reality, it was the other way around.
The final love line established isn’t exactly a love line, but one that could potentially lead to love. Kang Seo Woo is the popular K-pop star and his number one fan is Hong Ja Young. During particular scenes throughout the eighth episode, we start to see Seo Woo show that he has feelings for Eun Ha Won. In one scene, he asks Ja Young questions about Ha Won such as her family, what she likes to do for fun, and if she’s ever dated. To help circumvent any suspicion, Seo Woo let’s Ja Young know that he is only asking because he and Ha Won live in the same house and he cares for her as a friend.
Kang Seo Woo caring for Eun Ha Won could have been a valid reason if it weren’t for Hong Ja Young walking into Seo Woo’s room and finding lyrics to a song he is writing in one of his notebooks. Ja Young unabashedly asks if Seo Woo loves anyone citing the lyrics differ from what he usually writes. Seo Woo claims he is not in love with anyone, and Ja Young tells him to not date anyone because it will really disappoint his fans. After Hong Ja Young leaves, Kang Seo Woo pulls back a folded corner of the sheet the lyrics are written on. Underneath the fold, it reads “For Eun Ha Won.”
If Cinderella and Four Knights keeps following its expected and typical plot direction, there will be no chance that Kang Seo Woo and Eun Ha Won will end up together. However, the situation is perfect for Seo Woo and Hong Ja Young to end up together, especially if feelings arise through quarrels, especially if and when Ja Young finds out Seo Woo likes Ha Won.
Having multiple love lines is a tricky situation for any K-drama. There will always be K-drama fans who will be accepting of the romantic pairings, especially if it is stereotypical of most K-drama romances, while others will stick with their shipped relationship to the bitter end. Still, the viewership was high for a pay channel K-drama as the nationwide viewership ratings for Cinderella and Four Knights for the eighth episode, provided by TNS Media Korea and AGB Nielsen Korea , were 4.o percent and 3.031 percent respectively. On the other hand, the solidification of love lines, especially ones everyone expected, did have a negative affect as the eighth episode’s viewership was actually a drop from the seventh episode (4.2 percent for TNS Media Korea and 3.216 percent for AGB Nielsen Korea).
At this point, there are eight episodes left in Cinderella and Four Knights . The love lines might be solidified but they aren’t permanent just yet. That means relationships and love lines can change and eight episodes is more than enough time for the Total Variety Network (tvN) to throw its Cinderella and Four Knights viewers a love line curve ball they did not see coming.
Cinderella and Four Knights is halfway into its 16-episode run. It airs on tvN on Fridays and Saturdays at 11 p.m. KST. For those who do not have access to the Korean cable or pay channel, the series can be viewed for free, with ads, on DramaFever depending on your region. Take note the latest two episodes will be exclusive to DramaFever premium members for one week after the air date.
[Image via Total Variety Network (tvN)]