Cinderella At 2 AM (2024)

Missed its mark.

It had potential but ultimately didn't reach it. I never thought it would be a drama that would hit it out of the park, but I thought it might have some hidden depths. The drama started out good, they explored some issues in the beginning and I liked how understanding the ML was. He is clearly a green flag. But the story was very subtle and didn't leave much of an impression. The ML's brother and his wife were more interesting to watch as a couple.

Every week I tuned it expecting that something would happen that would break the linear path it was on, but it never got to it. So, I am a bit disappointed. But it did have the power to make me complete it so there is something there.

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Better than the other Cinderella kdrama but I wish for more depth

I needed something light & romantic to watch after finishing Again My Life. Moon Sang Min's face was heavily promoted on Viu so I chose this drama. Cinderella at 2 AM is light touch romance drama with moments of seriousness.

What I liked:
1) Moon Sang Min - He has this sweet, kind face. This is my first time watching his work and I enjoyed it. For a leading man with this characteristic, he's alright.
2) Yun Seo chracterisation - It's great that her past was shown to the audience because then I understand why she is the way she is - fiercely independent woman who is focused on raising her younger brother. I cried when scenes of her childhood was revealed - I did not expect that at all.
3) Si Won characterisation - I also enjoyed knowing Si Won outside of work. Such a quirky but sensitive character.
4) Seong Min - At first I find his character creepy but later on he turned out to be a great guy. I wish he formed a tighter friendship with Yun Seo because they have a lot in common.
5) Yi Rae & her Uncle - Great support system for Yun Seo and Ji Seok. Plus I love that they brew their own maekgeolli.
6) Music - I love most of the songs featured in this drama, which is quite rare for me. Love the 80s vibe of the OST. Standout songs are Sweet Drama and Boyfriend.

What I disliked:
1) Romance - The romance between Yun Seo and Ju Won was sweet but I wasn't convinced at the end and I sided with Ju Won. I don't know why they needed a wedding when Yun Seo doesn't seem to be ready. I also wanted more of Si Won and Mi Jin's romance. They were so adorable but only got together in episode 7 if I am not mistaken.
2) Si Won and Ju Won's mother - She is selfish because she acts more like a chairwoman than a mother. I still don't understand why she opposed Ju Won's relationship with Yun Seo. Overall I find her character poorly written.

Favourite scene
Yun Seo's childhood because I see the love she has for her brother.

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Cinderella in shining armor for a few seconds

It's a trend nowadays where the age difference is downplayed by either the younger actor playing a lot older or the older actor playing a lot younger so the gap is actually so close it's negligible. The difference here is focused on job status, with the female lead as the team leader and the male lead as initially an intern. It was actually pretty cool to see from his memories how she guided him as the responsible boss, the Cinderella in shining armor. It would have been great to see more of that. Their dating days were also cute and I really liked how the first two episodes had subversions like Yun Seo learning from Ju Won's brother that he didn't like horror movies, but went for her and learned to like something new. It would have also been nice if the rest of the show had them learning more about each other, but it quickly slipped into bog standard romcom cliches with the most odious being the faux love triangle with Ju Won always having a jealousy stand off with the painter guy Seong Min, who almost committed suicide, but then his mental health was magically fine afterwards. Yun Seo's storyline with escaping her abusive household and not buckling to her mother's pressure to take on her father's debts was really powerful. Sometimes the people you need to cut out of your life are your blood relatives and to keep them far away for your own well being. I feel it's especially important for Asian audiences to see that it's okay to do so. I like how Yun Seo wanted to break off the relationship because she knows that Seong Min's family would not be accepting of him. I feel like the show could have better connected the fact that it would be yet another parental figure treating her terribly. Yun Seo and Mi Jin's short friendship at the end was really short, I rather they have started their sisterhood sooner and less of Mi Jin and her husband's shenanigans. Yun Seo deserves more supportive friends and family. It would have been nice for Yun Seo to have one more scene with her mother in law, finally in acceptance and support of her, one big happy family.

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Two cute couples for the price of 1!

Perhaps this show is not for everyone but I loved the concept. The couple was already established but now the FL is being asked to break up with her boyfriend. It was funny from the first episode. I was very curious how they will work through their issues. The FL has a strong head on her shoulders due to her background and can overrationalise things at times but she is a kind and caring person. The ML can be clingy but he is sweet and kind and who wouldn't love that. I also loved the second leads in the story. Maybe slightly more than the leads because their relationship didn't deal with too much workplace distractions.

Though thers ard a few serious moments, the show also makes you laugh and smile. And both couples have cute moments together. Though I wish there were more romance, a little less angst, and if the comedy was even better then I would have rated it a 9 at least.

In a way I am glad the writers didn't drag the background storylines too much. They were not ths point of the story. It was about the couples and some of the problems they dealt with are quife realistic. Even the nicest people have trouble in relationships because you aren't completely sure how to handle the situation.

The one good thing about the breakup trope was also that they didn't show both living separate lives. They continued to work together as they dealt with their emotions. I don't like when they completely remove the leads from each other's lives. So that was a plus for me.

The OST is also quite calming. I hope everyone gives the series a chance.

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Sweet but clingy rom-com

Cinderella at 2 AM is an office romantic comedy about the struggles of Ha Yoon-seo, a realistic and capable woman who believes that there is no Cinderella in reality and tries to break up with Seo Joo-won, a romanticist who believes that conditions are not important in love and a perfect young chaebol man who only looks at her.

Looking for an easy-breezy K-drama with all kinds of possible cliched tropes? Well, Cinderella at 2 AM could be your pick. Starring Shin Hyun-been and Moon Sang-min in lead roles, the show revolves around a young ordinary woman, Ha Yun Seo [Hyun-been], who doesn't believe in fairy tales until she falls in love with Seo Ju Won [Sang-min], a third-generation chaebol (a Korean term for a person born with a silver spoon, especially a person born into a business family).

Yun Seo is not the one to complicate things. She desires a simple life. So, falling in love with a third-generation chaebol was never on her bingo card. Upon learning about Ju Won’s identity and being pressed to break up by his mother [who also offers her money], she decides to part ways. But our Cinderella has more hurdles to overcome, including convincing Ju-won, who would do anything to protect his love

If you're looking for a cozy rom-com to watch this is not for you cause it only pisses you off with poor writing and off chemistry.

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Rom-Com or Rom-Don't?

After watching this quirky rom-com, it’s clear that it heavily relies on familiar clichés. If you’re not into the genre, you might want to pass—think of it as the fast-food version of romantic comedies, missing the depth of a well-crafted drama.

The plot is straightforward, featuring the classic tale of a working-class girl meeting her Prince Charming in a modern setting. However, the dialogue falls flat, and the love rivalry between the male lead and the supporting character, who has a one-sided crush, lacks excitement. Plus, those two coworkers can get pretty annoying—how does someone so self-centered and gossipy fit into a PR team at a big company?

The breakup between the leads drags on longer than necessary, and while the female lead starts off as smart and independent, she quickly becomes rather dull. As a viewer, I found myself caring less and less.

Interestingly, the most compelling character is the male lead's brother, who genuinely cares for his sibling and navigates his arranged marriage with a heart of gold. The mother also adds a unique touch; she’s not your typical “evil step-mom” or “evil mother-in-law.” Instead, she's a realistic woman balancing the roles of mom, dad, and a company chair.

With the right expectations, this drama can be an okay watch, even if it’s not one you’ll feel compelled to revisit.

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Not a very likable female lead character. Has some unique aspects so worth the watch for that.

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romance drama with 10, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

This is a story told after the initial romance occurs with the main couple and we, as the viewer, start the story when our Cinderella decides to break up with the man of her dreams.  Ha Yoon-seo (Shin Hyun-been) is practical to a fault. When she rescued her brother and herself from a physically and emotionally abusive environment, she had to grow up and take responsibility at a very young age. She worked long hard hours to put herself and her brother through school and then worked her way up in her career to be a Team Leader/Manager at a major company.  While romance has never been her primary goal in life, she falls in love with a young man on her team, Seo Joo-won (Moon Sang-min), who she at first believes is simply an office worker.  When she finds out her boyfriend of a year and a half is actually the chaebol son of the chairwoman of her company, she decides the best course of action is just to end it.  So when she receives an offer of money from Joo-won's mother Kim Sun-joo (Jin Hee-kyung) to break up with and stay away from her son, Yoon-seo takes it.  The hard knocks of a difficult life have led Yoon-seo to believe there are no fairy tale endings.  Cinderella may be happy up to midnight but what happens later, say 2 AM, when the harsh reality that she was not raised to be a Princess will set in.  But, Joo-won believes in their love and isn't giving up easily. 

Review

I am not a fan of stories told in reverse and their romance was mostly told in flashbacks.  We start with the main part of their romance having already occured.  I could get past that if the story was compelling enough for me to overcome my dislike of stories told in that manner but, for me, this one did not.  A lot of reviewers have the criticism that this drags in spots and I had that experience as well.  Still it is not horrible and I think if you are a fan of the romance genre you would want to watch it.  But, for many, I don't think it would be one to watch again and again.

Spoilers

It ends happy with all the major plot points wrapped up. 

I found Yoon-seo an unlikable character for the majority of the show.  Breaking up with someone in the height of your relationship when everything seems to be going well is very hurtful.  And her "easing out" actually made it worse.  She says later, and I thought it all along, the way she did it had little to do with him and was more so she did not get hurt.  It was odd to have such a tragic character, that had gone through so much emotional hurt, be so cold to everyone around her.  Her push pull behavior was so frustrating.  I don't know how many times I was like just knock it off already.  You are just torturing him and yourself at this point.  Quit being a coward.  It's a relatively short series but I spent a significant portion of it so frustrated with the main character.  It almost made me stop watching it, but I was interested in the second couple enough to continue or I would not have stuck around for the final episodes where it became more interesting again.  My thinking on who she was and what she did completely changed in finding out the details of her childhood.  Knowing the full details of her past explained so much about why she acted as she did.  I would not want a mean mother-in-law if I escaped abuse as a child. I understood her a little more but it wasn't until almost the end of the series. I hoped I would like her more and I did a little but felt frustrated with her to the end when she didn't find any time to help him with the wedding preparations and it hurt his feelings.  She is with someone who is sweet and sensitive and her cold personality would likely continually hurt him.  So it was disappointing that basically she is still doing it. 

While the first half of the series nearly ruined it for me, the last half saved it.  I loved the second couple that had an arranged marriage, initially thought of themselves as business partners but fell in love anyway.  Seo Si-Won (Yoon Park) perfectly played the doting older brother.  His "freedom" in his boxer shorts provided a lot of comedic moments.  It was also amusing that he could be so spot on with his younger brother in terms of how to win Yoon-seo but so clueless in his own life.  There was a point in the series where I looked forward to the parts with Siwon and his wife, Lee Min-Jin (Sojin) far more than I did the main couple. 

I thought the 2nd guy, Leo Seong-Min (Lee Hyun-woo) was the perfect foil for the icy Yoon-seo.  And I loved that they all became friends in the end and that he loved her enough to let go of his chance and help her find her way back to Juwon. 

The character growth that allowed the three Ju-won, Si-won and their mother Sun-joo to come together with the two new family additions, Min-jin and Yun-seo was heart-warming.  And the fact that it turned out to be "Cinderella" who had a hand in weaving them all together was a full circle feel good scenario.

This is a highly flawed series with a weak start and middle but that ends strong enough to save the series a bit.  The late portion of the series is really what makes it worth the watch. 

#CinderellaAt2AM  #ShinHyunBeen  #MoonSangMin  #JinHeeKyung #YoonPark  #Sojin

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good writing, smart & funny telling of the usual age gap/wage gap office romance

Ha Yoonseo is a well respected department manager at a credit card company who left an abusive home at a young age with her younger brother. She fought to put herself through school and rise up in her career while taking care of her little brother. Seo Joowon is the youngest scion of the chaebol famiy that owns the company, but begins his destiny by entering annonymously into a lower level position, under the direct supervision of Yoonseo. Not until a year and a half of them dating does she discover his true identity & this is where the story begins.

At 10 episodes, Cinderella at 2 AM is a shorter series but it's just right. C2AM is an age gap/wage gap romance that turns out to be a more refreshingly honest look at the relationship & the forces, both internal & external, working against it. In the process, however, the age gap never becomes an issue, either in the story or the acting. After seeing a lot of disastrous chemistry between jie/di casting in other shows, the 2 leads of C2AM, separated by 14 yrs, do the best job I've seen of making their interactions seem more natural, not only in supervisor/subordinate roles which they alternate, but also as lovers.

The cast delivers with good comic timing and the 2nd leads provide a good contrasting relationship of an arranged business marriage between 2 people who agree to live their separate lives as soon as they leave the altar. In spite of the usual tropes of love triangles & jealously set ups, there were no cringe moments. Instead there were a lot of very funny moments, as well as heart felt drama, which is a strength of the writing for this show. Infused is the Cinderella fairy tale, as Yoonseo struggles with the effort to build up what she believes is her fantasy of being strong, capable, & deserving of happiness, while fearing that it will all disappear after midnight if Joowon & his family discover her difficult past.

So while I was expecting another silly w/age gap romance with awkward leads, I was suprised to find myself really enjoying this show. The dialogue was mature, with each character reflecting on their behaviors, on how their desires/beliefs conflicted & affected others. Even the evil mother-in-law comes around. As all relationships involve push & pull, gains & loss; how you view something as a sacrifice vs a benefit depends on how you see. Straight up emotions transcend socio-economic status.

All in all, C2AM was a great little show, and easily bingeable.

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a realistic cinderella story with a bit of fairytale

honestly this drama is so up my alley i will eat it up every time. i always like it when the male lead is a bit more clingier than the female lead. and they did it so well here. moon sang-min is made for roles like this.
they made the rich guy poor girl trope as realistic as possible, with a unique twist of the girl actually taking the money. it was refreshing to see something different. there isn't much plot after that, just fluff.
the female lead was a good character with a great backstory. her journey with her struggles from her childhood and how it shaped her to be the logical and caring adult she is. the plot line with her brother was also done well.
i did not like the mother but they truly did give her a good character arc with it being as realistic as possible while also having a fairytale ending.
i did not like the brother and his wife's relationship. it felt a bit forced for me. the brother was supposed to the comedic relief so that affected the romance for me. still they were cute.
THE OSTS OF THE DRAMA???? so good!! it fit the vibes so well and are generally good songs, they are on repeat in my playlists.
definitely enjoyed this one, so if u are someone who wants a quick series to swoon over, this is it.

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