The best execution of opposite attracts. Da Li and Moo Hak are not just different from each other, but polar opposites in almost everything family background, education, nature, personality, the way of thinking, legit nothing is common. Still, they are like two pieces of the puzzle fitting perfectly with each other, their oozing chemistry is worth craving more.
I can't express in words how much I adore Moo Hak, he's one the best characters I've seen in dramaland. He may be loud, uncultured, silly sometimes stupid... but most mature, considerate at the same time most adorable person. A looot better than people who claim themselves high-educated and cultured. I love how many shades he has... and throughout the journey with exploring different parts of his nature. Now one may think its character development is, I strongly disagree. I think it is how he was in first place. The more I go deep into his character the fewer flaws I can see, I respect his perspective and being a realist... And thinking what life he has been through... where he worked hard to get where he is I don't consider him as money-grubber nor stingy, coz he's the person who knows worth of everything, then whatever it is: Money or People. He knows his priorities clearly and behaves as per.
Da Li may be a bit oblivious, idealistic.. and doesn't have much knowledge about how the world works she's definitely not spoiled princess. She's hardworking, she can face every problem with courage, she can take a stand for herself. I love her straightforwardness... she's a girl who can kick ass if it's needed. Finally, someone who acts as per their age lol... and not a teen who's in love for the first time, she's comfortable with physical intimacy as an adult.
I've seen a lot of secretaries, (I mean ofc everywhere is CEO lol) but Moo Hak's secretary is the best. She's not only a secretary but a very loyal friend, who can even threaten her boss's girlfriend. She's just COOL. And I love his hotel staff too lol... who can work as gangsters but also can give adorable reactions after seeing Moo Hak's fully smitten state.
Whenever each episode ended... I always felt unsatisfied, after thinking I got it why. Though it's not noticeable compared to the rom-com (not the multi-leads ones) this one has relatively less screentime of leads being together but I won't complain coz it's realistic.. people do have things-word to do other than dating, so when they aren't together they are doing work which needs to be done. It does have many.. many, a lot of annoying characters that you would love to FF.
Aesthetically it's simply stunning.. the sets, costumes, cinematography. And finally, both leads have amazing dressing sense, where Da Li legit feels like someone who knows about art.
It's cliche at the same time it's not...the tropes don't feel unnecessary. It does break many stereotypes. I really want to thank how they didn't pull Won Tak to love square. Girl and Boy can be just friends not every time a guy ends up falling for a girl. No stupid misunderstandings.. even if there are any 'Conversation' exist in their world.. and it's noble idiocy free!
As rom-com if fills its purpose fully.. having many peak moments of comedy and couple you want more and more.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Aparently all is well that ends well since happy music played at the end of this very dark tale.
I'm prepared to not be liked here. From the overall decently high rating on MDL (Currently 8.5) and the sheer volume of "I loved this," or "Best Couple of the Year," remarks on the Dali and the Cocky Prince comments board, saying anything negative is likely going to put me in hot water and get me scolded. Unfortunately, if I have any integrity and aim at all to be honest, I must confess that DATCP is one disappointing outing that is MANY things but NOT anything near what I would call light and fluffy.Yet, these two adjectives, light and fluffy, are probably the MOST used to describe this series by commenters. I've recently been watching a bit heavier, or more serious, content and wanted a break for something fun and easy. I had read positive feedback about DATCP while it was airing and held off so I could binge it once it was done. Thus, here I am writing this review long after the final episode wrapped and I wish I had a better more carefree experience. My hopes were not fulfilled.
The first episode was very enjoyable. I came for cute, funny, and light and it gave me cute, funny, and light. The characters are sketched fast yet sturdily. We open on Jin Moo Hak (Played effectively by Kim Min Jae) as a young wealthy business minded money loving son to a growing empire. Unlike most heirs he isn't out spending his families money but is the driving force behind the family's empiric rise. His greeting is fast paced, funny, and delightful. In the process he angers his father as he jets off to Holland for a business meeting and thus when he lands finds himself financially cut off in a foreign land.
Enter our female lead Kim Da Li (Played effervescently by Park Gyu Young) a wealthy heiress studying art abroad in Holland. She is, in most respects, the opposite of our male. Wealthy but not caring about money. Book smart but lacking most practical understanding. Elegant, kind and refined, Dali lives in the world of the elite while never becoming one of them. When the museum curator she studies under asks her to pick up an art critic for a high-end schmooze fest from the airport, a comedy of errors ensues. With the same last name our male lead thinks she is the poor errand girl sent to fetch him, and Dali not knowing what the art critic looks like is shocked by the arrogant playful attractive man that approaches her.
By the end, the chemistry between these two is a massive blaze. The show is funny, cool, fresh, sexy, and yes fun, and you think, or I thought, yes this is going to be a great ride!
But then tragedy befalls our female lead when her father dies back in Korea, and she must instantly go back from where she came. Our male lead Moo Hak feels rejected and is convinced by his staff that she played him to get his wealth, and the hunt begins to find her.
This is where the fun stops. While the second episode is filled with moments of "Look UP!" she is right there, oh my God I can't wait for them to get back together mishaps....when it finally does happen....it is gross and devastating.
Our male lead to this point has been fun and funny. Arrogant, money grubbing, short sighted, and uneducated yes, but he has still been rather friendly, cute, and kind in his own right. He is fun to watch, and fun to hate. Our female lead has been smart, driven, kind, helpful, and caring.
But episode 3 turns the tables and ruins this set-up. In a single scene that hollowed me, our male lead degrades, berates, demoralizes, and threatens our female lead and turns himself into a monster. She is days out of her father's death, in the midst of mourning, being hunted by family and creditors, the world she has lived crashing upon her and is one step from bankruptcy and losing everything she has ever had. Our male lead knows ALL of this, but to make sure no one thinks he is soft, to show that all he cares about is money, and to prove that he doesn't have any feelings he stands up and screams a diatribe down to our female lead calling her his debtor and that he will sell everything she owns to get the money her father borrowed from him.
The series is not interested in righting this wrong at any point. It is just a plot step to the end. Our female lead accepts being treated as such and never even remotely requires an apology. The next time our leads see each other cute love music plays the entire scene, she trips and falls into his arms, they stare lovingly into each others eyes, and the oh look at how cute they are music swells.
For the next few episodes our male lead will continue down this path tormenting and degrading the female lead. By the middle of the series Dali has become a prop. She makes not a single decisions on her own. She is fully controlled by all the men around her. She is saved left and right just for being the girl everyone wants, and her character comes off stupid and insipid. She sells her entire life to keep a gallery afloat and before the end of the series is physically attacked multiple times.
Our male lead grows and becomes better and by the series end is basically back to how we met him in Holland. But never does he ask Dali's forgiveness and never does he admit his actions were wrong. Near the end, when he is subjected by our "bad guy" to the same demoralizing scene he subjects Dali to in episode 3, our male lead is allowed to get angry, require an apology, and ignore and fight with Dali over it, even though it wasn't her that degraded him. In what is easily the greatest double standard I've seen in programming this year.
He gets so mad that he calls our female lead a whore. Tells her "To have sex to get his 2 million back. If she did she could probably get 20 million ." In what is the lowest point in the series.
It is immediately followed by a kiss by the way. He calls her a whore and then kisses her, and we are supposed to ship it.
Everything outside of our main leads is a wasteland. Besides a woman at Dali's workplace and her childhood best friend/like brother...every other character in the show is a villain. All of them plotting the downfall of the leads. The story lines include family betrayal, government corruption, blackmail, secret killing, drug smuggling, bankruptcy, public slander, disownment, orphan shaming, suicide, forced prostitution, and just if there weren't enough bad guys (the count gets up to 9 I believe) or degrading and depressing plot lines out pops a long lost uncle that reveals a secret adoption and thus we get to degrade and shame adopted children publicly and then try to take everything away from them because they aren't blood.
In short, there was nothing LIGHT or FLUFFY to be found. There is a lot of disgusting, depressing, and abhorrent story lines and characters and there is little value in any of it outside of empty shallow entertainment. The large gulf of cultural divide between the west and Korea is glaringly obvious here.
If you want to watch this with blinders on that is fine. No one can stop you. Yes, there are comedic bits. Yes, there are moments where our leads are adorable and fun to watch and be with. Yes, there are things to like here.
But taking those things and adding them all up will probably net you a total run time of 3-4 episodes. The other 12 episodes are filled with the male lead being a nasty piece of trash, our female lead being a helpless victim, and all the junk awful story lines I just ran through above with massive amounts of time spent with these other horrible characters.
For a brief stent the show seems to be aware of how awful it is, one character having a conversation with the other, "Why would you act like that and do that? Pulling her hair? What is this a soap opera?" and the answer is yes. It is a trashy soap opera that does little more than fill your time.
6.0/C/ 3-Stars Average in every way. You got a 50/50 shot of liking it simply depending on your taste.
At least we had Holland and that first episode of a much much better show.
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Female lead runs hot & cold & can't convince you she's in love
The male lead is a decent actor & SO attractive that it's a shame the writers haven't given him enough of a part to save this drama. Realistically he couldn't carry the whole series but I found myself wishing they'd let him. The female lead spends 90% of the series crying as she deals with constant trouble mostly due to her stubbornness & unwillingness to trust the male lead. She runs hot & cold , being purposely coy & obtuse which makes it seem as if she is enjoys teasing & toying with the male lead. She looks good for the part but her character, no, really, it's the whole series that's written poorly.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Starts off great but turns into a trashy soap opera
The drama pretends to be funny and light-hearted but inadvertently hides very dark themes that the writers fail to address. Kim Da Li and Jin Moo Hak have an incredible first encounter and form an instant connection. The show starts off as funny, cute, sexy, refreshing, and full of explosive chemistry. Da Li is a well-educated daughter of a wealthy family. Moo Hak comes from "new money" with no education or class. Her book smarts compliment his streets smarts creating a unique match. Unfortunately, after Da Li's father dies and she returns to Korea, everything falls apart.Moo Hak is boorish and materialistic, but he is kind and sweet in the first two episodes. However, as soon as he finds out that Da Li owes him money, he becomes cruel and shortsighted just so he does not look weak. He insults, berates, and threatens Da Li while being fully aware of her bankruptcy, obnoxious family members, and creditors, then proceeds to relentlessly harass her despite witnessing her struggling to survive. Instead of bringing the two together to save the museum and build a great relationship, the writers turn him into an overbearing jerk and her into a perpetual victim.
What's worse, Da Li's intelligence and spunk completely disappear making her unable to stand up for herself. She takes abuse from everyone who berates, insults, and physically hurts her without any push-back. She allows Tae Jin to talk over her about his delusions of their non-existent relationship without getting a word in. She quietly sits still as Moo Hak's stepmother proceeds to assault and pull her hair without fighting back. And, this continues for the entirety of the show. Her character completely devolves into a doll with no agency or a personality allowing everybody to walk all over her. Moreover, she never demands that Moo Hak gives her an apology for his crappy treatment, and, neither do the writers make him apologize without being asked. The show makes no effort to correct past wrongdoings of any of the characters and force feeds us a happy ending.
Overall, the drama is somewhat entertaining, but Da Li's lack of a backbone and the characters' atrocious behavior make it very tedious to watch. For a brief moment, they address each other's shortcomings when Moo Hak demands why his mother hit Da Li, but it leads nowhere. This was a one time watch for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
I am a sucker for a good meet cute and it was really fun to see these two leads have such electric chemistry from the very beginning. Their chemistry was definitely the strongest part of the show. Moo-hak ended up as a very sweet character that I enjoyed, but it was hard to watch the way he yelled at her so much in the beginning. Da-li on the other hand was so passive that it was very frustrating. The show explains it away as her being just kind of rich and naive, but she seemed to lack any survival or basic life skills altogether, which felt odd when she’s a thirty-something woman who has lived on different continents. The dynamic between the two of them was a little rough towards the beginning when Moo-hak was acting so hostile, but it was enjoyable after he softened a little. At the end of the show he was so obsessed with her and sweet to her, so he did have a good evolution of his character.
A lot of what didn’t work in this show was all of the scheming subplots. Everything to do with the different companies illegal maneuvers was so boring to watch and it really took away from the rest of the show. The plot could have been much stronger if they focused on the romance and Da-li struggling with losing her father and having to grow up, but instead they threw in all of these random real estate crimes, drug trafficking, and other crime plots that made things really convoluted.
The second male lead is probably the worst one I’ve ever seen, he was like a cartoon villain. It was infuriating to watch the scenes he was in. Moo-hak’s family also really seemed like terrible people and it did not feel like they deserved a redemption arc at all. I know Korea has a very different culture, but the adoption plot line was baffling. I have no idea if the way the show made it so scandalous is at all accurate, but it felt way over the top.
The final episode was such a huge letdown that it really bothered me. It felt like the show was trying so hard to pull one over on the audience that it was willing to have a terrible final episode as long as they could do that.
The art museum as a backdrop for the show was a cool idea and some of the installations and exhibits were very visually interesting. Da-li’s dad was also very endearing and it would’ve been great to see more of him, even if just in flashbacks.
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The Pretty Mess and False Advertisement
**there are plenty of reviews that say nice things about this drama. i even agree with some of it. this is not that review. **Of all the things Dali and the Cocky Prince tries and fails to be about (which is a lot ) it fails the hardest at being about art. This is about Art the way any office drama is about the industry it takes place in. If I'm being honest I've seen office dramas do better in that regard. Any time one of the characters has to talk about art in a way that does not apply directly to their job they sound like 12 year olds being asked why art is important to them- in front of their art teacher. For a show that takes place largely in an art gallery there is very little attention paid to the art. This would not be a problem except the show sort of sold itself as being very much about art. if this was the biggest problem they may have been able to over come it but this is just the beginning.
Both the show and Dali were advertised and quirky and upbeat. For most of the show Dali is a wet rag of a person sullenly trudging through her problems, dragging the viewer along with her as we wait to see which male character is going to solve the thing for her this time. That's not fun. it's not quirky. it is NOT up beat. it's dull, repetitive and disappointing.
The plot is cluttered and groaning under the weight of so many characters it might even give a daily drama writer pause. the central conflict isnt really central, being itself about too many things and offering a patch work of villains. Because there are so many of none of these villains get enough development so their motivations stay shallow and often don't match the vitriol of their actions. A similar problem plagues some of our good guys too. Won Tak for example exists solely for plot convenience. his development is thin and his relationship with Dali is incredibly inconsistent with the development that they do have.
given these other issues weird editing might seem like a nit pick but i assure you it's not. there is at least one, often more, distractingly bad editing choice in every episode. We've got pointless and poorly executed spit screens, we've got flash backs the reek of ret con, we've got really weird effects and pacing that is constantly being wrecked by waaay too long close ups of the aforementioned sullen Dali. like, i get it, she's sad, her life sucks. but i got that three episodes and fifteen lingering close ups ago. stop. PLEASE. And for the love of all things holy step away from the photo shop painting texture brush or whatever that abomination is. If this show wasnt supposed to be about art it might not bother me as bad but simply applying that texture over scenes completely misses the point and the beauty of highly textured brush strokes.
the chemistry is good though...and the over all production design is spectacular. if only they had put as much effort into the substance as they did into the looks.
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Another overrated k drama
I think it's a very boring show and the chemistry between the male and female leads is zero. I watched the series until the finale there were a lot of unnecessary business scenes, corruption, drug cases, etc. A lot of ridiculous soap opera drama scenes that were extremely unnecessary. Especially the finale was very simple. I don't understand why this series is overrated and why it got 8.4 points, it doesn't deserve more than 7.5.Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty good, although I did get bored and took me a year to watch the rest
Right as the title says, it was pretty good. But I did get bored around episode 13. Was watching when it was airing but completed it at the beginning of 2023 and I'm now writing this. Anyways it was a very nice K-drama, very funny the comedy wasn't too much it was the perfect amount (wish I could add emojis I sound incredibly dry rn). Now I wouldn't say that this series was boring, it really wasn't but I get bored too quickly. The acting was great and Kim Minjae really suited Mohak's character a lot lmaoo. And DALI WAS SOMETHING ELSE BRO I LOVED HER. She was so elegant all the time and so beautiful and should be the definition of a strong female lead. And Park Gyuyeong delivered that so perfectly. The plot was very interesting as well so we love thatttt. Tbh I don't think I'm gonna rewatch it anytime soon for now. And I'm sorry but the OST was straight up ASS, only one single song that I liked and it was a rap song. And I don't really focus on OSTs I only really notice if I like them or despise them, and sadly she got the wrong type of recognition. Although I did praise it a lot I didn't give it a very high rating, idk it just didn't feel right or honest to rate it higher, nor did it feel right to rate lower. So I think a 7 would be good enough. I think it's because they were dragging it on too much.Was this review helpful to you?
Dali The Helpless!
I can't think of another actress that could've played Da Li. She brought a lot of character and identity to the drama and made it stand out. The same thing can be said about the ML although him being too loud began to get on my nerves over time. However, I found the romance in general to be questionable. At every transition and development in the relationship, there was a clear unnatural progression to their romance. From their first kiss to opening up to traumas and the subsequent events of their relationship. I really liked that one signature background soundtrack that they kept playing but they completely stopped using it in the second half which was really unfortunate because it fit the the vibes perfectly.Was this review helpful to you?
A pearl of a Mona Lisa (and some other bright spots) among some swine
First impressions are critical. Or at least the conventional wisdom is that they are. It certainly seems to fit in the world of casting. Some actors are put in the group that gets lead roles and others, despite the quality of their work, seem destined to toil in supporting and guest roles for the duration of their career. Until “Dali and the Cocky Prince”, Park Gyu Young was an actor that appeared to be a member in solid standing of the latter group. Conventional wisdom isn’t always a hard and fast rule though.As an actor who can move from one role to the next and completely remake themselves as an entirely new character with each iteration, Park Gyu Young has few peers. From ditzy and spoiled new office hire to beleaguered nurse with an unrequited love to musician turned monster fighter, she has played roles covering a vast spectrum of personalities and occupations and in different genres with almost unnoticeable overlap from one character to the next. Kim Da Li is not only unlike these previous characters played by Park Gyu Young, but there are scant comparisons with any characters. She’s quiet and curious and bright and mischievous and damaged and fierce and naive and, as the list up to this point suggests, complex. This actor and this role is an absurdly natural combination. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine that anyone else could play Kiim Da Li and were anyone to attempt it, the production would likely come out very differently. From the standpoint of creating such a richly detailed character, the performance by Park Gyu Young is a massively successful achievement.
As for the story around her, Kim Da Li, after a chance encounter with Kim Min Jae’s Jin Moo Hak, she returns from abroad to Seoul to take control of the art museum formerly directed by her now suddenly deceased father. Her personal and professional lives get entwined with Jin Moo Hak. Meanwhile, a consortium is out to get the art museum and land around it for greedy, dark purposes and a former fiancee, Kwon Yool’s chaebol heir Jang Tae Jin, reappears with intentions to make amends. There’s plenty of plot and a somewhat large cast of characters that’s certainly adequate to fill out the standard sixteen episode length.
Somewhat tragically, a decision was made that these elements weren’t enough and that the show needed to be a romantic comedy with an emphasis on comedy. It’s a problematic strategy. The character of Kim Da Li acts very much as a central anchoring point which everything else revolves around. Park Gyu Young’s performance is consistent and outstanding throughout, but Kim Da Li, while many things, is not a comic character. That leaves the other players around her to fill in the humor and they are not up to the task. Whether it is Kim Min Jae, his secretary played by Hwang Bo Ra, his family or the museum staff, the comedy rarely works. Kim Min Jae tends to simply start bellowing and flailing his limbs during these painful sequences. The supporting cast tends to mug and pratfall and exaggerate and the sum of all it is a consistent misfire. Hwang Bo Ra, given the proper material, has proven that she has comedy skills. Some of the lesser known supporting cast (particularly the kitchen crew at Dondon), seem more than capable as well. But the script gives the actors precious little material leaving them flailing like fish out of water. It’s unfortunate as there’s some fine actors here. Not all of them are fine though and that exacerbates the script deficiencies. The performance by Lee Je Yeon as Jin Moo Hak’s scheming but incompetent stepbrother chiefly stands out for being unbearably poor.
When not trying to be a comedy that it is clearly not meant to be, however, “Dali and the Cocky Prince” is vastly more entertaining. When the macho, loud boasting and convulsive movements are turned off, Kim Min Jae is a marvelous partner for Park Gyu Young. And there are times when the Moo Hak takes a confrontational scene at a more subdued tone and it is terrific. These moments, the show gets serious traction. The story isn’t chock full of jaw-dropping reveals, but there’s enough intrigue and mystery to provide ample material for each episode. That Jang Tae Jin is who he is (despite a bizarrely bad hairstyle and some of the most poorly fitting business suits ever) also raises the enjoyment bar by a couple notches.
Further helping things by pitching in on the visuals, outside of Jang Tae Jin, the style team really nails it. Kim Da Li is iconic as a fashionable and powerful female.
Some of the other background work in the production misfires though. Some transitions are oddly timed. There’s some chase sequences that are pure filler. There’s never a point where a possible, credible alternative to the real not-yet-revealed villain is introduced to inject a bit of needed intrigue. And there’s a subplot setup around a museum intern that shows intriguing potential, but after a decent amount of screentime laying out the backstory, it’s hardly mentioned again.
As the show progresses, there’s just not a lot of mystery about where everything is headed. At one point a character actually exclaims, “How could the answer be so easy?” If that line pops up in a script and it seems like an accurate assessment, it should be a clarion call for some serious revisions. Despite the absence of any shred of uncertainty about who’s good or bad or really, really bad, it’s still a very good and entertaining show when Park Gyu Young is on screen (which is much of the time) and the comedy switch has been flipped to an “off” position. It is, however, an erratic enjoyment.
Recommended because Park Gyu Young turns in one of the finest performances of the year. With the strong ratings and the quality of the work here, she richly deserves more high profile roles.
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In between raving hype surrounding the main cast and the plot, screenwriter Son Eun Hye’s ‘Dali And The Cocky Prince’ has erupted quite a stir amongst avid drama watchers praising the series as ‘’dynamic’’ and ‘’fresh’’. However, this boils down one ultimate question; “Is ‘Dali And The Cocky Prince’ actually worth watching, or is it a classic case of an over-hyped production?”
The series applies the basic romantic comedy formula of ‘’ opposites attract’’; Moo Hak( Kim Min Jae) is a confident and nouveau riche social-climber, whilst Kim Da Li (Park Gyu Young) was born into “ old money” and is a naturally talented art exhibitor and critic . During a trip to an art exhibition in the Netherlands Da Li and Moo Hak end up encountering one another for the first time . Soon afterwards Da Li finds herself struggling to keep her art gallery afloat and consequently through several setups become indebted to Moo Hak. However (typical of romantic cliches) Moo Hak and Da Li begin to fall in love…
One of the greatest strengths of ‘ Dali And The Cocky Prince’ comes through Kim Min Jae and Park Gyu Young’s onscreen chemistry. In between some of the more questionable line deliverances at times Min Jae and Gyu Young’s pairing was dynamic and fun, but ( playing to the drama’s strengths and downfall as a consequence of testing viewers’ attention spans) slow-burn.
Actress Park Gyu Young’s performance and stylist helped to convey a sweet and charismatic charm surrounding the female lead. Da Li is refreshingly not your typical ‘’spoilt princess’’ female lead archetype. She is kind-hearted, an afficionado of Modigliani and has a natural artistic flare which has long been nurtured by her parents ( her namesake evidently being famous Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali), but as a child of a prestigious family, she often finds herself lost in cloud cuckoo land when dilemmas regarding the museum are raised. Whilst aspects of Kim Da Li’s past and background help to explore her character in more depth and do help to present her goals, personality and motives, Da Li undeniably did often feel shoehorned into the role of the ‘’ victim’’. (Especially in later episodes as more revelations come to light.)
Of course, the ‘’victim’’ trope isn’t always necessarily a bad thing in a series. It can help to explore characters in more depth and it did present some more raw moments for otherwise seemingly impeccable characters. For example Da Li is not truly made aware of her attempts to bury her head in the sand until Mu Hak acts as her personal anchor to ground her back to reality. However, whilst praise must be given to presenting Da Li as someone who gradually faces reality with grace and charisma, it seemed odd that the series didn’t present more opportunities for the female lead to take her first steps through more independence and personal growth rather than being enforced into the role for the “ sake of plot tension”.
Of course this naturally brings us onto our second topic of debate; male lead Jin Moo Hak. Expected of his namesake from the title Moo Hak has become accustomed to a wealthy of hedonism and money since his tiny family run-restaurant turned into an international food conglomerate through successful business ventures. Kim Min Jae walks onscreen with an air resonating Jay Gatsby; gaudy suits, satisfaction over materialistic purchases and truly buying into his own ideology that money can truly buy love and happiness.
Moo Hak is arguably the perfect foil and counterpart to Dali; arrogant, haughty and overly confident (which both provides to his advantage and lands him in hot water throughout the drama) but not without his more “ redeeming” character traits either. For example Moo Hak is undeniably a hardworking and charismatic entrepreneur, as well as gradually more empathic as he comes to see ( from Dali) the importance of genuine and authentic relationships that money cannot buy. On the other hand Moo Hak ( similar to the female lead) is very much enforced throughout the series as a plot device; existing to create a splash of tension and jealousy to keep their potential romance “ interesting”, but often dismissing more intriguing elements of Moo Hak’s journey and success along the way.
‘ Dali And The Cocky Prince’ really did not shy away from reimbursing all the overused tropes and cliches you’ve seen before from the “ foreigners” to the the infamous “ drunken escapades of your main character”, “ mistaken identity” and even the “ shower scene” find their ways multiple times throughout the drama.
However one dreaded creme de la creme of cliches which appeared in the storyline occurred through the issue of the “ love triangle” setup between Moo Hak, Da Li and her “first love” second main lead Tae Jin ( Kwan Yool). In the expected setup that you can imagine, Tae Jin and Da Li ended their relationship on an “awkward note”. (Pining and unrequited love ensues for Tae Jin as the “ impartial female lead” is milked by screenwriter Eun Hye throughout the subplot.) Then to add the cherry on top of “ tension for the sake of tension” there’s also the unrequited feelings ( which are often played for comical foil than actual heartache) of Ahn Chak Hee ( Yeonwoo) who often “bickers” with Moo Hak over her feelings for him and leading to numerous comical misunderstandings.
Thankfully Eun Hye only added these “ tropes ” as a side storyline with an major plot shift to a “ thriller mystery” subplot soon taking frontal stage as the focal point of the drama. In between these scenes there’s a notable shift on other characters unexplored in this latter half.
For example there’s supporting character Won Tak ( Hwang Hee) who is a hardworking police officer with a sibling like relationship with Dali, and Moo Tak’s quirky secretary Yeo Mi Ri ( Hwang Bo Ra). Whilst admittedly both characters were often the root of “ plot motivation” or “ comical foil”, they admittedly did add a sweeter note to the darker subject areas of the drama.
Then of course there’s the last topic surrounding director Lee Jung Sub’s take on the cinematography. Whilst honestly it did feel as though Jung Sub had some more evident missed opportunities with playing with the artistic creativity of the plot, there were admittedly some brilliant scenes and aesthetics carried through adding a warm palette to the romantic-comedy. The ending was admittedly trope-induced; not bad per say, but lacking more fluid coherency towards the characters’ own choices and decisions in the final act.
So what’s left to say about ‘ Dali And The Cocky Prince’ ? Is it worth watching or is it an “overhyped” drama? The biggest thing to say about the rom-com is that the drama accommodates from lighthearted to more serious to suddenly lighthearted again, and isn’t afraid to interplay the cinematography more subtly with this.Our main leads had good chemistry and it was surprisingly sweet to see the “ polar opposite” trope executed once more. On the other ‘ Dali And The Cocky Prince’ isn’t an inherently original or brand new concept with tropes and cliches often weighing down more intriguing story elements, characters and even the ending (to a certain extent). The drama isn’t entirely “ original ” as a consequence of this screenwriting decision and whilst the comedy may vary for viewers, the drama is certainly a decent and sweet enough rom-com.
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Just how much I craved for a normal romcom kdrama!
Dali and the Cocky Prince indeed is a fresh romcom drama that we have had in while. Not like it's the only drama to have a normal romcom story this year, but it surely is the best of the kind and I shall explain why throughout. By normal romcom I meant,a romcom storyline with no supernatural or thriller elements, which has become common these days.Kim Da Li (Park Gyu Young) is the daughter of Chungsung, the most prestigious family of South Korea, known for their contribution to art & culture. She works as a curator in a Dutch Gallery in Amsterdam. Jin Moo Hak (Kim Min Jae) is a director of Dan Dan F & B, a large gamjatang restaurant chain business company, who is uneducated yet has immense contribution in the success of his business. Dali comes back to Korea after his father's sudden demise to take over the gallery as it's director. But the gallery is already in debt and about to close down. Moo Hak and Dali with a previous encounter as good friends turn into debtor-creditor and end up working together.
The story mainly revolves around the gallery and the hurdles it face while organizing exhibits and maintaining it's dignity which also involves the developing chemistry between Dali & Moo Hak. Among other characters, there are Jang Tae Jin (Kwon Yul) as Dali's ex-fiancee and Korea's biggest family SEGI's Chairman, Joo Won Tak (Hwang Hee) as Dali's childhood friend, Kim Nak Chun (Jang Gwang), as Dali's late father and ex-director of ChungSung, Jin Baek Won (Ahn Kil Kang) as Moo Hak's father and Chairman of Dan Dan F&B, etc in major roles.
The seemingly uninteresting storyline doesn't really indicate the actual direction and mood of the story even if the genre tags say it's a romcom. The beginning of the story (first 2 eps) might not be that promising in order to decide whether to stay on this or not but I suggest you to give it a try till 4th or even 6th because after the introductory foundation of the drama, it actually becomes appealing. The ending is also well sorted. In fact, there was no point in the drama towards which felt slow or rushed and it wasn't messed up from any angle.
Honestly, the basic plotline is nothing new; its simple and typical with the classical romcom Kdramas. I loved the entire thing only for the fact that it's a normal romcom story and the chemistry between lead couples are worth remembering. Despite everything, the screenplay technique, dialogues, character development, romance progression and comedy has their own ways of representation for this drama which definitely intrests the audience. The amount of cliché elements are very less as well. It has that vibes of the old romcom stories. Adding to the main romance plot, there is another major plot involving both the leads, their families and the gallery and it goes on simultaneously and ends in the finale after all revelations are made.
Dali is talented girl with immense interest in art. She's strong yet softspoken, kind-hearted, rationale, reasonable and caring. On the contrary, Moo Hak is a rude, arrogant, outspoken guy who does talk loud all the time. He doesn't think before talking and tend to make many grammatical mistakes. All that matters to him is money, in fact he knows the real value of money. Despite all that, he's caring and considerate deep down his heart. I loved the fact how healthy Moo Hak as a male character is, no toxicity, no problem tease games and no ego. It indeed is a pleasurable thing to witness the two strangers with contrasting characters coming together to work and gradually falling in love. Not to forget, the chemistry buildup between them is sooo enticing, you'll wish more.
What I liked the most about the drama is how straightforward both Dali and Moo Hak are. Not only their personalities are crystal clear but their mindset towards their developing relationship is also firm and comprehensible. Their feelings plus expression are so transparent, you can't help but admire these two lovebirds and root for them real hard. At least they don't beat around the bush and made sure their is no confusion left. The actual romance starts in the 2nd half of the story (more like in the 2nd half of the 2nd half, haha) but what matters is the gradual buildup that was shown in a very beautiful way. Ofc, there was mutual interest and liking before that but it takes a while for the flower to bloom. Haven't really seen many such limpid chemistry development between lead couples in long while.
Both Moo Hak and Dali's outfits were aesthetically pleasing and the add-on of their visuals with those clothes, were chef's kiss, oof. Moo Hak initially was a thug-like guy and wore those floral print mosaic slim fit formals, plus his hairstyle; everything about him looked heavenly TT. Dali's sense of fashion and hair grooming styles with the bob cut short hair, my goodness, she looked gorgeous throughout. The stylist/costume designer deserves a bonus.
After the interval, I was worried a bit; even though everything was going fine I hoped the production value and writing quality won't drop low as it occurs in most of the new romcom dramas. But, thankfully, it worked out fine and till the end, they were able to put forth a reasonable and sorted outcome; such a decent story and good execution.
Lee Jung Sub PDnim surely is experienced and skilled, most of his dramas are both popular and good. The direction and management of the entire thing have been well executed. There ain't much to do with cinematography but the camera works of some instances were really nice and I loved the way they represented the gallery art museum. Screen editing is good as well, with several flashback scenes incorporated to showcase connections and revelations. OSTs and background scores are appropriately used and make the screenplay even more appealing.
Idk if it's weird but I loved the entire OST album for this drama; each and every single OST is so beautifully written. They're soothing, romantic and heart touching, they gave off suitably perfect moods throughout the drama. Imma mention all of them.
"Moon Crater" by Kim Yeji is my most fav of all. The harmony here gives me goosebumps, every time I listen to it. It's very very well composed.
"U Hoo Hoo" by KLANG is next in the list. This is sooo soothing and KLANG's vocals are always very heartfelt.
"GIFT" by CHAI has meaningful lyrics that we can all relate to, more or less.
"With You" by Ha Hyunsang is a comforting piece which well written and the vocalists high notes are gratifying.
"The Sweetest Love" by Ham Yonji is such a jolly track that can cheer you up. It has that charm to make your heart flutter uwu.
"That's Ordinary Love" by Seoho is gladdening romantic song and gives out the urge to love and be loved, truly.
"One Day It Will Be" is a duet by Ian Hug & Seoho, in which the harmony and synchronization makes it such fulfilling song, it is enough to melt your heart.
"Can't You Love Me" by Fromm and "Straight" by DINDIN are also good tracks, the former being a soulful soft song and the latter is a rap composition. "The Kiss" by Hodge is a short track with English retro vibes.
DALI & THE COCKY PRINCE, is definitely one of my favorite drama this year and undoubtedly the best classical romcom drama of the year 2021. The simplicity of the drama is what makes it beautiful and watch worthy. The simple yet, compelling chemistry buildup is worth looking forward to and deserves admiration. The overal plot, the acting, the aesthetics, the dialogues and the execution, everything are good and together make this drama a veryyy good watch. I came here not expecting much, for Min Jae, Gyu Young and Kwon Yul but didn't know I would actually like it to this point. Definitely coming back to this some times.
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