Dali & Cocky Prince

I love opposite attracts and this drama really bring the best out of them!

Dali, who runs her family's art museum in Korea, was in Amsterdam as a visiting art curator. She met a successful businessman Moo Hak by accident, and he falls head over heels her at first sight. The two part ways, but he intends to meet her again. Shortly after, Dali needs to go back to Korea because of her family emergency, while he’s looking for her all over Amsterdam. When fates finally bring these two together again, they ended up as as a creditor and debtor over the art museum.

“Dali and the Cocky Prince” is an art-inspired rom-com. Normally I’m not immediately sold on romcom, but this was a surprisingly heart-fluttering watch! I love how this drama really highlights our lead couple’s personality and quirks. Their journey as a couple so sweet, from them being open to each other, trusting, to them relying on each other. At times when Moo Hak doesn’t reply Dali in sensible ways, she’s not belittling him, but she smiles and it’s so heartwarming. It’s comfortable watching their progression and was satisfied with many romantic moments. Episode 14 is my favorite, where there was a super dreamy and beautiful scene of them, and also a bit spicy, I love everything about them! Kudos to our leads’ perfect chemistry and acting. Kim Min Jae is genuinely cute as the silly undignified Moo Hak, Park Gyu Young is so charming, genius and beautiful.

There was a conflict which was not my favorite part, but it didn’t take a dramatic soapy turn and the romance kept its’ fun and airiness and beauty throughout the episodes so it was super satisfying and memorable! Later, I found out that the director was Lee Jung Sub. He was also the director of Healer, btw, one of my favorites of all time! This is probably why I love the romance so much!

-Feb 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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One of the best of 2021

I absolutely loooooooved #DaliAndTheCockyPrince #DaliAndGamjatang!!!!!! It's one of my favorites this year for sure. #ParkGyuYoung who plays Kim Da Li did such an amazing job. Her character Dali was the sweetest most beautiful person as well as completely stunning! #KimMinJae who plays Jin Moo Hak, the ML, was hilarious. Actually I wasn't sure about him at first because he was loud and obnoxious but he definitely grew on me. Those two together were pure magic, cutest couple ever and talk about funny, I couldn't get enough. The support characters were great as well, you seriously can't stand all of the villian characters and the funny support characters were great. Ahn Chak Hee (#Yeonwoo) was an excellent third wheel character that you actually like. I also loved the brotherly character of Joo Won Tak played by Hwang Hee, he was totally cracking me up. The story was fantastic and the ML was always thinking about Dali's best interests and never kept anything from her, a total straight shooter. If you are looking for a completely adorable romcom you can't get much better than this, I totally recommend!

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EVERYTHING'S PERFECT!!!

*Please bear with my wordy sentences (plus, my amateurish vocabulary) cuz I've got a lot to talk about X3*
Every single episode makes my heart skip a beat. "Dali and the Cocky Prince" is a feel-good drama with lots of lessons to learn from! Not only did it teach me about art and the nature of the art industry, but the drama also gave me life lessons and how we should appreciate what we already have at present time, while also helping others with a kind heart; being forgiving when need be; to never give up what you have faith in. Both the storytelling and main characters (i.e. Dali and Mu Hak) are so lovely and funny that I can't stop grinning whenever their scenes pop up! I laughed and cried together with them~ Mu Hak's family was a bit of a mess but they all cared about each other after going through several mishaps together. There's a lot of character development for them which I liked (including Chak Hui, cuz I didn't really like her at the beginning but rooted for her later on). Not to mention "Our Woo Tak-shi" XD; love him so much! He'd always be Dali's family and guardian, and I'm glad the director & screenwriter didn't add any romance line (like a crush on the FL) between them, cuz they're just so cute as they are~ Storywise..., WOW. That's all I'll say... one word.. cuz I can't describe it with just words... Everyone, YOU MUST TRY WATCHING THIS DRAMA! You won't regret it!!!
Oh and, the soundtracks in the drama are so magical, up-beat and playful(?)~ Anyways, I love them all!
I just finished watching this drama and felt extremely contented! To simply compare this drama to food, it's like that feeling we get after eating a hearty meal when being famished (the pork dishes looked really tasty which made me want to grab a bite too.. XD)

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Very cute Romance. Meh... everything else.

Dali and the Cocky Prince is a classic opposites-attract RomCom that sucked me in from the start. It's also partially a mystery which both underwhelmed and bored me. This drama doesn't take long to jump into the romantic chemistry part which I loved, and the two leads are quirky in the best way (shout out to whoever styled both character's outfits), but unfortunately, too much of the drama revolves around a mediocre corruption plot that was so uninteresting and repetitive that I was tempted to skip a lot of those scenes, at least the non-comedic ones. The best parts of this drama are when it doesn't take itself seriously.

Park Gyu Young plays Kim Da Li, a rich but odd art expert. It's my first time seeing her as the main female lead, not a supporting lead with unrequited or unfulfilled love (It's Okay to Not Be Okay, The Devil Judge), and she played the role well. It was nice to hear her show off some English fluency and really great outfits, but I did have some issues with the way her character was written. I honestly wondered if Da Li might be slightly autistic at some points. I understand that the character was meant to be sheltered, eccentric, and naive but her extremes were just too intense at times. The innocent wide-eyed blank stare that I've seen Gyu Young do in other dramas didn't help. It made her seem less cute and more "undiagnosed" or "too heavily medicated" or just waaaay off. I liked Da Li but her naiveté and stubbornness also frustrated me A LOT! Speaking of extremes, she is matched with Kim Min Jae as Jin Moo Hak who is super confident, outspoken, and stylishly tacky (although I loved his suits too). Even though his character is meant to be obnoxious, his charm and smile are what stood out the most. Maybe I'm biased because he has my birthday (#teamscorpio), but he was by far my favorite character! He played right at the line of being unapologetically cocky where it was admirable instead of annoying. Together they were a great match, and even at their cheesiest (and it gets very cheesy). They were cute without being too childish and they are what kept me watching. That's a warning to anyone who doesn't like their odd banter from the start, complete with sound effects, arguments, awkward smiles and giggles... if that's the case then you should probably give up on this drama. These are the best parts in my opinion.

There are other good performances in this drama too. Moo Hak's family (especially his Dad), the nosey Museum staff, the nosey restaurant staff, a 2nd lead for each lead, a classic greedy businessman, and a creepy rich ex... most are pretty cliché but the characters are great. My favorite among the supporting cast was Hwang Bo Ra and Moo Hak's secretary. Yes, the roles she plays are often similar (even with short hair and a suit this time), but she is always hilarious. I thought she and Moo Hak made a great team. I do think Kwon Yool as Jang Tae Jin is worth mentioning as well. I think he did a good job too, but I just wish he was a little less dull. I still don't understand why Da Li ever liked him in the first place, or why he was so enamored by her. Maybe if his character was a little creepier, or more charming, I would have been less bored by the rest of that story. Not that I blame him completely. I just think that part of the story wasn't strong enough on its own. Other characters, like both 2nd leads, and Moo Hak's stepbrother could have had slightly stronger storylines to make them feel less like filler characters, but maybe less of them wasn't so bad. I'm glad they weren't used too much to distract from the main couple. I'm glad this drama avoided drawn-out love triangles... besides the main one, which was more a third wheel plot than a real triangle.

The non-romance part of the story is filled with the usual corruption and greed tropes and involves Da Li's dad's death leaving her with a mess of bills, responsibilities, and unanswered questions. When everything starts going wrong for Da Li, instead of actually caring, I was just waiting for Moo Hak to show up. There are no real big plot twists or surprises, just characters finally realizing what's obvious. It is all resolved pretty neatly by the end, which was nice, but the love story is still all I cared about.

Would I watch this again? Sure! Because what I enjoyed the most was the main couple's antics I can see myself rewatching them and just skipping or zoning out during the other parts, Maybe that's too harsh, since some of the other characters are entertaining too, but I think just focusing on the romance would be my only reason to rewatch this. It's also a light drama, which is perfect if you're in between dramas and if you're not in the mood for something too emotionally heavy or serious.

And the soundtrack is pretty good. I didn't fall in love with any of the songs but they fit the drama's mood perfectly. The "don't take it so hard" lyric always seemed to come in right at the perfect time. I also liked the whistled version of the Habanera from Carmen.

Overall, this is a surprisingly good romance drama for what it was, and I would definitely recommend it to light romcom fans. I loved that this felt like a classic romcom, but the leads didn't necessarily follow the predictable romance drama path, even if lots of popular romcom tropes were in full effect throughout. They could have explored classism a little more deeply but that probably would have made the story too serious. Although the premise is a high end spoiled art-world elite vs a low brow hard-working nouveau riche entrepreneur it's really about making a genuine connection unexpectedly and having someone who truly will be there to support you no matter what ( a ride-or-die if you will) who seems all wrong but compliments you perfectly. The take on the art world was a bonus, and also played up for comedy in a way I thought was hilarious, It seemed to be done as a comedic love letter to the art crowd. If this drama was a painting I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any means but it is the kind of painting that makes me smile when I see it, and that was enough for me.

Oh, and if art isn't your thing, maybe pork is? There's plenty of pork appreciation too lol! I can appreciate both! Win-Win!

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One of the most refreshing Kdramas!

It starts straight away with the looks. Everything is a visual masterpiece, from the sets to the crazy smart retro outfits everyone is wearing. It all feels like the art it's honouring.
Then there are the two leads that are as unique as the clothes they wear, both looking like the best of the 50s, but with the most modern relationship of balance and mutual respect. And that same respect carries through to the support cast as well. This drama treats almost everyone kindly, showing a grace and sense of hope even towards the moraly gray characters.
It's rare that a drama that is so visually spectacular has something meaningful to convey, or has such a good script and storyline. Dali has everything, and it was very hard to find faults in it. Like most dramas it could have been an episode shorter, but otherwise it was as good as it gets. And then some, wrapped in a vintage package...

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A ROMCOM WITH A LITTLE MYSTERY TO IT

A ROMCOM WITH A LITTLE MYSTERY TO IT

tbh, i actually watched this without any expectations at all but i actually really liked it! i really enjoyed it from start to finish, just the right amount of everything with extra fluff which i really liked. it's been a while since i've laughed and smiled a lot because of a drama and dali and the cocky prince did that. It's a drama that will make you cry because of laughing too much but at the same time there's a lot to learn, the way they speak things will really impact you. i was also kinda surprised but at the same time not with the twist! i found it surprising but not really surprising at the same time lmao idk how i should explain this without spoiling but ig you'll know what i mean once you've finish the drama.

the chemistry between the leads is off the charts! it feels so natural whenever you see them together!

Moo hak may be the most "uncultured" male lead ever but i find it a charm of his lol i thought he was a jerk at first but he's honestly one of the best ml i've come to know, there's also so much to learn from him, i also love how he's always there for dali whenever she needs someone to lean on, he's the type of person who knows how and when to take care of someone but knows when to step back and let them take care of everything on their own and i really love that of him.
Dali on the other hand is also just as good! she is the sweetest ever, a very soft, elegant and cute female character! she knows how to take care of herself and always stand up for what she think is right! she knows what to handle and how to handle things out, i really love her! she's been through a lot and deserves nothing but every good thing in this world (ofc moohak too)

the main characters including the supporting character are all so lovely and are very fun to watch except for the villains lmao.

one of the things i really loved too was the honesty of the leads, no stupid misunderstandings at all, if there was even one then ig i didn't really consider it as stupid and it was easily resolved with a simple conversation.

this drama is so underrated, i wish it would get the attention it truly deserves. It was really lovely and was such a mood booster. If you’re into light hearted and laugh with less angst then i highly recommend this drama!

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An unbreakable romance and a well written story. Love at it’s best.

One of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever experienced. It had drama that will move your senses and romance that will warm your heart. They threw in a sneaky ending to give you a little romantic suspense and it made the drama perfect. The mix of Park Gyu Young as Kim Da Li, the Curator of an art gallery, with Kim Min Jae as Jin Mo Hak, the managing director of a restaurant chain, was priceless. People from two different worlds falling into a love that held together and shined like all the stars in the sky. They shared a romantic chemistry and an unbreakable love. You don’t see that often in dramas and when you do it’s beautiful.

The acting was what made this story great. The comedy was funny and didn’t interfere with the beauty of what was unfolding in the drama. The side stories were interesting and brought meaning to the main plot.

I could step through what I liked but the problem is, I liked everything. If you like romance, this is a gem. This is a fantastic and well written drama that is worth your time.

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The sweetest romance you'll ever see

So I went with a good amount of bias into this drama. Park Gyu-Young has been my favorite actress for a while now and I'm sure to like basically everything she touches... but I didn't expect to like it this much. I didn't expect this drama to straight up jump into my top 5 of all time and to set the bar for romance dramas on a level, which is almost unreachable.

I'll start with the lesser relevant points:

The setting is great. Dali being an educated art scholar from a prestigious family gives the drama a very sophisticated vibe and sets up a perfect opposition to Moo-Hak being a slightly vulgar, from zero to self-made millionaire CEO of a food company. The fact, that Dali is from a prestigious family also helps greatly, to not fall into the classic "I need to be saved by the rich guy" scheme (even though it kinda turns out that way but mostly due to the story arc and not because of the character), because her social status is actually a lot higher than Moo-Haks. Dali's character, even though being a bit naive, is still written as strong and independent, who has literally been thrown into the worst-case scenario out of the blue, with huge and powerful villains fighting against her, so it's obvious that she needs help here and there but the drama never goes too over-the-top and keeps reminding us, what a strong human being Dali is. The same goes for Moo-Hak. Him having to review his life phisolophy and values during the drama, while also being put in unexpected and dangerous situations makes his character grow an incredible amount.

The sophisticated vibe is very much supported by the beautiful sets and music used in this drama. Especially the OST, a mix of soft english romance songs, which could have been right out of a 1920s folk love album and emotional korean ballads, was very well chosen and really helped consolidate the atmosphere of the show.

The supporting cast is the only nitpick I have. Even though all the characters are really loveable and have their own little story and character development, I didn't really understand why so many actresses and actors decided to overact massively. Maybe they were told to do so, that the main cast shines more but especially compared to the incredible realistic job Park Gyu-Young and Kim Min-Jae were doing, the supporting cast is the only dark spot on the beautiful painting, that is this drama. (Special shout-out to Kwon Yool, who is subtly acting his ass of. How can a person portray so much just through the movement of his eyes??)

But now let's get to the part, which made this drama an all-time classic for me: Romance done right!

K-Drama has this stereotype, of making romance cheesy and over-exaggerated and is often being memed for that. Maybe that's why this love story felt like a harmless tornado of fresh air to me. I have not seen a more natural development of a love relationship in K-Drama ever. After the "no electricity scene" in Episode 1 I already knew that I was witnessing something special. I don't know. It just clicked. The chemistry shot through the roof and showed everybody the cutest romance I've ever seen. From the subtle smiles, the hilarious Kissunderstandings (hehe ;) ), or the expectation defying twists (not so innocent after all). Everything seemed so natural and perfect. The two main leads could have not been cast better. They just fit with their characters and you believe every single line they say and every action they do, especially to and for each other. I enjoyed seeing them happy. I was smiling from ear to ear during each and every romance scene, because it just filled me with so much joy, seeing a cute couple in love with each other, knowing all the hard-ships they have endured and are going through.


What can I say? I am in love with this drama and I probably will be for a good while.

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Original rom com drama.....look simple but worth to watch

Watch episode 1 without any expectation but it catch my attention with their cinematography and both lead look soo refreshing. They suit the rom com genre. Kim minjae has a wide range of acting even he still young and for park gyu young look soo classy in this drama.
The story is simple but still made me smile watching it as the funny scenes happen so natural without any forced. Jin moo hak and Kim Dali match and complete each other even though their character is totally different. I never though i would enjoy this drama and this couple one of best couple for this drama out of all the drama i watch.
I give credit to kim min jae as he acted as jin moo hak very well and i surprised to see him acting. Jin moohak character is very hard to act if you did not had a wide range of acting. I glad kim min jae took this role and it one of his best character at least for me.

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Perfectly balanced mix of all things K-drama that is both good and entertaining at once.

what can I say that has not already been said, probably nothing and I have actually not read most of the reviews for this on here but this is just one of those few (ok not few) dramas that have all the reasons one fell in love with K-dramas in the first place with heart fluttering romance that will make you go all ohh and they are just so cute.... it has suspense, will keep you guessing just enough, and make sure to address some pretty important issues on the side without any of these taking over or distracting from the main attraction of this dram which is the romance.

I once wrote that all the great love stories start off with someone being vulnerable... and well here the screenwriters made use of vulnerability in such varied and creative ways that I regretted not waiting with my article till after I had seen this... But then there is always room for a part 3... anyway besides the 20 shades of vulnerability shown the drama does a great job talking about family bonds, distribution of wealth, social mobility, power relations and shows very clearly moetery capital vs cultural capital in a fun and easy to relate kind of way the leads come of as pretty interesting characters that complete each other perfectly having different types of capital, different types of intelligence, different needs and a whole lot of love and respect for each other. ok yes there is the classic wrist grab and some other stuff but the male lead can actually back off if told to back off, SHOCKING but true.

The female lead is portrayed as lacking in some ways but extremely booksmart, capable, caring and fun. I have seen Park Gyu Young in several dramas, all very different, in this drama she does a great job showing that she indeed is very talented and can pull off a variety of roles.

The male lead is portrayed as an illiterate uneducated cokey pretty boy that only knows and cares about money and food but is shown pretty competent and caring as the show progresses and is just the cutest little teddy bear. That actually does say some of the wisest lines in the whole drama. Kim Min Jae delivers his line beautifully as well as gets several chances to show off his very well sculpted body.

The side characters are mostly well written and fun and are very well casted, but the male leads family was a bit too much and annoyed me, I felt bad for the actors of these parts because I know they are otherwise good so it was not them it was the writers... That family is what pulled down the score of this otherwise close to all I want in a k-drama, drama.

All in all definitely worth watching, easy to binge and just an all round good and entertaining K-drama done right.

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A delight!

I totally loved this drama and binged it in a couple days around school and work!

I love the strong cast! The lead characters are great!

I don't want to give away spoilers but there were several typical Kdrama cliches that I thought were coming a bunch of times throughout the drama and they kept tricking me!

This drama is a great mix of romance and comedy with some mystery too! Anyone looking for a drama that does not involve making you yell at the TV and brings you lots of smiles, this is the drama for you!

I can never state the rewatch value right after finishing a drama. I am saying no right now but I could see that change and could see myself wanting to rewatch the romantic/comedy scenes.

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