Dali and the Cocky Prince

Edited to add this: The more I think about it the more I appreciate this series. My comments below still feel accurate, but I think I'll definitely half to rewatch this series after perhaps half a year. It is just really good.

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Although I doubt anyone is actually reading my reviews, I've started to think that spoilers are not something I want to include, so I'll try to keep this generic, while giving folks an idea of how much I enjoyed the work.

First let me note that this is not really a "light" or "fluffy" series. It has its comedic and light moments, but there is a lot of trauma and darkness as well. (More on that a bit later.)

The good stuff:

Dali and Moo-Hok are one of the cutest couples ever. Park Gyu-Young is stunning. Very much one of the most beautiful actresses I've seen. Her wardrobe for the series is quirky and very different than what we see in other Kdramas, but each outfit is so incredible and she wears them so well. Kim Min-Jae is very handsome and cute by turns, and has a boyish, joyful quality.

The acting is superb. These Korean actors just blow me away after watching American TV. (Actually we have been watching very little American TV for many years. We are watching much more TV - KDramas in particular.) The subtleties and emotion of MS Park. The energy of Mr. Kim min-Jae. Just insanely good acting. Both actors have hard roles to play without under or overdoing it, and they pull it off brilliantly.

An intelligent, elegant, mature FL. A bit dorky and ignorant ML, but with a heart of gold. A very refreshing switch up from many other KDramas we have watched.

The funny parts are really funny. The cute parts are really cute. The romantic parts are really touching.

It is a very well crafted story, compellingly told.

The OST is brilliant. The song Gift by Chai is now one of my favorite songs ever, let alone one of my favorite OST tracks. An English version is available - so touching.

Less than ideal for me, and why I give it a nine rather than a perfect 10:

This was a hard decision. I hesitated to watch the series for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. The description was somehow not compelling.

But at some point I realized Park Guy-Young was a secondary FL in in Romance Is A Bonus Book. She had quickly become my favorite character in that series! So that convinced me right away to watch Dali and Cocky prince, hoping for some of the same comedic mastery. But here she was so much more reserved, as the role demanded. As I have noted her portrayal of Dali was superb, but I guess I was hoping for more fun. This is probably a bad reason to deduct a point, but...

Also there is more darkness and trauma than I was looking for at this time, so that plays into it as well. Of course, your mileage may vary.

But it is a great show. Unless you rally just need something consistently light a fluffy, please watch it.

Watch the 1st episode and you will be hooked! The lead male actor KIM MIN JAE who plays Moo Hak, the Cocky Prince, will capture your heart right from the beginning. He is just hysterical and brings so much humor to the series, not to mention his cute good looks and arrogant but with a big heart personality. I definitely recommend watching it as it is entertaining and one of the best that I have watched in a long time. The romance is so cute and will not disappoint. I have added the lead to my favorite K-Drama list of male actors and I will be watching for more of him in the future.

It's not usually cliche romance type drama ! Both ML and FL are strong enough by themselves and believe in hard work! That's the beauty of this series.💖 In the other hand the visuality of KimMinJae and unique style of Park GyuYoung (Da-Li) bring this drama more highlights!! Really enjoying the plot 🖤

A very beautiful and heartwarming love story with good sense of humor. The main leads come from different background but they are side-by-side and always be there to overcome hardship in love and in life together. Actor and actress has remarkable chemistry, and perfectly pair up to deliver the feeling of true love. This romcom is very unique and very addictive. Kim Minjae is in another level of acting performance, showing in his gesture, tone and facial expression. Cinematography, setting, dialogue, pacing and OST are perfect. Kudo to the director, writer and all the crew.

This was such a delightful drama.

This series have everything: romance, comedy, drama, loss, grief, politics, little bit of thriller and what not? Usually a mixture of many genres makes a mess but that's not the case here. It's a well executed drama.

Chemistry: The chemistry was fantastic! The progression of their relationship was very nice, it was at the right pace and steady too. The couples are so cute, they relied on eachother, trusted eachother with their lives. As the story progressed, I kept on realizing how perfect they really are for each other despite their differences.

Kim Min Jae aka Moo Hak: I loved him in "Do you like Brahms?". Here he is a complete opposite character.

He is loud, kanjoos, uncultured, sometimes even silly and stupid but he is mature and adorable infact he is the most considerate amongst the so called high- educated and cultured people. He respects her lady, he knows how to make her laugh, how to wipe her tears. What a flawless character!

Park Gyu Young aka Da Li: Finally her officially first main lead role as the Da Li is just as good and convincing.

She is completely opposite of the male lead. She is wealthy but she doesn't care about money, she is smart but lacking most practical understanding.

She is elegant, delicate and extremely polite.

Kwan Yool aka Jang Tae Jin: I liked him in "Bring it on Ghost!". Here also he played a negative character very well. I like his matured and straight face.

All OSTs are peppy and soothing can be added to your playlist.

Overall, its a nice watchable drama. Give it a chance if you like Rom-Coms with strong & smart female lead and adorable male lead.

PS: Special mention should be given to the wonderful stylist and costume designers.