The Best of “Da-li and Cocky Prince”

This drama is typical yet it’s heart-fluttering. Another peek into the lives of the mega-rich, and their power-hungry tendencies. And now that it has come to an end, let’s look back at the best moments that made us fall in love with Kim Da-li (Park Gyu-young) and Jin Moo-hak (Kim Min-jae).

The love of art

The drama used art as its backdrop – everything revolves around it. The fight for the museum’s survival, the behind-the-scenes of every exhibition, and the daily struggles of running an art gallery. Art should not always be about sophistication and exclusivity. And just like in the drama, an art gallery should not just be a place where art is displayed, it could be a haven from all walks of life – a safe place where you can feel at ease with just one ticket.

The love that knows no bounds

It’s always the enemies-to-lovers trope that gets me every time. There’s pleasure in seeing two people who are clearly opposites deny their love for each then eventually fail miserably. Da-li and Moo-hak complement each other so much. They are each other’s rock, and the bickering is always hilarious to witness!

The love that fell out

The build-up to the grand villain reveal was disappointing, to be honest. Maybe I’ve watched too many makjang dramas that these types of plot twists don’t surprise me anymore. From the moment Jang Tae-jin (Kwon Yul) appeared into the picture, we knew he’s got something shady going on. And when they disclosed his involvement in the death of Da-li’s father, it felt anti-climactic already. But I must say, Kwon Yul is such an underrated actor. He could show a diverse range of emotions and so much more. He’s one of the characters that shined through this drama.

The love for humanity

It’s rare to see a drama with no evil police officer. I was waiting for a bad egg to give in to the massive corruption that’s happening, but no. In fact, Joo Won-tak (Hwang Hee) kept on emphasizing that the police are public servants whose main role is to protect the people. I love it so much.

Next are the gallery employees. Never did I suspect them of betraying the late Chairman Kim (Jang Gwang) even though the drama tried to fool us. Art curators Bang Sa-bong (Woo Hee-jin) and Han Byung-se (An Se-ha) were just too loyal to be corrupted. But my favorite character development was Na Gong-joo (Song Ji-won). She’s a wounded soul who may have been lost, but her road to redemption was a satisfying journey.

The love of family

Da-li’s bond with her adoptive father Chairman Kim is top-tier. It’s high up there in the list of father-daughter moments in dramas. On the other hand, Moo-hak’s relationship with his father, Dondon F&B’s Chairman Jin Baek-won (Ahn Kil-kang) is still a work in progress, but it’s getting there.

The love that forgives

The drama’s ending was satisfying and worth it. They almost had us fooled by the time skip, but I liked that they inject funny bits now and then. It takes away the seriousness of the situation and brings us back to the usual comedic tone we learned to love. Everyone realized their mistakes and atoned for their sins.

The best takeaway from the drama is that kindness transcends death. Chairman Kim was the glue that binds them all – both through the good and the bad. A person’s reaction to kindness always varies but, in the end, the goodwill that you show a person, as long as it’s sincere, always reap good fruit. Because Chairman Kim was a good person, his legacy remains even after his death. And the lives he touched when he was still alive are the very people who will now protect everything he has built.