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22 Comments On “Dali and the Cocky Prince: Eps 3 & 4 Open Thread”
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The thread is now open for spoilers and discussions.
Gifs from kateknowsdramas’ tumblr
Let’s enjoy the show!
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Thank you, @packmule3. I like those GIFs. He didn’t scold her for being impolite. Instead he explained his philosophy. When he says, We study and work so we can feed ourselves, I immediately thought that’s not true for her. She studies and works because she wants to, rather than for money. But then he includes rich people in his next sentences. Her expressions during this are so good. She would rather keep working at first, but his words put her at ease to enjoy the food, perhaps more than her father’s and boss’s nagging.
I really like this actress so far. I haven’t seen her before but she can play a rich girl without making her too precious or too entitled. Her character is charming.
@Fern I think this actress was the 2FL in Its Okay Not to be Okay? I liked her there and thought she was one to keep an eye on.
^sorry I meant Psycho but it’s okay.
The actress’ hair style reminds me of the 1920s hairdo: the flappers’ bob with the wavy curls.
@packmule3, Betty Boop crossed with Audrey Hepburn.
@nrllee, wow, I wouldn’t have recognised her. Thanks. Yes, she was good there, but is even better here so far. (I think the Okay drama had 2 alternate titles?)
Yes, the Psycho drama has two alternate titles:
The real title in Korean, per Wikipedia, is Saikojiman Gwaenchana. Literally, Psycho But It’s Okay.
But for American woke-ness on Netflix 😂, it was translated to It’s Okay Not to Be Okay.
Which I think it’s dumb because it misses the whole point. The story is about accepting the psychologically impaired because there’s nothing inherently evil about them. (Of course, they needed to be stabilized with meds and therapy.) In the drama, the normal people were the ones who were NOT okay… like the politician whose son was an exhibitionist.
To use the euphemism “not okay” for psycho is to say that it’s NOT okay to be psycho.
On the other hand, to use the word psycho is to de-stigmatize being a psycho.
Kinda like how I use the word bitch as the title of my blog. The word lost its sting — or its power — as an insult because I appropriated it myself. So what if my antis call me a bitch? Big deal. 🤷♀️
@packmule3, I like that you have taken ownership of the word bitch. Somehow you remind me more of the several years older big sister who can guide the younger siblings through different topics. I only had brothers, but my 7-13 year older girl cousins advised me in a similar fashion.
@Fern,
Betty Boop!!!
Yes, the kdrama producers are getting very good with their imagery. Typical viewers won’t see the connection but yes, that hairstyle projects an aura of sophistication, vibrancy, and insouciance because of the flappers, the Jazz Age, “The Great Gatsby” and Betty Boop. 🙂
Anyway, I formed my first impression of Dali just on her hairstyle alone.
It looks like a simple hairstyle, but it would take a lot of time and ‘glue’ to keep it in place. To me, it’s also a sort of ‘arty’ style. It gives her a sort of credibility in her professional life. I didn’t like it in the preview stills, but I get it now. I wonder if we’ll ever see her with mussed up hair?
There are some lovely photos of Audrey Hepburn with a sort of similar hairstyle but I can’t get them to stick here.
Hi!!
Hope you’re well.
Love the drame/comedy so far. For me, her hairstyle is more like Dali’s mostache.😅
Aside from Psycho, I’ve seen her also in Sweet Home and The Devil Judge. She was pretty good in SH.
Episode 3 flash back to her break up with Tae-jin was quite moving. At first I was confused by dialogue when she says she would do anything he wanted and he says “then” and she lets him go. I think what he was saying was if you will do anything the “thing” that he wanted from her was to end the relationship. She makes a reference that she can fix whatever it is that happened and he is clearly angry so it will be interesting to see what led to the break up. Curious why her father never forgave him. Was it because Tae-jin end the engagement and hurt Dali or that Dali left Korea after the break up or did Tae-jin do something else? These two episode worked to set up some of the mysteries that will need to be solved. The soundtrack is really good. Even the rap song at the end of episode 3 with the money lyrics. How they use “Carmen” slowed down and whistling is perfect for the stalker scenes – really creepy. Moo-hak’s dialogue about how Dali was looking for a handout for the charity event was spot on.
Good morning, @Good Twin. I shall have to re-watch. I thought that after Tae-jin said “Then”, he said something we can’t hear that she couldn’t morally accept. I think that her father had a problem with the ethics of the whole family group and not just Tae-jin.
I liked the show reversing the hotel scene from the first episode, when Moo-hak pretended to go into the hotel, but Dali discovered him.
Both MH’s step-brother and Dali’s cousin are pieces of work, and I don’t mean art. I’m waiting for the dodgy step-brother to team up with the dodgy cousin and perhaps with Tae-jin (the construction investment?).
I also think that Moo-Hak will soon take over the gallery café and those cloud-like omelettes will become all the rage.
Regarding charity and sponsors, I was surprised that Dali didn’t explain to Moo-Hak that sponsors do such things for PR — to enhance their public image and get relatively inexpensive advertisement? Even though the orphanage isn’t the desired target, surely the museum and sponsors can say on social media that the donation has been made? As to the rest, I would guess that there is a lot of ‘begging’ that goes on behind the scenes.
This leads to the step-brother and step-mother, who clearly want to userp Moo-hak’s position in his father’s company. The step-brother has betrayed Moo-hak over the private loan to the Cheongsong gallery. The step-mother buys (bad) art from a rival gallery. She seems to be superstitious and says she consults someone named Dr Kim. She is trying to diminish Moo-hak’s ‘energy’ by putting the poor investment painting into his office, thinking that he will be trapped into the pond depicted. I liked MH’s father’s reaction to all of this.
Hello @Good Twin and @Fern. I enjoyed reading your thoughts about the show and where it might be going.
I also found the scene of Tae Jin and Da Li’s break-up to be quite moving. I can see that Da Li is a very independent young woman who is truly passionate about her work. I wonder if Tae Jin asked her to drop her work to be with him. Being a chaebol, he probably requires his partner to be quite dedicated to housewife duties and other things that benefit the family company. I can imagine this would force Da Li to draw the line. He seems to be rather paternalistic – paying for the funeral without consulting her (ofc this was thoughtful), ordering the lady at the store to prepare clothes and shoes for Da Li, and ordering dishes before Da Li arrived to dinner. He seems to be arrogant enough to believe he knows all her likes and dislikes, and he’ll probably be upset to see her gradual growth.
I agree that sponsors participate for PR and marketing. However, given the gallery’s current public image, you would really have to beg for sponsorships. I think it’s more about the principle of things – if you’re deep in debt, your first thought probably shouldn’t be spending money that you haven’t yet secured. If she already had sponsors on board, that would be one thing, but she doesn’t.
I think Moo Hak’s behaviour can be quite jarring for some viewers. The way he calculates every penny, licks the last bit of yoghurt, buys used luxury clothing… I think these are true representations of someone who has worked for their wealth and understands the true worth of things, which contrasts with Da Li. She’s not a crazy spender, but she might not know the true value of what she owns in terms of blood, sweat and tears. You don’t get rich by spending – you get rich by saving and investing wisely. Moo Hak is an interesting character because he tells Da Li the truth that everyone else is skirting around. It’s not classy to talk about money, so the rich and cultured avoid it, even if their livelihoods are on the line.
@hotatoes, you are spot on about the true worth of things. “Can You Tell If Someone Is Rich By How They Eat Yogurt?” is the title of the show. Moo-Hak’s behaviour is meant to be jarring for contrast but not in a totally bad way. He is a practical man. Da Li is trying to maintain a facade and a tradition with the Children’s Art Project. She would probably be criticised for cancelling it as well. Perhaps she and he will find a different way to make the event happen that is inexpensive and good for the participants and the museum.
Title of the episode, not show. Apologies.
I wonder why he hasn’t asked her for his watch.
@Fern I thought he said something to her too the first time I saw the scene. On rewatch I wasn’t sure. In any event I am intrigued at what the backstory might be and lots of credit to the writer/director for the way they added this plot point. I like how it segued from Dali thinking back and ended with Tae-Jin in his apartment remembering back and acknowledging he had hurt her badly. He says he is not the same person as 5 years ago. Who was he 5 years ago?
At the dinner together Dali was struggling with whether to ask for help from him like the staffer at the gallery told her she should. In the end she couldn’t do it and instead thanked him for taking care of her father’s funeral arrangements.
Someone on Reddit pointed out that Moo-hak has got Tae-Jin beat despite class and boorishness because he makes Dali laugh. (My mom and dad were married over 60 years and she always said it was because my Dad made her laugh). There are a lot of storylines unfolding but for now I am most curious about this backstory.
@Fern “piece of work and I am not talking about art”. Too funny! 😂. Well done! I think he hasn’t asked about the watch yet because he wants the connection to her.
My husband made me laugh a lot on our first date, so I would agree with your mother.
I hope that the watch is still safe. She also hasn’t offered it back to him. 😊 I was expecting that she would do that as soon as she saw him back in Korea, so I was surprised. But she told him that once she got the news that her father had died, everything was a blur. She may have no memory of the watch. 🤔
There is something flawed looking about Tae-Jin. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s like he has lost his youthful innocence or is damaged is some way compared to Moo-Hak. Good casting.
@Fern I also hope they can still put on the event. It seems to be an important part of her father’s legacy. They just need to do a bit of creative thinking to plan something more financially viable!
I also interpreted the end of Dali & TJ’s breakup to be that TJ asked for something Dali couldn’t agree to do. Whenever I hear a character promising “I’ll do anything!” I figure it’s a bubble about to be burst. I lump that kind of promise in with “I’ll always be with you” and “I will never let you get hurt.”
Dali seems to be quick to promise “anything.” She’s done the same with Moo Hak, in exchange for him giving her a week to pay back his loan. Perhaps this is a trait she developed as a rich person who, as MH points out, doesn’t understand the value of money. It has also been pointed out that Dali is book smart but naive.
Dali is quiet in the face of adversity, but she has shown she has backbone, going out to meet the protesting “gangsters” multiple times, telling off the dismissive former museum sponsor, etc. I’m glad we see in Episode 4 that she does have human limitations and is overwhelmed by her situation.
As for the financial woes of the Cheong Seong Museum of Art, I find that storyline hard to swallow. Would a museum of that size and supposed standing not have a board of directors? Where was the financial oversight in an organization that handled assets of great value? We’ve heard Dali on the phone with a lawyer, but why isn’t a lawyer intervening with all the creditors? The way it is being presented, the Cheong Seong Museum of Art has to have been an irresponsibly run organization, which doesn’t happen overnight. No warning signs before the Director died? Really?!
The museum needs to earn money quickly. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. My thought when the public showed so much interest in the gangsters’ protest was that they should have done a guerilla art exhibition featuring tattoos instead of graffiti (provided the tattoos were authentic on everyone except MH). Strike when the iron’s hot. And the museum doesn’t need to hire a famous chef for their orphanage program when MH has so many connections in the restaurant industry, including the staff in his family’s restaurants’ kitchens. Why hasn’t the museum and cafe been used as a venue for weddings, parties, meetings, filming, etc? It seems that revenue stream wasn’t explored.
Dali’s cousin and MH’s stepbrother both appear to be bad eggs, but another one who has made me raise my eyebrows is the museum staff member Na Gong Jo. She’s snippy and snide, obviously unhappy that Dali has taken over the museum. Her negativity makes me expect her to do something underhanded.
Moo Hak’s stepmother: The actress who plays her, Seo Jung Yeon, must be having a blast playing such a kooky character. I’ve seen her in a lot of roles where she’s level-headed and competent, or emotionally guarded (as in The King: Eternal Monarch), so this is a big change-up.
Annyeong, enjoyed these 2 episodes very much. heartbreaking, but good.
@fern, i like dali’s character as well. and i see ‘betty” boop, as well. artsy hairstyle indeed. i like that she carries it well. i like how she can carry the dresses as well. it won’t look good on me, but perfect on her. i also see Moohak taking over the cafe 😁 his mind is at work when he saw how empty it was. so sad. that cloud like omelette – would it be “steamed egg”? which i love.
@good twin, i feel the mystery in Dali’s backstory. i also love the OST although i wish it’s on Youtube ~ not just the main songs, but everything they use. i do like that Moohak makes Dali laugh. i like it when IRL, we can laugh at our own mistakes. those are the best. like “did that just happen?” or “did i just do that?” kind of mistake. haha.
@hotatoes, i do appreciate Moohak’s honesty in telling it like it is and not sugarcoating it for Dali.
@welmaris, i agree about those “i’ll do anything” promises. it’s like, don’t say “never say never” coz it will happen. i also appreciate how she showed her weakness, how human she is when she cried openly in front of Moohak. it’s hard to cry in front of someone else. she must feel comfortable with Moohak already.
yea, we’re getting the people with negative vibes or roles in this show. augh. i agree with your list. i can’t believe that woman is the wife. isn’t she the one giving a hard time to that girl that works in another gallery? that dated Moohak once? hmmmm is her role negative too?
can’t wait for next episode.
@HK_Lady, I think that wife/step-mother of Moohak is being set up as a bad-ish sort of character. She wants her son to be the heir of the family business – she is conniving to make that happen. Moohak already knows that the son is trouble since the step-brother didn’t take any responsibility for convincing Moohak to loan the money to the museum. I don’t know why Moohak didn’t tell his father the truth. Perhaps the father wouldn’t believe him – there may be some past history of jealousy, although at the beginning of the drama, it seemed that Moohak and the step brother were friendly. I think she was the one who set Moohak up for the blind date with the chaebol curator at the rival gallery – maybe hoping to get a discount as well as a rich daughter-in-law, or to get Moohak to jump ship to work at a potential in-law’s company? It’s funny because the other curator is cut from the same cloth as Moohak socially, but he is drawn to Dali.