Dali and Cocky Prince is a breath of fresh air, particularly if you are seeking a respite from regular dramas that require a lot of emotional investment.
To be honest, I began this with absolutely no expectations. While I found the pilot episode extremely entertaining, it wasn't strong enough to make me start watching the second episode. But, I decided to give a go. Just as the synopsis promised, the real story starts from the second episode, with the death of the FL's father. The premise seemed to be something that could be riddled with cliches: Female lead falls into hard times and the Male lead, the knight in shining armour appears to save her. The overall plot can be deduced within the first few episodes, particularly if you are a long time viewer of Korean Dramas. But, don't be fooled. This is one of those dramas out there whose vital force lies within the capable hands of our leading characters, who, without question, is the highlight of the show.

☆ Kim Da Li was brought up by her loving father, who ran a private art gallery. She is confident, refined and composed, having an intense love for art and knowledge. With the death of her father comes the biggest trial of her life: saving her father's debt ridden gallery from closure and weeding out friends and enemies. What I loved about her was that she was evidently smart. There wasn't a single moment where I was annoyed by her or her actions. But, she does have her own setbacks, particularly when it comes to Business and Art.

☆ Jin Moo Hak is the nouveau riche Director of Dong Gong F&B, a Gamjatang restaurant chain that had tiny beginnings. Despite his extreme wealth he lacks several factors and they include: education and class.
And he is quite honest about how much he loves money. I haven't seen such an unabashed male lead in a while. It is his unique and sharp personality that earns my respect. If Kim Da Li was book smart, he was street smart with a sharp focus on business related… business. He knew how to earn cash and observed scenarios with a keen eye. It's my first time seeing Kim Min Jae, but he was absolutely wonderful and served justice for his character.

☆ Their banter and budding relationship was a delight to follow. Coming from opposite spheres of the society, their initial meeting as strangers and finally a creditor and a debtor was absolutely fun and entertaining.
While there were several cringeworthy moments from Moo Hak, particularly due to his lack of etiquette, his straightforward attitude and confidence in himself made him a real gem among male leads. There were several instances that I thought he would crumble, but his guts and wit elevated him to a much better position and class that several other characters in the drama claim to have. I loved how supportive the two characters were towards each other.

☆ Right from the first episode, we are are hinted about something much bigger and mysterious going on behind the scenes. The later episodes were really well balanced when it came to focussing on the leads as well as the sideplots. They weren't boring and I was curious about how the whole web was going to get untangled.

☆Won Tak was another fun addition. His care towards Dali and his love-hate relationship with Moo Hak was entertaining and heartwarming at the same time.
"Your face is the best security!" will always be one of my favorite lines from Moo Hak. Also, episode 6 "Is Garbage Art?" had me in tears.

☆ The ex-boyfriend, Jang Tae Jin, was annoying. But, the other characters were really intelligent and dealt their card (limited) well. The art gallery itself had only a limited number of characters and we see their backgrounds and get to know them much better as the story progresses.
There was Jin Moo Hak's family, whom I found irritating as well as amusing at the same time. But, I loved how both he and his father were sharp, despite everything.

☆ The OST leaned more towards the simple side, personally for me. They fit in well with the overall vibe of the drama. I particularly liked some of the hilarious BGM that would pop up.

☆ Last, but not the least, a shout out to Moo Hak's coworkers at the restaurant and Miss Yeom. They made even the toughest episode light and enjoyable. Moo Hak and Miss Yeom were effortlessly funny and serious simultaneously as a duo. I loved how his rapport with his coworkers was portrayed.

A solid 8.5/10 for being one cute little drama that was perfect for me to relax with. I did not focus much on the outfits and scenic shots, but it give me an insight about art galleries that I was unaware about. It might have had it's own drawbacks, but I had dove in without keeping my hopes high. I felt that writers' purpose was to provide a solid and well written story that was enjoyable and entertaining as well.
It was light, emotional and a fluffy mix that exceeded my expectations.