I really, really wanted to like this one, you guys.
I mean, Park Gyu Young in her first lead role? Yes, please! And, Kim Min Jae, as a romantic leading man again, after a wonderful turn as romantic leading man in Do You Like Brahms? Also yes, please!
The thing is, though, after 4 episodes, I’m just not feeling this one, to be brutally honest. 😝
MY BRIGHT SPOTS
Park Gyu Young as Dali
My single biggest bright spot in this show, is Park Gyu Young as Dali. I love her in this.
I love that Dali is so delicate and sweet, yet so capable and passionate, at the same time. I like that she knows her art stuff, and is so sincerely absorbed by her work, that she’d literally forget to eat. There’s a quirkiness about Dali, but it’s a very gentle brand of quirky, that adds to Dali’s charm. It’s not too much, nor is it too little; it’s perfect.
I also love that she’s kind, and sweet, and decent. She gives me the impression that she just automatically looks for beauty in things and situations. She also manages to be strong and gentle at the same time, and I love that about her.
Plus, shout-out to Park Gyu Young, for managing to make the multiple languages that she speaks in this show, actually sound natural and plausible. I totally believe that this is all stuff that Dali’s learned along the way, in the course of her passion for art.
I think Dali is wonderful, and I love how Park Gyu Young makes her so wonderfully faceted.
She is essentially my ENTIRE reason for not dropping this show like a hot potato, right away, at episode 1. 😅
When Kim Min Jae’s character was nice
I know that Kim Min Jae’s part of the reason I tuned in, but I hafta say, I struggle to embrace his character Moo Hak (more on that in a bit).
HOWEVER. There are some glimpses of Moo Hak being gentler and sweeter, particularly when he’s with Dali, and I really like those.
The problem for me, is, these moments are still few and far between, 4 episodes in.
STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE MUCH AT ALL
Stuff feels.. old-fashioned
To my eyes, there’s something very old-fashioned about what I’ve seen of this show, that I did not like. In particular, I thought episode 1 felt like a strong throwback to Early Hallyu rom-coms from the early 2000s, but not exactly in a positive way.
The plot points are tired and tropey, so much so that I can predict them practically from a mile away. The broad strokes are so obvious, that I could see a lot of things coming, even before they actually happened. And because I don’t personally love Show’s broad, intently OTT style, I felt like I had to actually endure the process of waiting for the plot points I’d predicted, to actually hit. 😝
[SPOILER] For example, in episode 1, we get the classic kdrama set-up, where our male lead trips and falls, to land very shirtless, on top of our female lead, in a somewhat compromising position. [END SPOILER]
Maybe if this was the first time a drama ever did that, I would be more entertained, but when literally hundreds of other dramas have done this before, there are basically zero freshness points to be had here, because Show hasn’t managed to inject anything particularly fresh into its use of these tropes. I just found it rather awkward and cringey, unfortunately.
When Kim Min Jae’s character wasn’t appealing
I suppose Show was upfront about Moo Hak being shouty, since it’s right there in the trailer.
I just.. wasn’t prepared for how shouty he would be. He’s just as shouty in the show, as he is in the trailer, and – dare I say it? – I find the shouty even harder to endure in the actual show than in the trailer, because at least in the trailer it’s in short, select spurts. 😝😅
This might be a controversial opinion, in that not everyone’s going to agree with me, but.. I just don’t think the shouty becomes Kim Min Jae. I think all this shouty is supposed to be funny, but I don’t find that it sits well enough on Kim Min Jae to actually land as funny.
[MINOR SPOILERS] Some of the shouty is acceptable to my eyes, like when Moo Hak’s assistant Mi Ri talks him into believing that he’s been conned by Dali. That “You die!!” was rather amusing.
But at other times, Moo Hak’s shouty seems too excessive. Like, why shout at his tenant so aggressively? And all the shouting when he and his mob gang invade the art gallery, is ridiculous and in SUCH poor taste. [END SPOILER]
As an aside, I also find that Show makes Moo Hak rather too dumb than I would prefer. I mean, if Moo Hak was street-smart, and just not book-smart, that would work quite nicely for me. But the way Show is playing it, Moo Hak seems literally dumb in every area except when it has to do with pigs, pig-farming and gamgjatang.
[MINOR SPOILER] Like, in episode 2, why wouldn’t it occur to Moo Hak to get the address of the art gallery from Dali, and why wouldn’t he think that a pair of heels in his tenant’s house might mean that his tenant simply has a guest? [END SPOILER]
[BIGGER SPOILER] In the same episode, the fact that Moo Hak takes a mob gang to the art gallery to do a lie-in protest, without even first attempting to make civil contact with the art gallery owner (who happens to be Dali), is very distasteful. It makes me think that this is just how he does business, as a general rule, and that does not endear him to me. [END SPOILER]
I know that Moo Hak’s supposed to grow on me, but after 4 episodes of the shouty, I honestly don’t think I have it in me to wait this out. 😅
When EVERYONE ELSE was shouty
A big part of the reason I don’t think I have it in me to wait it out, is because, besides Moo Hak, almost everyone else in our drama world (aside from Dali) also seems to be of the shouty persuasion.
Not only is Moo Hak shouty, other characters are shouty too – even that random client in episode 3, who complains about Moo Hak’s acquaintance, from the other gallery.
Maybe Shouty as entertainment works for some viewers, but it just doesn’t work for me. And unfortunately, the shouty appears to be a Big Thing, in this drama world. 😝
Show’s Intended Funny
Humor is a very subjective thing, and I find that there are many occasions when k-humor and I just aren’t on the same wavelength.
Unfortunately, that is also the case with this show. There are multiple occasions in just the first 4 episodes, where I can tell that Show’s working hard to entertain me and make me laugh, and I just.. don’t find it funny.
In terms of the humor, I find that the most useful lens so far, is the cartoon lens. It makes all the OTT touches more acceptable, relatively speaking, even though I still don’t love them.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E1. Shout-out to one of the cringiest scenes involving non-Korean actors in a drama, that I’ve ever seen.
My goodness, in what world do people behave that way, towards (someone whom they believe to be) a highly esteemed patron?
The exaggerated air kisses; the repeated comments that he’s sooo handsome; the bizarre enthusiastic patting of his person; the suggestive invitation by some random female guest.
It feels like a nightmarish combination of norms typically associated with Westerners (like air kisses), with a bunch of things that are more ok in Korean, than when translated into English (like the repeated aggressive compliments about his looks). It’s all very, very bizarre.
And that’s even before we get to the unfortunate choking incident where Moo Hak manages to ruin a painting by way of upchuck cherry projectile. 🙈
E2. I am bemused by Moo Hak’s assistant Mi Ri. Why is she dressed like a man, and why does she act like a man so much of the time? Is it supposed to be funny, that she’s dressed like a man, and tries to act like a man..?
Hwang Bo Ra is a lot funnier when she’s allowed to be weird and OTT. But in this role, where Mi Ri is supposed to be rather serious, but played with odd touches of comedy, like exaggerated blinks and comical sound effects, it’s not really working for me.
[END SPOILER]
SAYING GOODBYE
During my watch of these 4 episodes, I kept waiting for Show to settle down, in the areas that I struggled with, but.. it just doesn’t seem to be happening.
Honestly, to my eyes, it kinda feels like there’s one writer working on Dali, while a bunch of other writers is writing everyone and everything else, and the two camps aren’t aware that their chosen narrative tones don’t match.
I don’t think Show is objectively bad, in the sense that I think that there are viewers who would actually find this drama fun and entertaining. However, I do think it’s time to admit that I’m just.. not one of those people. 😅
I’m sorry Park Gyu Young-sshi and Kim Min Jae-sshi, that I couldn’t love this show, even though I do love you both, as actors. I hope that everyone else who does love this show, will love it extra, on my behalf.
I lovvved this one! I know your to-watch list is always full but hope some dull day you pick this up again!
Hey Deepa, it’s great that you enjoyed this one! ❤️ But.. I have to confess that I’m pretty convinced that it’s just not for me. 😅
Honestly I’m late to watch but I’m enjoying this show now, just finished ep10. And everything about this drama is so enjoyable. Humour, suspense, characterisation everything… Love kim Min Jae..
This show was actually fuzzy, light and very cool, (the humour you complained about, takes on to be soooooo funny) in my opinion. And the main reason you didn’t enjoy this show is you couldn’t allow yourself to enjoy it, you were in a haste, you couldn’t wait for things to settle. I started enjoying the show from ep 5-6, from then on I got hooked!! I watched this shown open-mindedly with no expectations whatsoever. I’m not a fan of either of the main leads, this is the first drama of the Male lead I’ve watched, apart from his role in “Goblin”. But I enjoyed this show soooo much that I could rewatch it (and that happens rarely) with me. Also, the female lead was my least favourite character.
Only thing I didn’t like was the shouty KMJ but overall loved this underrated drama. The main leads’ chemistry was good. Would love to see both leading in more dramas.
Aww, too bad this one didn’t work out for you. I’m watching this right now and enjoying it. This is one of those times that I giggled while reading your review since so many of things you pointed out as negatives are actually positives for me 😂😂😂 I loved the first episode and the old fashioned feel of the drama (you know I like those, hehe).
I also love Kim Min Jae in this role. He’s perfect for the character. Hwang Bo Ra is always a favorite too. And while there are some tropes, I’m finding that the drama actually turns some tropes on their head in a refreshing way as the drama progresses.
While I clicked with the drama right away, it sounded like most people took some warming up to with it. That being said, while I think it might grow on you if you hung around a bit longer, I don’t know that you would ever love this one. So, hopefully, onto dramas that you love more! 🙂
I love this drama. Its one of my favorite.
Yes to all of this, especially the show’s very dated vibe. The old-fashioned feel of it gets a lot worse as the show progresses and there are several scenes that are very old-school Makjang – and not in a good way. In some ways, the show feels like an attempt to subvert a style of K-drama that doesn’t even exist anymore. As though it’s fighting a battle from five years ago by subverting tropes that have already been subverted in larger and braver ways.
I loved several things about this show’s setup and because of them I persisted in the hope that it would course correct. It never does and just keeps steaming along in the same vein till the end.
The idea of a drama in the vein of an Audrey Hepburn romcom with a female lead styled after her was such a great idea. Calling it Dali (art) and Gamjatang (food), and exploring the cultural clash between physical and spiritual nourishment was so inspired and honestly what I signed up for. Instead it unfolded in ways that were predictable and even boring. This makes it this year’s biggest disappointment for me just in terms of sheer wasted potential.
Romcom is supposed to be a fun watch with all those cliche and cringeworthy scenes, without being over-analytical about it. If you are so critical and shouty (just like Moohak lol) in writing reviews for some romcom, then it’s you who wasted your time dear to write this super lengthy review.
It is called having an opinion. Nobody said you have to agree. But there is no need to attack somebody. So watch your tone and keep it nice.
Thank you
Opinion can be nice or not nice. If my harsh criticisms towards the reviewer is considered as attack, then it’s also the same with the reviewer which isn’t really nice in expressing her opinions.
You are welcome.
As expected… why do I even bother with people like you….
@reaper – Its ok. Thanks for saying something in the first place 🙂
I agree with you. I don’t understand why a rom-com most make perfect sense, without cringy and embarrassing humour, the show would be sooooo boring.
Dropped this drama also, i think after 6 or 8 episodes. Love the main cast and love the first 2 episodes but it went down afterwards for me
I think watching only 4 episodes is not enough. I really enjoyed the show. The chemistry got better and better. And bed sienes are always welcome cos they are so rare in Korean dramas. I love the couple and that made me watch it tell the end.
I honestly enjoy the drama it was a really funny and moo hak character struggled a lot since his childhood his mother died and father married another woman who doesn’t even give a, shit about him and people say he is dumb but he was CEO of a, successful company and he manage to get dali out of the situation even he was the first one to get that taejin was behind all the struggles dali was going through he was smart enough to manage everything and his character was the most funny ‼️
Actually I don’t like Moo Hak’s character as well but if you read the synopsis, they really follow what they described about Moo Hak..Rich but uneducated..So yeah..I just can’t believe Dali will fall in love with this uneducated & annoying Moo Hak but he is a good man & have a good heart after all. It’s a nice and well written drama in my opinion.
The humour is subtle, and you are lacking in a sophisticated sense of humour to appreciate it.Moo Ha is shouty and”dumb” because he’s supposed to be a bit uneducated and”low class”, as apposed to Dali’s “arty”high class persona.This drama is poking fun at “high class”people being showoffs and looking down at “lower class”people based on looks and behaviour. It’s very well acted, just subtle and actually very funny in a tongue in cheek way
Huh, can’t believe I missed that!
I also struggle during the first few episodes and cringed a lot with the shouty KMJ. But for the love of these two actors, I was able to endure those episodes until they settled and became enjoyable until the end.
I’m one of the people who really enjoyed this show. I thought the opposites-attract OTP worked very well. Dali is a delightful character. Smart, sophisticated, kind, lonely… and a little iconoclastic. Moo Hak is blustery, decidedly unsophisticated (but he is moved by classical music, so we know a love of beauty lurks in there somewhere), loyal, lonely… and pragmatic. I enjoyed how their differences team up to save the day, so to speak. I also thought Kim Min Jae nailed this different kind (for him) of male character.
Show had farcical elements, which I usually don’t like, truthfully, but ultimately it was a heartwarming and fun romp.
I did find on YouTube a piano cover and tutorial for Dali and Moo Hak’s love theme, Leslie. It was delightful 😊
Very nice. Thank you.
Can u post the link please?
Here you are, Maria: https://youtu.be/TjxP9Ny8HS0
Well i’m jz loving this show & all the characters…its a stress buster.
MEAN COMMENT ALLERT:
You, probably, belong to a group of people who thinks that “Boys Over Flowers” is the best K-Drama of the world.
I am laughing at this kfangurl, because show is in my top 10 for the year 😉
@seankfletcher – Phew. 😅 I’m not alone. It crept into my top 10 for the year, as well. Not a dramatic tour de force, but a show that I unabashedly (well maybe a little abashedly 😆) enjoyed watching.
@Leslie – so wanted to say the other day you were not alone at all!!! But had to wait 🤭 but now I can say it as well, its in my Top 10 for the year as well! 😂😂😂
😁
Never alone, Leslie – there is always someone out there that likes our choices!
I’m watching this now and think it’s very fun! I too giggled at this (In a playful way of course. We each like what we like, hehe) 🙂
That is so true, Kay. I’m glad you think it is fun 😎
Aah, what a shame. Yes, the first 2 episodes were a little weird, but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the end. It’s not the best show ever, but it’s a solidly enjoyable one. In my opinion 😁
I binged this one.
I also struggled with the first 2 episodes but it gets so much better and funnier.
At first just based on the title I thought it would be like „cinderella and the four knights“ but it is way better.
When Moo Hak shows up at the museum with his „gangster“ friends it is just hilarious. BTW all these gangster are super friendly fluffy dudes who work at his restaurants. You will love them.
Too bad you dropped this somehow show started to become a bit of a thriller towards the end and was highly entertaining.
I really loved Moo Hak throughout the show. The yelling gets better but I actually enjoyed it.
I see why you don’t like him. But he is a man of action and not as stupid as you think. Except with idioms 🤣 You would see later on how smart he is.
On the other hand Dali was likeable but it said she is booksmart and knows 7! Languages. She seemed very useless most of the time even tho she was supposed to be brainy.
@reaper – YAY you found one you liked 🙂
I really couldnt stand the yelling from KMJ’s character throughout. I had wished they toned it down sooner. OMO! Loved Dali’s character so much. 7 languages? Amazing. I missed that part. I think they tried to be book smart and not very common sense smart.
@JJ
Yeah I guess from a certain perspective the yelling can be quite annoying.
Dali is not bad. Not my favourite female character but quite likeable.
I mean she lived in the real world so she should have a bit more common sense, but it worked well in combination with ML character.
@reaper – Did you see PGY in Romance is a Bonus Book. She was part of the ensemble cast and I thought she was fantastic.
Oh excellent point about the mystery.
Oh, I so agree with you there about the half brother and wannabe girlfriend. They both displayed some good comedic timing and that would have been fun 🙂
@JJ
No I didn’t see Romance is a Bonus book
I think maybe because they were in Europe he adjusted himself a but more. I mean it is different to be crazy in your own country compared to in a foreign country. People try to keep a low profile as foreigners even him. And the weed in the Netherlands is supposed to be good so maybe he had some :DDDD
Btw after you said ypu liked My roomate is a gumiho so much. I gave it a third! chance and after I got through the first 3 eps, with getting used to Hyeris acting and Kang hannas character was better explained it got so much better. I mean how can they misportrait a character so badly in the first ep…. also how is this woman even human….
@reaper – I loved loved loved Romance is a Bonus Book. Seriously. First episode a little rough, but after that excellent binge.
Oh my lord. This post felt like I was reading my own thoughts, typed out in words. Verbatim. Though more eloquently expressed as always, KFG!💖
Same with Trent, I thought I was the only one who couldn’t get the chemistry… and I’m somebody who sees terrific chemistry between Luo Yunxi and the corgi on Love is Sweet!😍
This goes on to prove our tastes overlap more often than not! The fact that we both dropped this on episode 4 after an eerily similar progression of experience…
puts me on a related chain of thought.
Here is pitching you a rec for ‘Kikazaru Koi Ni Wa Riyuu ga Atte.‘ A spring-themed, slice-of-life j-dorama released earlier this year. 10 eps, 50 mins each, cute dog, a very Dusik/ Hye-Jin relationship dynamics abeit in the couple’s late 20’s. Tons of excellent food, and perhaps the richest looking (most Korean) j-dorama I have ever laid my eyes on! 😍
https://mydramalist.com/689083-kikazaru-koi-niha-riyuu-ga-atte
I had almost exactly the same reaction as you did, right down the line.
Even though by this point I should know better, I still kind of hate to drop shows once I’m at least 2-3 episodes into them (I can still count on the fingers of one hand the shows I’ve dropped), and so I stuck with this one even though I was having such a hard time with the ML.
And then you know, I found myself about 15 minutes or so into I think it was episode 10, and ML was launching into yet another episode of the shouty, and I just asked myself “why am I watching this? Is there any realistic chance it’s going to get any better? NO.” And that was it, I dropped it.
The other thing I didn’t really care for at all was the OTP. I just did not feel any real chemistry. There were occasional very brief flashes of potential in the beginning when the show allowed them to breath together and the ML could unwind and actually resemble a sensitive human being for a few minutes, but ultimately he was written so poorly (from my perspective), and that perpetual shouty…I just couldn’t.
JJ stuck with it and took one for the team to report how it turned out…and unfortunately had to quash my forlorn hope that the 2ML would turn out to be decent and his past sins would be something that could be explained and atoned for in a reasonable fashion (of course, it was never going to happen, 2MLs only get to do that like, one in a thousand chances). But no, JJ had to report he turned out to be more of a cad and a jerkwad in the end than we were imagining. Alas.
This show’s overwhelming saving grace, and the undeniable reason I stuck with it for as long as I did, is Park Gyu-young, who I luuuuv ever so much. She looked absolutely fantastic in this (the costume designer needs a raise, as does makeup and hairdresser), and her character was really great…just deserved a better drama to inhabit! As does Park Gyu-young.
@Trent – Oh even mentioning 2ML annoys me……
Fangurl, I was not surprised when you dropped this. I almost did several times but I kept watching hoping that somehow it would tone down and just make some darn sense. It never did but no biggie. I also stuck it out just to see Ahn Kil Kang as I just love him.
@phl1rxd – Ahn Kil Kang cracked me up throughout the Show. Oddly, I didnt mind his yelling for some reason maybe because he did not have so much screen time?
He is so versatile as an actor. One of my favourite roles of his is as Bok Joo’s dad in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. He was very generous with all the fried chicken 😂
@Sean – I love him in so many roles I cannot make up my mind. However, I am game for some🍗🍗🍗 😁
@seankfletcher – THATS where I have seen him before, I knew he seemed so familiar ! Ah and he is a stage actor as well. No wonder he is so good 🙂
@JJ – he is Da Bomb! 💥 😁 As Sean says below- he is so versatile.
@phl1rxd – looks like I need to watch some more Shows because I have only seen him in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. I just looked at his list of Shows he has been in and several are on my watchlist. This will be fun 🙂
I first noticed him in Chuno (Chuno!), where he played a relatively small but memorable role. He was also good in Tale of the Nine-tailed from last year, and a nasty villain in this year’s Sell Your Haunted House. He’s a versatile dude!
@Trent – Still waiting to watch Chuno! I think it will be a binge event and waiting for Shahz to get access to it as well. Still have to see Tale of the Nine Tailed. Oh, I think Ill pass on the nasty villain role though 🙂
Tale of the nine tailed is a big uuuuuuufffff.
@reaper – ah bummer 🙁
I actually really liked this one. The art shined here and I laughed out loud and much of the absurdity of what I saw. Sorry you dropped it. I do think that when you think of it as a coming of age for the heroine. How she matures and then brings the ML along with her, it’s more palatable as well.
Sniffle….😭
I so wanted this to work just because of Park Gyu Young first lead role!!! I did make it to the end even though I cannot disagree with your review 🙂
I much preferred Kim Min Jae in Brahms overall. However, when PGY and KMJ were allowed to be quiet and calm and nice to each other they had nice chemistry 🙂