Held on to the end and now I have a bean I guess.
I kept ff'ing this finale waiting for them to clear this nonsense and get back to the "real" plot and then I realised this is the real plot. It's a shame the writers squandered such a great setup. I do appreciate their attempts to subvert some of the genre's more annoying tropes but that didn't stop the whole thing from feeling generic and even at some points dated.

I guess it's nice to have a romcom where the main couple like each other and are nice to each other. Still that's not enough overall for it to live up to its early promise. Which is a real shame.

MooHak and WonTak gobbling down those pancakes despite tasting anything but good is the best thing. The two bonded over their mutual love for Dali.

That time jump and the cold shoulders... 😂 the show definitely got me good. I shouldve learned my lesson thay the show does not do noble idiocy. I guess I have been watching kdramas too long that its become a norm.

Dali and Moohak are the cutest ever. I am rewatching the final episode. I miss them already. 😁

The only thing missing about this show, for me, is how Moohak saves the gallery with his business genius brain.
I know he did some help by inviting people to gallery opening in earlier episodes but it's just not enough for me.
The best thing about it, is how they are stay true to the end for their relationship. They try to communicate, they don't let any doubts from any people to separate them, they fight for their togetherness, no room for noble idiocy.
I was holding my breath to the very end, almost waiting for it to happen. Thank goodness, it didn't.
So far, it's best romcom this year.

It might be because i didn't actually expect anything but only silliness and fun with this drama that I am so happy all the way till the end. Also I appreciate that last silly twist lol

And that's a wrap! I'm thankful for this drama that dragged me out of my slump!! ❤️

Some thoughts: not that I'm proud of it, but I have this thing where sometimes I feel like I need validation of my interests, so whenever I see people pointing out negative aspects of things I like, I tend to be influenced by that and reevaluate my viewpoint.
It's happening now too, but!!! I must say, no matter what this drama's weak points might be, I simply loved it!! I loved how it often felt original and fresh despite the cliches, and I especially loved the characters of Dali and Moohak and their sweet relationship ^^
There were things I disliked too, but I can't even think of them right now, and I'm still reeling in this after finale giddiness, so I don't feel like revisiting them either xD
(Yes, one thing I disliked: how I felt before realizing the break up wasn't a break up!! But it was all good in the end so..🤣)
Actually I'm currently rewatching the drama, as I'm not quite ready to move on yet...it's just as lovely as before! I'm really happy I decided to give it a go!! ❤️

It's over and I have a bean!

I loved the first 2 episodes and after I couldn't really believe in the couple. I found the debitor-creditor plot completely stupid, the ML acting like a loan shark and the FL just accepting his presence like it was totally normal. Then, the first 2 kiss scenes weren't great. The first one was really too soon and the second one was not swoony at all.

Then, the fact the story took the road of drug, art traffic, murder, etc. instead of beautiful art and delicious food was so disapointing. The characters weren't interesting like the cousin, the step-brother, his father, the politician... they were just clichés.

For the episode 16, what was the point to not have a break up and time jump, if they make us believe the opposite...

Hwang Hee was the only character I really like, just a cute and sexy puppy :p

So sad it has finished. loved the ending but nearly had a fit with the one year later......

Was a mostly fun show throughout, and a bean was earned! Definitely dragged at some points, and the villain was really generic. I liked our main couples chemistry, and despite mostly sticking to tropes, they did from time to time, subvert a few. The last episode time skip was a nice touch, as they completely had me assuming it was the mandatory time skip seemingly every kdrama has only to flip it around while poking fun.

Solidly average show that I enjoyed for the chemistry between the main group of characters.

I really really love this drama. It is by no means a perfect drama or masterpiece - we are lucky to get one every two or three years. When did My Ajusshi or Forest of Secrets turn up in our screen?

Not that we are setting the bar low but if you look at romcom as a genre, it’s getting harder and harder to have something that delights - Hollywood and indie included. I consider lucky that D&G comes along that we have an old plot with gender reversal, two souls who communicate, see through the superficial gap and difference between them, and be true to themselves. This is a winning couple by a long stretch compared to those we’ve seen in the years past. I feel it’s an old story refreshed and I look forward to new episodes week after week. I haven’t had this drama fever for a long while. We have so many dramas with promising start that eventually disappoint. And D&G does pull it through and I applaud as it’s no small feat vs those who fail before it.

Of course, it’ll be so much better if the side characters are thrashed out better, ala the Gongjin crowd from HCCC.

This is the best romcom in 2021 in my book and Dali-Moohak certainly the best couple, period.

I generally prefer character driven stories, so as long as I like main leads, I don't care too much if everything else is a mess. That's probably the reason why I loved this show and was able to finish it.

Dali and Moo Hak have been charming, unique and extremely likable people, who despite being completely different, absolutely made sense as a couple. The show was enjoyable and I even liked its message on classism and poverty.

Thank you @missvictrix for the summary of each ep of the show!

This is no doubt my favorite show of the year (ofc if there is nothing like Start-up to top it up around December this year). The show is just delightful. It is interesting that this show is not perfect but I feel like I like it so much. They have done a lot of things so right (e.g., the characterization of the leads, the casting, the settings, costume, ost, tone of story) so despite something OTT the show feels so good and even magical at times. With new twists to old tropes, the show sends the message to us that it doesn't take itself too seriously and perhaps that's why I didn't take it too seriously either. It's easy to forgive and not burned by the show when it doesn't take even itself too seriously and the feeling is infectious.

I was going to say that the last episode might be the most let-down episode for me... BUT that was before the show actually explained what was really happening. I was about to roll my eyes when it looked as it there was noble idiocy taking place, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out not to be the case. I SO LOVE the scene in the epilogue: the setting in the gallery was one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen. The costume of the FL was so so on point and everything was just brilliant there. Actually, I should post the pics on my fanwall to show my appreciation for the epilogue of the show.

To put it simply, I ADORE this show. There is no explanation, just that it managed to hit all the right notes so all the perceived imperfections went unnoticed by me. In fact, because of my love for the show those imperfections even made it a greater show! Omo! 🤣

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I want to like it more, but I can't, the cuteness between the couple notwithstanding: I feel a bit cheated that the original premise of art vs food (or business) has been pretty ignored for the second half of the series, which devolved into a rather boring how-he-dunnit about nefarious shenanigans of greedy conglomerates with a tiny sidenote about green spaces being destroyed for commercial development.

It was fun to watch. I didn't have high expectations but i did like it. I also want to say 'Thank you ' to writer for giving us a cute ending .Not 3 or 5 years leap :)

Totally appreciate how the writers tried to change the usual trope and it was a delight to watch. A little disappointed that they didn’t do anything with the villains though.

The OTP was the highlight and what made me stay despite the 2D antagonists. The chemistry was definitely there and I applaud Kim Min-jae & Park Kyu-young for playing Dali and Moo-hak so well!

Halfway through ep 15, I didn't care enough to watch it anymore. I knew that @missvictrix would tell us what happened, so thanks for this recap that saved me an hour and a half of my life **

It's a shame that a drama that started with a bang ended on a whimper.

** ie let me watch some other drama instead

I don't really get that CEO and chaebol who already has the empire would care so much about the re-development project

Definitely a favorite in my book. It made me laugh and honestly sometimes I just need a cute romcom! I loved the leads, the humor, and subverting some of my most hated tropes. KMJ was a hoot and PKY was a pleasant surprise. I had just seen her in Devil Judge but man was she underutilized there. She's so charming. I know I'll be rewatching this soon.

I mostly enjoyed this drama. It had potential for greatness, but was squandered by nonsense. However, I actually really liked the finale. I thought the fake me out was fun.

If you think too hard, then you have to wonder how Dali could have been in love with Tae-jin back before he dumped her. But if you just accept that premise, then this show was delightful. Dali was a unique character and so was Moo-hak, although his rough edges disappeared by the end. I looked forward to seeing them each week and will miss them....

I really like this drama, and dali-moohak were adorable. The final epsiode time jump really got me, but i loved how they revealed that it had only been 1 week since she left for work ..hah! good job turning a trope on its head. I like she stood up to his father and stayed with him, it holds true to her character to not go the noble idiocy route.
and HE GOT THE WATCH BACK

I think this will likely end up being my favorite rom-com of the year for one simple reason: it was truly a story where I could easily see how and why and when two people fell in love. Bonus: it didn't happen first when they were nine!

There are certainly some things to criticize here and there (excessive slapping, for one, and Moo-Hak's awful family--even though Dad was somewhat redeemed by the end) but the fact remains that the show held my interest all the way through, it was very well directed and beautifully appointed, I never fast forwarded a scene (even though I was tempted a few times when the cousin showed up), and I appreciated that the leads rose above their original archetypal new money/old money roles and just became two people who were both very different yet highly compatible. And I loved that the actors seemed to be having a great deal of fun together as well.

The final scene--harking back to the earlier one of orphaned Dali crying over her shared loneliness with the cyclops--was a lovely and moving way to end the show, even more so than the proposal, imo.

Finally, for me, Dali continues a trend this year towards strong, likeable, and multi-faceted female leads that can have both dignity and flaws. Let's hope that continues well into the future.

I'm just going to mention Dali's styling at the end....I'm not a fan. She looks beautiful and the outfits are nice, but I miss the quirk.
Also, as someone with curly hair I hate when the hair goes straight to, idk, imply more grown up, more serious, or more professional. If that is what they are doing here.
I'd have loved to have seen her in clothes that matched her aesthetic in the beginning. For a change wash some of the gel out and give her a wavy choppy bob or something.
Idk, it just bugs me a little.

I liked Moo Hak's old colorful suits too, but his change doesn't bother me as much though I miss them.

I started this drama late. I was honestly turned off by Park Gyu Young's hairstyle. (Shallow, I know.) And I wasn't convinced by the OTP pairing. But I'm glad I watched this drama. Enjoyed the cuteness and humor a lot. The drama moved at a good pace. And the biggest factor for me was the awesome OTP. They were both strong, likable individuals and stayed pretty consistent throughout the show. Park Gyu Young and Kim Min Jae nailed their roles.

This drama felt like an old school rom-com, but refreshed in a way. The twists on old tropes were good. I chuckled when I realized they got tricky with the one year skip. The last few episodes had more flashbacks than I preferred, but that was a minor issue.

Tae Jin started off looking murky and mysterious, but then he became the big bad villain. I thought his character development wasn't too bad. His stoic control on his emotions made him not like a caricature. I wanted to see him get punched, but Dal Li was too classy for that. She killed him with her words instead.

Many of the side characters were not likable. However, there were a couple of standouts - Won Tak and Secretary Mi Ri. I wish we saw a bit more of Mi Ri. I just loved her facial expressions and reactions.

I like the scenes of Won Tak and Chak Hee in the finale. The bickering start to a possible friendship/romance.

Thanks for the recaps and comments everyone! ^^

I really have no game to be here lol. Just stopping by because holy moly, Kim Min Jae's charisma/handsomeness is showing extra hard here. In just 2 yrs, he's become such a handsome man. The clips/gifs I saw from this show utterly charmed me. I just about squealed seeing the pecking kiss scene in Ep 16 (I believe), like so cute. What I seen is I like how our couple here seem to actually laugh/have fun even kissing, like it adds so much to their dynamic.

As for the critiques, I do wonder why K-dramas can't just write about food/art in a fun/interesting way (like Dinner Mate failed to do), and have to add murder/corruption instead. I guess executives don't think they'll bring in viewers, so they go in w/ the cliches it seems? Ok, alright, I'll binge this show b/c its been a while since there's a OTP couple in a rom-com that had the sparks/sizzle for me!!

WE loved this show for its two main characters. As for the rest- not so much. What a lost opportunity- truly great comedies are rare in K-dramas and with a lighter set-up (say just art thieves as bad guys) and more emphasis on Moo-hak's business smarts- and Dali's art knowledge- it would have been great.

Despite not being perfect (nothing is), this drama is finding a spot on my favourites list. I was impatiently waiting for the new episodes. Loved the couple. Downside, I think it will be hard for me to watch Kim Min-Jae in another drama without seeing Moo-Hak. But then, he is so good, I may be wrong.

I started this show with no expectations of it being more than a rom com (and I always have a soft spot for Kim Min Jae) , so I liked this show. I liked that the show managed to subvert a tropes I hated : childhood connection/1st love, noble idiocy, etc. The best scene for me was Darli's verbal takedown of Taejin at the end. When she threw back TJ's sneering remark about MH in an earlier episode and at the last when she said, "What a load of garbage". Now that is how you smack a person with class. lol.

Another bean earned for 2021. Although I kinda liked this drama and it's unique OTP, I was so sick by the final week of all the greedy villains and non-sensical hate that Dali had to put up with throughout the entire show. Using a great number of villains and only to make them all steeped in the same mould of greed. I found that so vexing.

Moo-hak's family was my biggest disappointment. The step-mom and brother was too far gone to care even at the beginning but I had my hopes for the father to grow some backbone and stand up for the son he, more or less, abandoned emotionally. Seeing him lash out at Dali in ep 16, I felt nothing short of contempt for his character.

And then there was that fake-out break up. What was the point of that? There was room for fluff, super gorgeous fluff and bromance between Moo-hak and Won-tak and I even liked how Da-li and Gong Yoo became friends. There was certainly room for embellishment. But why this nonsense? Aargh. 😒

Dal-li is my favorite 2021 character. Dal-li has flaws but maintains her true character throughout. She has a humble beginning with being an orphan but she blossomed into a artistic, classy, and smart lady after adoption. Her high-class world suddenly collapses after the sudden death of her father and everything spiral downward with debts, homeless, abuse, and drama. Yet she still remains strong, classy, and hardworking. She doesn't look down on other people and able to forgive people who have wronged her and her family. I am not ready to say good-bye to this drama because I want to see more Woon Tak/Miri and Woon Tak/Moo Hak interactions.