I would like to see the persimmon tree.

In the second Baldur's Gate, there weren't any elves at all.

What about Aerie and Viconia? They are definitely there, although perhaps you were expecting specifically sun or moon elves. Or male elves. And then compare them to gnomes or dwarves, of which there is only one in the game.

and they were simpler/more realistic.

I agree with that.

Edwin: a talented and ambitious mage from Tethyr, whose main uniqueness lies in the peculiarities of his culture and personal quirks.
Gale: one of the most talented mages in the world, chosen by the goddess of magic and her former lover, who has a super-duper Netherese sphere stuck in his heart.

And this is even without touching on the topic of his possible endings. The funniest thing is that a character similar to the original Edwin, but more positive, exists in the third Baldur's Gate. And he has his own storyline. He feels closer to the approach of the original two games than the current cast. More grounded. But there's nothing surprising about that, actually, since Larian has never been good at moderation.

it was even harder to start a romance than to complete the game, and here everyone is ready to give it to you for a cabbage.

It's as if you're playing the first Larian game.