This review may contain spoilers
Perfect Crown? Debatable
I went into Perfect Crown without particularly high expectations, and honestly, that probably helped.
I love IU but Hui-ju felt like a disappointing role for her. Most of the time, she came across as Jang Man-wol from Hotel del Luna with a different name; same expressions, same tone, same mannerisms. And considering what IU has shown us in previous roles, it felt like she was barely scratching the surface of what she could do. Her character also gets increasingly swallowed up by I-an's arc, going from an impressive, independent woman to essentially just another person in love. Not exactly what I wanted from her.
Byeon Woo-seok is, of course, ridiculously beautiful. The man was filmed from every conceivable flattering angle, and honestly, I understand why. Unfortunately, he remains a very mediocre actor. He has about five expressions, and while the restrained nature of his character works in his favour for most of the drama, he struggles whenever he's required to convey anything more emotionally complicated than looking pretty and mildly distressed.
Gong Seung-yeon, however, absolutely grew into the Queen Mother. She ended up being my favourite of the leads. Strong, calculating and manipulative, but never completely evil, she is ultimately someone who wants all the sacrifices she made to mean something. Her breakdown in episode 10 was easily one of the best acting moments in the drama, and I genuinely wish the show had given her more scenes like that.
The romance was probably my biggest problem. The leads aren't completely devoid of chemistry, but there simply isn't enough of it to carry a romance-centric drama. We're expected to believe in this enormous, “I will literally die for you” kind of love after barely watching these people get to know each other. That fire scene in episode 11? Where did all that devotion come from?
This is the problem with cramming stories like this into 12 episodes. The script tells us these people are deeply in love instead of giving us enough time to actually feel it. And when the emotional foundation isn't there, all the grand romantic gestures start feeling artificial. Also the reveal that I-an has liked her since high school was so predictable I nearly rolled my eyes out of my head.
The story itself isn't particularly original either. It's basically a convenient-marriage trope with rich people, beautiful clothes and a massive budget. The royal-family politics felt painfully outdated. The Prime Minister's arc was just bizarre. For eight episodes, he's the quintessential forlorn second lead, quietly pining away, and then suddenly he's the villain. And not even an interesting villain. The shift is so abrupt and blandly executed that I wasn't invested, shocked or even mildly surprised. I just sat there thinking, oh, so I guess we're doing this now.
Also, can we please stop giving us second leads who spend years refusing to confess their feelings and then become problematic the moment the woman they love falls for someone else?
I would have much rather watched the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother fall into some forbidden romance. Now that I would have been seated for.
Despite all that, there were things I genuinely loved.
I-an's relationship with her nephew was probably my favourite relationship in the entire show. I also loved watching Hui-ju's family gradually warm up to her. There was no big dramatic reconciliation; they simply became kinder and more supportive over time, which felt surprisingly natural.
The costumes were gorgeous, especially the way they blended traditional Korean clothing with modern tailoring. The proposal, dance sequence and traditional wedding ceremony were all beautifully done. And IU walking into the palace in that red suit?
Absolutely iconic. I also really liked the eventual resolution between I-an and the Queen Mother. Once power and hierarchy stop getting in the way, their relationship comes full circle in a surprisingly delicate way.
And I have to mention Hui-ju's sister-in-law, who was basically a human marshmallow. Earnest, loving and genuinely supportive without ever becoming irritating. I adored her.
And then there is the part of my brain that spent the entire drama screaming:
ABOLISH THE MONARCHY.
I simply cannot get behind a modern-day monarchy. Historical monarchy dramas? Fine. It happened. It's over. But why are we still doing this in the present day? So when the show finally abolished the monarchy, I actually cheered. Best decision they made.
Overall, Perfect Crown is pretty, charming and easy enough to watch. It has some genuinely lovely moments, but nothing about it feels particularly memorable. It is, essentially, an average drama wrapped in very expensive paper.
Not bad. Not great. Just... pretty.
I love IU but Hui-ju felt like a disappointing role for her. Most of the time, she came across as Jang Man-wol from Hotel del Luna with a different name; same expressions, same tone, same mannerisms. And considering what IU has shown us in previous roles, it felt like she was barely scratching the surface of what she could do. Her character also gets increasingly swallowed up by I-an's arc, going from an impressive, independent woman to essentially just another person in love. Not exactly what I wanted from her.
Byeon Woo-seok is, of course, ridiculously beautiful. The man was filmed from every conceivable flattering angle, and honestly, I understand why. Unfortunately, he remains a very mediocre actor. He has about five expressions, and while the restrained nature of his character works in his favour for most of the drama, he struggles whenever he's required to convey anything more emotionally complicated than looking pretty and mildly distressed.
Gong Seung-yeon, however, absolutely grew into the Queen Mother. She ended up being my favourite of the leads. Strong, calculating and manipulative, but never completely evil, she is ultimately someone who wants all the sacrifices she made to mean something. Her breakdown in episode 10 was easily one of the best acting moments in the drama, and I genuinely wish the show had given her more scenes like that.
The romance was probably my biggest problem. The leads aren't completely devoid of chemistry, but there simply isn't enough of it to carry a romance-centric drama. We're expected to believe in this enormous, “I will literally die for you” kind of love after barely watching these people get to know each other. That fire scene in episode 11? Where did all that devotion come from?
This is the problem with cramming stories like this into 12 episodes. The script tells us these people are deeply in love instead of giving us enough time to actually feel it. And when the emotional foundation isn't there, all the grand romantic gestures start feeling artificial. Also the reveal that I-an has liked her since high school was so predictable I nearly rolled my eyes out of my head.
The story itself isn't particularly original either. It's basically a convenient-marriage trope with rich people, beautiful clothes and a massive budget. The royal-family politics felt painfully outdated. The Prime Minister's arc was just bizarre. For eight episodes, he's the quintessential forlorn second lead, quietly pining away, and then suddenly he's the villain. And not even an interesting villain. The shift is so abrupt and blandly executed that I wasn't invested, shocked or even mildly surprised. I just sat there thinking, oh, so I guess we're doing this now.
Also, can we please stop giving us second leads who spend years refusing to confess their feelings and then become problematic the moment the woman they love falls for someone else?
I would have much rather watched the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother fall into some forbidden romance. Now that I would have been seated for.
Despite all that, there were things I genuinely loved.
I-an's relationship with her nephew was probably my favourite relationship in the entire show. I also loved watching Hui-ju's family gradually warm up to her. There was no big dramatic reconciliation; they simply became kinder and more supportive over time, which felt surprisingly natural.
The costumes were gorgeous, especially the way they blended traditional Korean clothing with modern tailoring. The proposal, dance sequence and traditional wedding ceremony were all beautifully done. And IU walking into the palace in that red suit?
Absolutely iconic. I also really liked the eventual resolution between I-an and the Queen Mother. Once power and hierarchy stop getting in the way, their relationship comes full circle in a surprisingly delicate way.
And I have to mention Hui-ju's sister-in-law, who was basically a human marshmallow. Earnest, loving and genuinely supportive without ever becoming irritating. I adored her.
And then there is the part of my brain that spent the entire drama screaming:
ABOLISH THE MONARCHY.
I simply cannot get behind a modern-day monarchy. Historical monarchy dramas? Fine. It happened. It's over. But why are we still doing this in the present day? So when the show finally abolished the monarchy, I actually cheered. Best decision they made.
Overall, Perfect Crown is pretty, charming and easy enough to watch. It has some genuinely lovely moments, but nothing about it feels particularly memorable. It is, essentially, an average drama wrapped in very expensive paper.
Not bad. Not great. Just... pretty.
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