Reviews

✦ Perfect Crown — “Love was never the weakness. Suppression was.” ✦

(aka: I watched it, I survived it, and I’m still emotionally unemployed)

❖ INTRODUCTION: I came prepared. The drama did not care.

I came into Perfect Crown terrified.
Not because it looked bad — quite the opposite. It looked like one of those emotionally suspicious dramas that pretends to be safe while quietly setting up your downfall.

And considering certain actors’ history of “we swear this is happy but actually cry for 3 weeks,” I genuinely spent the entire runtime emotionally bracing myself like I was defusing a bomb.

Instead, what I got was worse.
A romance so emotionally coherent that I forgot I was supposed to be a detached viewer.

And honestly? That’s the problem.

Because this drama doesn’t force you to feel things. It makes you realize you already do.



❖ THEMES: Love as resistance, not decoration

At its core, Perfect Crown is not a romance.
It is a study in suppression.

The palace is not a backdrop — it is a system designed to erase individuality:
love must be strategic
desire must be hidden
identity must be controlled
grief must be quiet
And into this system step two people who absolutely refuse emotional compliance.

So the romance doesn’t feel like escape.
It feels like rebellion. And that’s where it gets dangerous.

Because suddenly:
affection becomes political defiance.



❖ CHARACTER CORE: Two people who forgot how to exist freely


✦ The Grand Prince — “a man trained to disappear”

He is not weak. He is over-controlled.
A man who could easily take the throne but has spent his entire life practicing emotional erasure:
don’t want
don’t react
don’t attach
don’t become noticeable

And all of this is rooted in loss:
mother’s traumatic death
father’s preventable death
brother’s palace fire death

At this point, his emotional stability is basically a myth maintained by repression.

So when Huiju enters his life, he doesn’t fall in love.
He destabilizes.
Because she behaves like a system error in his emotional programming.


✦ Huiju — “rebellion with emotional intelligence”

Huiju is not just “strong female lead.”
She is structured defiance.

Her ambition is not greed — it is emotional compensation:
“If I become undeniable, will I finally be acknowledged?”
And what makes her compelling is not just strength. It’s that she never becomes smaller to fit love.

Instead:
she becomes more herself while loving him.
Which is rare enough to feel suspicious.



❖ ROMANCE: Opposites → emotional mirroring → shared destruction (affectionately)

Initially:
he is restraint
she is rebellion
Classic setup.

But the writing does something far more interesting:
It removes the distance between them emotionally.

They begin to mirror each other:
both protect too much
both sacrifice too easily
both assume love equals danger
both choose others before themselves

And then comes the moment that breaks you a little:
“I wanted to divorce you to protect you.”

Which is basically the drama saying:
“Congratulations, you are now emotionally synchronized.”



❖ EXECUTION: Tropes, but make it emotionally expensive

Yes, the drama uses familiar tropes:
contract marriage
palace conspiracies
poison attempts
hidden identities
political tension

But instead of pretending to be original, it does something smarter:
It commits emotionally.
Nothing feels thrown in for shock value.
Everything feels like it had weight building underneath it.
Which is why even predictable moments still hurt.



❖ VISUAL LANGUAGE: rebellion without speeches

This drama doesn’t over-explain.
It shows.

Huiju wearing red at a royal event is the perfect example:
No monologue.
No dramatic pause.
Just defiance.
“Nobody said I couldn’t.”

And suddenly you realize:
The system only works because people obey rules that were never written.



❖ POLITICS & VILLAINS: Everyone is emotionally compromised

No one is purely evil.

Everyone is:
emotionally damaged
politically trapped
or morally exhausted

The Queen Mother is not just a villain — she is a consequence of suppression.

The Prime Minister is not just ambitious — he is ambition that consumed everything else.
And that makes him worse, actually.
Because he doesn’t fall into darkness.
he chooses it repeatedly.



❖ THE WORLD: The crown is the real antagonist

The monarchy is not glamorous. It is suffocating.

It destroys:
identity
love
freedom
and emotional honesty
Even children are bound by it.

So when abolition is discussed, it doesn’t feel political. It feels inevitable.
Like the only logical emotional outcome.



❖ EMOTIONAL CORE: Why it actually works

Everything works because nothing is sudden.
Love is not instant. It is cumulative:
fear
hesitation
protection
breakdown
attachment
repetition
So when they finally love each other openly…

It doesn’t feel written. It feels arrived at.



❖ ENDING FEELING: I thought I could move on. I was wrong.

And now we arrive at the part the drama did not warn me about:
The aftermath.

Because I finished Perfect Crown thinking:
“That was beautiful. I can move on.”
I lied.

Because now I’m here:
watching edits at inappropriate hours
replaying their gazes like they are evidence in a trial
losing emotional stability over hand-holding scenes
and developing a concerning inability to accept that fictional people are fictional

And it’s not even just nostalgia. It’s worse.

It’s the feeling that:
every touch meant something, and now it’s over.
The kisses, the hand-holding, the finger-grasping, the almost-touch moments — they don’t feel like scenes anymore.
They feel like memory fragments. And that’s why it hurts.

Because the drama didn’t just show romance. It made intimacy feel real enough to miss.

So yes.
I am crying over edits.
Yes.
I am emotionally unwell.
And yes.
I will probably rewatch everything anyway.

Because apparently I enjoy suffering with good cinematography.



★ FINAL RATING: 9/10 (emotionally irreversible condition) ★

✔ Beautiful emotional writing
✔ Strong character mirroring
✔ Visual storytelling that actually means something
✔ Romance that feels earned, not assigned
✔ Politics that support themes instead of overwhelming them

✘ Prime Minister needs consequences (legally and emotionally)
✘ Viewer may develop attachment disorder (fictional only, hopefully)
✘ Post-drama withdrawal is not included in warnings but should be

Final verdict?
This is not a drama you “finish.”
It is a drama that stays.
In scenes.
In edits.
In your brain at 2 AM.
And apparently… in your emotional stability.

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Nonsense in the 21st century

I apologize if you are offended by my opinion.

The drama in general was good, interesting, average, and more of the same and final duh respectively for each group of episodes.

In the 21st century and they still don't have surveillance cameras, a fire suppression system, or the restoration of the mahogany in the castle or whatever their kingdom houses are called.

They never revealed who was responsible for the death of the first King, the second fire, or the punishment of the third. How the lives of the little King and his mother ended. The end of the stratified school. As I mentioned before, a very bland ending, devoid of enthusiasm or emotion, pure speculation.

I liked how the girl's family really became a buffer and support system for her, as well as providing emotional support. Whether she was named as the heir or not is irrelevant.I loved Minister Min because he really does look like a natural Korean with his yellow skin. And don't get me wrong, but it's ridiculous that the protagonists looked at each other as if they had 4 layers of talcum powder thrown on their faces.

I also noticed the cultural appropriation more because I prefer Chinese dramas to Korean ones.

Korea is ridiculous based on its series that idealize the country and its culture as such when the reality is completely different. Actors and actresses can't even express that they're tired, much less have a partner, because they're attacked by their own fellow citizens. It's absurd how misogynistic men are superficial women...

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A Romance K-Drama That Stopped Feeling Romantic

I rarely watch romance K-dramas, which is exactly why Love Scout surprised me so much at first. The beginning felt genuinely refreshing — soft, warm, comforting, and very character-driven. The chemistry between them was honestly so good that it carried the entire show effortlessly. Their interactions felt natural, mature, and full of tension in the best way. It wasn’t overly dramatic, it was simply enjoyable to watch two people slowly grow closer.

That’s also why the second half frustrated me so much. The drama completely lost sight of what made it special in the first place. Instead of giving the audience time to actually enjoy the relationship they spent episodes building up, the writers suddenly filled the story with endless external conflicts, misunderstandings, villains, business problems, and emotional crises.

First the revelation about her father saving him in the fire creates unnecessary distance between them, then immediately after that her company and position are suddenly at risk. And it just keeps going. Every time the couple finally reconnects, another dramatic obstacle appears.

What disappoints me most is that the romance itself almost disappears toward the end. There’s barely any romantic tension left, barely any intimacy, barely any meaningful moments between them anymore. No real time for affection, no excitement, no payoff for all the buildup the show created so well in the beginning.

It honestly feels like the writers no longer trusted the relationship itself to carry the story, even though that was the strongest part of the drama from the very start. And that’s such a shame because for a while, Love Scout truly felt like it could have become one of my favorite romance K-dramas. only rating it so high because of the actors and the lovely ost.

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A little bit of Crown Magic for Disney

Everything is based on the 12 episode series

Perfect Crown is a show to cater to general audiences with Disney's specialty
now we all know that the art that Disney makes to create happily ever after kind a lost its magic in the past couple of years

Enter Perfect Crown, Episode 1 (in the exact 19:45) Perfect Crown brought its magic back to Disney
Grand Prince I-AN introduction is where the magic happens entering the main hall. this scene alone brought me back to what Disney is capable of doing, last time i felt this emotion was wayback the live action Cinderella transitioning and slipping the glass slippers.

Story is typical Disney with K touch
but what brought the magic the magic to the series are the following scenes
Episode 1 (in the exact 19:45) - Grand Prince Entrance
Episode 2 (in the exact 40:41) - Grand Prince help his nephew (the child king) and stood across the stage signifying the crown
Episode 3 (in the exact 01:04) - Grand Prince and Seong Hijui entered the palace after agreeing on the contract and their biggest challenge is the whole nation because of status (this scene establishes the King and Queen entering the palace)
Episode 6 (in the exact 4:50) - Grand Prince and Seong Hijui entered the stage for the grand dance and proposal
the visual on IU is just perfect for the scene,
Episode 7 (in the exact 1:4:30) - the Grand parade, this reminds me of the celebration of the star wars episode 1 , a high energy scene can put a smile to anyone
Episode 7 (in the exact 1:7:50) - The king and queen enters the palace,
This is the scene of the entire series - It shows the power of the crown, it shows the world that South Korea is still in the top of the game in culture, This signifies to the world South Korea is a power house both traditions and modern world.
The FLASHES honors the history, the King and Queen entering the Council Hall with the FLASHES as the background
The OST brings emotional Magic to the scene, The haze smoke brings nostalgia to Joseon era, the Costume Design, this scene alone is the center of the series when it comes to cinematography, If there is a rating on production i will give the perfect crown the perfect 10.
Episode 10 (in the exact 1:2:05) - Min is entering as the villain of the happy story
kind reminded me of Scar entering the scene for the first time in Lion King

Everyone has their own magic scenes because we can't deny the I-AN, Hijui, Min, Iran, has strong chemistry, specially Iran (the Queen Dowager) she has one of the best portrayal of any supporting female lead, i'm not going to be surprise if she wins the blue dragon award, that how powerful her cast is. another character is Han Dayeong the wife of taeju, her cast is a breath of fresh air and works well with the sript and story.

For OST
just start it with My Pace and end it with Free
what can you ask more, I already bought the 10 OST tracks to support the composer and artists

Everyone has their own magical episode, such the ending of episode where they kiss over the palace wall, but for me
these are the magic scenes that was for me as a cinematographer

I gave it 8.5 because all of these magic scenes, the series still have challenges
the aides were gone (i don't know what happened)
they did not make use of the other maiden that was supposed to be set up to I-AN
Seong Hijui as a CEO was not given a background how powerful her position is as CEO of Castle Beauty
When there is a Council Meeting, the topic is always about I-AN not about the crown or people

so there are some but the bottom line

the Crown gave Disney a little bit of Magic

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An amazing story from start to finish!~

This drama is far from perfect, especially with it's storyline but it remained satisfying and captivating for me to continue till the very end. So with that said, I'll go ahead and break my review into two main parts!

PROS: When you get first introduced to the main leads, there's a certain narrative that's being told to the audience. But soon enough, the audience gets told the actual events being unfolded and I just want to give some highlight to this specific moment. These two contrasting scenes honestly gave me vibes of "history is written by the victors" statement and it couldn't have been any more true then in that moment. I really love how this was portrayed in the story and how much this echoed throughout the entire show!

Not only was the chemistry between the two main leads were really amazing, the other couples in the shows were also awesome with each other. One thing I want to also point out is that I really like how a lot of the other couples that were shown in the show weren't taking up too much screen time. They were there, yes, but the show never made them the focal point- giving the main characters the pure spotlight they deserved!

I also want to give a little bonus note about Su Yu. With such a twist of fate, I love how he goes from someone you, as the audience (and ofc myself), can find him likeable to someone you so painfully despise yet hold the faintest of sympathy despite it all. I really enjoyed the absolute insanity he ended up driving himself into yet making him still so human. He's genuinely the epitome of human greed, regret, and desperation.

CONS: Now I have two major icks with this show and that's towards two main characters, mainly our two main protagonists. Wei Jiu and Dun Tian.

Although Wei Jiu is more of a supportive protagonist (that ends up becoming an antagonist instead), his character is very..."one trick pony" type. His overall character just felt too shallow and his character development was horrendous. There were moments where the show hinted or even went in the direction of character development with him, it suddenly does a 180 and we're essentially back to square one with him. His sudden change of character occurs at the very last episode with a very convenient time jump/pass. I really wish his character development was built more developed instead of throwing a random character change at the last second of the show :/

And Dun Tian- oh man. He's the main protagonist and I just want to point out that he's probably the lamest protagonist I've seen in a while. Like every story with some form of a villain, there's always a reason why they became the way they did and his reason is as shallow as Wei Jiu's personality.

He claims and cries to the universe that he regrets giving up his wife and kids for immortality and ya know, for a little bit, I could completely see that. After all, he lived his life trying to be righteous and he was more or less in a tough position at the time which was take the chance to kill the demon lord from the world or save your family from the demon lord and potentially ruin your one chance to kill the demon lord.

But what completely shattered this perspective and his overall motivation is when he met his wife's resentment of him abandoning her and his kids. He went on a self righteous speech towards her and how killing the demon lord was more important than them. He not only refused to take accountability for his actions but back tracks? What's even more interesting is that we get a glimpse of his life as an immortal and how he had asked one of the immortals there about his wife and kids and potentially bringing them back. The immortal told him that he needed to let go because even if he wanted to bring them back, its been HUNDREDS OF YEARS. So not only did he do nothing or find a way to bring them back but instead pester someone else about it. I was left baffled guys-

What I find really funny is during peak fight with Dun Tian, Mu Qing Ge called him out saying his reason to destroy an entire realm over a regret he supposedly had was ridiculous and borderline childish. I couldn't help myself but let out a laugh when I heard her say that.

I think they had a solid enough reason for Dun Tian's motivation but completely butchered it to be honest. If they had just fueled his regrets and obsession correctly instead of having this back and forth narrative, I think it would have been a solid 10/10 villain for me.

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İ love those two

This is the only version that i watched for this story, because i like the leads tbh, and i do not think I need to check the rest anyway because the story is just not my cup of tea.

However, the two leads were so adorable, this is their third collaboration, I've seen just two but i plan to watch the third, I like them together, CTK as a dorky character is just so adorable, i think he can do funny, i believe the whole topless scenes in the beginning were a bit too much and unnecessary but he kinda does that in every single drama he acts in so i guess that's his signature lol LXY is just the cutest here, i believe the story is just draggy and so cliché but it was entertaining, i barely skipped scenes and i didn't drop it even when i felt bored so it's bot that bad, and I'm glad it's a little less than 2 hrs.

Will i suggest it or watch it again?
Maybe, if you like the leads and don't .ind the lame syory, go for it, i don't think I'll visit it again but necer say never.

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Not a fan!

I've heard so many things about this drama but, unfortunately, it really disappointed me.

I understand that it was not romantically centered and usually I don't mind as long as the tension is there but there was nothing. The chemistry was just not there. I felt myself rooting for the SML so many times that I was actually disappointed that she chose the MML in the end. It's one of the rare times that I would prefer an open-ending instead of that.

The plot was good with the whole 'second-chance' and travel back in time but I felt that it was lacking in so many things. First of all, while in the first two episodes appeared terrified of the MML, it was easily forgotten and she acted like nothing was going on. It was pointless. It could have so much depth and character-development but the chemistry, again, was just not there. Nothing. Nada. It was only for two episodes. After that, the whole he-killed-me-first didn't even matter to her, just mentioned briefly.

The MML was a red flag, for sure. But he never actually redeemed herself. He was still controlling, threatening to kill the FML in every chance he got, he grabbed her neck and arm so many times that I felt myself slapping him. I understand that he fell in love with her first but it felt more like obsession that love. It was a no for me and usually I really like the actor in every drama that I've seen with him. Here, it was bad. Very bad.

I liked the FML because she had definitely regretted past choices and actually did something about that. I liked her calm exterior when she was treatened and the fact that she managed to help as many as she could as soon as she got the chance. She couldn't save everyone but, at least, there was hope.

But for me, it didn't do justice.

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It's not as shimmering like a crown

Intimacy and cuteness alone are not enough to justify a good drama. It always works better when there’s a balance of romance, drama, thrill, and a focused storyline—and unfortunately, that’s where Perfect Crown fell short for me.

I did appreciate how the drama explored the parallel worlds of monarchy and the modern life. It gave viewers a glimpse of how both worlds mirrored each other without one completely surpassing the other. However, despite being marketed as a romance drama, I felt that the story struggled to fully establish and develop the emotional connection between the leads. There were moments when even the main characters failed to convincingly deliver the romance, making it hard for me to truly feel that they were in love.

Still, I can’t deny the charm of IU and Byeon Woo Seok, along with the impressive performances of Gong Seung Hyun and Noh Sang Hyun, because they were honestly the reason I stayed invested. Plus points as well for the soundtrack—it’s been a while since we had a drama with such a good set of songs.

Overall, it was just okay for me. Not particularly great, but not bad either.

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Watch it!

Ok now this is one drama worth watching! It is a really good Gumiho drama, mix of fantasy and modernity. Good casting, extremely hilarious and surely rewatch worthy.

The story follows Lee Dam, a college student who crosses path with the 999 year old Gumiho Shin Wooyeo and accidentally swallowing his energy source, the fox bead, thus entangling their lives.

The key highlight of the story is the humour and casting. When it's humour, who does it better than Hyeri? Every episode is just so funny, really unserious. Jang Kiyong as the straight faced fox also adds. Chemistry between the main leads? Not much but not odd. The side characters are really nice too. The second couple are cute. Especially Kim Dowan as Do Jaejin is so adorable and the entire English mess Yang Hyesun (played by Kang Hanna) gives a good laugh too 😂 Park Kyunghye and Bae Inhyuk do well too.

Yes, a fantasy comedy to the rescue if you're having a bad day. I'd surely recommend 👍🏻

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IU & Byeon Woo Seok. Period!

I genuinely enjoyed this show, especially in its early episodes, which were funnier, sharper, and more emotionally engaging than the later ones. IU was fantastic from the start, and her chemistry with Byeon Woo Seok was electric — the kind of pairing that makes a romance drama irresistible.

The first half delivered great humor, strong character moments, and some unforgettable lines, with Episode 5 standing out as my favorite thanks to its emotional depth and the Young King’s tenderness. As the show moved into heavier political territory, the plot became less compelling for me, with some frustrating choices and a few questionable story turns.

Still, the emotional beats landed, the character arcs paid off, and the performances remained strong. Even with a weaker back half, my overall enjoyment was high because the romance stayed captivating, the leads carried every scene, and the series delivered enough heart and chemistry to make the journey worthwhile.

5/17/26

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Boring

This Drama is Soooo Boring,
Flashy Costumes, verrry pale, beautiful looking cast and some slow burning not very good chemistry, I wasted my time watching this Drama
first of all, there is no story to it.
He is Faithful to Throne, he has Many advantages instead can't protect his Grand princess.
booring
EXCEPT FOR THE STAR CAST AND BIG BUDGET THERES NOTHING TO SEE IN THIS DRAMA.

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The kdrama that is built like a Wattpad story

(My review is extremely subjective and doesn't mean that you will have the same feelings as me)

Perfect Crown is build like a Wattpad story, and I'm going to need everyone to hear me out when I say this. It's like the director/screenwriter had very specific scenes that they wanted to show in their head, but they didn't have a proper framework for a drama, so it feels like they just pieced the plot together around those specific scenes. Very reminiscent to how most Wattpad stories are written, and unfortunately... I ate it up.

Yes there are a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions, but the plot was interesting enough for me to continue. I was watching this drama during peak finals season and desperately needed something that could shut my brain off and was entertaining. And that is exactly what this drama did for me, because you best believe I was waiting for the weekend to come rolling just so I could watch this drama.

The idea of South Korea still living under a monarchy was extremely captivating for me, the aesthetics are absolutely gorgeous especially the outfits the Byun Wooseok wore throughout the entire show. And I've always been a fan of mixing traditional and modern elements visually. And the OSTs are some of the best I've ever heard in a while, thank you to the person that gave us the master piece that "Already Free" is. And lets not forget that Byun Wooseok and IU are the main leads in this drama, they both just look so pretty and I loved their chemistry.

Like I said not everyone is going to have the same feelings as me about this drama, and there definitely are a lot of flaws. But this drama kept me entertained so give it a try if you're interested.

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Sageuk wears Prada™

There is a certain fascination about whether the Joseon Dynasty can survive into the 21st century. Variations of this theme pop up from time to time in the k-dramaverse.

Right from the start, this series goes all in. This alternative universe's Korea is a mishmash of Joseon tradition mingled with modernity. Some elements are straight out of historical series while others belong to contemporary idol dramas. This show doesn't so much as massage history but gave it whiplash!

Not only do you need to get your head around a constitutional monarchy with all the pomp and ceremonies dating back hundreds of years, but also a big dollop of classic palace intrigue, dynastic succession and the future of the monarchy itself. But wait, there is more! How about chaebol family powerplay and a love triangle. They are all played out under the severe gaze of modern social media. Mercy!

I would normally take a raincheck (aka run away screaming) upon reading that last paragraph, but this production has an ace up its sleeve. In fact, a pair of them.

Our leads are two of the hottest k-drama stars today. This is a dream pairing by all account. Just the hype surrounding them would be enough to guarantee traffic. Alas, all is not well in the modern Kingdom of Korea.

As I mentioned earlier, this drama is busy. There are so much going on. The show did well to cover the basics, but it can feel rushed and superficial. This is a trade-off of a 12 eps run. I would have expected 16 eps to maximise commercial returns and that would give the story a bit more breathing space.

Don't get me wrong, the series is complete. The show provided us with the required resolutions and redemptions, but they are just that. What we see is what we get. There are times when I thought the script could go deeper, but it already changed tack. The storylines are broad and many, but most are skin deep.

Of course, this doesn't mean it is a bad show. As an idol drama, it ticked all the boxes. There are intrigues, conflicts, romance and fan service. Whether you buy into the alternate timeline is a personal choice. For me, it is a mixed bag. When it is firing, it is something to behold and then it would leave me frustrated with some half baked subplot. One such example is the evolution of the Prime Minister. I wasn't surprised by the development, but it was hardly sophisticated writing.

It helps if we recalibrate our expectations. Any fans of our leads will rejoice. Their scenes are designed to make us swoon. The couture dresses, the lavish sets, the handsome close-ups and romantic interludes. They have been curated with consummate skill. For some, this is golden. Caveat emptor, chingu.

There is no doubt this is a top tier production and an easy watch. The star power alone guarantees commercial success. That is assuming the series does not stray off the beaten path. That won't be allowed to happen and that is its Achilles heel.

In the end, It delivered what the fans wanted. I doubt it will win a Baeksang, but that's not the point, is it? Peace.

P.S. Note to Korean Government. Install top-notch fire suppression systems in your historical palaces. Fool me twice . .

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The dialogues were written by chatgpt and the actors were underpaid.

I cant even bother to talk about how they just killed the essence of only friends, not even letting people kiss outside of their popular ships. When did we get so conservative lol. Also what were the actors doing in front of the camera, i can name only 3-4 people who could actually act in this series, best being Mix's character Dean. The dialogues are so plain it genuinely bores you. There's no spice or hair pulling level frustration portrayed as well. Everything is just....happening and its not that serious. I cant take the craahout of these people seriously neither can defend their acting. Storylone had great potential but I'd suggest giving the director a helping hand jn direction like they did in the first season because somethjng is clearly no sitting right with this one. Anyways overall i love Dean and Raffy.

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