Since the last episode for Perfect Crown aired, I have been wanting to review it , but just haven't gotten into the spirit ,but thankfully today I get to do that
So for anyone who has not watched Perfect Crown yet, it is set in an alternate modern Korea that is still a constitutional monarchy, and it follows Seong Hee-joo, a chaebol heiress played by IU, who enters a contract marriage with Prince Yi Ahn, played by Byeon Woo-seok, so basically, she has all the money and none of the status, he has all the status, and somehow their marriage of convenience turns real, so you know the trope, I love the trope like.... I will always love the trope.
The chemistry between IU and Byeon Woo-seok carried this show for me, honestly, there is something about watching two people who start out as strangers, then as strategic partners, and slowly become each other's safe place, that just does something to me every single time, through out , I was rooting for them from episode one, and by the time they actually started falling for each other, I was already too invested to be objective about anything else happening in the plot.
What I appreciated most was how both characters grew because of the relationship, not despite it, Hee-joo learned humility, learned to bend a little where the palace demanded it, and Prince Yi Ahn, (Ian) who honestly had his title found his backbone and some one to call his family, He became more decisive, more willing to fight for what mattered instead of just accepting his position quietly, and watching two people sharpen each other like that is what makes a romance feel earned instead of convenient.
So I will be honest here, because I am not about to pretend this drama was without flawless, the pacing dragged in a few places, especially in the middle stretch where the political drama started to feel repetitive instead of it to building tension, some of the side conflicts, especially involving the royal family power struggles, felt like filler more than anything that actually moved the story forward, I found myself fast forwarding a little during these episodes, which almost never happens with me and Kdramas.
But visually yeah, there's no complaints there, the production design was really nice for real, blending modern luxury with royal aesthetics in a way that made every scene feel intentional, the soundtrack also deserves a good mention and it never tried to force emotion. it just sat quietly in the background and let the actors performances do the heavy lifting, and that restraint made the emotional scenes land so much harder.
The side couple, thats the secretary's pairing, for real that gave the leads a run for their money, they were witty, dramatic too in the best way they could, and I found myself just so into it in their storyline by the end.
So that brings me to this question, would I recommend Perfect Crown to anyone? Yes certainly I will without hesitation, it might not be completely perfect , but yeah I enjoyed it, and the title is a little ironic considering that, but it is the kind of show that reminds you why you fell in love with Kdramas in the first place, the slow burn, the palace politics, the two people finding home in each other despite everything working against them.
If you love royal romance, contract marriage tropes, and characters who grow into better versions of themselves through love, this one is definitely worth your time you gonna love it alot.
Rating: 80/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.