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This review may contain spoilers
Delusion & Death: A Masterclass in Script-Writing Sabotage
The Hook - If you enjoy watching a talented cast be sacrificed on the altar of a nonsensical script, then Love & Crown is for you. For everyone else: Run. This isn't a drama; it’s a 35-episode "What THEE WHAT?" (WTW) marathon that should have been titled Delusion & Death.
Narrative Malpractice & The "Adopted" Amnesia
Let’s talk about the sheer lack of continuity. The writers clearly lost their own notes AFTER Episode 6. We start with Princess Ying as an adopted daughter whose mother died, confirmed by a servant at the 19-minute mark. Fast forward, and suddenly she’s a biological daughter? The script spends an exhausting amount of time telling the Emperor she isn't his blood sister, while conveniently forgetting that the 2nd Prince isn't her blood brother either. Or is she? Depends on which version of her identity you believe. It wasn’t a plot 🕳 hole; it was a plot abyss.
The "Security" & The Roaming Emperor I have seen better security at a Chuck E. Cheese than in this Imperial Palace. People wandered in and out like it was a public park. Our "Smart and Strategic" Emperor spent his time roaming public lands like a tourist while his people were being murdered and maimed. His repeated "grand strategy" was to watch society burn and then show up to put out the embers. That’s not a ruler - that’s a bystander with a title. Usually Emperors are Grandstanders - this fool was a complete BYSTANDER until it all hit the fan.
Character Assassination - this was very disappointing for me. Because I actually like the Preceptor at first.
The Preceptor: The ultimate WTW. She went from a brilliant, loyal FRIEND & OFFICIAL to a humanity-deficient nemesis no reason at all. She was "the help" who turned into a horror movie villain, holding the entire palace hostage while everyone shook in their boots. And her reward for this nonsensical villainy? A peaceful, natural death. The audacity. - My girl went from Preceptor to Preseptal - in my eyes lol 😂 (pun intended - you'll have to google it)
The Empress: A perpetual nuisance. She wasn't a hero, she wasn't a villain; she was just in the way. The emperor did not have enough lives to give her.
The Imperial Father-in-Law: The king of "False Sorrow." This man tried to kill his own adopted son, then had the nerve to let his eyes rain when someone else actually did it. The lack of genuine guilt in this series was sociopathic. No one was safe from this beast. He was willing to TEST sacrifice his own daughter.
Pacing: The "Spazz-Out" Effect This show didn't have pacing issues; it just had a freaking nervous breakdown. It wasn't slow, and it wasn't fast—it was just spazzing the freak out. One minute we’re dealing with Ghost Kings, the next we’re throwing in Pharmakeia like we’re in a different genre entirely, and then the Emperor became the Ghost King - 😂. My face was stuck in a permanent "HUH?" for thirty-five episodes.
Final Verdict I watched 35 episodes waiting for a climax that would appease my Main Character Energy. It never came. Instead, they just killed everyone. When a writer doesn’t know how to end a story, they just reach for the scythe. The structure was terrible so many things that were revealed in the last 10 episodes would have probably been better seeping through earlier eps. This ended like it had 12 more episodes to go but they threw it all in the last 10.
I didn't just lose my time; I lost my patience. This drama is a beautiful plate with absolutely no food on it. 0/10 recommendation.
Narrative Malpractice & The "Adopted" Amnesia
Let’s talk about the sheer lack of continuity. The writers clearly lost their own notes AFTER Episode 6. We start with Princess Ying as an adopted daughter whose mother died, confirmed by a servant at the 19-minute mark. Fast forward, and suddenly she’s a biological daughter? The script spends an exhausting amount of time telling the Emperor she isn't his blood sister, while conveniently forgetting that the 2nd Prince isn't her blood brother either. Or is she? Depends on which version of her identity you believe. It wasn’t a plot 🕳 hole; it was a plot abyss.
The "Security" & The Roaming Emperor I have seen better security at a Chuck E. Cheese than in this Imperial Palace. People wandered in and out like it was a public park. Our "Smart and Strategic" Emperor spent his time roaming public lands like a tourist while his people were being murdered and maimed. His repeated "grand strategy" was to watch society burn and then show up to put out the embers. That’s not a ruler - that’s a bystander with a title. Usually Emperors are Grandstanders - this fool was a complete BYSTANDER until it all hit the fan.
Character Assassination - this was very disappointing for me. Because I actually like the Preceptor at first.
The Preceptor: The ultimate WTW. She went from a brilliant, loyal FRIEND & OFFICIAL to a humanity-deficient nemesis no reason at all. She was "the help" who turned into a horror movie villain, holding the entire palace hostage while everyone shook in their boots. And her reward for this nonsensical villainy? A peaceful, natural death. The audacity. - My girl went from Preceptor to Preseptal - in my eyes lol 😂 (pun intended - you'll have to google it)
The Empress: A perpetual nuisance. She wasn't a hero, she wasn't a villain; she was just in the way. The emperor did not have enough lives to give her.
The Imperial Father-in-Law: The king of "False Sorrow." This man tried to kill his own adopted son, then had the nerve to let his eyes rain when someone else actually did it. The lack of genuine guilt in this series was sociopathic. No one was safe from this beast. He was willing to TEST sacrifice his own daughter.
Pacing: The "Spazz-Out" Effect This show didn't have pacing issues; it just had a freaking nervous breakdown. It wasn't slow, and it wasn't fast—it was just spazzing the freak out. One minute we’re dealing with Ghost Kings, the next we’re throwing in Pharmakeia like we’re in a different genre entirely, and then the Emperor became the Ghost King - 😂. My face was stuck in a permanent "HUH?" for thirty-five episodes.
Final Verdict I watched 35 episodes waiting for a climax that would appease my Main Character Energy. It never came. Instead, they just killed everyone. When a writer doesn’t know how to end a story, they just reach for the scythe. The structure was terrible so many things that were revealed in the last 10 episodes would have probably been better seeping through earlier eps. This ended like it had 12 more episodes to go but they threw it all in the last 10.
I didn't just lose my time; I lost my patience. This drama is a beautiful plate with absolutely no food on it. 0/10 recommendation.
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