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Perfect Crown Episode 2
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27 days ago

A Visually Stunning but Narratively Hollow Royal Drama (Review up to Episode 2)

The fundamental flaw of Perfect Crown is its hollow setting. The monarchy is written as a constitutional one with no real governing authority, yet the script acts like these characters are under enormous, invisible pressure like the royals n the Joseon era. Without any actual risks revealed to the audience, the plot just feels like arrogant, privileged people whining about wanting to escape their privilege. People who actually have to work for their survival don't act like this.Surface-Level Conflict:The show’s handling of social issues is incredibly superficial. The discrimination IU's character faces due to her illegitimate birth and gender is presented artificially. Other than making her upward mobility harder, the show fails to depict any substantial real-world consequences or humiliation. The massive class differences could have been deeply impactful, but the show relies entirely on exposition rather than showing real struggles.Character Writing and Casting Issues:Only IU and the Queen Dowager have impressed so far. The Queen Dowager actually commands respect and authority through the screen.By contrast, the male lead, Grand Prince I-an, is severely lacking. It feels like just bad character writing and bad casting. While the actor looks the part, his portrayal commands no real respect or authority. The script tries to compensate by having other characters tell us that he is a powerful, influential figure loved by the whole kingdom, but his actual screen presence feels lacking.⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️The Wimpish Premise:The entire inciting incident—the late king stepping down—makes no sense. Because there are no revealed risks or actual political power on the line, his abdication just feels wimpish. It is incredibly hard to sympathize with a ruler escaping his "burden" when that burden is just a life of guaranteed, unearned privilege.The Forced "Cold Mother" Trope:The Queen Dowager’s treatment of the young king feels forcibly written purely to give the audience an antagonist. In this advanced, modern world, there is much less need for a royal mother to be that strictly brutal to her son for survival. It feels like a lackluster setup for a predictable twist: she will most likely be revealed later as a caring mother who lets go of her ambition. Because the setting doesn't justify her current coldness, that eventual execution will likely fall flat.Final Thoughts:The show has the aesthetics, but it is currently crippled by unearned angst, bad casting for the male lead, and artificial stakes. Hopefully, it becomes better over time.

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27 days ago

The Chemistry Is Actually Crazy Already

Ep 2 made me even more obsessed ngl. Hui Ju and Yi An are still acting like this is all just business but literally every scene between them says otherwise. The tension is insane already and its only ep 2 😭Hui Ju still acts all cold and confident but u can tell shes actually hurting a lot inside. IU is doing so good because even when she says nothing u can still feel what her character is feeling. Yi An is becoming more lovable too because he looks calm but hes actually so tired of everyone controlling his whole life.The palace drama is also getting more messy now and honestly thats one of the best parts. The royal family already feels so toxic and now that Hui Ju is there its only gonna get worse. The Queen Dowager is def gonna be that character everyone hates but also lowkey loves because she brings all the drama.Also the chemistry?? Actually crazy. Even when theyre just standing there its giving tension. They argue like a married couple already and their awkward moments are so cute too.This drama already feels like one of those dramas where every ep ends and u immediately need the next one.

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27 days ago

Khun is very selfish, given how Phop is treating…

Khun is very selfish, given how Phop is treating him with kid gloves & offering him room & board - even his servant's. Khun instead of being grateful & trying to solve his problem without rocking the boat, keeps acting like a spoilt brat cause Phop is being considerate of his sick friend. & what angers me more is his manipulation of Chuai, who has no power & has to bow & obey his every word, even if they will end up getting his punished which in that time period mean getting his ass beat. yeah Khun doesn't give two shts cause Khun is all about Khun. hard to like this character. **********************************************but in-spite everything i've written above i enjoyed this ep, yeah Khun was his usual goofy self but toned down & actually funny. & the plot was more interesting as there was more info & it wasn't just Khun acting like a lunatic - which isn't that funny & got old fast.

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27 days ago

Choppy and rushed

I usually love stories like Broken OF love but the pacing is just too fast. They squeeze so much into like 40 minutes that you jump from scene to scene and some things feel disjoined.The romance is a disaster. It's so rushed and Lalin feels more like a prop to the plot than her own character. The main Couple falls flat they feel more like friends than a pair. Not even a peck after dating for months. Arisa is hot as hell though and has so much chemistry with Lalin's mom. The tension is unreal. Too bad its not enemies to lovers. All actors are exceptional in their roles. Main issue is pacing and the romantic part.
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27 days ago

Don't Like Emperor

really don't like the Emperor but i can also feel for him as Emperor position is supreme power but in his term, officials can walk all over him and treat him as a joke
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27 days ago

Ended on a great scene

About halfway through the episode I was a bit worried. But IU's acting when she was focused on finding him to enact her plan took me quickly to the RomCom feel I was looking for. The final scenes of this episode pulled me right in. The chemistry was wonderful and I am looking forward to their antics now.
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27 days ago

YOO GOATED

Junmo goes undercover as seongho, and gicheul tries paying him off for causing a ruckus at his restaurant since that was what gicheul assumed junmo came for when actually, junmo replies back that he came to avenge taeho and get the head of the man that killed his “cousin”, taeho. Since junmo throws the money away in front of gicheul and disrespects him, gicheul orders his men to beat up junmo, only for junmo to singlehandedly beat up all the men, since when junmo was in high school, he was a troublemaker until detective do hyeong found him and set him straight, which most likely inspired junmo to become a detective as well. After seeing how strong junmo was, gicheul invites him to come to an abandoned club, where hui seong tricked sergeant jang’s old men to come together and rebel against gicheul, when actually it was a trap to take out all of sergeant jang’s men, and since junmo was there as well and had nowhere else to go, junmo had to fight alongside gicheul, which impressed gicheul. After the fight, gicheul reveals to junmo that he had killed sergeant jang and avenged taeho since he was like a brother to him, and offers junmo to manage a nightclub taeho had always wanted in a specific location as long as junmo joined gicheul’s gang to which he agrees. Now junmo is the youngest-joining member of the gang so not much information is revealed to him, and after junmo’s wife notices his disappearance so eventually junmo meets up with his wife, uijeong, and have lunch and he reveals to her that he’s undercover, only for gicheul to walk in since they were also probably having lunch at the same place and gicheul KNOWS uijeong was a cop, so now junmo’s position looks really suspicious, only for junmo to make up a story that him and uijeong were close from back in elementary, and she only came to meet up with him since his father got “arrested” for taking drugs. So now junmo’s looking suspicious, and he’s driving the car that gicheul, huiseong and jeongbae are in, and as junmo is looking in the rear mirror gicheul FLAUNTS HIS NECKLACE THAT WAS THE EXACT SAME TO UIJEONG’S BRACELET, BEAR IN MIND UIJEONG’S NOW MARRIED TO JUNMO. And then it was revealed during high school, uijeong and gicheul went to the same church AND UIJEONG WAS HIS FIRST LOVEE. PLOT TIWSTSTTTT.

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27 days ago

Just finished watching episode 5… My heart…

Just finished watching episode 5… My heart shattered into pieces & then somehow got put back together again, wrapped in the warmest blanket. It honestly felt like therapy I didn’t even know I needed. Ohh P’Dome
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27 days ago

This episode made me fall in love with K-drama again!

The first episode of Perfect Crown pulled me out of my K-drama slump. I haven't finished an episode of a K-drama since 2024, I'm mostly drawn to C-dramas these days, but my gosh, this show made me remember the joy of watching a K-Drama. The fun, fresh, and exciting feeling dramas 2015-2020 produce is present is this episode (and the next, actually).The first meeting between the leads, their first scene together made me slap my bed and kick my legs—the ultimate sign of a great chemistry and romance. Who knew that asking someone who their name and affiliation are is giddy-worthy? Also, that damn smirk after Grand Prince I-An made it known to us that Seong Hui Ju is a junior of his... arghhh! I just know this foreshadows that he liked her back in their academy days. I also noticed that he used the exact same words in their first meeting as adults as he did when they first met in school. I am not shy to admit that I dreamt of this drama and that I watched episode one and two again when I woke up. It's bittersweet to be back in the torturous days of waiting for the next episode.

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27 days ago

Can't wait for more

I didn’t necessarily enjoy the first half of this episode but the second half really made up for it. It was exciting and very fast paced.
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27 days ago

Shock value to the max

Faye promised us twist after twist after twist, and here we are. There is no room to breath, when we think one thing, a whole another bomb is dropped on us. The way this story unfolds is so entertaining. The actors being such masters of their craft helps tremendously, since they dont have to say much, their body language and expressions are enough to drive the story forward. Arisa is about to poison the well from the inside out, What a WOMAN.
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27 days ago

well that preview was interesting to say the…

well that preview was interesting to say the least - lol.... but for a while now, had a feeling Ouyang Han was interested in Yu Lei, throwing him hints to see how he would react to the gay issue, let alone to himself (what with the non-stop flirting). but Yu Lei never had eyes for him. this ep made it very clear that he is interested in Yu Lei. felt sad for him, he actually tried to changed his appearance to look like Chen Ke, as if that would make Yu Lei notice him. & i am happy Li Ming will be there to pick up the pieces, BUT as we have seen in the previous ep Li Ming got a gf. so how does that work & how complicated is this gonna get. i am stressing out, this magical BL is slipping through my fingers & we gonna get a lot of turmoil - what with He Jin lurking in the shadows ugh. heck not just him even Zhang Han could rock the boat & if that wasn't enough Chen Ke's father could be the "cherry" on top aish. i only want happiness for my babies

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27 days ago

Four Stars

I was a bit skeptical at first but this was a rather fun introduction to the series, it's themes and it's characters; I can't wait to see the rest!
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27 days ago

Hotel del Luna may actually be on its way…

Hotel del Luna may actually be on its way to become my favorite k-drama ever! Love it so far and I'm surprised that I've only watched five episodes, it feels like I've watched much more.
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Contrast Episode 5
0 people found this review helpful
27 days ago

would rather not have to sit through Akira's…

would rather not have to sit through Akira's grooming scenes, as it's not a comfortable watch (& that's putting it lightly). but i know they're there for us to understand his character better. like his panicked rejection of ending that "relationship" it's cause he was groomed & not just that, but also Kanada made sure (like every experienced pedo knows to do) to use Akir'a insecurities against him, isolating him into thinking he is the only one that will accept him for who he is & wouldn't reject or treat him as his 1st crush did. cause they in the same boat - they share the same secret.*******************************************he told Akira he took advantage of his kindness - nope(!) he took advantage of Akira's secret; that he was gay & scared the secret would get out. that is what is binding Akira to him & even though Akira knows it's wrong & is ashamed of this "relationship" he is more worried that if they ended things, he would be left all alone. that's freakin sad & that's why what Kanda did to him, was so much worse then just using him sexually. *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************from the sec i "got" that Akira's story aint gonna be light, it made me wonder, do i even want the mains together? cause Akira has enough on his plate & needs to 1st learn to stand on his own two feet & love himself without leaning on a sicko that's just dragging him down & will never be healthy for him mentally. if anything, he will keep him tied down, never allowing Akira to "spread his wings" & idk if i believe Akira when he told Kanata that relationship has ended as he has a tendency to lie (like he told him that he was meeting his brother & he also rushed to disagree when Kanda offered him an out this time too) so idk how much i belive Akira - for Kanata's sake i want too. ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************as is Kanada - as the adult - should've known a better way to guide & help Akira, grooming & f*cking him wasn't the best way???? & will NEVER accept the excuse where someone will say "i was hurt, thus i hurt." - if u were hurt, u know how it feels & should DO BETTER!!! especially with someone younger who is lost & scared. ****************************************************he saw how vulnerable Akira was, saw the opening & took it - there aint NO justifying his actions. even now he keep suggesting they end things, but he never say "let's end it" he knows that even now Akira is emotional dependent on him & this is something he has subconsciously nurtured, isolating him - making Akira feel like he is the only one that understands & will be there for him. *************************************************************************************************************************that's why it didn't bother Akira that Kanda sleeps around. cause this relationship is f*cked up. & to Akira he is a life line - this sad & messed-up & Kanda knows he is *cked up & that's why he told Akira to not only keep the secret but not disclose everything to Kanata, not cause he cares how hurt Kanata might get. it's his own ass he is covering. so i really wish this was the last we see of him for Akira's sake not just the potential, budding relationship

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