Reviews

to short for good world building

For a drama about a modern day monarchy, we barely learn anything about how this world actually works. Besides the main characters having the usual sad backstories, we never see how the elites live versus the regular, title-less people. Because they didn't show that unfairness, and because IU’s character basically already had everything besides status, it was super hard to actually root for her to get a title. It just felt kind of lackluster.

Besides the romance (which also ended up being rushed), the plot especially the villains just felt so boring to me. It never felt like they had the upper hand. The 2ML turning “evil” out of jealousy is also one of the most boring tropes ever. The monarchy felt so much like a joke and i couldn’t take it serious at all.

I feel like if they had even stretchers this just to 16 episodes instead of 12 and actually build up a world with a good story, this drama could’ve been way better.

Read More

WIFE OF A 21ST CENTURY PRINCE

From the very first announcement of Perfect Crown, I was already invested. And when I say invested, I mean I was following every little update possible. I still remember the period when rumors started spreading that Byeon Woo-seok and IU might back out of the drama, and honestly that whole phase felt stressful for no reason. I had already imagined them in those roles, so hearing those rumors had me checking every article and update like crazy. Thankfully everything worked out, because I genuinely cannot imagine anyone else playing these characters now.

Watching the drama finally air in 2026 honestly felt rewarding after waiting for it for so long. Somewhere along the way, it became part of my weekly routine without me even realizing it. Fridays and Saturdays started feeling exciting again because I knew there was a new episode waiting for me later in the day. I’m not even kidding when I say I would wake up those mornings and immediately search for previews, still cuts, spoilers, theories — literally anything related to the upcoming episode. It’s been a while since a drama made me feel that kind of anticipation every single week. Now that it’s over, weekends genuinely feel a little empty.

What I loved most about Perfect Crown was just how enjoyable it was to watch. It’s one of those dramas that pulls you in very naturally. The chemistry between Byeon Woo-seok and IU was honestly one of the biggest strengths of the show. Their emotional scenes felt believable, their lighter moments felt comfortable and natural, and together they carried the drama so well. But beyond the romance, I also liked how the drama balanced different elements without making things feel messy. There was palace politics, family tension, romance, humor, emotional moments, and even some quieter scenes that just made you attached to the characters more.

I also need to give a huge shoutout to Gong Seung-yeon as Queen Dowager Yoon Yi-rang because WOW. Her performance was genuinely phenomenal. She brought so much elegance, restraint, tension, and emotional complexity to the role that every scene with her felt important. The character could have easily become one-dimensional in another drama, but Gong Seung-yeon made Yi-rang feel layered and human even during her coldest moments. Some of the best acting in the drama honestly came from her scenes.

And another shoutout to the real MVPs: Yoo Su-bin as Aide Choi Hyun and Lee Yeon as Do Hye-jeong. They did SUCH a fantastic job. Whether it was emotional support, comedic timing, or simply being the ride-or-die assistants everyone secretly wished they had, they added so much charm to the drama. Their scenes were always enjoyable, and honestly half the time I found myself just as invested in them as I was in the main couple

I also appreciated that the drama didn’t feel exhausting to watch. Even during slower episodes, there was always something that kept me interested enough to immediately want the next episode. Some dramas lose momentum halfway through, but Perfect Crown managed to keep me emotionally invested almost the entire time.

That being said, I really do think this drama could have benefited from being a full 16-episode series. The constitutional monarchy storyline had SO much potential. I found the political side of the story genuinely interesting, especially the royal family dynamics and the tension surrounding public image, power, and responsibility. There were certain plotlines and side characters that felt like they could have been explored more deeply if the drama had just a few extra episodes to breathe. I wouldn’t say the pacing was bad, but there were definitely moments where I thought, “I wish they expanded on this more.” The world they created felt interesting enough that I honestly just wanted to spend more time in it.

And as someone who absolutely loves domestic fluff, the final episode was such a treat for me. Sometimes after intense plot-heavy dramas, all I really want is to see the characters happy and comfortable together, and this drama delivered exactly that. The little everyday moments, the soft conversations, the peaceful atmosphere between them — it all felt so warm and satisfying to watch. Those scenes honestly ended up being some of my favorites in the entire drama because they felt earned after everything the characters went through.

To anyone reading this before starting the drama: trust your instinct and just dive in. Don’t overthink ratings, discourse, or people trying to convince you otherwise. If the cast interests you even a little bit, give it a chance. It’s genuinely such a fun ride. For me, Perfect Crown became one of those dramas that reminded me why I love watching ongoing kdramas in the first place — the excitement, the waiting, the discussions, the anticipation every week. And honestly? I’m really going to miss that feeling.

Read More

Love You Teacher is genuinely one of the best series I’ve watched in a long time.

I already had high expectations after watching the pilot trailer, but now that the full series has aired, I can confidently say that it exceeded them. This is the kind of series that has been amazing from beginning to end, and every part of it, from the directing to the writing to the acting, works together beautifully.

I don’t give out 10/10 ratings easily. Even when I personally enjoy a series, I still try to be fair in my ratings because storytelling quality matters a lot to me. So the fact that this series ended up being a 10 for me really says something.

What impressed me the most was the directing.

P'Dome did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life. Every creative decision felt intentional. From the camera work to the color grading to the visual framing of the flashback scenes, the series constantly showed a clear artistic vision. There are so many moments that stood out visually, but one of my favorites was the scene where the camera moves together with the fan. It’s such a small detail, but it reflects how carefully thought-out the direction is throughout the entire series.

It’s honestly rare to watch a BL series where the director’s identity and vision feel this clear, and it made me an even bigger fan of his work.

The writing is just as strong.

I’ve heard that the original novel is excellent as well, which makes sense, but adapting a novel into a series is never easy. A lot of adaptations either rush through important moments or spend too much time on unnecessary scenes. This series manages to find an almost perfect balance with its pacing. The emotional moments are given room to breathe without the story ever feeling slow.

Last, but not least, is the acting.

Perth and Santa have incredible chemistry together, but what really impressed me is how believable they felt as a couple who had already been together for seven years. That’s actually much harder to portray than a new relationship, but their dynamic felt completely natural from the start.

Santa especially stood out to me because he essentially had to play two roles at once: Sun and Solar. That’s a difficult challenge for any actor, especially during scenes where the switches between the two happen rapidly, but he handled it perfectly. You could genuinely feel the anxiety, confusion, and emotional exhaustion right alongside the characters.

I honestly feel like I could keep talking about this series forever, but this is one of those shows that people really need to experience for themselves.

I can’t recommend this series enough. If you’ve been thinking about watching it, do it. I truly don’t think it’ll disappoint.

Read More

The show had all the perfect ingredients to be great but did not have the time to cook

Heeju, a rich ceo who is not taken seriously in the business world due to her status ends up in a marriage of convenience with a nonchalant prince to bring up her status. All of this started very well, Heeju was a fire-y character and I was thoroughly entertained by all her antics. Prince Ian trying to catch up with her was also fun but they never had time for us to properly enjoy them.

The whole monarchy was a comedy. First of all who even considers a child as their king? How could the people ever take them seriously. Secondly they were all acting like the whole country depended on them for everything when they were just glorified pr ambassadors. The political stuff took up so much time but did not add anything.
With this even their reason to get married looked stupid, Heeju will not get to run her company so what's the end goal of her doing all this.
People finding out that their marriage was fake should have been such a big conflict of the show but it is brushed away for the political plot.

The Prime Minister Min was such a weak character. When he is introduced you would never suspect that he likes Heeju but suddenly after she gets married he becomes angry enough to become a super villain??? Literally wth.

The queen was also a shallow character. She seemed to only care about keeping the crown in the family and showed no concern for her child but suddenly by the end she helps everyone due to her emotions. Weak writing imo.

Heeju's family was also badly done in my eyes. In the beginning it looks like her father
neglected her emotionally since childhood and the whole family separated her and were just waiting for her downfall. But then they turn around to be this caring and loving family who help her and only want to protect her. The castle group comes to the crown's rescue multiple times for Heeju and it just doesn't make sense. If they showed her this much care before and included her, she would not have to enter this fake marriage.

The romance could have been nice but we started rushing through the story. The prince liked her since school but we mostly see that only through the epilogues at the end of the episode and we don't have an exact moment where Heeju falls in love. I liked the parts before their marriage where the prince is losing his mind over all the couple activities they do and Heeju looks chill on the outside but is denying her feelings to herself. But we don't get the time to sit and watch them as a couple cause we immediately have the marriage and then people start to assassinate them. No time to enjoy.

This was kind of a different role for IU compared to wlgyt and I think she did well given the material. Byeon Woo Seok was kind of weak here.

Read More

Freenbecky and monmaw are a perfect combo ?10/10

Loyal pin is one of my favorites and it is definitely rewatch worthy coming from a person with a tiktok attention span and don't regularly watch dramas😭. The show has perfect pacing and there is not one moment where the romance feels rushed. Becky as Anin and Freen as Pin is just absolute chef kiss!!! I loved this story so much I read the novel (very worthy of reading) and the writing style was very descriptive but at the same time not that complicated so one who's not that fluent in English could understand. It got me very hooked that I read the other works of Monmaw and say that they didn't disappoint. Idol factory did a good job on choosing this work for freenbecky ^_^ Though, my only complaint is (spoilers for novel & show(?))............

why didn't padmika and arphanumas get a happy ending💔 they were the real doomed yuri and it kills me that pad was probably trying to stop pin bc she saw aninpin as her and arphanumas 😭and she wore the ring for all those years what a yearner

Read More

✨ Perfect Crown — A Royal Masterpiece ??

Perfect Crown pulls you in from the very first scene and never lets go. It’s emotional, beautifully acted, and crafted with such care that every episode feels like a gift. IU and Byeon Woo‑seok deliver performances full of depth, longing, and quiet intensity, and the whole drama flows because every element works perfectly together.

The supporting cast were phenomenal — every character feels alive and meaningful, from loyal friends to scheming nobles. No weak links, just a rich, fully realised ensemble. 🌟🎭
Visually, the drama is breathtaking. Sweeping palace shots, intimate emotional close‑ups, stunning lighting and colour — every frame looks like a painting. 🌅✨

Overall, Perfect Crown was a beautifully crafted drama with standout performances, a flawless supporting cast, gorgeous cinematography, and an unforgettable soundtrack. Heartfelt, addictive, and absolutely worth every minute. 💖🔥

Read More

Worth the try, but I don't know if I would rewatch

So to be brutally honest, I liked the first season better. It lived up to it's name perfectly and delivered exactly what I expected and wanted from something called "Only friends." But we're here to talk about the second season which did disappoint me in some ways, but it was still watchable. (I'll compare these seasons a bit to show what it was missing in my opinion.)
To start with the positive things, the acting was pretty good, especially Mix's. It's visible that he's skilled and knows what he's doing in each scene, he was my favorite in this season. The storyline was also decent, but I think it needed way more messines and spiciness just for the pure fact that this is ONLY FRIENDS, not just any bl. I don't expect a lot of drama or spicy scenes in other bls that perhaps don't need it, but to me Only friends is literally built on these things (and other things of course) and that's what makes Only friends "Only friends."
There was drama for sure, but over childish things (more or less) and not the amount I seeked. I've also had this feeling that some of the characters lacked a certain depth unlike the characters in the first season.
But the biggest problem I had with this was the mischaracterization of Boston. Y'all made him come back just to make him a saint? Back in my days he was an iconic walking mess who made the show so much more interesting to the very end, but now he's the best guy around? No thanks. I know GMM cares about pairings so much that they don't let the characters kiss each other or, godw forbid, more, but ruining Boston's character to fit the shitty pairing rule was lame af. It'd be much more interesting if he was allowed to interfere in somebody's relationship the same way he did in the first season. I'd understand it more if he got some character development in the previous season, but doing it now is just dumb.
The ending was good, but why are we scared of letting one couple separate? Earthmix couple could've absolutely go their separate ways and move on but no. Realistic endings never hurt anybody, not everything has to be perfect. So honestly, this would be much better as a separate show. It's not really "Only friends" worthy.
And since we're getting a third season, let's bring the energy of the first season, shall we? Don't ruin it

Read More

Heartfelt But Uneven Coming-of-Age Drama

The strongest element of Twenty Twenty is undeniably its portrayal of toxic parental relationships. Chae Da Hee's suffocating relationship with her overbearing mother feels painfully real, and the drama handles these moments with a sensitivity that's rare in the youth web drama space.

The pacing is a persistent issue throughout the series. For a show with 20 episodes at around twenty minutes each, you'd expect things to move fairly briskly — but the drama has a frustrating habit of stretching out quieter moments far beyond what they warrant. It got genuinely boring at times, which is a hard problem to forgive in bite-sized episodes.

The romance felt undeveloped — the chemistry between the leads wasn't properly built, and the love triangle came across as half-baked. There's no electric tension, no butterflies — it's all very flat, and that's a fundamental flaw in a youth drama where the love story is supposed to be the heartbeat.

A-Teen worked because it balanced emotional weight with genuine fun — the characters felt like real teenagers who laughed, bickered, and goofed around. Twenty Twenty almost entirely abandons that lightness. Everyone is remarkably serious, all the time. The one character who attempts to inject some humor feels less like comic relief and more like a caricature — the jokes don't land as clever or even charming slapstick; they come across as clownish in a way that's more awkward than entertaining.

Read More