Stories about princes and princesses have existed for centuries. Tales about young women whose lives are changed when they meet a handsome prince or those about the intense โ and often Machiavellian โ power play that marks the dispute for the coveted throne have been told time and time again over the years. We all know them and, for some reason, we keep coming back for more every time a new iteration comes around.
The undeniable magnetism of royalty might be the reason why MBC’s Perfect Crown, which came to a close on May 16th, has become one of the channel’s highest-rated FridayโSaturday dramas and Disney+’s most-viewed Korean drama premiere internationally. Or you could say it was the popularity of its leads that brought such success.
I don’t think the reason lies in a perfect narrative โ because the show does have its flaws โ but I believe Perfect Crown has become such a hit thanks to a carefully devised blend of a charismatic cast of characters, excellent craftsmanship, and a compelling modern take on the genre.
Forget the girl who yearns to be a princess. Forget the young man who is willing to sell his soul for the throne. Perfect Crown refuses to worship the royalty, choosing to dismantle it instead โ and that‘s what makes the series so irresistible.
Penned by rookie scriptwriter Yoo Ji-won and sharply directed by Park Joon-hwa and Bae Hee-young, Perfect Crown offers 12 well-paced episodes that might be pure entertainment, but whose foundation is built on a subtly established yet surprisingly assertive social commentary on equality, hierarchy, and autonomy.
This review is spoiler-free, but if you’re in a rush, why don’t you pin our summary? It’s at the bottom!
Marriage as the Symbol of a Revolution
In Perfect Crown, present-day South Korea is ruled by a constitutional monarchy and, consequently, an absolute social hierarchy: you can be royalty, a politician, a businessperson, orโฆ well, a nobody. Your luck determines which class you’re born into, and the only thing left for you to do is accept your fate.
Seong Hui-ju (IU), however, isn’t one to accept her fate without a fight. Hui-ju is the second daughter of Castle Group, one of the country’s biggest conglomerates. Despite her wealth, sheโs often scorned by her peers due to the stigma of her illegitimate birth. Her goal is to be chosen as the rightful heir to Castle Group, considering that she’s endlessly more intelligent, tenacious, and versatile than her father’s eldest son, her half-brother Seong Tae-ju (Lee Jae-won).
Hui-ju is an anomaly within the rigid castes of Perfect Crown: she’s a nobody who clawed her way into the circles of businesspeople. Her work as the CEO of Castle Beauty bestows popularity, money, and recognition (she’s named Best Entrepreneur by the Crown, so she’s definitely doing something right) on her โ but nothing can erase the fact that she wasn’t really born with the required pedigree.
When she realises that her status as a commoner will continue to be a hindrance to her future ambitions, she sets her mind to joining the royal family. Perhaps marriage could grant her the honour and dignity she doesn’t necessarily want, but begrudgingly needs. And it just so happens that the royal family has the perfect candidate: Grand Prince I-an (Byeon Woo-seok), the younger brother of the late King I-hwan (Sung Joon) and regent for his eight-year-old nephew I-yun (Kim Eun-oh).
Single, handsome, and widely beloved, I-an has all the prestige Hui-ju lacks, but his shining image hides a life void of purpose. He leads a sorrowful and isolated existence, going through the motions of his royal duties without really caring about what tomorrow might bring.
Once Hui-ju persuades I-an to enter a marriage of convenience, she plants the seed of a revolution within the establishment. Love and marriage then lose their conventional roles as part of a traditionally patriarchal, hierarchical system to become tools through which these characters can resist conformity. Hui-ju and I-an are both trying to free themselves from the constraints of a domineering and rigid society โ and it’s only by working together that they’ll be able to break the chains that ground them.
A Romantic Journey Towards Independence
Perfect Crown can feel a tad soap-opera-esque due to its familiar circumstances and stereotyped conflicts. Still, it moves away from melodrama by crafting a narrative that conveys its themes through subtext and symbolism and consistently provides clear motivation for more dramatic sequences. Script, cinematography, and production design all work together to show where these characters stand and what they want, allowing them to constantly rebel against the conventions โ or individuals โ that try to control them.
The monarchy is portrayed as an antiquated, hypocritical institution that cares about itself but has no real purpose. It makes money for those who are already rich and grants privilege to the few, which becomes clear by the fact that commoners are rarely mentioned in the story. Outside the bubble of royalty, not much else matters. The royal family exists in all glory, honour, and dignity, but lacks a real, active role in the workings of the country โ nothing more, nothing less than an empty shell of power. Status, prestige, and hierarchy suffocate, depriving people of their agency over their own identity and fate.
Every event in Perfect Crown then exists as a small revolution, all of them slowly piling up until they prompt a full-on uprising.
Colours, clothes, and even food are used throughout the series as symbols of defiance and resistance, laying the groundwork for the characterisation of our protagonists. Traditions are subverted (the wedding scene is such an excellent example), and customs are shattered. The dialogue gets sharper and sharper as the episodes go by, creating layered and charged exchanges that build a riveting (but never stressful) narrative.
With desire as their main driving force, characters are invited to actively design their own arcs. I-an and Hui-ju are two equally strong and intriguing protagonists. Since they are held on equal grounds, they can share clear positive arcs that fully depend on one another: they find support, empathy, and companionship in their bond, inspiring each other to stand tall and fight against what society dictates and demands from them.
Meanwhile, Queen Mother I-rang (Gong Seung-yeon) is a fascinatingly grey character whose development takes a much more complex shape. To balance it all out, Perfect Crown gives Prime Minister Min Jeong-woo (Noh Sang-hyun) a marvellous corruption arc that allows him to be more than just a predestined antagonist, turning him into a fully realised individual who loses control over his aspirations and obsessions.
As they establish contrasting dynamics, characters progressively grow closer โ or apart. The shifting combinations of these individuals, alongside the show’s wide and phenomenal supporting cast, give life to the universe of Perfect Crown, holding the narrative together even when its little twists and turns prove to have their fair share of plot holes.
Women as the Sovereign Force Behind Perfect Crown
Flaws aside, this is a story that truly blossoms with its female characters, who are often those turning the tides of this tale. Women in Perfect Crown are clever, competent, and opinionated. They don’t need to be saved or protected, but they aren’t afraid of asking for help either. They are thick-skinned, yet they have a vulnerability that makes you relate to them.
Hui-ju simply refuses to be defined by the weakness and incompetence of the men surrounding her, always taking matters into her own hands and leading the change she wants to see in the world around her. She knows how to play the system and manipulate the politics to her advantage, but she never stops revolting against them. The Queen Mother is astute and resolute, cold and calculating, but still finds warmth in motherhood.
Then, we also have the incredible Do Hye-jeong (Lee Yeon), Hui-ju’s loyal assistant โ who, besides making for a brilliant character on her own, also finds an excellent and charming romantic partner in I-an’s lovely aide, Choi Hyeon (Yoo Su-bin). Tae-ju’s wife, Han Da-yeong (Chae Seo-an), is the quirky character we might all be familiar with, but whose decisions and attitudes are given a lot more weight than usual.
Flowing with confidence and profound charisma, Perfect Crown keeps the intrigue running high while balancing drama, comedy, and romance. The series successfully avoids exaggerations: the comedy has the right tone, and the romance is imbued with an adorableness that never becomes overly saccharine. IU and Byeon Woo-seok share crackling chemistry that effortlessly conveys the yearning, the butterflies, and the little joys of early love. Besides, Byeon has a marvellously intense gaze, which works very well for both the romantic and the political aspects of the story (oh, yes, and let’s not forget that his Prince I-an is also given a very caring side, which comes to the surface through his heartwarming relationship with his nephew, the young King I-yun).
While the entire cast delivers solid performances, it’s undeniable that Gong Seung-yeon is the show’s scene-stealer. Gong is absolutely mesmerising as the Queen, creating a character that presents herself with unwavering poise and nuanced sensitivity โ and you can’t help but feel instinctively drawn to her every time she’s on screen.
Last but not least, Perfect Crown is skilfully directed and luxuriously photographed. The production design and cinematography are always in perfect sync, offering some impeccable compositions that are definitely praiseworthy.
Should You Watch Perfect Crown?
Enjoyable, romantic, and absolutely stunning to look at, Perfect Crown is a well-executed rom-com that embraces the tropes of its genre and gives them its own rebellious twist. While keeping the narrative on the more commonplace side, the series invests heavily in subtext and symbolism to explore its themes and relies on emotional engagement to draw us closer to its spellbinding leading couple.
Perfect Crown might not be perfect, but its unique charm, unabashed romanticism, and irresistible excitement will certainly find a way to your heart. Well, bringing down the monarchy has never been so much fun!
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