IU and Byeon Woo Seok‘s K-Drama, Perfect Crown, has seen its fair share of buzz online—but one pop culture critic’s brutally honest take on it has gone extra-viral online.
Recently, a post on the Korean online community theqoo gained attention after sharing several tweets from critic Oh Soo Kyung about the show. The post quickly drew attention from netizens, many of whom reacted to her blunt criticism of the series.
In the tweets, the critic responded to a question asking whether she planned to review Perfect Crown. Her answer immediately caught attention.
<21세기 대군 부인>은 비평 안 하냐는 질문을 받았는데… 그건 ‘드라마’이기 보다는 움직이는 화보라고 생각하기에 드라마 비평하는 내 관심사가 아님. 사실 1-2회를 봤는데…
— 오수경 (@odeng7) May 14, 2026
I was asked whether I’m not going to critique Perfect Crown. But I think of it less as a ‘drama’ and more as a moving photoshoot, so it’s not something I’m interested in as someone who critiques dramas. I did watch the first two episodes and…
— Oh Soo Kyung
The comment quickly spread among viewers, especially because Perfect Crown has drawn divided reactions for its lavish visuals and controversial storytelling.
The critic continued by clarifying that her issue was not with the show’s genre or fictional setting. According to her, she had no problem with the series using a fusion historical concept or imagining a constitutional monarchy.
Korean Historian Criticizes “Perfect Crown” For Inaccurate Portrayal Of History
Instead, she criticized the drama for failing to build a world that made sense on its own terms.
드라마가 서사와 캐릭터를 엉망으로 만들었다? 그런건 드라마로 보지 않는다. 차라리 <나는 솔로>가 드라마지…
— 오수경 (@odeng7) May 14, 2026
No matter how genre-transcending the content may be, I believe the structure has to at least make sense within that world for the characters and narrative to have plausibility. And that is exactly what Perfect Crown failed at the most.
The drama ruined its narrative and characters? Then I don’t consider that a drama. At that point, I Am Solo is more of a drama…
— Oh Soo Kyung
After her tweets began spreading online, Oh Soo Kyung also appeared to respond to one comment arguing that, whether the drama was “right or wrong,” its popularity still reflected the “spirit of the times” because it followed the public trend.
<21세기 대군 부인>에 관한 내 트윗에 어느 커뮤에서 회자되는 와중에 “대중의 흐름에는 시대정신이 담겨 있음. 그게 옳든 그르든 시대정신임”이라는 댓글이 눈에 띄었다. 일단 ‘글로벌 1위=좋은 드라마’ 아니고 ‘시대정신=비판 대상 제외’ 이것도 아니다. (계속)
— 오수경 (@odeng7) May 15, 2026
The critic pushed back on that interpretation.
나는 이 드라마가 애초에 ‘텍스트’를 잘 구성하는 데 중점을 둔 게 아닐거라 생각한다. ‘잘 팔릴’ 걸 더 우선적으로 생각했겠지. 그러니까 ‘활동적 화보’같은 게 나오고… 그걸 좋아하는 사람이 많다는 건 뭐 ‘대중’이 그런걸 원하나 보다… 생각할 수 있다.
— 오수경 (@odeng7) May 15, 2026
First of all, it’s not ‘No. 1 globally = a good drama,’ and it’s also not ‘spirit of the times = exempt from criticism.’ Just because something is No. 1 globally and has a strong fandom does not mean you can say that a poorly made work was made well. It probably prioritized being something that would ‘sell well.’ That’s why it comes across like a ‘moving photoshoot’… But then I guess that’s what the public wants.
— Oh Soo Kyung
While some viewers have praised Perfect Crown for its cast, visuals, and styling, the critic’s comments resonated with others who felt the drama’s writing and world-building did not live up to its presentation.
The viral post has since sparked debate over whether the drama’s popularity should be separated from criticism of its quality—and whether a drama can be visually impressive while still failing as a story.
- I was curious, so I watched it, but it’s so old-fashioned. I tried to just call it a guilty pleasure, but the setting is sloppy and the lack of originality is obvious, so it annoyed me… I can’t get emotionally invested. The leads are so in love, apparently, but it’s boring to me.
- LOL. Not even a photoshoot because the leads don’t know how to work their bodies.
- ‘I Am Solo is more of a drama,’ LMAO.
- Even so, it’s interesting that the viewership numbers are coming out like that. Is it actor power? Maybe people are watching just to see those actors looking pretty and handsome, so calling it a moving photoshoot might be right.
- It doesn’t have even 1% of authenticity…
- If they wanted to make a masterpiece through viewership ratings, The Penthouse is more of a masterpiece. Besides, it had good acting. LOL.
- The highborn setting, narrative, and originality are worse than free web novels written by amateur writers…
- It’s garbage.
- It’s not even pretty enough to be called a photoshoot… The similar-setting dramas from 20 years ago were prettier.
- Oh, true. It’s just a photoshoot. But even as a photoshoot, it wasn’t good…
- For a photoshoot, even the visual beauty is just whatever…
- Not even because the male lead has one look and one look only. Not just for this show but for all of his commercials too. He looks like a robot. What exactly am I watching?
Read more about the fierce backlash that the cast, too, is currently facing:
“Perfect Crown” Actor Fiercely Bashed Despite 10 Years Of Experience