Actor Byeon Woo-seok's somewhat awkward acting has unexpectedly given Gong Seung-yeon, who appears relatively calm and weighty, a reflective benefit that makes her shine. Byeon Woo-seok and Gong Seung-yeon work at the same agency and have been close colleagues who have known each other for a long time, but with only one actor receiving praise for acting, it is not a situation to simply laugh about.
On the 10th, the first broadcast of "Perfect Crown" recorded a 10.1% rating in the metropolitan area and 9.5% nationwide in just two episodes, rising to first place in the same time slot. Not only did it surpass double-digit ratings in just two episodes based on metropolitan households, it also recorded 5.3% in the 20-54 rating, a key indicator of channel competitiveness reflecting changes in media consumption, ranking first overall on Saturday and drawing attention. (based on nationwide broadcast households)
Interest is already building toward ratings above 15%, and expectations are rising that the MBC Friday-Saturday drama might exceed the elusive 20% that no MBC Friday-Saturday drama has broken. Separate from this pleasant high-rating run, evaluations of the lead actors' acting skills are sharply divided. In particular, more varied assessments are pouring in about the male lead, Byeon Woo-seok.
Byeon Woo-seok debuted in 2016, and the only work in which he took on a main title role and led it fully in a drama can be considered tvN's Lovely Runner (2024). Titles such as Strong Girl Nam-soon (2023), Moonshine (2021), Record of Youth (2020), and Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019) list him as a lead on his profile, but in reality actors like Ong Seongwu, Yoo Seungho and Park Bo Gum were the central figures, so it is hard to say Byeon Woo-seok was the main lead.
Many in the public first encountered Byeon Woo-seok's acting through the mega-hit Lovely Runner. At the time, he benefited greatly as he showed synergy and chemistry beyond expectations with the excellent acting of Kim Hyeyoon.
Byeon Woo-seok also appeared on "You Quiz on the Block" that same year and said, "If Hyeyoon hadn't been there, I don't think I could have expressed Seonjae's emotions this much. The emotions given on set came across as genuine, so I think I could express them better," and "Hyeyoon, during filming you really gave me energy, and I learned a lot by watching your attitude on set. Thanks to you I could do the role of Seonjae well. If you want to eat something delicious, contact me anytime. I'll buy it for you anytime. I was so, so grateful," attributing the popularity syndrome to his co-star Kim Hyeyoon.
Byeon Woo-seok, who rose to stardom through Lovely Runner, had to prove his acting with Perfect Crown to show he was not a fleeting breakout star. He carried that burden from the start.
In fact, the role of Grand Prince Ian in Perfect Crown is a much more difficult character to portray than Seonjae in Lovely Runner. In the royal power struggles, he must conceal his true feelings as much as possible, and there are many moments when deep anguish and emotional shifts must be conveyed solely through facial expressions and a single line. Compared with Seong Hee-joo (played by IU), who displays all her emotions on her face and acts freely, Grand Prince Ian may be a character that requires more inner strength.
In particular, the scene in episode 1 where Grand Prince Ian and queen dowager Yoon I-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) spar over the regency for the young king ignited controversy over Byeon Woo-seok's acting.
The queen dowager expressed dissatisfaction, saying the young king nearly died and no one worries, and that all of this is because of the regency. In response, Grand Prince Ian retorted, "His majesty the king's Boryeong is only eight. He is far too young to carry out state affairs, so my regency cannot be helped," and "Besides, is the regency that great? Politics! Politics are for politicians. Trade is for merchants. The royal family cannot do anything. The only job is to do nothing at all."
The tense balance of power between Grand Prince Ian and the queen dowager was not broken, and it was actually a scene where Grand Prince Ian raised his voice toward the queen dowager. However, in the nearly two-minute scene, Byeon Woo-seok's expression stiffened and it was difficult to feel emotional changes, leading many to say he failed to properly convey the turbulent heart of Grand Prince Ian. The scene spread as clips on various social media and online communities with negative reviews saying "he can't act." At the same time, extreme evaluations emerged about queen dowager Gong Seung-yeon, who radiated charisma, with comments like "did she always act this well?"
Earlier at the Perfect Crown press conference, when asked "how will you portray the complex character of Grand Prince Ian?" Byeon Woo-seok replied, "I talked a lot with the director, and I also tried to do a little better and spoke a lot before," and "I also concentrated solely on the character's narrative to try to do my best so that people could emotionally empathize with the character. I paid more attention to that part."
The drama is still in its early stages, and with a total of 12 episodes produced, there is still a long way to go. Depending on story development, Byeon Woo-seok's performance may improve positively, but the acting controversy that has arisen around this highly anticipated work is regrettable.<
[photo] capture of "Perfect Crown"
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