MBC's 'Perfect Crown' starring IU x Byeon Woo Seok starts strong with a 7.8% viewership rating + netizens react to the first episode

MBC's highly anticipated new fantasy romance drama 'Perfect Crown' started off strong with an average nationwide viewership rating of 7.8%, according to Nielsen Korea. 

The rating marked the 3rd highest average rating recorded by the first episode of a Friday-Saturday time slot drama in MBC history, after 'Chief Detective 1958' (10.1%) and 'Knight Flower' (7.9%). 

All eyes are on whether or not this enticing fantasy romance will restore MBC's poor drama viewership ratings in 2026, as works like 'In Your Radiant Season' starring Chae Jong Hyeop and Lee Sung Kyung wrapped up with a low 3.1% for its final episode. 

'Perfect Crown' is set in a fictional universe where Korea is a constitutional monarchy. It follows the story of a chaebol heiress named Sung Hee Joo (played by IU) whose dream is to become royalty. To make her dream a reality, she proposes marriage to the mysterious and tragic prince, Lee Ahn (played by Byeon Woo Seok).

How did Korean netizens react to the first episode of 'Crown Prince'? Some commented,

"Even though it was only the first episode where they're just establishing the characters and the storyline, it got better and better toward the end."

"It was everything I expected."

"It's such a dreamy fantasy and the settings are all exquisite."

"The visuals are just mwah."

"The aesthetics were gorgeous."

"It's so good, I'm tuning in every week."

"The visuals are absolutely stunning."

"The beginning was a little slow, but I was hooked by the ending."

"It's only going to get better. It's the only thing people are gonna be talking about for a while."

"I hope they wear really gorgeous hanbok."

However, others felt that the first episode did not quite "meet their high expectations". These netizens expressed, 

"The setting honestly doesn't make sense to me and the acting is mehh."

"Every scene with male lead was supposed to be intense and full of mystery, but the actor couldn't pull the vibe off once he started saying his lines."

"It lost my attention halfway.. I was excited about the 'Princess Hours' vibe but it felt dull."

"The setting was a little off..? Some of the connections to the Joseon-era politics didn't make sense. It's not very deep, just a light watch for the pretty visuals."

"It wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be. I'm hoping it gets better but we'll see."

"They could've cast more experienced actors."

The second episode of 'Perfect Crown' airs on April 11 at 9:40 PM KST.