[Muse Issue] “Regressed more than ‘The King and I’” IU♥Byeon Woo-seok’s “Lady of the Great Prince” generates top buzz…criticism has emerged

[Herald Muse = Reporter Park Seo-hyun] Columnist Jeong Seok-hee has stirred attention by sharing her review of MBC's 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century'.

Recently, columnist Jeong Seok-hee shared her thoughts after watching episodes 1 and 2 of MBC's 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century' on her YouTube channel, 'Jeong Seok-hee TV Review'.

In the video, columnist Jeong Seok-hee said, "Neither as a work nor as actors do they stand out as the kind of talent worthy of a Baeksang Arts Awards nomination," adding, "Kong Seung-yeon's acting transformation stands out. It feels like she is filming a serious drama all by herself inside a romantic comedy. It should be a give-and-take, but instead it feels like a struggle."

She continued, "As much as expectations were high, there have been quite a few reactions saying it is disappointing. Many say IU and Byun Woo-seok's acting falls short of expectations, but I found the set and visual style even more disappointing."

Columnist Jeong Seok-hee said, "I wanted to see the beautiful cinematography that comes to mind when I think of MBC. Even in just the past few years, they have consistently produced excellent historical dramas. But in 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century,' I wondered whether MBC's signature historical-drama visual flair was missing. Director Park Joon-hwa is very capable and someone I like, but why was someone who has worked within the CJ ENM group entrusted with directing an MBC historical drama? He failed to make any use of MBC's production know-how. I wondered if there was internal pushback."

She also compared it with 'Gung,' pointing out that both the monarchical setup and the visual style have regressed.

Columnist Jeong said, "In my view, it seems they aimed more at overseas markets than the domestic one, building the show around the leads. There are far too few royal family members, aren't there? The former kings only appear in flashbacks, and no royal women are visible except the queen dowager. I believe the success or failure of a drama depends on how well supporting veteran actors are placed in the right roles. But in 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century,' I don't see veteran actors with that level of weight," adding, "If the story proceeds mainly with the bickering of the two leads, it will eventually become boring. That is exactly the case with 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century.' Beyond the two lead characters, there are no people or lines that truly resonate."

Despite this criticism, MBC's 'Grand Prince's Bride of the 21st Century' is still cruising along smoothly. Episode 4, which aired on the 18th, recorded its highest ratings yet, reaching 11.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 11.1% nationwide, and 5.3% among viewers aged 20-54, taking first place in all of those categories at the same time slot. Peak minute-by-minute ratings climbed as high as 13.8%, continuing the upward trend. (Based on Nielsen Korea)