Having endured political intrigue, betrayal, pain, and tension for many episodes, Perfect Crown eventually reached its climax, leading to a monumental decision, namely the abolishment of the monarchy. During the entire duration of the drama, Prince I-an experienced a great deal of frustration associated with his royal status. The royal position granted Prince I-an a great deal of power but also deprived him of his personal life, freedom and sanity. Eventually, I-an makes up his mind that the monarchy was ultimately the source of all the agony he experienced and everyone else.
The turning point occurs when I-an learns the truth about the political manipulation and the conspiracies taking place at court. In addition, Hee-ju assists I-an in learning the true nature of Prime Minister Jeong-woo.
Why did I-an choose to get rid of the monarchy?
Instead of crowning himself king and perpetuating the monarchy, I-an lets the people decide on their own whether they want it or not in a referendum. Ultimately, the people vote for abolishing the monarchy once and for all.
In terms of emotion, the choice represents more freedom than politics. Unlike others, I-an never desired power. All he ever wanted was to be able to lead a regular life and live with Hee-ju without any interference of power, titles, and obligations between them. There is one of the most poignant scenes in the series when he asks Hee-ju to stop addressing him with her royal titles and call him by name.
At the end of the episode, there is an abrupt jump ahead in time showing that I-an and Hee-ju live a regular marital life far away from the monarchy.
Why do several fans disagree about the conclusion?
While most people liked the emotional aspect of the finale, some people were dissatisfied with the fact that the political conclusion occurred too abruptly. Many forums noted that the plot of the monarchical abolition was included quite late into the show and resolved rather quickly in just one episode.
On the one hand, people liked the way the finale placed more focus on emotions than on the imaginary monarchy. On the other hand, some fans thought that crucial events had been squeezed into the last couple of episodes. One point that everyone seems to agree on is the chemistry between IU and Byeon Woo-seok, which carried emotional tension throughout the whole series until its very end.
