My Royal Nemesis may go down as one of the kdrama surprises of 2026. I started this show with no real expectations, and it quickly became a must watch favourite.
My Royal Nemesis was successful for two reasons. One, Kang Hyun Ju’s writing, while embracing many familiar tropes, zigged when we expected it to zag (more on this later). Two, Im Ji Yeon and Heo Nam Jun’s performances were brilliant - comedy gold from start to finish.
Directed by Han Tae Seob, My Royal Nemesis is a 14 episode time travel/transmigration story. It tells the story of a Joseon royal concubine, Sin Seo Ri (Im Ji Yeon), who, finding herself in modern day South Korea, becomes entangled with cold chaebol, Cha Se Gye (Heo Nam Jun).
Im Ji Yeon drew me to this show. Having watched her play an uber villain in The Glory, I was intrigued to see her in full rom com mode. From episode one, I was delighted by how good she was in this role – effortlessly blending chaotic physical comedy with compelling emotion.
Meanwhile, Heo Nam Jun portrays the story’s cold, misunderstood CEO. At the start, and this is no criticism of his performance, I did not find Cha Se Gye to be all that interesting (I am just not a fan of the boss treating his subordinates like dirt trope).
However, in the later stages of the drama I began to love his character. I do appreciate an endlessly devoted ML - particularly one who loves the FL just how she is and doesn’t expect her to change. It was also at this point that I started to feel real chemistry between Cha Se Gye and Sin Seo Ri (something I had concerns about at the start of the drama).
The rest of the cast are all good. I adored Kim Hae Sook’s portrayal of Sin Seo Ri’s grandmother and thought Oh Min Ae’s dual performance was impressive and entertaining. However, many cast members are given little to do and the show does not seem all that invested in its various side plots. Yes, there is palace scheming and corporate scheming and family scheming but these storylines are really just ways to further the drama’s romantic plot.
My Royal Nemesis does, with greater and lesser success, utilise many key drama tropes. That is not to suggest that it is entirely predicable. What makes this drama feel fresh and surprising is the way it subverts some tropes and steers clear of others. For example, there is a moment after the midway point of the story when I braced myself for some noble idiocy. Thankfully, the drama took another direction and, well, I felt both impressed and, well, relieved.
I mainly enjoyed My Royal Nemesis for the fun, physical comedy and romance. I also very much appreciated the show’s message of female empowerment. After her traumatic experience in the Joseon era, Sin Seo Ri makes a decision to live independently in the modern world. While the show arguably included one too many FL “rescue” scenes in its final stages, for the most part it allowed her to be strong and largely self-reliant.
Of course, My Royal Nemesis is not without flaws, inconsistencies and plot holes. The sub plots are wrapped up a little too conveniently and with a slightly strange tone. However, this is not a show that wants nothing more than to entertain its audience… and, for me, it succeeded and then some.
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