My Royal Nemesis takes a different approach to the usual time-travel K-drama concept, by incorporating politics from the Joseon dynasty along with more modern corporate mayhem.  The story gives you a look at both sides of the equation, specifically in the case of Kang Dan-shim, the Royal Consort, who has been labelled as a villain and sentenced to death in the Joseon period.  Instead of dying, she wakes up as a modern-day actress in Seoul, Shin Seo-ri. The series has comedic elements, and features romance and conflict, while still taking a look at identity, reputation and second chances - in a humorous way.

Plot Summary

The story starts with Kang Dan-shim being convicted of adultery, attempted murder, and disrupting the royal hierarchy.  She is compelled to drink poison, and when she awakens, she realises she has been thrust 300 years into the future.  She finds herself completely baffled at the sight of cameras, automobiles and modern fashion, as well as being completely shocked at her surroundings.  Due to her unusual behaviour during a movie shoot, everyone believes she was just method-acting.

Chae-se-gye is a wealthy chaebol businessman embroiled in scandals from his cutthroat approach to business; when he first meets Dan-shim, it is a volatile, argumentative meeting; regardless of their fights, fate keeps reuniting them; eventually, Dan-shim learns that history has regarded her as a monster and has almost made her disappear; she wishes to have a good reputation in today’s world as well as be of benefit to Chae-se-gye so she decides to join forces with him.

Positive Points

One of the strengths of this series is the acting of Lim Ji Yeon as Dan Shim; she brings to life the confusing mix of emotions (pride and defiance) of a Joseon woman living in modern Korea, and the humor associated with a fish out of water works really well, keeping the viewer entertained during the first episode; the chemistry between the leads is interesting; the relationship between them develops from an initial conflict rather than romantic attraction. Visually, the production design as well as the transition from past to present works well; the series does an excellent job at balancing humor and emotion, especially with respect to subject matter such as class distinction and the effect that reputation can have on an individual, including their possibilities for rehabilitation/forgiveness.

Negative Points

The series utilizes many of the recognised K-drama cliches, such as the classic enemies to lovers premise and exaggerated slow motion scenes, amongst others. Those people who are not used to K-drama format may initially have trouble relating to Se-gye due to his cold nature.

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Overall: My Royal Nemesis is an enjoyable combination of romance, comedy and fantasy, with very good acting ability by its leads and an engaging storyline. Although the series also uses some common K-drama tropes, the different historical perspective offered, along with Lim Ji-yeon’s engaging lead performance, will appeal to any fans of lighthearted romantic comedy.