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Pierce Conran

Lead cast: Lim Ji-yeon, Heo Nam-jun
Latest Nielsen rating: 5.4 per cent
Just over a year after earning some of the best notices of her career for her titular turn in The Tale of Lady Ok, Lim Ji-yeon once again plays a low-born woman from the Joseon era (1392-1897) who inspires the enmity of aristocrats as she climbs the social ladder in the SBS drama My Royal Nemesis.
This new series, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish, not least because it is a fantasy drama set mostly in present-day Seoul.


It is also a frothy entertainment industry-set romantic comedy that is tonally more closely aligned with Lim’s most recent series, Nice to Not Meet You, in which she shared the screen with Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae.
This time, she appears alongside Heo Nam-jun, who plays Cha Se-gye, an infamously bad-tempered third-generation heir of the Chail Group. Heo’s last role was also as a corporate heir, in last year’s A Hundred Memories.
Se-gye is your typical aloof K-drama heir, with a big chip on his shoulder stemming from his illegitimacy – he was born out of wedlock to a tycoon’s mistress. If he does not smile and indulge in all the social niceties expected of him, it is only because he is more serious about his work than anyone else.
Whether from the public or within his family, Se-gye has grown used to criticism and tends to turn his misfortunes into opportunities. One day, social media erupts with a clip of him being a workplace tyrant. The video is actually a deepfake, but rather than sue the creators, he seeks to buy them out and leverage their impressive technology.

His current work also involves finding a new face to lead a marketing campaign. Despite some unpleasant run-ins, he is left with no choice but to work with Shin Seo-ri (Lim), a struggling actress with a peculiar temperament who has recently entered his life.
What Se-gye does not realise is that Seo-ri is not quite herself right now; her body has been unwittingly possessed by the soul of Kang Dan-shim, a woman with an identical appearance to her who lived in the 18th century.
Dan-shim was born a commoner, became a concubine and, thanks to her shrewd and crafty ways, unexpectedly rose to the rank of “Bin”, a royal consort in the king’s court.
However, she made enemies along the way, and by the time we meet her at the beginning of the series, she has been sentenced to death by poisoning. She does not go out quietly, but eventually the poison is forced down her throat.

When she opens her eyes again, she is still in the same palace courtyard, wearing the same attire, but she does not recognise the people around her, who bustle about in unfamiliar clothing.
That is because they are the harried staff of a period drama shooting in modern-day Seoul, currently filming a death-by-poisoning scene. Dan-shim is now in the body of Seo-ri, the stand-in for the lead actress.
After the thoroughly dramatic period opening, My Royal Nemesis switches to full-blown comedy in the present, as Dan-shim – now inhabiting Seo-ri – marvels at the wizardry of the modern age and has a go at everyone for what she perceives to be their insolent behaviour.
Naturally, she stands out like a giraffe in a petting zoo. Her aggressive and old-fashioned demeanour soon makes her a hit with the director, and later as a novel home shopping host. Before long, she draws the attention of Se-gye’s fellow executives.

Seo-ri and Se-gye first meet just outside Gyeongbokgung Palace when, bewildered by central Seoul, she ventures onto the street and right into Se-gye’s moving car – the first of many uncomfortable meetings.
Lim gives another spirited performance as the fish-out-of-water Seo-ri, navigating the modern world with her strong dialect and combative personality. Meanwhile, Heo cuts a dashing, if somewhat familiar, figure as Se-gye.
My Royal Nemesis has a lot of fun introducing its fantastic premise, which is ripe for situational comedy, but its real test will come later on, when the novelty of Seo-ri’s Joseon anachronisms wears off, and the story and romance start to do the heavy lifting.
On that count, the series is business as usual so far, but its solid execution may be enough to stand out in the competitive world of high-concept K-dramas.
My Royal Nemesis is streaming on Netflix.


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Lim Ji-yeon stars as a modern-day struggling actress who becomes unwittingly possessed by the soul of a Joseon royal concubine


Lim Ji-yeon stars as a modern-day struggling actress who becomes unwittingly possessed by the soul of a Joseon royal concubine.


Netflix K-drama My Royal Nemesis: Lim Ji-yeon leads period-infused fantasy romantic comedy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Lim Ji-yeon stars as a modern-day struggling actress who becomes unwittingly possessed by the soul of a Joseon royal concubine

Lim Ji-yeon stars as a modern-day struggling actress who becomes unwittingly possessed by the soul of a Joseon royal concubine