I knew My Royal Nemesis was going to be ridiculous the moment a woman from the Joseon era started smacking a chaebol heir with a leaf in the middle of modern Seoul. And honestly? That was exactly the moment the drama won me over.
The first episode throws viewers straight into palace politics, reincarnation chaos, deepfake scandals, historical trauma, and bizarre comedy without even pretending to slow down. Somehow, despite how messy that sounds on paper, it mostly works because the show fully commits to its own absurdity.
And I think that’s the key to enjoying My Royal Nemesis. The moment you stop trying to make everything logical and just go along with Kang Dan-sim’s complete culture shock, the drama becomes surprisingly entertaining.
What really hooked me wasn’t even the fantasy setup itself. It was the emotional bitterness hiding underneath all the comedy. Because beneath the leaf fights and modern-day confusion, this is still a story about a woman whose legacy was stolen from her. And episode 1 makes sure you feel that.
A Villainess Condemned Before She Even Had a Chance
The opening sequence immediately sets a darker tone than I expected.
Three hundred years ago during the Joseon era, strange disasters plague the kingdom after the appearance of a red-tailed star. Naturally, the palace needs someone to blame, and that someone becomes Lady Kang Dan-sim. Her “crime” is almost laughably convenient. The palace accuses her of attempting to murder a prince and another consort, but everyone knows the real reason. She’s a low-born woman who climbed too high in a place built on hierarchy and betrayal.
What I liked here was how Kang refuses to go down quietly.
Even while being forced to drink poison, she spits out the truth: everyone in the palace survives through cruelty, yet only she becomes the scapegoat. There’s anger in her final moments, but also exhaustion. Im Ji-yeon delivers that bitterness really well.
Then the episode suddenly gets even weirder.
A solar eclipse appears. A hailstorm erupts. Her shaman secretly performs a ritual using her blood. Kang sees a mysterious man right before dying…
…and then she wakes up in the 21st century.
Not gently, either.
She wakes up inside the body of Shin Seo-ri, who happens to be working as a stand-in actress on a historical drama set. Watching Kang immediately start fighting actors while still dressed in Joseon clothing was the perfect transition from tragedy into chaos. Everyone around her thinks she’s method acting.
She is absolutely not.
The funniest parts of the episode are easily Kang trying to process modern life.
Not in the overly cartoonish way some time-slip dramas do it, but in this constant state of offended confusion. She talks formally, reacts dramatically to everything, and instantly judges people like she’s still inside palace politics.
Honestly, her face-reading habit cracked me up. The moment she calls people “vipers” within minutes of meeting them, I lost it a little. But underneath the humor, there’s also genuine sadness.
One of the strongest scenes happens when Kang finally steps outside Gyeongbokgung and sees modern Seoul for the first time. The skyscrapers, giant LED screens, endless traffic, she looks completely overwhelmed.
Im Ji-yeon plays this moment quietly, and I appreciated that. The show could’ve gone full slapstick, but instead there’s this strange loneliness in Kang’s expression. Everything she knew is gone. Her world literally survived without her.
And then the episode twists the knife deeper.
At a Joseon museum exhibit, Kang discovers that her plum blossom painting still exists… but someone else received the credit for it. History remembers her not as a victim, but as a villainess.
Oof.
That scene honestly hit harder than I expected.
You can tell this becomes the emotional core of the drama moving forward. Kang doesn’t just want survival anymore. She wants her name back.
Meanwhile, modern-day chaos arrives in the form of Cha Se-gye.
Se-gye is introduced through a viral scandal involving abuse-of-power accusations. There’s footage of him screaming at employees and destroying property, and the public absolutely hates him. Of course, the drama quickly reveals the video is a deepfake.
Ironically, instead of panicking, Se-gye becomes impressed by the technology and immediately wants to buy the company responsible.
That honestly tells you everything about his personality.
He’s arrogant, emotionally detached, obsessed with money, and constantly hiding behind sarcasm. But episode 1 also makes it obvious he’s carrying years of resentment, especially regarding his actress mother and his strained relationship with his grandfather.
So yes, he’s another classic emotionally damaged chaebol. But Heo Nam-jun plays him with enough natural charm that he doesn’t feel completely exhausting yet.
The thing I enjoyed most was actually his dynamic with Kang. Their energy together feels less romantic at first and more like two people who are equally stubborn and equally offended by each other’s existence.
When Kang falls in front of his car and he immediately assumes she’s trying to blackmail him, I rolled my eyes so hard. But then she starts slapping him with a leaf while he retaliates with flowers, and suddenly the whole thing becomes weirdly hilarious.
It’s so unserious. And thankfully, the drama knows it’s unserious.
I won’t lie though, the pacing does drag a bit during the second half.
There’s a stretch where Kang spends a lot of time reflecting on her past life, her ruined reputation, and her identity. While those themes are important, the momentum slows down noticeably compared to the chaotic first half.
I could feel the drama trying to establish emotional depth, but it lingered slightly too long. Especially because the comedy and fish-out-of-water moments are currently the strongest part of the show.
Still, the episode recovers once Kang decides to stop mourning and start strategizing. And honestly? Her decision to use Se-gye as both her “shield and sword” feels extremely on-brand. She wastes absolutely no time adapting to capitalism.
Respect.
The final sequence surprised me in a good way.
Kang arrives at Biojei during the open casting call for Dynaestie, where all the models are dressed like Joseon royalty. Naturally, this accidentally becomes the perfect setting for her. Ji-hyo tries to humiliate her again, but Kang matching her energy instead of shrinking away was incredibly satisfying. I already know their future interactions are going to be messy in the best way.
Then Se-gye spots Kang during the auditions, and things immediately spiral.
A solar eclipse suddenly appears again, triggering Kang’s instincts from her past life. She senses danger and drags Se-gye away just before a dummy dressed like a protester crashes onto his car from above.
That entire scene felt oddly ominous compared to the rest of the episode. It finally connected the Joseon-era curse, the eclipses, and whatever supernatural force seems to be following Kang across time.
I’m genuinely curious whether Se-gye himself is connected to her past life somehow. The way she saw an unidentified man before dying definitely feels intentional. And K-dramas rarely show mysterious faces for no reason.
My Thoughts After Episode 1
Overall, My Royal Nemesis Episode 1 feels messy, goofy, emotionally dramatic, and strangely charming all at once. And you know, this is one the Korean Dramas to Watch in May 2026, for me.
The transmigration genre is honestly difficult to pull off because it can become painfully cringey if the actors don’t fully commit. Thankfully, Im Ji-yeon commits completely. She throws herself into Kang’s panic, arrogance, confusion, and emotional vulnerability without holding back.
Some scenes absolutely gave me secondhand embarrassment, affectionately. But that commitment is exactly why the comedy lands.
I also think the drama works best when it embraces its weirdness instead of trying too hard to be profound. The palace tragedy and stolen legacy storyline add emotional weight, but the heart of the show right now is definitely the chaotic chemistry between Kang and Se-gye.
They’re both kind of disasters. Which makes them oddly perfect for each other.
As for Heo Nam-jun, I’m just happy to finally see him getting a leading role after causing second lead syndrome in so many dramas. It’s still early, but his banter with Im Ji-yeon already feels natural enough to keep me invested.
If the show balances its fantasy mystery with its comedic chaos properly, My Royal Nemesis could end up becoming one of those unexpectedly addictive dramas people underestimate at first. For now, I’m cautiously entertained.
And slightly obsessed with the leaf fight.
Episode 1 Rating: 8/10
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Detail Info
- Title: My Royal Nemesis
- Native Title: 멋진신세계
- Also Known As: Brave New World , Meotjinsinsegye , Wicked World , Wonderful New World
- Director: Han Tae Seob
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Fantasy
- Episodes: 14
- Casts: Im Ji-yeon, Heo Nam-jun, Jang Seung-jo, Kim Min-seok, Lee Se-hee, Kim Hae-sook
- Aired: May 8, 2026 – Jun 20, 2026
- Aired On: Friday, Saturday
- Original Network: SBS
- Duration: 1 hr. 10 min.
- Content Rating: 15+ – Teens 15 or older