The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'My Royal Nemesis' (written by Kang Hyun-joo, directed by Han Tae-seop) is a romantic comedy that depicts the explosive, war-like romance between Shin Seo-ri (played by Lim Ji-yeon), an obscure actress possessed by the soul of a legendary Joseon-era villainess, and Cha Se-gye (played by Heo Nam-jun), a ruthless chaebol heir dubbed the 'monster of capitalism.'
In episodes 3 and 4, which aired last week, the show delivered heart-fluttering excitement as Cha Se-gye struggled to deny his growing feelings for Shin Seo-ri, leading to a hilarious comedy of errors where both characters completely misread each other's intentions. Driven by this momentum, 'My Royal Nemesis' hit a personal best viewership rating of 7.8% (according to Nielsen Korea) in just two weeks, earning praise as a well-made rom-com where directing, acting, and writing come together in perfect harmony.
Its performance on domestic and international OTT platforms is truly unrivaled. Immediately after its release, 'My Royal Nemesis' went straight to No. 1 on Netflix's 'Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea Today' and has maintained its crown for two consecutive weeks as of May 18.
The response in the global market is equally explosive. According to the weekly Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows list released by Netflix's official site Tudum, 'My Royal Nemesis' topped the chart worldwide in its first week of broadcast and proudly secured the No. 2 spot in its second week. Notably, it proved its global box office power by landing in the Top 10 lists of 44 countries across various continents, including Brazil, Spain, Bolivia, Peru, Australia, and Hong Kong.
Additionally, on the 'Today's Trend Ranking' provided by the OTT search and recommendation platform KinoLights, the drama swept the No. 1 spot overall across all content—including movies and variety shows—from its first week through its second week, continuing its unstoppable run.
Amidst a fierce weekend drama battle, the show also dominated buzzworthiness metrics. According to the second-week-of-May buzzworthiness rankings released by FUNdex, a K-content competitiveness research institution by Good Data Corporation, 'My Royal Nemesis' ranked No. 2 in the TV Drama category. In the TV-OTT integrated buzzworthiness category for cast members, lead actors Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, proving the drama's formidable upward trajectory.
At the center of this global syndrome, 'My Royal Nemesis' is raising anticipation to an all-time high by teasing a major shift in the relationship between Seo-ri and Se-gye in the upcoming fifth episode, as they finally confirm their feelings for each other. Attention is focused on what unpredictable events lie ahead for the two now that their denial phase has officially ended.
'My Royal Nemesis' airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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