There’s a new comedic fantasy series taking over the international charts on Netflix, and you won’t want to miss it, especially as it’s poised to knock Berlin, the Money Heist spinoff, from the top spot on the streaming charts. And while only six episodes are out so far, there are more releasing each week—and they’re good enough that this witty K-drama has amassed over 9 million views, with 3.9 million first week and 5.1 million this week alone. So you know that it’s definitely got something unique going for it.
There’s nothing quite like My Royal Nemesis, a fantasy with a comedic edge that centers on a once-royal concubine of the highest rank, called a national seductress, who was sentenced to death by poison for her actions. But Sin Seo Ri is back to take on the 21st Century, reincarnated in the body of a modern actress struggling to get her career off the ground. This new life leads to an epic clash with a cold, calculating chaebol heir, Cha Se Gye, and sparks fly between them, hot enough to ignite an intense love-hate romance that transcends centuries.
And while cramming all those familiar tropes into its narrative makes the story drag in places, it doesn’t stop the series from being everything people love about fantasy K-dramas. There’s political intrigue, interesting characters, time travel, and more yearning than you know what to do with. “Time travel, royal politics, chaebol families, revenge arcs, reincarnation—My Royal Nemesis tries to package all of it together in a glossy fantasy rom-com that feels extremely familiar, but somehow still entertaining enough to keep you hooked,” says critic Zinia Bandyopadhyay.
Overall, My Royal Nemesis, while not entirely original, is a fun spin on the fish-out-of-water storyline, and unique in the sense that its main pairing is both essentially “villains” in their own way. It allows for emotional tension and a good dose of messy drama to carry the narrative forward—something that’s always entertaining. Critic Monica Yadav sums up the first 6 episodes of the series well, saying, “Visually, My Royal Nemesis feels familiar to modern fantasy K-dramas about time travel and reincarnation, such as the 2023 K-drama The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. However, what makes the series interesting is its morally messy world.”
Will you be catching My Royal Nemesis on Netflix? Do you already have a favorite moment from the series (and why is the wrist kiss the only right answer)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to see what’s going on over at the ComicBook forum.
