My Royal Nemesis: Episodes 1-2
by Unit
Chaos and hijinks ensue in our newest rom-com, as a Joseon villainess transmigrates to present day! Our heroine has been granted a second chance at life and she’s determined to make the most of her rebirth. But first she has to navigate this strange, new world filled with even stranger people — who may or may not be connected to her past.
EPISODES 1-2
Our story begins in a period of famine and plague in Joseon. This disaster is blamed on our leading lady, Royal Consort KANG DAN-SHIM (Im Ji-yeon), and she receives a royal edict sentencing her to death for various crimes. Dan-shim is scared, but she faces her fate with the dignity of a royal… Screw that! Dan-shim insists her only crime is rising to power as a lowborn and protecting herself from palace conspiracies. She refuses to go down without a fight, and ends up getting force-fed with the poison. A shaman (Oh Min-ae) is performing a rain ritual at the same time, and Dan-shim’s collapse heralds a rainfall — which serves as evidence that she was indeed the drought-causing villainess. A solar eclipse then occurs and Dan-shim dies…
…only to wake up in modern Korea in the body of struggling actress, SHIN SEO-RI (Im Ji-yeon). Coincidentally, Seo-ri was in the middle of filming a sageuk poisoning scene — which Dan-shim assumes is real. Cue: our heroine fighting for her life while the confused cast and crew fight for their plot. Lol. It’s Dan-shim’s turn to be confused when she takes a proper look around her surroundings. Sure, she’s in the middle of palace grounds, but who are these people and what are they wearing? Dan-shim recalls the shaman telling her she must die if she wants to live — shortly before taking her blood for the rain ritual. In the present, Dan-shim notices the blood cut on her wrist has disappeared. “Have I been placed in another body?” She wonders. Ding dong deng!
If you think our leading lady is the ultimate villainess, wait until you meet our leading man, CHA SE-GYE (Heo Nam-joon), a.k.a the worst chaebol heir in the nation’s history. Se-gye is the Chail Group grandson, but he runs his own startup, Biojei, after resigning from the family business. Se-gye is known as a ruthless M&A butcher and a capitalistic monster, and he’s also disdained as a half-breed for being born to a celebrity (and not a chaebol) mother. Our leading man revels in his infamy because “being infamous is the best bodyguard there is.” But the truth is, half his vicious reputation comes from media manipulation by a certain someone. Se-gye gets stuck in traffic while returning from another successful acquisition, and his assistant, SON JAE-HAN (Yoon Byung-hee!!), explains there’s a solar eclipse show happening in the area. “Unbelievable,” Se-gye scoffs. “Are we living in the Joseon era?” Sir, you have no idea!
Dan-shim stumbles out of the palace grounds/modern-day tourist site and walks onto the path of Se-gye’s car. She faints in shock and wakes up with one conclusion: she’s in hell! Well, Hell Joseon is a thing for a reason. Lol. As if fainting in front of his car isn’t enough, Dan-shim dashes into the busy road like she has another appointment with death, and Se-gye assumes she’s out to add to the unsavory rumors about him. After pulling her out of harm’s way, he accuses her of trying to scam him and she slaps him. Next thing you know, they’re beating each other up with plants and flowers from a nearby flower truck. LMAO! Se-gye belatedly realizes they have become a public spectacle, and he quickly leaves after giving her his business card for “get checked at the hospital and send me the bill” purposes. “And that, my loves, is how I met your mother.” — Se-gye to his kids a few years from now. Heh.
Dan-shim joins a group of elementary schoolers on a field trip to a museum, and on display is a painting she made before she died. The painting is credited to the queen, and Dan-shim argues it’s hers. But all history knows of Kang Dan-shim is that she was a notorious villainess who was stripped of her title and blotted out of historical records. Damn! Our heroine is depressed at the thought that all that remains of her is a stigma that won’t wash away even in death. And just as she’s wondering if her transmigration is a punishment from the heavens, it begins to rain. The rain brings cold and the cold brings along the realization that she’s indeed alive. Dan-shim then decides to take her transmigration as a blessing and live as she pleases in this new life. But first, she needs to find Se-gye — since he came across as a proud man of wealth and influence during their meet-cute, and she can use him as her sword and shield in this life.
Dan-shim uses Se-gye’s business card to track him to his company — which is coincidentally holding a “Joseon lady-like” audition for the face of his soon-to-be launched beauty brand. She joins the audition and the judges are surprised by how much in character she is. Pfft! Dan-shim is THE character, of course, but Se-gye has no intention of hearing her out. Still, she follows him out of the building and senses a murderous aura as he attempts to get into his car. Se-gye ignores Dan-shim’s warning, but she manages to pull him back seconds before a mannequin drops from the sky and lands on the car. Se-gye is curious how Dan-shim knew that someone was targeting him, and she brags about her badass sixth sense that has saved her from all assassination plots in Joseon. Looool. She offers him her sixth sense protection services, but he assumes she’s involved in the mannequin incident and he kicks her out. Lol.
Jae-han softens his boss’s blow by driving Dan-shim’s carsick ass to Seo-ri’s gosiwon. And there, she meets Seo-ri’s grandma, NAM OK-SOON (Kim Hae-sook). Dan-shim observes that what Halmeoni and Seo-ri lack in material things, they more than make up for with their love for each other. But as touching as it is to be the recipient of halmeoni’s love in Seo-ri’s body, Dan-shim refuses to live as pitifully as Seo-ri did. Via Seo-ri’s diary, she learns her host is a former child actress who struggled to get roles as an adult. And this strengthens our heroine’s resolve to survive in this world and honor the owner of her current body with a better life. Dan-shim swaps her hanbok for modern clothes, and studies history from Joseon to modern days through YouTube videos. She also wins hearts in the dorm by catching perverts, and putting the prickly tenant/side dish thief, BAEK GWANG-NAM (Kim Min-seok), in his place.
There’s something about modern day snacks and street food that makes Joseon royals lose their minds, and Dan-shim realizes she needs to get a job after squandering all Seo-ri’s money on snacks. But her Joseon attitude makes it difficult to get past any interview stage. Gwang-nam advises Dan-shim to temper her temper and quit her consort-like tantrums and haughtiness in order to get a job. But it is this same attitude that eventually lands her a gig at a home shopping network after a clip of her poisoning scene goes viral. The various skills Dan-shim acquired in Joseon also come in handy for the product demonstration gig, and she goes viral again at the home shopping network. Step aside, Dam Ye-jin, Kang Dan-shim is here!
We’re introduced to another chaebol heir, CHOI MUN-DO (Jang Seung-jo), and he’s the definition of a perfect gentleman. Mun-do is a nephew of Se-gye’s grandpa, CHA DAL-SU (Yoon Joo-sang), and Grandpa is forever grateful because Mun-do donated his liver to him 17 years ago. But appearances are deceiving, and Mun-do is revealed to be behind Se-gye’s rumors and bad press. Mun-do bugs Se-gye’s friend/psychiatrist’s SUNWOO JUNG-HYUN’s (Jung Jae-kwang) office, and he overhears Se-gye telling Jung-hyun about the “crazy woman” he keeps running into. As well as his dream of being a Joseon royal and meeting a woman in the palace. Hmmm. Jung-hyun jokes that Se-gye might be suffering from paranoia, and he suggests that his friend should find a real life woman to date.
The only woman in Se-gye’s life at the moment is Dan-shim, but he wants nothing to do with her. Not even when his board members push to capitalize on her virality and hire her as the face of their beauty brand. But when Se-gye learns that Dan-shim’s virality isn’t dying any time soon and other marketing teams are looking for her, he decides to claim her first. All roads lead to the home shopping network — where Dan-shim is having a panic attack after the product demonstration for a herbal medicine gives her poisoning PTSD. Se-gye comes to her rescue after a pissed-off crew member attempts to get physical with her, and she’s grateful. But then Dan-shim sees Mun-do walking up to them and freezes in shock because… Mun-do is the spitting image of the king in her Joseon life. The same king that betrayed her and ordered her poisoning!
Dan-shim runs away at the sight of Mun-do and Se-gye follows her. He explains he needs her — but that will have to wait, because monitoring spirit Mun-do has followed them to the rooftop! *facepalm* “I’m going to need you to be my shield for a moment,” Dan-shim says to Se-gye, before burying her face in his chest. Oouuu. On this note, our premiere week comes to an end. We get a short epilogue of Dan-shim in her days as a bullied palace maid. She once got locked in a wooden box and was rescued by a royal wearing a scar covering-mask over his right eye. This mask is probably why Dan-shim doesn’t realize that Se-gye looks just like her savior! Okay, welcome back, Wang So. Hehe.
Mun-do is actually the third Joseon–crossover Dan-shim is meeting after her transmigration. Se-gye being the first, and the second being fortune teller, GEUM JUNG-AE (Oh Min-ae), who looks exactly like the Joseon shaman. I’m not sure if Jung-ae, Se-gye and Mun-do are reincarnations, descendants or just lookalikes of their Joseon counterparts. But time and the plot will tell.
Guys, I love this show! It’s funny without even trying, and our leads are such vibrant and colorful characters. Whether in Joseon or in modern times, Dan-shim is not weak or helpless, and I love that she didn’t waste time flailing around after coming to terms with her transmigration. My spunky sis has a survival and thriving goal, and she will wing her way there no matter what. Se-gye is a delightful departure from the cookie-cutter chaebol male leads, and I love that he’s got personality and the skills to back up his swag. (It’s also such a treat to see Heo Nam-joon in his male lead era, and in this role itself.)
Dan-shim and Se-gye have great chemistry and an overall fun dynamic. Their bickering doesn’t feel forced and their vibe is just natural. Opposites attract is also not a thing with them as they’re two sides of the same coin. They’re both despised for overcoming their humble origins and clawing their way to the top, and they have to contend against treacherous forces that are very close to home. Mun-do is the face of treachery both in Joseon and modern times, and I can’t wait for our leads to join forces against him. But they have to fall in love first, because I’m so here for the “find a chaebol, slap him and then date him” love story. Dan-shim is already down two of the three, and I await her and Se-gye’s dating era. *wink*
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