'My Royal Nemesis' wrote another first for an SBS Friday-Saturday drama as its ratings surged by the second episode.
SBS' My Royal Nemesis ranked No. 1 on Netflix's weekly Global Top 10 Non-English Shows in its first week on air, quickly capturing global viewers faster than any other SBS Friday-Saturday drama and creating an unusual whirlwind.
SBS Friday-Saturday drama My Royal Nemesis (directed by Han Tae-seop / written by Kang Hyun-joo / produced by Studio S, Gil Pictures) is a romantic comedy drama like a powder keg: the soul of a notorious Joseon-era villainess possesses the struggling actress Shin Seori, who becomes the "villain" Hae-jin, and faces off in an explosive romance with the ruthless chaebol Cha Sye-gye, who is called a monster born of capitalism.
On Netflix's official site TUDUM's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows weekly ranking, My Royal Nemesis rose to No. 1. The chart tallied views and viewing time for the week of May 4 to 10, and My Royal Nemesis achieved the feat of reaching the top about three days after its May 8 premiere. It is the first SBS Friday-Saturday drama to rank No. 1 on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows in its first week on air, and it set the shortest time record among SBS dramas that have achieved No. 1 on the same chart, proving the fierce interest of viewers worldwide.
On U.S. online community Reddit, viewers reacted, "The flower-beating scene in episode 1 is one of my favorite scenes. I laughed the whole way through" (sar***), "The remix meme that appeared in episode 2 is fantastic. I watched it three times" (man***), "A work that got me out of my K-drama slump" (dan***), "Lim Ji-yeon has a lovely presence and is amazing in every scene she appears in" (alf***), "I was hooked on this drama after just episode 1" (Loo***), "I was pleasantly surprised. The pacing is fast and Shin Seori is crazily smart and strong" (For***), "I fell in love with the two villains. I'm looking forward to the unyielding Shin Seori" (ann***), and others, showing enthusiastic responses.
Thus, My Royal Nemesis has drawn praise from domestic and international viewers by showcasing an electrifying setup as a rom-com of a Joseon villainess Lim Ji-yeon (Kang Dan-sim/Shin Seori) and the ruthless chaebol Heo Nam-jun (Cha Sye-gye), Lim Ji-yeon's powerful performance, a script with lively phrasing, the pleasant energy from the back-and-forth between Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun, and immersive direction filled with delicate detail, all combining in perfect synergy.
The drama's unstoppable momentum, which created numerous delightful comic highlights in its first week such as the "flower-beating" scene and the "Jang Hee-bin possession meme," is drawing attention as it sparked a global syndrome.
Meanwhile, My Royal Nemesis, which premiered on the 8th, recorded a 4.1% rating for episode 1 but rose 1.3 percentage points to 5.4% in episode 2, drawing attention. Fast pacing and the actors' passionate performances have drawn praise from viewers, and it has shown an upward trend against Perfect Crown, the dominant No. 1 Friday-Saturday drama starring IU and Byeon Woo-seok, suggesting promising future ratings.
It also rose to No. 1 on Netflix's official ranking just three days after its release, a record that is both the shortest for an SBS drama and the first of its kind.
With Perfect Crown nearing its finale this week, attention is focused on what results the early-momentum My Royal Nemesis will produce.<
[Photo] SBS' My Royal Nemesis, Netflix official site TUDUM
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