Heo Nam-jun's unabashed straight-ahead romance drew reactions from viewers.
On the 23rd, episode 6 of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama My Royal Nemesis aired, signaling the start of a full-fledged "mutual romance" between Cha Shinsegae (played by Heo Nam-jun) and Shin Seori (played by Lim Ji-yeon).
At a commercial shoot in Jeju, Segae nitpicked that Seori's dress was excessive. Shortly after, using the excuse that the product wouldn't be visible, he fired a blunt line, "Right now I can only see that woman!", which made viewers laugh. Not only that, he went to find Seori when she got lost, and showed a tender side by silently following a few steps behind the intoxicated Seori.
In the ending, he once again realized his feelings for Seori. Segae approached, saying, "If you're going to run away, now's your only chance. I'll give you exactly three seconds." When Seori, who was about to leave, immediately grabbed him again, Segae kissed the inside of her wrist and then followed with a kiss, creating an all-time fluttering moment.
Heo Nam-jun portrayed the process of a notorious character changing in the face of the unfamiliar feeling of love with deep acting skills, greatly increasing immersion. Critics also praised the perfect control of tempo that freely traversed comedy and melodrama and his delicate expressiveness for making the narrative more three-dimensional.
Heo Nam-jun unpacked the character's transformation—from cynical and unrestrained to changed through the feeling of love—with meticulous tempo control. Viewers responded that his portrayal of becoming clumsy and childish in the face of an unfamiliar emotion was both nonchalant and thrilling, adding to the show's pull.
Thanks to Heo Nam-jun's overwhelming performance, My Royal Nemesis has set new personal best ratings each episode and is dominating living rooms. In particular, the drama is receiving a hot response by presenting the rare "hot-tempered male lead" in recent dramas with Heo Nam-jun's unique charm.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SBS My Royal Nemesis
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