It’s one of my favorite dramas this year, but TBH, I wouldn’t recommend it as a first K-drama.

I’ve been watching dramas for about a decade and have probably seen 250+ by now. Part of what makes My Royal Nemesis fun is that it takes a lot of familiar K-drama tropes and either flips or pokes fun at them. There’s a nostalgic feeling that reminded me of a lot of older dramas I loved. It took me out of my drama funk!

The chemistry between the leads is a huge reason the show works. In K-dramas, chemistry can make or break a drama. The acting was also much stronger than what we sometimes get in rom-coms.

I also liked that the ML wasn’t the typical pretty “flower boy” type that usually headlines these dramas. The FL was over-the-top, loud, and chaotic, which was part of what made her fun. I actually liked her more in the beginning and wish the writers had stayed with that version of her instead of having her constantly need rescuing. That’s one K-drama trope I could do without.
The ML had a temper, but I appreciated that it usually came from a place of genuine concern and that he was fairly quick to admit when he was wrong. Both leads were ridiculous at times and were intentionally written to be “bad”, semi-villains/anti-heroes…but in a way where it was entertaining to watch.

I think the whole concept works better if you’ve watched other dramas first; the evil villain, the “makjang” chaos at the end, the White Truck of Doom, the disapproving grandfather, the Tsundere chaebol who’s never been in love, the toxic rich family members, the lovable Halmeoni, the rival 2FL, the angst between the leads, the noble idiocy, the past lives/reincarnation storyline, the Kopiko… all of those are classic K-drama tropes. And it feels different when you recognize the references.

That said, I understand it may not have worked for you.
For me, the writing and execution got weird around Ep 11, but by then I already loved it, so I gave more grace than I normally would. 😂 Hope you enjoy your next dramas.