My Royal Nemesis tops Netflix charts

SBS drama “My Royal Nemesis” has become one of Netflix’s fastest-moving Korean breakouts of May, with the series holding the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s “Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea Today” for two consecutive weeks as of May 18, SBS Star reported on May 20. Netflix said earlier, on May 13, that the show also ranked No. 1 on its global non-English TV chart in its first tracked week, with 3.9 million views for the week ended May 10. (sbsstar.net) Nielsen Korea, cited by SBS Star, said the show reached a personal-best 7.8% domestic rating within two weeks of launch. (en.yna.co.kr) The series opened on May 8 and pairs a broad fantasy hook with a familiar K-drama engine: a Joseon-era villainess wakes up in present-day Seoul and collides with a chaebol heir. (about.netflix.com) Netflix describes the story as following a doomed Joseon villain who opens her eyes in modern Seoul, where a ruthless heir may become her chance to change her fate. The cast is led by Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun, with Jang Seung-jo also listed by Netflix. ### How high has it actually climbed on Netflix? Netflix’s own weekly rankings show two separate milestones. On May 13, the platform said “My Royal Nemesis” was No. 1 on the global non-English TV chart with 3.9 million views in the week ended May 10, and that it made the top 10 in 44 countries and regions, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Greece and Mexico. (sbsstar.net) SBS Star then reported on May 20 that the show placed No. 2 on Netflix’s global non-English list in its second week while keeping its domestic Netflix crown in South Korea through May 18. Forbes, in a May 20 article, said the show had returned to No. 1 on Netflix in the United States-facing daily rankings it was discussing, while also noting the gap between strong critical response and weaker audience scores on review sites. (netflix.com) The Forbes piece cited a 90% Rotten Tomatoes critics score, a 51% audience score and a 5.6/10 IMDb rating. ### What is the show about? Netflix said the premise centers on Shin Seo-ri, played by Lim Ji-yeon, and Cha Se-gye, played by Heo Nam-jun. SBS Star described Seo-ri as an obscure actress possessed by the soul of a notorious Joseon-era villainess and Se-gye as a ruthless chaebol heir known as a “monster of capitalism.” Netflix said the show’s setup turns on the clash between Joseon sensibilities and modern capitalism. (en.yna.co.kr) Yonhap described it as a fantasy rom-com in which a legendary villain from the Joseon Dynasty is reborn into the body of a little-known modern actress. That framing helps explain why the show has been marketed both as a romance and as a fish-out-of-water comedy. (forbes.com) ### What do the Korean ratings show? Nielsen Korea’s most-cited figure so far is 7.8%. SBS Star said the show reached that personal-best viewership rating within two weeks, while earlier coverage cited lower early numbers as the audience built. The Korea Times, citing Netflix and Korean reporting, said episode two had already risen to a 6.9% peak after the premiere week. (sbsstar.net) SBS Star also said the show ranked No. 2 in the second-week-of-May TV drama buzzworthiness rankings from FUNdex, a Good Data Corporation service, while Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun ranked No. 4 and No. 5 in the integrated TV-OTT cast rankings. (en.yna.co.kr) ### Why are people seeing mixed reactions around a hit? Forbes’ May 20 write-up highlighted a split between critics and general users on review aggregators. The outlet said the series had a 90% Rotten Tomatoes critics score but lower audience and IMDb marks, even as it climbed Netflix rankings. That means the show’s chart performance and its online review profile are not moving in lockstep. (sbsstar.net) Netflix’s own publicity material emphasized the chemistry between Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun and described the series as its latest global K-romcom breakout. SBS Star’s report similarly pointed to momentum across domestic ratings, Netflix placement and buzz rankings rather than review scores. (sbsstar.net) ### When do the next episodes arrive? Netflix said on May 16 that new episodes premiere every Friday and Saturday. SBS Star said episode five would mark the next turn in the relationship between Seo-ri and Se-gye, after the first four episodes drove the show’s early ratings and chart run. (about.netflix.com) (forbes.com)