The First Night with the Duke

Ignore the reviewers and try going on the journey for yourself

Where do I begin? Nothing prepares me for what “First Night with the Duke” delivered. I came in with low expectations for a few reasons: 1) the trailers seemed to overplay the slapstick comedy, 2) I liked the webtoon originally and had doubts about the shift to a Joseon setting, and 3) I don’t always like the pacing of a 12 episode format for a historical drama because it feels rushed or underdeveloped. However, because I love Taecyeon, enjoyed the original webtoon, and needed something to watch, I gave it a try.

I’m so glad I did.

“First Night with the Duke” is a masterclass on a romance drama. It starts out hilarious but the shift to serious is very natural. You go on quite the journey. The cast is stellar. You’ll be invested every minute.

Our leads? Goodness. Chemistry? Absolutely on fire. Acting? Phenomenal. Character development? Next tier. Kiss scenes? SWOON. Cha Sun Chaek and Yi Beon are exactly what you want from leads. And guess what? No messy breakup. They actually communicate and work together. It was beautiful to watch.

As I said, the cast is great. The writers—who delivered a phenomenal script in general—do a great job fleshing them out. Some villains are more annoying than menacing, but I think that’s pretty normative in Asian dramas. Ultimately, all the characters were solid.

The transmigration storyline is overplayed these days. But I’m going to be honest. This is the best delivered transmigration drama I’ve ever watched. I can’t recommend it enough.

It’s making my all time list.

Read More

Great start, dropped the ball midway

When The First Night With The Duke started, it was one of my favourite dramas airing. Then somewhere in between it started to get boring.

I think when the drama became serious and cliched is when it lost my interest. The very typical crazy king, another faction trying to manipulate and capture the throne, helpless female lead, etc. The last one is what put me off the most since everything revolves around her. Capturing her was the worst plot move. I wanted her to keep driving the plot forward and not just from the background.

Other factors were: The FL in the modern world didn't look happy at all. The baby propaganda was over the top. Having 12 kids when healthcare for women was the worst sounds more like a nightmare than a dream.

The breaking the 4th wall ending was a bit too cheesy for me. Maybe if the lines were better I would have liked it.

But for the great first half and lovely opening, good negative female cast members, I'm giving this a 7.5.

Read More

What to Make out of this Drama? Mostly Left Me Feeling Clueless

I started watching this drama when it was still airing. They had only released 6 episodes till then. I loved the stupid, quirky charm of the FL so much that I binge-watched 4 episodes in one sitting, and decided to wait until the rest of the episodes were out. Then I would sit and binge-watch the whole thing all at once. So I waited for 2 long weeks. Finally, when I got to starting the series again, I decided to parse through the previous episodes as a recap. And then from the 5th episode onwards, it somehow started getting weird, and it just got weirder and weirder by the minute.

Things that I liked:
1. Sex positivity: It was so good and refreshing to see proper kissing on screen, and two grown-up characters getting into the action without the whole sloooooooowwwwww "stolen glances, chases, hand grabs" and all that slow burn romance cliches. They knew they liked it and they went for it. Need more sex positive representations on screen like these.
2. Lead couple's romance/chemistry: Very corny, but cute. Also their romance was pretty straightforward from the get-go. No additional fluff and drama, so if you want to watch two opposite characters remain in love, this was a pretty good instance of that. Also amazing chemistry between the two.
3. Side characters: They spent enough time talking about the side characters and their story arcs, and I appreciate that.
4. "Everyone is a lead character in their own drama": This was the best line in the whole series. I wish they explored this idea in more details instead of focusing on 50 things very superficially. Like, why does the ML's best friend have a difficult dynamics at home; what is the relationship between Jo Eunae and her father. But points to the writers for thinking of new concepts to explore, I guess.

Things that I didn't like:
1. Wafer-thin plot: The plot of the story ends by the time the two of them decide to get together (somewhere around ep. 6). After that, the plot is just paper-thin. The palace intrigue has no bulk to it, random foreigner angle has no resolution (didn't make any sense at all).
2. Random kid/shaman author figure: I get it, the writers wanted to bring an additional "divine intervention" angle to the story, to tweak the story towards its happy endings, but was it necessary? I didn't see the point of any of the interactions that the leads had with the kid/shaman/deity character.
3. Second Prince: Why introduce him in the last section of the story, when he had the potential to be a bigger, more menacing presence throughout the series? Made no sense. His whole story arc had so much potential, but it just was wasted thanks to the coyingly sweet romance time of the lead couple.
4. Ending: The ending was weird, the switches between the two 'Cha Sunchaek's were very random with zero explanation on either end.

Bottom line, the series had the potential to be better, but got lost midway in trying to resolve the transmigration problem. Overall, a one-time watch, bearable thanks to Taecyeon's stoic face and Seohyun's quirky charm.

Read More

When Love Rewrites the Story

I absolutely loved this drama from start to finish! It had me laughing out loud one moment and wiping away tears the next. The main leads (ML & FL) delivered outstanding performances—their chemistry was so natural and believable that it completely pulled me into their world.
The supporting cast shined just as brightly, adding depth and charm to every scene. Each actor played a crucial role in making the story feel alive and layered. And can we talk about the filming locations? Absolutely breathtaking! The historical sites in Korea weren’t just a backdrop—they became a character on their own, giving the entire drama a magical, immersive quality.
Honestly, this is one of those rare dramas where everything just clicks—the acting, the pacing, the visuals, the music. And because this is based on a Webtoon, I can definitely see a second season happening. There’s so much potential left to explore!
A modern-day college student suddenly finds her soul transported into the body of Cha Sun Chaek (Seohyun), a minor character in her favorite historical fantasy web novel. Trying to navigate her new reality, she accidentally gets drunk and collides with Yi Beon (Taecyeon)—the cold, sharp, and impossibly handsome Prince Gyeong Seong, who also happens to be the male lead of the novel.

What should have been a passing encounter takes a shocking turn when, after a drunken night together, Yi Beon insists on marrying her! Alarmed and determined to restore the novel’s original plot, Sun Chaek tries to push Yi Beon back toward Cho Eun Ae (Kwon Han Sol), the intended female lead. But Yi Beon refuses to follow the script, completely rewriting the story with his relentless pursuit of her.

Now, Sun Chaek faces an impossible choice:

Will she manage to return to her own world and set the storyline back on track?

Or will she surrender to fate and carve out a new happy ending with the prince?
This drama is a perfect blend of romance, comedy, and emotional depth. It’s visually stunning, wonderfully acted, and keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you enjoy historical fantasy with a modern twist, this is an absolute must-watch!

I’m hoping for a second season—there’s no way this story ends here.

Read More

Light and enjoyable series

'The First Night with the Duke' hits all the right notes, and I loved this K-drama historical romance series. Whilst I was a little worried at the start as the setup isn't particularly new or innovative, the girl wakes up in a storybook world, the writers take the story in a different direction than usual.
You see, our central FL ends up in the body of Cha Seon Chaek (Seo Hyun), who is barely a side character in her favourite series 'The Obsessive Tyrant'. Initially excited to see the love story of her two favourite characters unfold, a drunken mistake sees her entangled with our male lead, Prince Gyeong Seong (Ok Taec Yeon). The Prince appears cold and ruthless, serving as the King's hunting dog and eliminating his political enemies. However, after spending the night with Cha Seon Chaek, he declares that he will marry her, much to her dismay.
Trying to get the story back to its original plot, where the Prince falls for a different girl, Cho Eun Ae, Cha Seon Chaek's antics have the opposite effect, making the Prince fall deeply in love with her. As the story progresses, Cha Seon Chaek also realises that she has fallen for the stoic Prince and decides to change the story and be with him.
Set in a background of court intrigue, the twelve (12) episode season never felt like it lagged or got bogged down in unnecessary subplots. Instead, there was a consistent momentum as the story built up to its conclusion, with the risks to our main leads increasing and the machinations of the villains ever-increasing.
The acting of both Seo Hyun and Taec Yeon was terrific, and I loved watching the growth of both their characters and their love story. It felt realistic, and you could see how much they cared for each other in the little things they did.
The other actors also did a great job. In particular, Lee Tae Sun, who played the main antagonist, Prince Yi Gyu, was so delightfully unhinged and yet vulnerable at the same time. The backstories of both princes were almost identical, but while one became the sword of the King to ensure his survival, the other was banished. Whilst I could understand the resentment and hatred that Prince Yi Gyu carried, his actions as an adult led him down the same dark path as those who had banished him as a child.
I do wish some of the other relationships were tied up; I would have liked to see a couple of the other characters get their HEA, especially Cha Seon Chaek's three (3) brothers, who mainly played for comedic relief. Also, if I am honest, I wish one couple were not implied to be together in the end as I petty like that.
Overall, I highly recommend the series and will likely rewatch it in the future.

Read More

Fun, Time-Traveling Romcom Takes a Detour

Starts out as a fun, fluffy romcom, with a college student waking up inside the world of her favorite serial novel and falling in love with the male lead. But the story takes a turn in the last several episodes with a darker tone and some villainy added for dramatic tension.

However, it’s the characters and cast rather than the uneven plot that makes this worth watching.

Yi Beon is the ultimate fictional crush — flirty but respectful, devoted, tall and handsome, with a deliciously deep voice. Taecyeon plays him to perfection. Do men like this exist in real life? It’s no wonder our female lead can’t resist him despite her best efforts.

Seohyun is also charming as Cha Sun Chaek, a supporting character turned female lead, who adapts to Joseon-era life with surprising ease, putting her college smarts and cocktail-mixing skills to good use.

But the series never quite recaptures the spark of the early episodes as the plot takes a detour into Serious Drama Land — complete with unhinged villains, betrayals, and obstacles to keep the leads apart. Unfortunately, the genre-mixing feels abrupt and disjointed.

We do get a happy ending, but the conclusion feels a bit rushed and leaves some unanswered questions. The story would have benefited from extra episodes to flesh out the some of characters more and explore the late-stage plot developments.

Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the series for what it is: a mostly lighthearted historical romance. The leads’ chemistry, banter, and swoon-worthy moments are the main draw. At least their devotion to each other is one constant even when other aspects go awry.

Read More

Nothing much to say here.. The drama doesn’t bring anything fresh to the table.. Just the usual fantasy role swapping.. One character ends up in the past while the other takes her place in the future.. I actually liked how it started.. The first six episodes were good.. But after that, you could honestly just skip to the last two.. Episodes 7 to 10 felt like a drag and I genuinely hated a couple of scenes which served no real purpose other than making you question the FL’s character..

Acting wise, everyone did a decent job.. But still there weren’t any standout performances.. Just okay overall.. Loved the FL’s family.. And the FL herself was fun and chaotic to watch.. The couple was good.. Their chemistry was good.. Barring a couple of scenes, I think I liked pretty much everything else about them..

I would have rated this an 8 because it was enjoyable overall.. But one scene in particular irked me.. The FL lets another guy sleep on her lap.. And she falls asleep too.. This is the same guy the ML has issues with and had clearly told her to stay away from.. It felt completely out of place for a character who had been shown as deeply dedicated to the person she loves.. I mean imagine what would have happened if the ML had seen that?? I know it probably shouldn’t cloud my judgment but I can’t help it, it does.. Still the drama is worth watching if you can overlook a stretch of draggy plot.. For me?? Meh.. Overall a one time watch when there’s nothing better to do..

Read More

Formulaic love premise that works despite the random side stories

A college student who is living a life of loneliness and isolation is transported into the online novella for which she’s obsessed. This has an interesting start with Cha Seon-chaek (FL) being a modern woman transported to Josean Korea. She brings such contemporary actions as mixed drinks, the game of truth or dare and a drunken one-night stand to the era. The latter of which results in the “Duke” – Lee Beon, the King’s favorite nephew, instantly becoming smitten with her. The fun begins when she attempts to spur his desire and determination to marry her. This leads her to attempting some pretty elaborate schemes that are nothing short of hilarious.

Of course, she eventually requits his love and they decide to be together, but then new challenges arise with opposing family members, scheming “friends” and foes, a questionable king and even their own hangups. However, they work through many of these issues and move forward. I have enjoyed how they may initially disagree but always talk through their differences to better understand each other and get on the same page. I love how the ML is straight forward with the FL. Telling her outright that he wants her innocently and amorously. Swoon. Love it.

Though the story was fun and interesting to start, it has become a little tedious in the last several episodes. Time has been spent on story threads that weren’t needed and characters who were integral early in the story have been sidelined, then revisited at random with no clear direction of how their actions will fit into the bigger picture. The storyline with the King and his desire to strengthen his power within the kingdom has only been incorporated when angst is needed for the OTP.

In fact, the palace drama is not well-written, and the audience has yet to understand how what’s happening in the past (this novella) will tie to the FL in the present. For visits to the present have been infrequent and ultimately irrelevant to the overall story. There seems to be several loose ends to tie up before this story wraps up within the next two episodes. It remains to be seen if the writers can tie this up nicely. The love story is well written, but the supporting side stories are pretty weak. The leads have great chemistry. Great acting by both. Love Ok Taec-yeon’s voice. So deep and sexy. The supporting characters work well within the story as well. If the last couple of episodes manage to not go off the rails, this will be one worth watching again.

Edited to add, the last couple of episodes did not do a good job wrapping up the palace storyline. It was rushed and the characters who should’ve been severely punished for treason weren’t really punished at all. Odd. The explanation behind how the FL ended up being a character in the web novel she enjoyed was strange but passable. The OTP got their HEA albeit cheesy. Lol. Overall this was average. First half of the series was really good but then the story sort of drops off in the 2nd half. Still worth rewatching though.

Read More

MIXED BAG BUT BINGEABLE

This show left me with mixed feelings. I binged the whole series and honestly, it’s one of those dramas that’s okay if you’ve got nothing else to watch. The story had potential, and so did the acting but both felt underused. Some scenes were alright, others were painfully cringey or way too cheesy. It holds up decently till episode 6, then just drags... though things pick up again around episode 10.

It’s definitely a background-watch kind of show. If you’ve got a main drama running, this can be your side filler. Acting-wise, I’d give it a solid 8 especially the male lead. The female lead was cute but her role just didn’t hit right for me. I get the whole aegyo appeal in K-dramas, but it didn’t fit the tone here.

Also, Taecyeon deserves better scripts. He clearly has the potential, and these serious roles actually suit him better than the over-the-top ones. The cast overall was fine, but nothing mind-blowing.

In short: not a masterpiece, but if you go in with low expectations, it’s watchable.

Read More

The First Night with the Duke is a charming historical fantasy romance K-drama that blends humor, passion, and an “isekai” twist (transportation to another world). Based on the popular webtoon, it invites us to dive into a story that breaks clichés while playing with the classic tropes of romance novels.

The plot follows K, a modern-day university student whose life takes a dramatic turn when her soul is transported into the body of Cha Seon-chaek, an insignificant side character in her favorite novel. At first, her plan seems simple: survive quietly and avoid interacting with the main characters so as not to disrupt the original storyline.

However, everything changes when she accidentally spends her first night with the novel’s male lead, the cold and handsome Prince Lee Beon. From that moment on, the original script begins to unravel: the prince, who was supposed to fall for the heroine, becomes obsessed with her instead. Now, K must decide whether to stick to the original plot or risk pursuing an unexpected romance with the duke.

✨ Highlights of the drama:

A fresh and funny premise: the isekai concept brings hilarious and unique situations. Since the protagonist knows the “tropes” of romance novels, she constantly tries to avoid her fate—only to end up creating even more surprising and comical scenarios.

Chemistry between the leads: played by Seohyun and Ok Taec-yeon, the main couple shares undeniable chemistry, balancing tenderness, humor, and passion. Their dynamic growth drives the story forward and keeps viewers hooked.

An unexpected romance: unlike typical dramas where the main couple is obvious from the start, here the love story unfolds gradually and organically. It’s a touching tale about destiny versus free will.

Beautiful production value: costumes, cinematography, and set design perfectly balance traditional aesthetics with modern flair, enhancing the fantastical atmosphere.

⚖️ Things to keep in mind:

The storyline can become somewhat predictable at times, especially for viewers familiar with the genre.

The main focus is romance and comedy, so those looking for a deep, historically accurate drama may not find it here.

💖 Conclusion
The First Night with the Duke is lighthearted, funny, and deeply entertaining—a perfect pick for fans of fantasy romance with surprising twists. With its mix of humor, tender moments, and a love story shaped by fate and free will, it wins viewers over and leaves them smiling at the end of each episode. The drama does justice to its source material while standing out for its visual charm, witty premise, and the unforgettable chemistry between its leads.

⭐ Highly recommended if you enjoyed dramas like Mr. Queen or My Next Romance Villainess.

Read More

When they promise NeW and Different!! and deliver the same old.

While this show started strong, it slowly loses steam and abandons most of the things that made it original and intriguing until you're left with another bland costume thing which grows increasingly similiar to all the other bland costume things you've seen. It never becomes unwatchable, but I did become frustrated with it because it set itself up as defying convention, and then repeatedly chickened out and reverted to type

The initial premise is that 'K' transmigrates into the novel The Obsessive Tyrant as the side character Cha Seon Chaek. She immediately manages to get messy drunk and decides she's going to watch the titular tyrant Prince Gyeong Seong meet-cute heroine Cho Eun Ae. Except, she's derailed the plot too much, and it's she who gets the meet cute. Or, y'know, drunkenly accosts the guy. By being both audacious and offering empathy and understanding to Prince Gyeong Seong (because of her knowledge of the character) she SOMEHOW (I wish they had elucidated whose impetus it was, it feels like a major missing element) ends up in bed with him. He then fixates on her because she popped his cherry. And like, Girl, I am so here for it. What sort of nasty shit did y'all get into that he was so desperate to have that sex on lock down? Like, for real. She has to have been the top. I hope she rode his face.

So we have this messy, horny fangirl. Fun, right? I want to watch her disaster through this. I hope she trips on a banana peel and accidentally pegs him.

Yeah, I know. It was too much to hope for. But hope springs eternal, darn it!

While Seo Hyun is very charming, and is working her ass off carrying this thing on pure charisma... this is another script with a very carelessly written female lead. Cha Seon Chaek's previous identity matters so little it doesn't even rate a name. The show paints her interest in the novel The Obsessive Tyrant rather sheepishly as a depression-fueled indulgence bourne of a recent friendship collapse. That collapse is THE ONLY THING we know about K's life in the modern world, and we only know about it because it serves as a minor roadblock to her relationship with Yi Beon. Once she transmigrates and bangs Prince Gyeong Seong she drops the depression and becomes quite perky and bold-spirited; essentially like any other FL. Her actions also become more like those of a stock character, not of a modern woman with a head full of plot and character knowledge. Do you think she's going to form a real friendship with her maid character, instead of treating her like an appendage? She isn't. Will she use deep character analysis and genre-savvy narrative deconstruction to understand evolving character motives and defy expectations? She won't. Does she cook a meal with utmost confidence which she serves to the ML that turns out to be awful? She does.

It's especially weird because she's meant to screw up the plot-- except she does such a mid job at it the show introduces a couple of other characters who are just there to obfuscate. Since Cha Seon Chaek's relationship with Prince Gyeong Seong causes less trouble than the original one with Cho Eun Ae, they even have to add a new antagonist. Which feels...dumb. Because the antagonist is someone who probably should have appeared in the original novel because he helps resolve Prince Gyeong Seong's story.

And because it makes Cha Seon Chaek's presence feel somewhat extraneous. In the end very little of the plot is really about Cha Seon Chaek in any significant way, which is a very great shame to me. It all is tragically low stakes and low effort. She doesn't even really, truly, properly get worried that when the story 'ends' she might STOP EXISTING. And I want to dig into a character who doesn't think that's a cause for alarm.

Almost all the conflict and agency belongs to Yi Beon. He has a tragic back story, it's his situation that they need to extricate themselves from, its he who needs to grow and change as a person. Ok Taec Yeon does a fine job with his part, but it's nothing you haven't seen before. His interactions with her family are fun and sweet, he does a great job of looking at her adoringly and hinting that she should probably do Reverse Cowgirl again, same old.

Everything else goes exactly as you've seen before; the former Heroine becomes a villain for reasons not entirely clear, a former female villain/rival gets redeemed, the 2ML is generally useless, there is some vague thematic work with fathers which is so badly attended it might as well not be there, no questions about the nature of reality are asked or answered, no pegging is confirmed, and nobody was harmed in the making of this drama.

It's like ordering a fun sounding cocktail, only to find out it's orange soda with some tajin on the rim. Orange soda is fine, great, if that's what you intended to order; but you kind of wanted the exciting cocktail they advertised. But they think the tajin will distract you from the fact that it's orange soda, the same as Fanta and Sunkist and Crush and Jarritos. It's orange soda. So long as you know and want orange soda going in, you'll be fine.

Read More