viola I know there are a lot of people who hate the conflict phase of a romcom, but I am not one of them. As long as it's real conflict that makes sense for the plot and the characters, which this episode finally introduces. I love that this entire episode was devoted to Seori/Danshim's conflict that they also addressed in earlier episodes, in that she's determined not to fall in love because she's afraid that her vulnerability will turn her into a victim. We have other dramas where our protagonists often say "I don't want to fall in love because I'm afraid of getting hurt", but I love that Seori/Danshim goes deeper: not only is she afraid of pain, but she's already well-aware of how it feels to have absolutely no agency in her life and from those around her. Every time she thinks she can love, she is painfully reminded that her circumstances won't allow it. And so, when Mo Tae Hui tells her that she has nothing to give to Segye, those words prick both her heart and her dignity, which we know is very important to Seori/Danshim.This was her episode and her moment to explore. Previously, we've seen her embrace her new chance at life and all the opportunities the world can give her, but now she's realized that the drawback of having a "new chance at life" is that this new chance was given to her, and not earned. She has a loving grandma who isn't really her grandma. She has a name that's not hers, and a celebrated birthday on a day she doesn't recognize. She doesn't have anyone who she can really confide in besides Segye, and only when she's slightly tipsy enough to let her guard down. She does have feelings for Segye, but his aunt and Mo Tae Hui was a bitter reminder that even in this life, she's seen as someone as "low class".And that's why I think her realization and the final scene works so well. Only at her lowest point, can she finally grasp at something she desires. I love how she embraced those feelings not from Segye constantly chasing after her, but because of his kind words. That even if she caused him pain, she still deserves happiness. And also, her being the only one who knows the truth of his scandal empowered her to make a choice no one else could (or would!!!) make. Because the fact of the matter is that Segye really has all the resources to make a story like that go away, but no one in his family would ever make that move in order to save him. Which makes it especially poignant that Seori/Danshim is the one who tries, despite having nothing to ensure their victory together. Because in her words, she'll be happy even if they fall to ruin, as long as they're together.
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i am laughing at how segye got his permanent hair upgrade for this last episode. also why did netlfix translate this last episode title as my royal nemesis... it doesn't make sense.... yes it's how they translated the title of the show but i wish they gave a literal translation for the last episode title.this series really shines due to the strength of im ji yeon and heo nam jun as our main couple. they truly make the show. overall, the last episode was quite satisfactory. i mean if you think about the whole past part too hard then there will DEFINITELY be bumps, but it served its purpose for the story, which is to wrap up the joseon era completely. also gurl it's like 3 am and i'm simply floating on the sweetness of this finale. our side characters got a few nods. our villain got his comeuppance. if the end felt too sweet then that's chiefly because this is a romcom. it would be a whole different story if the genre was melo or tragedy. luckily for us, the romcom pulled through in the end.
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wow it's been a while since i've seen the white truck of doomi will have to say that props to this episode for making me want to keep watching just to find out what the hell is going to happen next!!!! nothing about this episode really comes as a surprise because we as the audience KNOW that mun-do was going to do something to keep his position at the company. but there was a half-second where i wondered if he would after we had that moment with him and his son. but of course he can have that soft moment and then turn around and attempt to kill his uncle. i figured that he would attack the grandmother first but then again he really doesn't have to because shin seori and her grandma pose absolutely no threat to him whatsoever.i felt that the scene with the grandfather and dan-shim was very poignant. him saying that he doesn't want two lonely people together because he thinks segye deserves more hurt, especially for danshim to hear. once again she was confronted with the reality of her situation. and not only that but who she is as a person. her fight with segye was so good in that it showed that both of them have problems! segye for blowing his top and danshim for her pride! the way she can't bend to him and apologize to him because her first reaction is to always defend herself is very realistic and shows how flawed she is a person! love may have softened her and segye, but it did not change them as people, which i like about their romance.of course i was frustrated at some parts of this episode. like wdym segye doesn't think mundo would kill him for real after the two attempts on his life? listen you can be grateful that your cousin saved your grandfather and also believe that he would still absolutely shank you in a back alley somewhere. and this may be the crux of why mundo has such a big problem with segye: in that he thinks he's immature and incapable of handling the business the way mundo can. obvs segye CAN handle it WITHOUT resorting to killing people but to mundo that's just weakness.we had a lot of callbacks to the comet hanging in the air as a reminder that this entire scenario IS a fantasy. segye mentioning how ridiculous it feels to him is the narrative yet again reminding us that our sweet romcom moments of the past 9 episodes were based on a miracle. and now it's time for both our protagonists and us as the audience to wake up. i do prefer this over a neatly bow-wrapped ending of segye and danshim triumphing off to their happy ending. i mean i do want them to get their happy ending but i don't mind if they have to work a little bit more at it tbh
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alright WHEW we are finally heading into our emotional stakes hours and i for one am so glad that we're doing this in ep 9/10 instead of leaving it to the last minute. not crazy about how our villains are being fleshed out, which might be a strange thing to say. idk i was perfectly fine with them just being very ambitious. they had motivations and that was enough for me but i guess since the whole premise of this drama involves "villains" with quotation marks i don't exactly HATE that we see mun-do anxious about his son or tae-hui having to deal with a critical parent. but also moving on --this is a conflict that we as the audience saw coming several episodes ago. it's not the same for our characters. how could have danshim predicted that her meetings with mundo would blow up in her face when just a few episodes ago she wasn't wholly committed to having a relationship with segye? she was still in the mindset of dealing with her own problems by herself. only now has she finally decided to let loose with her feelings, which i thought was a very sweet moment for her. that instead of mourning her past love with the prince, she instead resolves never to keep those feelings to herself again. as for segye, i felt that he absolutely deserved to blow up at danshim. he's been all-in for days now. he's demonstrated his affection time and time again. danshim doesn't owe him anything obviously but it must feel like a kick in the teeth to think that you've finally earned a part of her heart only to find out that she's still keeping something vital from you.usually a drama would spend an episode after dwelling on these hurt feelings. what i like about danshim and segye is that despite all that hurt, they are still drawn to each other. segye putting his head on her shoulder instead of walking away after his outburst shows the depth of his feelings. danshim finally deciding to open her heart to him also shows hers. mundo is also finally stepping up in his villain capacity to do some real damage, which we need in a story like this. all of these plot beats have been done before. they are predictable!!! that's what romcoms are! they take these tropes and package them all over again for our entertainment. i'm not looking for fresh and new in this genre known for its traditions. i'm just looking for a story with a romance i can root for and this what my royal nemesis is giving me.
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Whew, okay, we have finally reached the point where Danshim's past and her present in the future have finally collided. Personally, does it feel a little unnatural for it to be revealed via Segye's dreams? Kind of, but not really? They established his dreams from the first two episodes and then used his medication to put it to the wayside. Honestly, the reveal had to have come from him, because there was absolutely no way Danshim would have admitted that part of her past to him. And instead of wasting more episodes on Danshim never telling him that she's really time slipped from the past, the narrative instead forces her to confront it via Segye. Which works for the plot! Because at the end of the day, this is a fantasy romcom. You can't build stakes in the past and not have it acknowledged in the present.Our villain side characters are doing well in providing conflict. They do just enough to hinder and annoy, but it never feels like either Segye or Danshim loses out to them. Throughout it all, our protagonists maintain their dignity in every interaction, which is what i like most about them. Is it annoying as hell? Yeah!!! But would the story be as interesting without them? Absolutely not.Seeing as we only have six (!!) more episodes to go, I am genuinely curious to see how the villains will step up their villainy, and how long it will take for Segye to believe Danshim wholeheartedly about her past. He's only ever seen her as a modern woman who's into method acting, so I'm looking forward to see how he deals with her complete and total truth.
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For both his past and present versions! I liked how we got a little more backstory on Se-gye, and once again his chemistry with Seo-ri is excellent. They are so funny together. It's the classic asshole trying to come to terms with feeling real human emotions for someone he should dislike on principle, except he can't for some reason, which is a trope that I'll always enjoy when it's done well and My Royal Nemesis is doing just that. I do enjoy sageuk very much, so I'm into the brief snippets of Consort Kang's past as well. I'm also enjoying Jang Seung Jo in this role. I was wondering if he'd just play a sort of two-faced hypocrite to our two main leads the whole drama through, so I was pleasantly surprised when he dropped his facade with Se-gye and spoke to him so aggressively. It's a pretty good way of portraying their dynamic: that not only does Mun-do try and manipulate everyone around him, he also doesn't see the need to put up that false front with Se-gye, which means he is someone he thinks very little of. (And yet, is clearly still threatened by, which I think Se-gye knows too.) They have excellent chemistry together as well, so I'm looking forward to more of their scenes together.I'm intrigued by the pivot into entertainment/Consort Kang deciding to become an actress to respect the prior owner of her current body, aka Seo-ri. I suppose it's a good way for the story to try and address the age old "what happens to the previous soul when the transmigrator takes over", by having the original owner hover over the narrative. It also gives more meaning to Consort Kang's motivations, besides just trying to find a new life to live. Our Consort Kang / Shin Seo-ri's enemy is in the past, while Se-gye's is very much in the present. So far, Seo-ri is trying to overcome just about everything: her new circumstances means that the world itself is her opponent to be conquered. She has people she's wary of, but no real enemies as of now. I'm very excited to see how that changes in the future and how her and Se-gye ally (or not!) with one another to fight back.
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I think this drama is more of a call back to the classic 2000s/2010s era of romcom kdramas, so if you enjoyed those shows back then, then you'd probably enjoy this one. I like how the story and characters stand strong despite the lack of the glossy budget and high-profile names. It may not be as beautifully shot as the currently airing Perfect Crown, but it's entertaining and straightforward. The stakes are established from the start and the characters are interesting by themselves and when they're put together.I'm curious as to how far they'll lean into the fantasy element of the show, like the whole past lives bit for Se-gye and possibly Mun-do? But it is refreshing to have a time-displaced character who isn't trying to return to her original timeline, unlike the other more recent time travel shows like Yoona's Bon Appetit. Seo-ri/Dan-shim takes her circumstances head-on in her new life, and I feel like the audience can relate to her struggles in a capitalist society and also feel charmed by her awe at how easy modern life can be. It doesn't feel like the show is pushing an agenda down your throat about the ~charms of the modern age~ and instead lets us look at the world through Seo-ri's eyes.
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Fast-paced, entertaining, and a solid set-up for both of our lead characters: Shin Seo-ri and Cha Se-gye (whose names put together mean A New World aka Shin Se Gye, which I think is cute). Se-gye reminds me of the classic kdrama chaebol trope. He's violent, ill-tempered, and spoiled, but he's also capable at his job, and his stunned reaction to Consort Kang humanized him just enough to make him fairly entertaining to watch. We know just enough of Consort Kang to really feel for her throughout the episode, but there's a lot to her past that I'm still interested in seeing. Clearly, the show is trying to portray her as a misunderstood villain rather than an all out villainess, and while that may be disappointing to some people, I think she still has all the likable qualities of a villainess: unafraid to speak her mind, stubborn in getting what she wants, and uncaring of anyone else's opinion of her.I laughed at the reference to the "how to date a chaebol" trend that went viral on Korean SNS a while ago. I think the humor thus far is landing pretty well, thanks to both Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam Jun, and I'm looking forward to how their chemistry and scenes go from here.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 16
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Not much to say since it's the finale! I was interested to see how the main conflict would wrap up and luckily it didn't feel too predictable. Jun Ho proposing marriage when just hours ago they watched two women throw down with each other is also so funny but well it was very smooth too. I felt so proud of Hye Jin especially, for making the next decision in her life. It's too bad she can't stay and keep on working on shaping the dreams of the students there, but that had always been more Jun Ho's dream than hers, though she also approved of it.Happy for Nam Chung Mi too! Her relationship with Jun Ho's friend (Seung Gyu?) was also very sweet. I bet every guy who watched this show had his heart fluttery from hearing her words.I also liked how we didn't spend too much time on Instructor Yoon or the vice-director and director Choi. We didn't need to see them to know that they probably regret their decisions, and I liked that after we spent so much time with them in the prior episode.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 15
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I haven't had any issues with the pacing thus far in this drama, so this episode stood out to me in that it did feel a bit slow. Also, I wasn't sure how to feel about specific story choices taken in this ep, but now that I'm sitting on it, I think I understand why they were made. For example, this was a Jun Ho-centric episode, which makes sense considering how the last episode ended with Jun Ho finally breaking down. Jun Ho makes the decision to try and solve their biggest issue (aka the threat of people leaving the academy) on his own, and pretty much tells Hye Jin straight out that he's planning on doing it on his own. At first, I wondered exactly why he's choosing to leave Hye Jin in the dark, and then I realized that for Hye Jin, this is the best thing he can do. Why? It's because Hye Jin always does everything on her own. She's smart, strong and good at her job, and most importantly, has seen Jun Ho as someone who needs her guidance and care for most of their relationship. The only way Jun Ho can prove to himself and to her that he can stand on equal footing with her, is if he can take the burden of their situation off her hands. And it must feel so good for Hye Jin to be told by someone she loves that they'll handle it for her and that she doesn't have to do anything about it. It's so refreshing!! So I understand why Jun Ho did it, especially since Hye Jin also needs to see him in this independent light.Otherwise, seeing as this is the finale and this is the last conflict, a lot of other things were drawn out that I felt didn't have to be. We got a lot of time with the other instructors that we didn't have before, which is fine, though I think we didn't need to see all of them puzzle over their indecision as to whether or not to leave.Also, I liked Jun Ho and Vice Director Woo's confrontation, especially the aftermath when Jun Ho is clearly also rattled by how emotional and frightening it was for him, even though he was very solid in the moment. I liked that! instead of having him swoop in and say a few pithy words and teach the vice director a lesson - the story lets Jun Ho have actual emotions about it. He gets to be uncertain, frightened, afraid, and exhausted. I think a lot of romance dramas don't humanize their male leads this way, because the romance is first and foremost a fantasy for the viewers to enjoy. So I appreciate that the story made space for him to be a vulnerable human being as well.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 14
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Whew! That was really good. Loved the tension throughout, loved how the show did not dive into the dramatic tropes of physical violence or slut shaming. We saw some really nasty behavior from certain characters on the show, but it felt believable and not in any way like a caricature. I loved how at the very end of this episode, it's Jun Ho who emotionally breaks down from the entire situation. Genuine gut punch to see, considering how confident and self-possessed he's been this entire show. We got to see his fears over not only whether he ruined Hye Jin's life, but also his habit of always doing things his own way and wondering if that way is what ruined Hye Jin and the academy. I loved seeing him be vulnerable, especially in front of someone who is not Hye Jin!! And with maybe the last person you'd expect him to let his guard down around.Nam Chung Mi is my second favorite character after Hye Jin. She has principles and by god she'll stick to them, but not just out of a wishy-washy "oh that's not right" kind of way. She's someone who will do what it takes to get ahead because that's exactly how far she's come. So it felt even more poignant for her to turn down the offer and decide to stay at the academy with Hye Jin. Her small scene with that one annoying teacher was really great. Minimal dialogue but you could tell just how exactly Nam Chung Mi thought of not only him, but everyone else who was planning to leave. Also her sweet moment with Jun Ho's friend was very cute. Her mentioning that she thought love was a waste of time until she saw how Hye Jin cheered up just from a few words from Jun Ho, which also led her to believe that love could also be a great source of strength in times of hardship.I have full faith that the show will stick the landing, considering that it hasn't disappointed me in any of the other previous episodes.
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imagine letting scenes just breathe? and without cramming in random dubstep cgi anime fights??? also genuinely they need to give more to jjy because this constant back and forth with chi wen being ji ling or not is not it. give our fox girl something to actually chew on. why is it episode 17 and this couple is still stuck on whether or not he's ji ling???it's the way they got way more screen time during the illusion arc but wu wang yan and wu shi guang's story line still hits harder because they had more to work with despite not having as much time.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 13
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Once again, solid episode. The previous episodes did very well to build up the kind of culture and environment the hagwon life is, so while it's completely ridiculous that Hye Jin's career is being threatened by her relationship with Jun Ho, it also makes sense. We know how the culture works. Even as an audience, we learned about how two other instructors ruined their academy by getting romantically involved. The stakes are indeed high, and the show did a good job in establishing that.I was shocked that it was the White-Haired Witch who dropped the bomb that Hye Jin and Jun Ho were involved. I'm glad it was her and not the Vice Director. Also, liked how we got the Director back and how you can tell that he is in Hye Jin's corner, compared to how he tried to abandon her earlier in the drama. Him saying that he already knew they'd get together was the sole comedic point in this episode.What I really liked was that Hye Jin at no point says the words "we should break up". I think this is always the quintessential line that comes with age-gap, noona romances, when a partner either can't endure the gossip or doesn't want their loved one to have to put up with it. And that's why I really expected Hye Jin to say it at the end, but instead we get her confession of love to Jun Ho which was very sweetly done. I feel for Hye Jin so much. I feel less of that for Jun Ho, who as a character is very good, but he's basically the reason as to why everything is crumbling down now. And even though he's the reason, I didn't get the sense that he was truly suffering from what was going on. Yes, he was concerned for Hye Jin's sake, but you never get the sense that he's concerned for his own sake. Which is nice, but it makes him less complex compared to Hye Jin. Maybe the next episode will introduce more of his own struggles with this situation.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 12
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I've been repeating myself over and over for every episode, but once again this was a good episode! The conflict between Hye Jin and Jun Ho was resolved in a realistic way, which is what happens when there are two adults in a relationship who are both good at communicating and expressing their feelings. I thought it was very funny that Pyo Sang Seob was forced to watch them argue, and the audience was meant to also think it was funny from the way it was directed. Nice to see Pyo Sang Seob feeling confused and put-off after the numerous times he made Hye Jin feel that way. But otherwise, this episode and the last did a lot to redeem Pyo Sang Seob as a character. In the end, you even start to root for him after watching his special lecture.Also loved how Hye Jin handled Vice-Director Woo having the audacity to not only steal all her material but use that to threaten Hye Jin into leaving with her. The way Vice-Director Woo is so obsessed with her because she knows firsthand how talented she is in the industry. Genuinely liked the way Hye Jin resolved it at the end because all her prior material means nothing to her now that she has the resolve to move forward in a different direction. And that is thanks to Jun Ho and to Pyo Sang Seob.
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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon Episode 11
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Jun Ho and Hye Jin have fought before, but I think this is their first real confrontation after they became a couple. As always, it was a good episode. If the previous episodes were more about Hye Jin and her personality, this one did a good job at reminding the viewer about Jun Ho's. We know that he is a very confident character who has a lot of pride in his work ethic and ability to achieve the things he wants. We have never seen him fail in the context of the story. Everything he's taken on has worked out for him. So his anger at his parents and then later at Hye Jin makes sense. This is someone who doesn't understand why everyone around him can't believe in him and take his words at face value. He feels belittled by both which makes him even more stubborn about sticking to his guns. Not only that, but we've seen him wish for Hye Jin to confide in him more, so he's hurt by the way she shuts him out.The thing is, I can also understand the fight from Hye Jin's point of view. This came out of left field for her, and honestly, out of left field for the audience as well. I did not expect Jun Ho to throw out his study book and pivot his teaching strategy entirely, so I felt just as confused as Hye Jin was when she found out. Throwing out an entire reference book days before the new semester starts is a risk no one would ever take, which is why Hye Jin and Sang Mi were horrified. Not only that, but Jun Ho suddenly going off about how he'll teach students to really learn, rather than how the academies teach them to memorize and retain sounded very idealistic. Sang Mi and Hye Jin have been part of the academy scene for a while. They're weathered in their expectations and understand how things go. In contrast, Jun Ho is completely new to all of this, not only to the Academy but also to teaching in general. He wants to change things and doesn't understand why Hye Jin can't support him. I think he is also afraid that she still thinks of him as someone to support, rather than someone who can support her.I think Hye Jin loves Jun Ho, but she doesn't really think of him as an equal. Which, I can't blame her for, considering how he reacted last episode, and how she admitted that she thinks he represents the worst parts of herself. This is demonstrated when she speaks with Pyo Sang Seob, who is also someone who has butted heads with before. She sees him as an equal. Even though he's not an Academy instructor, he has years of teaching experience that Jun Ho doesn't have. So when Sang Seob says he'll handle things his way, she lets him do so. I felt like the most emotional scene in the episode was not the fight between Hye Jin and Jun Ho, but the scene with Sang Seob and his student, when she asks him to review her material. You could tell that he was moved by the fact that she listened, and also bitterly regretted that he can no longer move his students in that way. I felt for him as a character, and I respected him more when he told Hye Jin about how the vice director of her own academy had betrayed her. Ten years of teaching materials??? I would cause a scene if I were here.Maybe she will cause a scene in the next episode? We shall see.
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